First Impressions: Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection -- Part 2 + Collection Wrap Up

I finally got my hands on all of the Real Techniques Bold Metals brushes! This is Part 2 in my two-part series on these brushes, so if you haven't read Part 1 yet, click here. If you have already read Part 1, then keep on reading.

I'm going to dive right in and get straight to the brushes. If you would like more of an introduction to what these brushes are, how they look, and the features, feel free to read Part 1!

The brushes I was missing in Part 1 were the 100 Arched Powder, 101 Triangle Foundation, 301 Flat Contour, and 200 Oval Shadow. As you can see above, these are the brushes I will be reviewing today!

I wasn't certain about getting the 100 Arched Powder at first because I already had a powder brush that I enjoyed using. However, it was old and shedding, so I decided to spend the $26 and get this one! I definitely don't regret it. It's incredibly soft and luxurious feeling. It is a somewhat flat brush, almost like a larger, fluffier version of the 300 Tapered Blush. It's pretty standard in terms of what it does, but it feels like a treat putting this brush to my face. My only complaint is that, because of the white bristles, you can't tell how much product you have on your brush when using translucent powder.

The 301 Triangle Foundation REALLY surprised me. In fact, I almost didn't get it, because I normally hate flat foundation brushes, and this basically just seemed to me like a glorified version of the standard flat foundation brush. For the most part, I find that flat foundation brushes leave my skin streaky and cakey-looking. However, after using it I'm pretty impressed, especially after cringing at spending $24 on it. While the bristles are a little long, making the brush a bit flimsy, this brush can blend foundation out beautifully. I like to use the flat side to first "paint" on my foundation, and then use the pyramid-point side to blend it in! Because of the way the brush is shaped, I found that this is definitely the easiest and most foolproof way to use the brush. While it's still not my absolutely favorite for applying a more natural-looking foundation (I'd still reach for the Expert Face Brush over this one), I'd definitely use this on clients when trying to achieve a super flawless look!

If there is one brush I'd say is a must-have in this collection, it's the 301 Flat Contour. It's $26 and worth every penny. Everything about this brush is just so right. First of all, the super short bristles ensure that your contour powder is going EXACTLY where you want it, without the bristles being flimsy and getting powder everywhere. And because the bristles are so incredibly dense, it blends product out like an absolute dream. I wish I knew how to express how much I adore this brush. Seriously. If you can get your hands on it, don't hesitate! It's a similar concept to the NARS Ita Kabuki Brush, but half the price! 

The 200 Oval Shadow is a bit of a struggle for anyone with smaller eyes. It's about twice the size as a MAC 239, and it's kind of easy to get product everywhere when using this brush. It's a little bit flimsy, making it a little bit difficult to apply product with. However, this would be a great "clean up" brush. What I mean by that is, sometimes, when I've gone a little overboard with the shadows and brought them too high up on my brow bone, I like to take either my face powder or an eyeshadow similar to my skin tone and use a brush like this to bring the colors back down to where they should be. Overall, it's an okay brush, but not a must-have by any means, especially at the $16 price point. 

Like the other brushes in this collection, these do not shed at all after being washed! In terms of drying time, it was pretty standard. I washed them in the evening, and in the morning when I was ready to do my makeup, they were all dry.

Final Thoughts: Nothing stands out to me like the 301 Flat Contour. I just can't. It's no wonder this brush was sold out for weeks after the collection was released. Overall, these four brushes are beautiful to look at, are easy to clean, and get the job done!

Collection Wrap Up: Overall, the Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection is absolutely beautiful. These are the kinds of brushes you want on display on your vanity! The quality of the bristles on every single brush is exquisite, as well as the general build of all of them. Now that I've used all of the brushes, let's go back and do a recap and final review!

