Real Techniques PowderBleu Makeup Brushes

Real Techniques Powder Bleu Collection

Real Techniques Powder Bleu Collection

Real Techniques have really expanded their brush range over the past couple of years and they cater for all of your makeup brush needs (and wants). Everything from mini travel brushes & makeup sponges to more luxurious, pretty brushes. I’ve never tried a brush from Real Techniques that I didn’t like, their products are always fantastic quality and I love that they release limited edition and fun collections throughout the year. I’m a sucker for a limited collection.

I’ve been trying a selection of brushes from the recent Powderbleu Collection made with FauxBleu synthetic bristles which are meant to perform as well as the infamous Blue Squirrel haired brushes which were so prestigious within the makeup industry. All of the brushes are incredibly soft but I have to mention how nice the handles are. They are a blue ombre and I just love the blue hues in this collection, the colour looks incredibly luxurious and gives me those old Hollywood vibes. I think it is the mix of deep blue and gold touches. Very glamorous! The handles are long, quite slim and taper to a point which makes them very ergonomic to hold and use.

Beautiful Real Techniques Makeup Brushes

B01 Soft Powder Brush £22.00

This is a huge soft but dense powder brush that tapers at the top. It is like a much bigger version of the Soft Finishing brush. I like to use this to apply my finishing powder on top of my foundation. This picks up powder so well and is so light to sweep across my skin without disturbing my base. It feels so soft against my skin and my powder has such a flawless finish when I use this. It is a lovely brush to have in my collection and I’ve used it every time I’ve worn makeup for the past 5 weeks.

B02 Soft Finishing Brush £22.00

Out of the four brushes that I have been testing this is the only one that shed any bristles and I was a little annoyed because it continued to shed even after I had washed it. This brush is domed and dense in shape and is designed to blend + buff powder foundation onto skin for buildable, shine-free coverage but I haven’t been using it for this purpose. I have instead found it really good at applying powder blusher and bronzer, it picks up a good amount of product and places it nicely on my cheekbones. Because it is slightly tapered at the end it means you get a higher degree of accuracy when placing the product. I also use this brush to blend out the blush/bronzer so it looks subtle and seamless.

Powderbleu Makeup Brushes

B03 Soft Complexion Brush £22.00

This is a wonderful brush for applying powder foundation, I have really been getting into mineral foundations this past 18 months, and I’ve almost always applied them with a standard kabuki brush which works well. This Soft Complexion Brush has a smaller, denser head which makes buffing in the powder so much more effective. I also find having the long handle of a brush over the stubbiness of the kabuki brush easier to use and it’s easier to lightly apply my foundation and really buff it in giving me a soft focus finish.

B04 Soft Shadow Brush £15.00

The tapered, precision head of the Soft Shadow Brush makes it the perfect shape to layer and blend powder shadows for a naturally diffused look. It is incredibly soft and it blends out your eyeshadow with ease. I would say out of the four brushes I have tried from this collection this is one I have used the most. Not only for creating beautiful soft eye looks but also for applying touches of highlighter to the areas you only want to place a subtle glow, like down the nose, brow bone and cupids bow. It is a lovely multi-use brush and I always say you can never have too many blending brushes in your collection, they always see so much use.

All brushes in this PowderBleu Collection are

  • Synthetic  FauxBleu™ Technology Bristles
  • Easy Clean
  • Long Lasting

I received the PowderBleu Brushes complimentary from Influenster for review purposes. All opinions are my own and completely honest.

The Body Shop Vegan Makeup Brushes

The Body Shop Vegan Brushes

The Body Shop Vegan Brushes

The Body Shop are very well known for being a great quality, affordable Cruelty Free brand and I am excited to say, they’ve recently added a fantastic range of 9 Vegan Makeup Bushes to their range. I’ve been trying them out for a couple of months now and have a few favourites I would like to tell you about.

All the brushes I’ve tried from this range are so soft and the synthetic bristles wash up beautifully. Their dark handles are made from sustainably sourced FSC wood, which is great to hear. The look and feel luxurious and like they’ve been made well. I didn’t experience any major shedding, just the odd bristle here and there but that is too be expected. My only gripe with the aesthetics of the brushes is that the name of the brush isn’t printed on them anywhere. So I’m not 100% sure if I’m getting their names correct in this post but I will do my best to identify them.

Slanted Blusher Brush

This is quite a long bristled angled blusher brush, it is quite dense but there is still enough flexibility and movement to allow you to apply your blusher with a light hand with accuracy. It doesn’t pick up too much product and I like that it isn’t too big so its soft angled bristles sweep the colour across your cheek giving you colour where you need it. I didn’t think using angled brush to apply my blusher, bronzer and highlight would make such a difference but the shape it perfect for the job!

Buffing Brush

I do like a makeup sponge to apply my foundation when I am going for a fuller coverage but for everyday my goto is a buffing brush. I like that this is a small dense brush and I also like the way you can get an even, flawless but natural coverage and it is small enough to apply product around your nose and under your eye too. I have used this brush almost daily and I love it.

