Real Techniques Retractable Brushes & Silicone Liner Brush

Real Techniques have completely taken over my brush collection. I still feel that MAC's eye brushes are far superior & I'll never give up my Sigma Tapered Highlighter Brush but for makeup brushes on any budget you can't beat Real Techniques. They are well made, soft, easy to clean & have never shed a single hair on my face. Real Techniques started off as Sam from Pixiwoo's brush line but now Nic is also a part of the team & these are the first brushes that they have designed together. Three of the new brushes are retractable & have a lid. If you're fed up of your makeup brushes getting squished at the bottom of your bag or just want to keep them clean then these are the perfect solution. The Silicone Liner Brush is another new addition & it's probably my favourite out of the four.


Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush
Kabuki brushes should be a staple in everyone's brush collection. They're the ultimate multi-tasking brush. This brush can be used for liquid foundation, mineral foundation, setting powder, contouring or blush application. Personally I like to use this for precision powder application. It's my new favourite partner for my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. It feels incredibly soft on the skin so it blends like a dream. The angled shape means that you can really get into the hollows of your cheeks & it works just as well on the apples of your cheeks. The longer handle makes this easier to use than the original Real Techniques Kabuki Brush. The bristles are softer, more densely packed & have a better shape so I'd definitely recommend buying this retractable one over the old one.


Real Techniques Retractable Bronzer Brush
I wasn't too sure about buying this brush because I've never used a bronzer in my entire life. I embrace the pale at all times. The shape & duo-fibre bristles reminded me of the MAC 187 brush so I decided to buy it anyway. Duo-fibres are great because the white bristles pick up the powder & the black bristles help to blend the product into the skin, giving you a beautifully blended, flawless finish. I used to use my 187 to stipple my liquid foundations & the Retractable Bronzer Brush works just as well for doing this. It does seem to suck up a bit more foundation though so you'll end up using more product. This chunky brush works really well with contouring powders to add some definition to your face. The bristles are not as densely packed as the other Real Techniques brushes. This helps you to get a light & natural finish but it lacks precision. I also tried using this with cream blushes & highlighters and I loved the result. It works brilliantly with the NARS Illuminators to add a gorgeous glow to your face. This brush is pretty huge though so I personally wouldn't take it out with me.


Real Techniques Retractable Lip Brush
Real Techniques carry a couple of small brushes that can be used as lip brushes. I normally go for the Detailer or Accent Brush. However this one is much better than either of those due to the inclusion of a lid. I think that lip brushes should always have some kind of lid or retractable feature. Otherwise you can easily end up with red lipstick smeared over everything else in your makeup bag. This keeps everything neat & hygienic. The shape is quite similar to the Detailer Brush found in the Core Collection but the tip is slightly more rounded. It's a great size & does it's job very well. I always need to top up my lippie throughout the day so this is such a brilliant brush for travelling with.


Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush
First there came the Pixel Point Eyeliner Brush in the Starter Set - it was rubbish. Things were much improved with the launch of the Fine Liner Brush. Finally we have the new Silicone Liner Brush which is easily the best Real Techniques eyeliner brush currently available. Instead of being an actual brush, this has a soft pointed silicone nib. The tip is very fine so you can get right up to your lashes with it. It doesn't drag along the eyelid at all resulting in super smooth liner application. I can vary the thickness of line or shape of my flick with the greatest of ease. The silicone material makes it so easy to clean. If you don't own a gel liner you can just mix an eyeshadow with water or Illamasqua Sealing Gel & this brush will do the rest. It is a truly fantastic addition to the Real Techniques range.

In general I find that the individual Real Techniques brushes tend to be better quality than the sets & these new additions definitely do not disappoint. The retractable brushes might be seen as gimmicky but it's a genuinely helpful feature that makes them both portable & hygienic. I wasn't too sure about the Bronzer Brush to begin with but I would thoroughly recommend buying all of these brushes. If you ever do your makeup on the go or are staying over at someone else's house then these brushes would be indispensable to you. I ended up ordering mine from Love Makeup because my local Boots were being slow. I have since seen them in many branches of Boots so it should be much easier to get your hands on them by now!

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