Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge Review

I have wanted to try a Beauty Blender sponge for ages, but at around £16 they were out of my price range. So when Real Techniques brought out a Beauty Blender dupe I was so happy. I saved up my Boots points as I was still a little begrudged to spend £5.99 on a sponge.

It was well worth the money though, It really is great. I dampen mine by running it under warm water and then drying with a towel. I use the flat edge to apply my foundation in a sweeping motion which leaves me with really light coverage, so I then go in and use the sponge in patting motions over the areas that need high coverage (which is basically my whole face at the moment). This leaves me with a really flawless looking complexion - The sponge does exactly what it says on the tin!

I love the way that the sponge is designed, the flat surface is great for quick coverage and the point is great for under the eyes and around the nose. Its also great for spot concealing.

Overall I absolutely love this sponge and am going to purchase another as a back up. Its great for when you want a flawless finish to your makeup. The only gripe I have is that it is really hard to get completely clean, but I can overlook this for the sake of a flawless base.

Have you tried this?

Gem x

Real Techniques Eye Starter Set Review

I love Real Techniques brushes. I own the Core Collection and the Stippling Brush and they are a staple in my make-up bag and I couldn't be without them now. So as it was my birthday I decided to get the Eye Starter Set as a little present to myself. I have been using these for four weeks now, so they have had a good test run.


In the set you get five brushes presented in a brush holder. I really like the brush holder, I use it to keep all my Real Technique brushes together its so handy. 


The brushes you get are:

• Base Shadow Brush:  I use it for all over lid colour. Its a nice size and really soft. Its great to pack on colour on the lid and actually does this better than my beloved Too Faced brush. 
• Deluxe crease brush: Again another big brush. I personally use this to blend shadows, not to apply colour to the crease as I find it too big. I use my Too Faced crease brush to apply colour to the crease and then this brush to blend.
• Accent Brush: This is very similar to my NYX Smudge brush. It can be used for "precision detailing, spotlighting, highlighting, and smudging." I use it for all of the uses described and find it a great little brush.
• Pixel- Point Eyeliner Brush: I like this brush for using a powder eye shadow as an eyeliner. I wouldn't use it for gel liner as I already have a brush that I use for that, (the one that came with Maybelline Gel Eyeliner). 
• Brow Brush: This brush is nice and soft and great for applying powder to the eyebrows. It does seem a little big but I find it still does the job well. 

Overall I love these brushes. They are great quality, wash easily and are a good price. They are also 100% cruelty free. You can buy Real Techniques Brushes at Boots, and this set retails at £21.99.

Do you own any Real Techniques brushes?

Gem x

Real Techniques Core Collection

Sorry about the stock photo but when I bought these I couldn't wait to try them out and totally forgot about photographing them.

I waited a while to get these brushes as I had to save up, and they were worth the wait! I love all the brushes in this collection but there are some I prefer more than others. My absolute favourite brushes from the collection are the Buffing Brush and the Contour Brush.

Buffing Brush

Takes a while to get used to using if you are like me and used to using your fingers (slap on wrist). Now I wouldn't go back to doing that, this brush gives an even finish and moves liquid foundation around easily. The finish is more medium when using this brush so I use the Stippling brush over areas where I want full coverage. I think it may be better if it was slightly larger, but still a great brush. 

Contour Brush

I use this for contouring and also for blush and it is perfect for both as I like more precision when applying blush. The size is perfect and it picks up product lovely and blends marvellously. 

Detailer Brush

This is the brush I have used the least out of all of them, but it is still good. I use it to apply lipstick, but it can be used for concealer.

Pointed Foundation Brush

I use this for blending in my concealer under my eyes and also to blend my highlighter in. It is too small to use as a foundation brush in my opinion, but very good for the uses I mentioned above. 

I love the case it comes in too, although it does feel a little bit flimsy.

Overall a great brush set and a great price. It is £21.99 in the UK and available in Boots stores and online at www.love-makeup.co.uk and www.boots.com

Gemx

Real Techniques Stippling Brush Review

I love the Pixiwoo sisters and their tutorials on YouTube, so I was very excited that my local boots now stock their range of make up brushes, Real Techniques.

Let me begin by saying that this is the first stippling brush I have used, so have nothing to compare to, but I still think that my review will be useful.

I decided my first purchase would be the stippling brush. It was £11.99, and I am so pleased that I bought it. Its amazing. I use Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, and it has a tendency to go patchy on dry areas of skin, but using this brush it was so much less patchy on a dry area of skin on my forehead. It gives my skin a much more flawless appearance than just using my fingers to apply my foundation. 

I have also used it to apply blush and highlighter, and again in both instances it gives a flawless finish. The brush is lovely and soft and has dense fibres. I love the handle on the brush, it is very comfortable to hold, and it also stands on its own which I think is great.  

I will definitely be looking into getting more brushes from this range, The core collection is something I am very interested in getting. 

Overall I think this brush is well worth its £11.99 price tag, and is definitely something that I would recommend. 

Have you used any other brushes from Real Techniques? I would love to hear your opinions on them :)

Rating: 5/5