The 201 Pointed Crease brush is large and dense, and costs $16. I wish it came to more of a precise tip, because it can be difficult to use on smaller eyes, but it blends out product flawlessly. The 300 Tapered Blush brush is quite small, and kind of like a fluffier version of a standard flat foundation brush. It costs $24. I've played with it quite a bit since purchasing it, and I've realized that it is actually the perfect brush for setting my under eye concealer and for highlighting the face! I much prefer using it for more precise applications than blush. The 202 Angled Liner is very small, dense, and pointed, and costs $16. It's a little bit sharp, so if you have sensitive eyes, be wary. However, if can give you a super sharp and precise line! It is also fantastic for filling in the brows. Because it is so small and precise, it successfully applies even powder products in a way that looks like small brow hairs! The 100 Arched Powder is a standard powder brush that costs $26. It's not really anything special, but it is super soft and doesn't shed at all, which makes the final steps of my foundation routine just that much more enjoyable. The 101 Triangle Foundation brush is not quite what you'd expect, and definitely an upgraded version of a standard flat foundation brush, at $24. It creates a full-coverage canvas, which is perfect for anyone who wants to achieve a flawless look. The 301 Flat Contour is the creme de la creme, and worth the $26, hands down. An absolute must-have. It both places and blends contour powders like an absolute dream! Finally, the 200 Oval Shadow brush, is a little bit difficult to use for smaller eyes, but it places products well and feels soft on the lids. It costs $16.

Of course, you can definitely do an entire look using this entire collection. It is definitely a full set of brushes, and can easily help create a professional look and feel to your makeup look! This is a preview of a look I'll be posting soon, with which I exclusively used the Bold Metals brushes to apply the product.

I hope you found this First Impressions post helpful, and I really enjoyed getting to use these brushes! Is there anything out right now that you would like me to review? Let me know in the comments below!

- D. 

First Impressions: Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection -- Part 1

Of course the whole world has been going absolutely NUTS over the new Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection that just came out. These absolutely gorgeous metallic brushes were released late December, and since I've been home in San Diego (where there are like 8 or 9 Ultas), I've been on the hunt for all of them. As of right now, I only purchased 3 of the 7, since they are nearly impossible to get a hold of in stores! So instead of waiting to do a huge collective review, I decided to do a first impressions in two parts.

To start, let's talk about the collection itself. There are 3 categories of brushes: Base, Eyes, and Finish. The Base brushes are gold, the Eye brushes are Silver, and the Finish brushes are rose gold. The handles are a tapered square shape, making them easy to take out of a brush belt, and guaranteeing that they won't roll off your table or vanity when you set them down. The brush handles are also weighted for ease of application and control, while the brass ferrules ensure the durability of the brushes. Finally, the bristles themselves are synthetic hairs, but mimic real hair, since each individual hair is tapered on the end. The bristles have been both tied and glued, in order to maximize the lifespan of each brush.

The first three brushes I purchased were the 201 Pointed Crease, the 300 Tapered Blush, and the 202 Angled Liner. 

The packing itself is solid and beautiful. When I first took the brushes out of the packaging though, I noticed that it had a really annoying sticky adhesive holding them into the packaging, which was a bit difficult to get off. I was worried that if I used alcohol, the metallic paint would come off, but I took a risk and it wasn't a problem at all. The adhesive easily comes off with alcohol, and the brushes looked pristine!

Each of the brushes also has RT stamped into the ferrules, along with the number of the brush on the opposite side.

Let's start with the 201 Pointed Crease brush. This brush costs $16, and, obviously, is meant for the crease. It's almost like a large pencil brush in density. It picks up and places product really well, and comes to a nice point at the very tip, which is great for precise application. Because it is so dense, it buffs out product beautifully with very little effort. 

The 300 Tapered Blush is one of the rose gold brushes, which seemed to definitely be the most popular of the bunch. It is paired with the 301 Flat Contour brush, which is pretty much impossible to get right now. It's sold out of every Ulta in San Diego, as well as online at both Ulta and Boots. Go figure. This particular brush is $24. 

