Why The Setting Brush Is Awesome...

(...And is also in desperate need of a wash)

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate this brush please? It's my new favourite and I think it needs some recognition, especially as, compared to the rest of the Real Techniques' crew, it goes virtually unnoticed most of the time. By myself included, until the fateful day I bought it...

 

I'm a Real Techniques fan. A big one at that. Like I've said before, I've practically bought myself the whole collection over what seems like a little space of time. Worrying, I know. A few weeks back, I decided to go through the collection to see what ones I'm missing and what ones I wanted to be the new additions to my collection. Skimming through, I crossed off this brush. "Why would I need that?" I thought. It claimed to be a good brush for applying small amounts of powder products -  words such as "But I've already got brushes for that?" came to my head. And how wrong I was...

It was only after watching a Lily Pebbles video where she talked about using the Real Techniques Setting Brush to apply concealer under her eyes that I sat up and paid attention and realised that perhaps there was more to that brush than meets the eye. I always struggle with under-eye concealer application, as it either goes on too heavy and cakes, or spreads too thinly and I come away with the same amount of dark circle-ness as I had when I started. "Maybe this is the brush to change all that" I thought. Without sounding too cocky - I was so right. Thank you Lily.

 

I ordered the brush along with a few other things (link) and it came a few days later. I apprehensively opened the box and pulled it out. Firstly - it felt so soft. I know this isn't necessarily the most important thing I should be looking for, but as with all RT brushes, it's probably the first thing you notice. Secondly - I was really impressed with how it looked in real life. Obviously buying online can make for disappointment when the package arrives, but i really did look like how I'd imagined - shape and size-wise. Obviously, once it passed the initial assessment, next was road-testing...

 

I wanted to see if it lived up to the claims made by Lily. Would it really make under-eye concealer application a dream? I put it into action for applying a new find, the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer, and I have to say, I was very impressed. The brush gives you the flexibility of either buffing or simply tapping the product in, so depending on how baggy you're feeling that day, you can adjust the coverage by simply altering your technique. It also, being tapered, means you can easily get into all the nooks and crannys without poking yourself in the eye - always a bonus. But also, I found that, the brush did actually work very well with powders afterall... *Eats big slice of humble pie and hears echoes of 'I told you so' in the distance*. Whilst you're obviously not going to use this brush all over your face for powder, it works very well for setting said under-eye concealer and putting it in any areas that your big brush may have missed. It also works great for highlighting any areas of your face and I guess could be used to contour small areas like your nose too. I've also been known to use this when my base needs some extra buffing in certain areas where things are starting to look a bit thick and heavy. Basically, anything that requires pinpoint work - this is your guy. Have I given enough reasons why I love this yet?