REVIEWSDAY: Real Techniques Sam's Picks Collection

Here is today’s not-a-secret secret: I love Real Techniques. I got my first set (the Core Collection, fittingly) about a year and a half ago and I’ve never looked back. They’re soft, they generally have the exact firmness that I like and the huge range of different shapes and styles means there’s something for everyone.

I recently got hold of the Sam’s Picks Collection (£29.99 at feelunique.com), which has the following brushes:

- Multi-Task Brush
- Buffing Brush
- Essential Crease Brush
- Setting Brush

- Pointed Foundation Brush
- Fine Liner Brush

The Multi-Task Brush was one of the ones I was most excited about – firstly, because it is PINK and PRETTY – but mostly because I’ve been on the hunt for a good blush brush for a while now and I was not disappointed. It’s a great size and shape; the domed bristles make it basically impossible to put too much colour in one shape and make it really easy to build subtle colour out over your cheeks. It’s also not as firm as the other brushes (partly because of its size), which is great for blusher because very firm brushes can sometimes make the colour look too harsh.

The Buffing Brush is probably the most versatile of the Real Techniques brushes. It’s great for smooth, even foundation application, and I’ve also used it with bronzer for contouring because it’s a perfect size to get into the hollows of cheeks. I mostly use it for blending liquid bronzer and blusher into my foundation, because those are the products I wear for work and anything that means I can spend longer in bed is an absolute winner for me.

I am a firm believer that you can never have too many eyeshadow brushes, so I was super pleased with the Essential Crease Brush. It’s good for building colour in the outer corners of the eyes and out through the crease, and because of the soft texture it’s very easy to blend with minimal effort (yay, minimal effort!).

I could talk for actual days about how much I love the Setting Brush. I use it to set concealer under my eyes and around my nose, because I don’t wear a full face of powder during the day and the PERFECT SIZE of this brush means it’s easy to be precise and not waste product. It is important to note that this one is also PINK and PRETTY. 

The Pointed Foundation Brush is not at all the shape I would want for a foundation brush – I prefer a rounder brush for that – but it is great for concealer, especially under the eyes because of the shape. It’s extra good if you’re just wearing concealer on its own or with BB cream, because it means you can build up as much or as little coverage as you need. It’s also quite nice as a highlighter brush, especially with liquid highlighter around the browbone.

The Fine Liner Brush is probably my least favourite, but only really because I love the others so much and have spent most of the week making heart eyes at the setting brush. The description suggested using this brush for gel or cream eyeliner, but I find it a little too flimsy for that unless you’re going for a really smudgy effect – I like a firmer brush for that sort of thing as it helps with precision – but it’s a great shape for eyeshadow under the eyes (in fact it’s what I used in my Cut Crease Tutorial) or in the inner corners.

I’m really pleased with this collection – I would call it worth it for the setting brush alone, but that aside, it’s a set with a lot of versatile brushes and a great way to expand your collection. A+, Real Techniques.