Anyway, onto the brush I'm actually reviewing! The 300 Tapered Blush brush is a relatively small, rounded paddle-style brush. It isn't your typical fluffy blush brush because it is flat on both sides, with a bit of a tapered top. It's quite dense, however I find it a bit bizarre applying blush with this brush. It almost reminds me a bit of a fluffier version of a standard flat foundation brush. I also tried applying a contour color with this, and actually quite liked the effect it gave! It is also quite dense, so if you are using a very intense product, use caution. I think I will have to work with the brush a little more in order to really get a feeling for it, since I'm definitely used to using a more traditional blush brush.

Finally the 202 Angled Liner brush. Of the three brushes I purchased, this is probably my absolute favorite, and well worth the $16 price point! It is super small and precise, making gel liner a total breeze. I haven't been so happy using gel liner in quite a long time as I was using this brush! It is super dense and the bristles are short, making application super easy and precise. This is definitely the perfect brush for anyone who is a gel liner junkie like me, or new to using gel liner!

After using all of these brushes, I decided to put them to the test and give them a good solid wash! I expected the blush brush especially to shed, since I've had trouble with my Expert Face Brush shedding during washes, but nope. Not a single bristle fell out of any of these three brushes, which was impressive! The only thing noticed was that the Angled Liner brush did get a bit stained with my gel liner.

Final Thoughts: So far, so good! I really enjoy all three of these brushes, and I'm really excited to get the last four of the collection. I will definitely have to do a follow up and let you all know how these brushes are holding up, but after my first use/wash, these brushes have definitely impressed me so far!

Are you planning on getting any of the new Bold Metals brushes? Which ones do you want?

- D. 

Battle of the Blenders

This post has taken a little longer than expected getting out for two reasons:

1. I had my wisdom teeth removed this past Monday and the painkillers they gave me pretty much made me hibernate; and
2. I've been incredibly lazy and didn't feel like typing up my thoughts despite knowing exactly what I wanted to say.

And now, I'm probably just procrastinating packing for my big college move, but hey, what better way to procrastinate than by actually doing something productive, right?

Before I get started, I do want to make note that I now have a Facebook page! Please check it out, and it would mean so much to me if you could like it. Check it out here, or click on the little Facebook icon on the right sidebar. 

Anyways, onto today's topic. The Beauty Blender has been a pretty big thing for a couple of years now, and now it seems like every brand is making a point to come out with a dupe of their own. I haven't had my Beauty Blender for very long, but it has already changed the way I apply my foundation. However, the original Beauty Blender usually runs for about $20. I was lucky enough to get a fantastic deal at PHAMExpo, but I know not everyone has the opportunity to go to a beauty show and get one. 

Not too long ago, Real Techniques came out with their own Beauty Blender dupe: the Miracle Complexion Sponge. I had been eyeing this sponge for a while since I already love the Real Techniques brushes (especially the Expert Face Brush), and after falling in love with the original Beauty Blender, I decided to give this dupe a shot! At only $6, I figured, what do I have to lose?

Purchasing: This one is easy. The Beauty Blender runs for $19.95 and can be bought online, or you can find a store near you that carries them by clicking here. The Miracle Complexion Sponge is $6, and can be bought online or in many different drugstores, or at Ulta. You can also find local retailers that carry it by clicking here.

First Look: At first glance, to me, the Beauty Blender simply appears more expensive. I don't think it really appears to be worth $20, but it does look more high-end than the Miracle Complexion Sponge. I think this may be because the Miracle Complexion Sponge appears to be more porous than the Beauty Blender, making me kind of think of a cheap makeup sponge wedge that you can buy in packs of 100 at Walmart.

I placed both sponges next to a mini Bath & Body Works candle as a sizing reference.

