Showing posts with label real techniques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label real techniques. Show all posts
Three Things: Affordable Brushes
One Sponge To Rule Them All
As a sponge enthusiast, two words I never thought I'd put together, I can say this sponge does indeed rule them all. A multitude of things come into play when it comes to the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, and all of them together make a must-have makeup tool.
My Favourite Affordable Brush Brands
Makeup brushes can get ridiculously pricey, and while some may be worth the investment there are plenty of quality brushes you can pick up at a 'drugstore' price. There are so many brands on the market that great brushes, but I've compiled some of the brands I love and have had great experiences with.
Sigma Brushes
These are the priciest of the lower-end brushes that I'm going to be discussing (at least here in Australia), but they are of an incredible quality and stock such a diverse range that you will find exactly what you're looking for. My two favourites are their powder and crease brush and I find myself reaching for them almost daily. Sigma dominate my collection as they sell them in even more affordable sets and bundles. If you are wanting to dip your toes into Sigma brushes I definitely recommend picking up a travel set as they contain a bit of everything and retail for around $75.
EcoTools
EcoTools were the first makeup brushes I ever purchased so I have some serious nostalgia when it comes to them. This brush collection is more limited than Sigma, but there really is a brush to cover every base. I love their eyebrow and eyelash groomer to pieces and cannot do my brows in the morning without it! Their powder brush is also a stand out and I use it to give a light dusting of bronzer as it's fluffy and not very dense. You really can't go wrong with EcoTools, and I have heard amazing things about some of their foundation buffing brushes as well. Another great thing about EcoTools is how attainable they are - I can even pick them up in my local supermarket!
Real Techniques
This is a brand that I am majorly lacking in. I am currently in the process of researching their brushes so I can decide which ones to mass-order online. While I'm not super experienced in the Real Techniques department, my Expert Face Brush is close to my heart and works wonders for foundation and concealer. These are amazing because I can pick them up at my local drugstore and they aren't insanely expensive either, even if I would rather opt for an international online purchase.
What are your favourite affordable brushes and what Real Techniques brushes are a must-have?
My Collection #3: Sigma Brushes
The first year of me doing my makeup was a ton of sponge tip applicators, fingers and one very average brush that was used for all of my powder products. These were the dark ages of my makeup life and I soon found myself searching for something more - dramatic huh? It wasn't something I wanted to splurge on, but I did want good quality, so I decided that Sigma's Mr Bunny Travel Kit was a good place to start and get a feel for what Sigma as a brand has to offer.
For $75 you receive seven brushes and one of Sigma's classic travel cases. One thing to note is that these brushes are "travel sized" but I personally prefer shorter handles and haven't noticed substantial brush head sizing difference except when it comes to the powder and contour brush, which again, doesn't bother me but is definitely something to consider.
The face brushes included are the F30 Large Powder, F40 Large Angled Contour and F60 Foundation. My favourite of these is the powder brush as it distributes just the right amount of product on the face and buffs it in seamlessly, plus, it's super soft and feels great on the skin. The angled brush is the perfect size for contouring, but is a little on the small side when it comes to blush. I don't find myself reaching for the foundation brush, but this is solely because I hate all paddle brushes. It could be the best paddle brush in the world and I still probably wouldn't take to it.
The eye brushes are my favourite part of this collection and are everything you need to make a gorgeous look. These are the E30 Pencil, E40 Tapered Blending, E55 Eye Shading and the E65 Small Angle. My favourite is the blending brush, it really makes a huge difference to your eye looks and is the one brush you need if you want your eyeshadow to look flawless. Another notable brush is the small angle which I use every single day for my brows and it does an amazing job! The pencil and shader are great too, but there's not much to say on them except that they do their job.
The brushes in this kit were perfectly selected and truly cover all the bases, especially on a travel front which is what it's designed for. I really don't find myself reaching for anything out of this kit except for my EcoTools blush brush and my Real Techniques multitasker for my base. This is a great kit for beginners or someone wanting a taste of the brand without committing to the full sets.
Game Changing Brushes
1. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
This is my newest brush and the only one from Real Techniques I own. While I love my bunches of Sigma and Ecotools brushes, there was a hole in my collection that needed filling which is why I purchased this. The foundation brush from Sigma just wasn't cutting it in terms of foundation/concealer application. This, however, is amazing and a cult favourite for a reason. The bristles are dense and super soft, giving a lovely finish to liquid products.