Flat Shader Brush 

This is a really great brush to have in your collection. It has very short dense bristles and I use it to smudge shadow / liner on both my upper and lower lash line and also pack colour on to my lid. It is a useful brush and one I get a lot of use from.

The Body Shop Vegan Makeup Brushes

Eyeshadow Crease Brush 

You can never own too many eyeshadow brushes, that is my motto. This is a lovely soft, flexible brush that allows you to apply and bland out your crease colour. It fits nicely in the crease of your eye and its soft bristles do a fantastic job softening out your eyeshadow and giving you that nicely blended look. 100% a brush you need to have in your collection.

Point Highlighter Brush

When it comes to applying highlighter for me the fear is that I go OTT and end up with a DISCO Ball effect on my cheek bone. What I found with this tapered brush is that it allows you to place the product accurately and also blend it out with ease. It is also fluffy and soft so you don’t pick up too much product and it is easy to sweep across the cheek. I have heard people say that it is also good for contouring, especially nose contouring.

New Vegan Friendly Makeup Brushes

Fan Brush

Not a brush I would say your NEED in your collection but if you like your highlighter to be more on the subtle side then this brush is for you. It looks pretty and fancy but it is also practical.

Contouring Brush

I must admit I’m not overly into contouring not because I don’t like it but more for the fact I’m terrible at doing it. That said, I do appreciate that this trend can really slim down the face and give definition and the illusion of cheekbones. I have been upping my contour game since this contouring brush came into my life. It has short dense bristles that are angled in a way that allows you to apply your contour fuss free and quite precisely. It is also good at blending so you don’t get that dreaded stipe effect and it works very well with both powder and liquid products.

Vegan Makeup Brushes From The Body Shop

Eye Liner Brush 

Out of the selection of brushes I have this is the brush I have used the least, that is only because I don’t have a gel liner in my collection at the moment. This brush is very fine and feels like it would give you great precision, applying the product close to the lash line. I do like my eyeliner to be winged and neat and over the years I have come to realise that using a brush can be the best way to achieve this. I am looking forward to using it when I can.

I hope The Body Shop add more brushes to this Vegan collection as there are a few brushes that it is missing. Overall I am very impressed with the quality of these brushes and I know I will get a lot of use from them.

What are your most used makeup brushes in your collection & will you be treating yourself to any brushes in this new Vegan range?

*This post contains PR Samples

ZOEVA Rose Golden Vol. 2 Makeup Brushes

New Zoeva Rose Golden Brushes

Zoeve Rose Golden Makeup Brushes

So a little while ago ZOEVA released their gorgeous Rose Golden Vol. 2 Brush Set & I’m excited to let you know that they’ve extended the collection by 30 single brushes. So you can now purchase these beautiful powder nude & rose golden design brushes individually & build up a substantial brush collection of your own.

ZOEVA is a brand that’s become so popular with both makeup addicts & MUA’s over the past couple of years, I have tried their makeup (which I love) but never their brushes. I only ever hear positive reviews of their collections and people saying they deliver on quality and design so to say I was excited to try out 3 brushes from the Rose Golden Vol. 2 Collection was an understatement and the brushes did not disappoint.

New Zoeva Rose Golden Brushes

ZOEVA 125 Stippling Brush Rose Golden Vol. 2 Edition

This is a duo fibre brush & its quite dense but so very soft. I like to use it to apply both my foundation and cream blush. Its great for both. For foundation its fab at making a little product go a long way – you just keep buffing away & it gives such a even flawless finish.

ZOEVA 227 Luxe Soft Definer Brush Rose Golden Vol. 2 Edition* 

This brush is the perfect size and shape for blending out your eyeshadow, its great for getting into the crease and creating that seamless transition between shades. Its so soft the bristles are quite long, its the perfect crease brush. It keeps it shape after washing and the bristles stay soft. I do wish this was Vegan though.

ZOEVA 232 Luxe Classic Shader Rose Golden Vol. 2 Edition* 

I use this brush to pack my colour on the lid, its a dense flat brush so its perfect for that. Again is very soft and picks up a good amount of product. I have used this brush a lot because I tend to wear one colour on the lid most days & this brush is good for applying one colour all over the lid. This brush is a natural-synthetic hair mix

Beautiful ZOEVA Makeup Brushes

ZOEVA Brushes are affordable & compared to brushes of similar quality like Mac & Bobbi Brown they are a lot more affordable. These are the nicest brushes I have tried and over the years I’ve tried brushes from so many brands. I’m looking forward to buying a few more for my collection. The only negative thing I have to say about them is that not all ZOEVA brushes are Vegan which is a shame.

New ZOEVA Makeup Brushes

These brushes are so beautiful to use. They look stunning and everything has been so well thought out. Everything from the soft nude pink handles to the rose gold detailing give these brushes a really luxurious feel and finish. They are super elegant but most importantly they are incredibly good quality makeup brushes, they don’t shed, they are easy to clean, the bristles are so very soft and they keep their shape.

ZOEVA have added 30 single brushes to this gorgeous Rose Golden Vol.2 Collection so thats quite a few to pick from.

*PR Sample