Real Techniques Core Collection

Real Techniques are my all time favourite brushes. Besides MAC, they're the only brushes I ever buy. Mainly because of their amazing quality for a decent price. I've brought many separate brushes in the past but never any of the sets. Since I had some Christmas money left and Boots had a buy one get one half price on all Real Techniques I decided to buy both sets. I thought I'd review the core collection first which is the most popular set.

The set consists of 4 brushes; a contour brush, foundation brush, detailer brush and buffing brush. It also comes with a nifty little case to store and travel with which also doubles as a stand. The brushes are made of taklon which is 100% synthetic hair and cruelty-free. The handles are made from aluminium and rubber which make them super light to hold. The set retails for £21.99 and is ideal for those of you beginning your brush collection as it has everything to achieve a flawless base.

• Contour Brush: delicately applies highlighter to contour or create sheer, soft-focus finish.
• Pointed Foundation Brush: Use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage.
• Detailer Brush: precision cut to effortlessly conceal problem areas; or, use with a lipstick for long-lasting shape and definition.
• Buffing Brush: Ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation.

What I use each brush for

Contour Brush: I must admit I don't use the contour brush much, I use a larger brush to contour with but it definitely can be used for this purpose. I usually use the brush to apply blusher or to set my concealer with powder under my eyes.

Pointed Foundation Brush: My least used brush, only because I don't like these types of brush to apply foundation as I find they can be quite streaky for heavy coverage liquid foundations. Perfect to apply primers and BB creams with.

Detailer Brush: I use this brush to apply concealer onto blemishes as it is very small and can pack on coverage easily. I also use it to apply highlight to my cupids bow and even to line under my eye with a shadow. Very multi-purpose brush.

Buffing Brush: My favourite brush in the world, ever. Not just from this collection. The brush is perfect for blending any form of liquid and mineral foundation. It will give you a medium-full coverage and makes your skin look airbrushed and streak-free.

Overall I am more than impressed with the set. First of all the price is great for 4 good brushes, You can more equal or in excess of this price for just one MAC brush. Although the hairs synthetic is makes them easier to clean as they don't absorb cream products or stain the hairs. The hairs are super soft and don't scratch at all, they are also really easy to clean, you can read my post on how to wash them here. I wash my brushes once or twice a week and have had them several months and still not experienced any shedding or change in the texture of the hairs unlike my other brushes. They also seem to dry pretty fast in relation to most brushes I've used. If anything, the buffing brush is so good it's worth the £21.99 just for that brush. The set is definitely a good investment to any make-up user whether you're just starting out or already own a ton of brushes.