2. Ecotools Powder Brush
This was in my first set of high quality brushes and at first I did use it as a powder brush. It did the job, was super soft and applied the perfect amount of powder. Since picking up my Sigma brushes this one has shifted into my blush brush and I love it more than ever. I don't like a heavy blush application and it's very hard to go overboard with such soft, spread out bristles.
3. Sigma E65 Small Angle
Before this brush came into my life the whole powder as eyebrow definer was out of my reach. I opted for a pencil because it just seemed so much easier to me. When this little brush came with my brushes I was a little stumped on what to do with it as it is too thick for eyeliner. Then it hit me - I could use it for eyebrows! I whipped out a nice brown matte shadow, gave it a whirl and my brow game has been on point ever since. Brows are definitely very subjective, but when it comes to me I love the natural yet defined look powder gives.
4. Sigma E40 Tapered Blending
Until this brush arrived on my doorstep I didn't own a blending brush. I know, I feel embarrassed for myself. Somehow I managed to create semi-okay eye looks with fluffy shadow brushes I already owned, but this really changed how quickly and nicely I could do my shadow. A few windshield wipe motions with a matte brown in the crease - instant definition and the illusion of put-togetherness. I don't know why I'm talking about it as if it's a revolutionary new thing, but I'm still amazed with this thing on the daily.
5. Sigma F30 Large Powder
This is a travel brush so it isn't the large powder brush you see people using that's almost the size of their face - that one's on my wish list. People usually aren't raving about powder brushes, most really do everything you need them to. However, this one gets a mention because it's my favourite brush. I can't explain it, it might simply be how soft it is on my cheeks, but I love it.
What are your game changing brushes and why?
Favourites #1
I don't find myself buying a whole tonne of new products every month and finding five brand new favourites as a result. My favourites are usually enduring, and sometimes even things I've forgotten about for awhile and am re-loving. These are just a few things I've been finding myself reaching for a lot over the past few months!
1. Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
Admittedly I did finish this series a month or two ago, but I'm still in a mourning period! Definitely late on the bandwagon with this one and I only endeavoured to finish the series because of the movie which I haven't seen yet… Oops.
2. Sportsgirl Nail It! Polish in 'Lime'
It might be heading into winter here, but bright nails in gloomy weather just feels good. The best thing about this neon-green polish is that it smells like limes when dry! I know neon nails aren't for everyone, but I definitely have been loving them.
3. Batiste Wild Dry Shampoo
I have medium-blonde hair and should probably go for a more transparent batiste option because this can leave a white caste on my hair, but the smell is to die for! It is definitely worth the extra work to be able to have my hair smell this good.
4. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
This is my ultimate multitasking brush. Perfect for both foundation and concealer, I would recommend this to anyone who doesn't like thinking about which brush to use for what too much. I know that I struggle to identify the difference between a concealer and shader brush half of the time.
5. Revlon 'Juicy Papaya' Lip Butter
Again with the spring makeup in winter! I have never and probably will never be an orange fan. I like corals, but only when they are more on the pinky side. However, this lip butter is the perfect amount of sheerness for me to actually like wearing orangey shades! And as with all the lip butters, the formulation is amazing.
6. Rimmel Scandal Eyes Liner
I hate smudged makeup more than most things and discontinued my use of pencil liners until I found this one. I find it does collect in the outer corner of your eye when worn in the tight line, but nothing as dramatic as I've found in other liners. Definitely a must-have for dark liner lovers.
7. NYX 'Milk' Jumbo Eye Pencil
This is such a great product for your makeup bag, travel or not, because it has three very different uses. It can be used as a highlight, a waterline liner and lastly as a base. They aren't bases that are infallible and won't crease on you on an unprimed eye, but I don't use them for this purpose anyway. I use 'milk' to amplify any colour I think will just be lost on the eye which is a problem I have with a lot of shimmery shadows.
8. Maybelline 'Copper Chic' Eyestudio Palette
This is not a palette I'd reach for to create an entire eye look, but rather use each individual shadow as a main feature in four different looks. Each are super pigmented, shimmery and quite unique in their colours. My favourites are the super coppery shade and the white highlight.
What is your #1 favourite at the moment?
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