Real Techniques aka PixiWoo brush review

I’m probably one of the last makeup fanatics to even know about PixiWoo’s You Tube videos. I’d hear them mentioned but I never paid much attention to them. I don’t normally search You Tube and rarely watch unless someone forwards me a link to one. Yet when I read that Samantha Chapman, half of PixiWoo (is she Pixi or is she Woo???) had developed her own brushes that would soon be for sale, I couldn’t wait to get them. I love cosmetic brushes, love love love them. I have to keep away from looking at them since I can’t resist buying them. Luckily for me the new Real Techniques brushes don’t hurt my bottom line at all. I bought two sets at Ulta for $32. With my $3.50 off coupon that brought the total to under $29 for 7 brushes.

Real Techniques brushes are made of “ultra smooth” talkon and have brightly colored metal handles. They are very attractive with the white tips on the taklon. I am truly impressed with these brushes. They are so soft that I want to keep putting my makeup on so that I can continue using the brushes.

The Core Collection contains 4 brushes and a 2-in-1 case + stand (Panoramic Stand). Each brush is full size with a bright orange handle. The four brushes are:

-A detailer brush – this is the smallest brush in either of my sets. It looks sort of flimsy but it’s not at all, it just happens to have a very small brush head for detail work. Not only is it great for getting in the nooks and crannies around your eyes and nose but it makes a great lipstick brush.

-The pointed foundation brush has a smaller head than the regular foundation brush that’s in the other set I have. It’s flat and nicely tapered. It’s meant for liquid foundation but it doubles as an all over eyeshadow brush at the same time.

-The buffing brush has me drooling! This is so soft and luxurious feeling. You’d never know that the price on a set including this is only $15.99. The brush feels as decadent as my much more expensive brushes. It can be used for foundation (especially mineral) or powder. I’ve used it to apply blush because it doesn’t overdo color and the flat top makes it perfect for buffing in the color seamlessly.

-There’s also a contour brush in the set that is absolutely the perfect size for this job. It fits onto the area where I’d contour perfectly. It is also just right for adding a touch of highlighter on your cheekbones because of the size.

The other set that was available at Ulta when I went is the Travel Essentials. This contains 3 brushes and the case and is also $15.99.

-The first and my absolute favorite brush is the domed shadow brush. This is a terrific eyeshadow brush. I’m able to do my eye with several colors without a problem with the brush. The softness is the best! And it blends so well. If this is sold separately I’d buy another and not just because it has a pretty purple ferrule.

-The essential foundation brush is for (obviously) foundation. I don’t often use foundation brushes but this could convince me to change my mind. At first my foundation appears a little streaky but then I find it’s easy to just continue to use the brush to blend it down completely. It’s the larger brush in this picture.

-Last but not least is the red handled multi-task brush which works great for loose powder, blush and bronzer. I like the light touch of the brush. It gives the right amount of coverage. Surprisingly for BIZ readers, I do occasionally use bronzer and this is a great bronzer brush for me because it doesn’t pick up too much powder at one time. I can get a light look with my bronzer.

Unfortunately the Starter Set with all the eyeshadow brushes wasn’t at the store but I will be buying this as soon as possible. This contains includes 5 full-size brushes + case: base shadow brush, deluxe crease brush, accent brush, pixel point eyeliner brush and a brow brush.

The Panoramic Case they are packaged in is a great idea. It folds flat when you put the brushes in and it closes with a Velcro closure but it also can be bent sideways and adjusted with a toggle to make it stand up to hold your brushes.

I think by now you can tell I like these a lot and consider these sets a great buy. Real Techniques has thought of everything including putting the name of the brush on each handle. I was thisclose to buying the Sephora Collection Platinum Professional Airbrush set for $65 but that is gone from my mind. These 7 brushes suit those needs perfectly for half the price. And to top it off Sam Chapman has some great videos to help you use the brushes effectively and learn some “real techniques”. — Marcia