Shape: The Beauty Blender has the classic egg-shaped design that almost doubles in size when wet. The Miracle Complexion Sponge also gets somewhat larger when wet, and has a similar design to the Beauty Blender, with an added flat side that is meant to be used around the contours of the eyes and nose. I think I prefer the shape of the Miracle Complexion Sponge because it is bigger, and I love the flat side for general application of foundation. The Beauty Blender's size tends to make everything a little bit tedious, and the rounded shape limits the application. 

Texture: The difference in the porosity of the two sponges is very apparent just by looking at them. When you look at the original Beauty Blender, it looks very firm, and you are almost surprised at how bouncy and spongy it actually is. With the Miracle Complexion Sponge, it's very obvious that it is, in fact, a sponge, and it is much less dense than the Beauty Blender. It doesn't bounce off the skin quite like the Beauty Blender does. That being said, both the Beauty Blender and the Miracle Complexion Sponge are very soft, yet dense, and feel comfortable on the skin.

Application: Of course, application is the most important topic! With both sponges, you will want to dampen them for a few reasons. If you don't, you will have a very small tool to work with, and it'll take significantly longer to apply your makeup, and it'll probably feel pretty tedious. If you wet either sponge, they will almost double in size. Also, if you don't wet these sponges, they will absorb pretty much any liquidy product you try to use, which will only waste product and make your application sloppy. Point of this little ramble is to wet your sponges. All you have to do is run it under the tap and squeeze out the excess water.

When the Beauty Blender is dampened, it gets much larger, but retains its firmness. I felt that it also got a bit softer when wet. The Beauty Blender isn't as porous as the Miracle Complexion Sponge, so it retains much less water while still getting bigger. With the Miracle Complexion Sponge, I found that even after squeezing and squeezing, it still remained pretty wet, and it only expands a little bit. Strangely enough, I actually found that I got more coverage out of my foundation using the Miracle Complexion Sponge than I did the Beauty Blender. I'm not entirely sure how that makes sense, given the way both sponges responded to water, but that's what happened consistently as I was trying both of these sponges out.

My biggest problem is that the way the Miracle Complexion Sponge retained water actually seemed to dry out my skin. My skin responds pretty dramatically to water (due to the pH balance, yada yada), so the excess water in the Miracle Complexion Sponge seemed to end up on my face, which made my skin feel a little bit stripped. I didn't have this problem with the Beauty Blender.

Cleaning: Both sponges are incredibly easy to clean. I love using the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser because it's just so easy, however, you can use a gentle facial cleanser or a gentle shampoo to clean both the Beauty Blender and the Miracle Complexion Sponge. If your sponge starts to smell a bit, or you're worried about bacteria, simply throw it into the microwave in a bowl with about an inch of water in it, let it cool, wash it as normal, and you're good to go!

Final Smackdown: All in all, both sponges are fantastic. I feel like my analysis of these sponges seems very...cold? But I really do love both of these sponges and I think they both have their pros and cons. Of course, the Beauty Blender is more expensive. However, I feel like it gives you better control in terms of coverage, and it holds just the right amount of water. The Miracle Complexion Sponge is better for someone who prefers a higher coverage and likes a super quick, flawless application, who isn't bothered by the water thing. I also think that the Beauty Blender is best for concealing and blending out other products that you may have gone a bit overboard on, while the Miracle Complexion Sponge is better for a general foundation application. I think that if I could take the material of the Beauty Blender and mix it with the design of the Miracle Complexion Sponge, I would have my perfect foundation tool.

If I had to pick one, I'd probably lean toward the original Beauty Blender, simply because of the water problem. However, I do not in any way think the Miracle Complexion Sponge is a bad product! I will definitely use both sponges depending on my needs. For $6, you definitely can't go wrong with the Miracle Complexion Sponge. However, if you don't mind spending the $20, the original Beauty Blender is a cult classic!

Which sponge do you prefer? Let me know in the comments below!

- D.

p.s. There is still time to enter my Lorac Pro Palette 2 giveaway! Use the widget below to enter.


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