Review: Real Techniques Stippling Brush and Powder Brush

I'm a huge fan of the pixiwoo sisters and when I heard that Sam was launching a brush line, I knew I had to check them out. Before they were released, the only brushes I owned were the Bare Minerals Kabuki Brush, Concealer Brush, and Flawless Face Brush. They work fine for mineral foundation (obviously) but they weren't the softest brushes in the world and I really wanted to experiment with a stippling brush to apply my Lioele Triple Solution BB Cream.

Pricing: When I saw the Real Techniques Stippling Brush and glanced at the price on Ulta's website, I was a little shocked that it was only $10. Ulta usually has coupons that you can use on non-Prestige Cosmetics items and I was extremely excited to find out that you could use their coupons on Real Techniques Brushes. So really, you're only paying about $8 for each individual brush instead of $30+++ for others. Many people like to assume that a more expensive a product is going to perform better than a cheaper one, but that's not necessarily true. Granted, I've never tried out any of the expensive brushes so I can't really compare Real Techniques to any other brand aside from Bare Minerals, but I can say that I'm not tempted to shell out $30 for a brush. It's just too much! You could buy three of these brushes for $30.

Performance: Anyways, aside from the awesome price point, the brush itself is REALLY soft and made from synthetic fibers. I've washed my brush several times and I haven't experienced any shedding whatsoever. The stippling brush works wonders for me whenever I apply BB cream to my face. Before, I used my fingers but now I always use this brush to apply it to my face. It blends the foundation into my skin and gives it a flawless finish. I also use the stippling brush to apply powder blush and it works beautifully. I absolutely adore this brush. After falling in love with my stippling brush, I also decided to buy a powder brush to apply my MAC blotting powder and other translucent powders. This is a pretty large brush compared to the stippling brush, and it does the job. It is too big to use to apply blush, so if you're looking for a multitasking brush, like the stippling brush, the powder brush is probably not the one to get.

Both of these brushes have a rounded wide end to the brush that allows it to stand up on a flat surface. Lots of people think it's a neat feature while others think it's unnecessary. I personally like the fact that it can stand up on its own but I also recognize that the wider end makes it harder to carry it around if you're travelling. The ends probably won't fit into the slots of some makeup brush roles which could be a turn off for some. I personally just use a cosmetic bag to store my brushes at home and while I'm travelling.

I'd definitely recommend this product to anyone who's looking for a good quality makeup brush without a hefty price tag. Thank you, Sam Chapman, for making such awesome and affordable brushes.