Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection brushes, my review

I don’t really hold a grudge. The proof is that Real Techniques recently released a new range of premium makeup brushes called The Bold Metals Collection, and believe it or not, I was actually very curious to try them…

I had already talked about Real Techniques in my post Why I am not a fan of Real Techniques makeup brushes and to summarize, I was rather disappointed with the overall quality of these brushes. In fact, I thought these brushes were quite good regarding the makeup application, but their durability was seriously disappointing: after a few washes, they had completely lost their shape and I even had several cases where half of the bristles dropped out of the brush all of a sudden… mindblown-alt

So I was curious when I saw that the Chapman sisters (better known under the name of their YouTube channel, Pixiwoo) had released some new  makeup brushes, but this time the brushes are positioned as high end.
I was hoping that the quality had improved. And I really wanted to put them to the test! wink

My dear husband went to London for work a few weeks ago. So I sent the poor man for a very important Boots mission with a list of several products to get for me including those precious Real Techniques makeup brushes!

Luckily, he managed to find them, so here is my review!

Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection makeup brushes, presentation:

So earlier this year, Real Techniques went over to the ‘premium’ side of the force…

So far, Real Techniques was mostly very cheap makeup brushes (5 to 8 dollars for a brush) with a rather questionable overall quality (for me anyway). But generally speaking, they were very well loved by the worldwide community of makeup addicts.

Here, the design is completely different from the classic range but clearly there was a clear desire from Real Techniques to really improve the quality of the brushes.

The range is divided into 3 categories, each represented by a different metal (since this is the theme of this collection):
– the Base range (in gold) for the application of base products (foundation and powder)
– the Eyes range (in silver) for the application of eyes products (yes, it was kind of obvious, wasn’t it?)
– the Finish range  (in copper or should I say rose-gold?) for the “finishing” products like blush, highlighter or contouring.

The brushes are made of metal and you can really feel it when you take one in your hand. They’re nicely weighted, which really gives a certain impression of luxury. (don’t worry, they’re not that heavy, you’re not going to turn into a bodybuilder just by doing your makeup!:) )

The brush handle is rather thin and cut a bit like a diamond, with 4 facets. I think it’s very convenient as it will fit nicely in a pot with other makeup brushes without taking up much space. And another nice thing about the handle is that it doesn’t roll like other brushes with a round handle when it’s put on a flat surface. Very convenient!

My favorite detail of the brush is clearly the ferrule, which is the metal part that fixes the bristles to the brush handle. This is pinched to secure the bristles and prevent them from coming off. This detail was missing in the classic range and I am sure it’s the reason why the bristles dropped out so easily…
On the ferrule, you can see the brand logo engraved (RT for Real Techniques). Très chic!

The bristles are synthetic and are certainly the softest I’ve ever tried… So soft!
The base of the bristles is colored in a similar color as the handle and it kind of fades into a white color, making a very trendy gradient/’ombré’ effect.

Of course, all these nice details and this quality necessarily have a cost. The Bold Metals Collection’s price range is between $15.99 and $25.99. So not really on the cheap side. So don’t be fooled by bloggers that may have received these, haven’t checked the prices and describe them as ‘budget’ brushes.

Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection makeup brushes, my review:

I have tried 3 makeup brushes in the collection, one for the face, one for contouring and the last one for the eyes.

– 100 Arched Powder:

The 101 Arched Powder is for applying some powder on the face (duh).

It has an oval and quite flat shape. It’s not a very firm brush, so it’s perfect for blending or applying loose or compact powder very lightly. It’s not as fluffy or dense as most of my powder brushes. But I found it very convenient for a precise powder application (on my T-zone or to set my under eyes concealer, for example).

And I also tried it with my bronzer and I loved it! It’s so perfect to blend the product for a very natural finish.

The 101 Arched Powder is available at Ulta.com for $25.99.

– 301 Flat Contour:

Why did I buy a contouring brush, you may wonder, as I’ve always said that I hated them?
Well, I started to do a very soft contouring from time to time, to give the illusion that I have cheekbones, and I must say that I kind of like it now. (yes, I know who you are thinking of, and I too am weak and I don’t have any personality ;P)

But the least I can say is that I seriously needed some equipment for the contouring… (yes, I did!)
So, let’s just pretend that I basically needed the 301 Flat Contour!

This is a relatively short and very dense brush allowing a very precise application of contouring product, cream or powder.

When I used it for the first time, I was pretty scared that I would end up with 2 strokes on my cheeks, like some sort of crazy war painting… But in reality, even if it is very dense, this makeup brush is great to perfectly blend the product out.
It’s very soft, despite its short hairs because they’re quite flexible.

I have a crush on this brush, I think it’s my favorite of the 3 I own! smile

It’s available at Ulta.com for $25.99.

– 200 Oval Shadow:

The 200 Oval Shadow is an eyeshadow brush, which is not small. Not small at all.

This is the perfect makeup brush to apply a single shadow all over the lid, like a quick wash of color, and to blend it very easily. It also works very well with cream eyeshadows.

Well, it’s not the most precise eyeshadow brush, but I don’t really mind to be honest because I love this kind of big brush. Most of the time I don’t have time to do a super complicated smoky eye with 5 colors in the morning.
Very often, I go for a matte flesh color all over the lid and one another color on the eyelid that I blend and that’s it! And this brush is perfect for this kind of use.

The bristles are super soft and it’s fluffy and dense. In short, it’s a very good brush!

The 200 Oval Shadow is available in Ulta.com for 15.99.

So, in summary:

[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]

As you can see, I’m quite a fan of these brushes, much more than the Real Techniques original collection.
OK, it’s a lot more of an investment compared to the original Real Techniques brushes, but I think it’s more interesting in the long run. I would be very surprised if the Bold Metals Collection makeup brushes disintegrate as fast as the others. Of course, I’ll keep you updated! wink

And you, are you tempted by Real Techniques Bold Collection Metals brushes? Which one do you want to try?

Photos credits: bonnie-garner.com

Cet article est aussi disponible en français: Les pinceaux Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection, mon avis