Real Techniques Duo Fibre Collection - Face, Contour & Eye Brushes

Let's all be in agreement that the purple, pink and orange permanent lines from Real Techniques are stellar yet affordable brushes. Recently launched in Canada is the Real Techniques Duo Fibre Collection ($29.99, see where to buy here), which I received in a goodie bag that time when I met Sam and Nic Chapman (omgs). 

All three brushes are made with two types of synthetic fibres, which means that they're 100% cruelty-free. Furthermore bristles are hand-cut and super soft (like all other RT brushes). Keep in mind that these duo fibre brushes are meant to create a light application of cream, liquid or powder product. 

For all three brushes, the bristles are not as dense as something like the Expert Face Brush, so product applies quite sheerly when using these brushes. 

Duo Fiber Face Brush

Duo Fiber Contour Brush

Duo Fiber Eye Brush

Light application indeed. I find these brushes best for ridiculously pigmented products that I only want a sheer application of. The Face Brush is perfect for blush while the Contour Brush is great for a light dusting of powder under the eyes or careful application of a dark bronzer. Both these brushes are round on one side and pinched on the other, which makes them more versatile - for covering a large surface area or being slightly more precise. As for the Eye Brush, I find that the bristles are so sparse that it ends up being quite hard to pick up product. Thus, I don't tend to reach for the Duo Fibre Eye Brush as often as the Face or Contour brushes. 

At $10 a brush in this set, the Face and Contour Brushes are certainly worth it. 2/3 is pretty good, so if you're looking for some duo fibre brushes for light application of makeup and can put up with one brush you might not like, then this is a great buy. 

Have you tried the RT Duo Fibre Brushes? 

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Hakuhodo J5523 Eye Shadow Brush (MAC 217 dupe)

In search of "the perfect eyeshadow blending brush", I had been lemming over the MAC 217 brush, which it seems like everybody and their mother owns. At $27 for a single brush, I scoured the internet for a similar product at a lower price point. After reading many a Shameless Fripperies post, I  was dead set on purchasing something a little out of my Real Techniques price range and settled on the $23 Hakuhodo J5523 Eye Shadow Brush Round and Flat at IMATS Toronto 2014, justifying it to myself as an important investment to my makeup-wearing experience. 

The allure of such a blending brush is that it's meant to be an all-in-one for eyeshadow application. The brush is of medium density, rounded on one side and tapered on the other, making the brush perfect for both blending and precise application in the crease area, not to mention super soft bristles. The Hakuhodo J5523 can be used with cream, liquid, and powder products. 

about hakuhodo: 

Hakuhodo is a prestige Japanese brush manufacturer. All of their brushes are handcrafted in Japan, with prices ranging from $16 to $200+. Hakuhodo is also an Original Equipment Manufacturer, which means that it creates brushes for other companies (Estee Lauder and supposedly Tom Ford). Hakuhodo only has a few brick-and-mortar stores, mostly in Japan. Their  brushes can be purchased online or at trade shows like IMATS. 

the specs: 

hair - goat

handle - wood/black

ferrule - nickel-plated brass

full length - 151 mm

hair length - 16 mm

thickness - 4.5 mm

The bristles are the perfect size for my hooded eyelids, not to mention they're also rub-it-all-over-your-face soft. I can easily apply shadow with the surface area of the brush and then dip into another colour using the tip of the brush to create a defined crease. The handle is slightly shorter but equally as weighty as other brushes I own (i.e. MUFE Artisan Brushes). I've only washed it twice but it hasn't shed one hair and has thus far retained its shape. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend. I use the Hakuhodo J5523 every time I apply eyeshadow and haven't really looked back. Since I don't own any other brushes like this, I'm glad I picked this one up and am contemplating looking for similarly shaped brushes (for when I'm lazy and don't want to wash this one). All in all, the Hakuhodo J5523 has been a eyeshadow-blending game changer for me. 

Have you tried anything from Hakuhodo? Do you own the MAC 217 or something similar? What's your favourite blending brush? 

Purchased by me

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Hello Kitty Compact Mirror and Milk Money Makeup Bag // Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary

To the undiscerining eye, the Hello Kitty Ruby Compact Mirror ($59 CAD) and the Hello Kitty Milk Money Makeup Bag ($39 CAD) available at exclusively Sephora may seem grossly overpriced. But there's a few things that you might not know without a little research... 

Hello Kitty Ruby Compact Mirror

What you might not know: This mirror is decked out with 300 hand-placed Swarovski jewels. 

Thoughts: The mirror contains a regular mirror on one side and a handy 3x magnification mirror on the other. Given the daintiness of a collector's item with hand-placed jewels, I feel like it should come with some sort of fabric bag to protect it. It's a little too much bling bling for my personal preferences, it would make a good gift for a Hello Kitty lover.

Hello Kitty Milk Money Makeup Bag

What you might not know: This bag is a larger remake of a 1974 iconic Hello Kitty collectors' coin purse. The remake has similar features to the original - a star clasp and shiny silver casing. 

Thoughts: I'm not a fan of this updated Hello Kitty coin purse. Due to the larger size, the shape is awkward. Yes, one can appreciate the details like the graphics on the inner lining and the star clasp. However, what puts me off the most is that it's made of vinyl. Not exactly the prettiest or most expensive looking fabric for what is supposedly a "collector's item". 

While I can see why the Ruby Compact Mirror would make an amazing gift for a Hello Kitty lover, I think that the Milk Money Makeup Bag is a poorly done remake. Before ordering these online, I'd suggest that you check them out in-store to assess whether or not the quality of these items is up to your standards. 

What do you think of these Hello Kitty Accessories?

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EcoTools Skin Perfecting Face Brush

Using  fingers to apply BB cream is messy, but fear not! The EcoTools Skin Perfecting Face Brush is here to save the day! 

If you're not familiar with Ecotools, it's a synthetic beauty tool brand that uses natural materials such as bamboo to create it's reasonably priced brushes. The EcoTools Skin Perfecting Face Brush can be found at select drugstores and Farleyco.ca for $9.99. 

The synthetic bristles are of medium dense and quite soft. I find that using BB creams with this brush makes the bristles stick together, creating a streaky effect on the face. To avoid this, using short, quick strokes works best for a light, even coverage that BB creams provide. Despite being a white brush, this tool is actually very easily cleaned. 

Overall, I don't have much to say about this brush because it's nothing groundbreaking. However, it is very much prefered over using my fingers! 

Do you prefer a brush or fingers? 

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Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and Silicone Liner Brush

If they created it, every beauty addict and their mom must have it. This much is true when it comes to the beloved Pixiwoo (Chapman) sisters. New in the Real Techniques range now available in Canada are the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge  ($9.99) and the Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush ($8.99) at Pharmasave, Lawtons Drugs, London Drugs and online at Farleyco.ca. 

Before the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, my favourite way to apply foundation was with a wedge sponge - those Quo brand ones from Shoppers Drug Mart. This is definitely a step up from disposable wedges, as it has three different dimensions. (1) the flat side - for the largest areas of your face (2) the rounded edge - for stippling and blending (3) the edge - for hard to reach areas and precision blending. 

Who knew a sponge could be so versatile? Use it dry for a fuller coverage or use it wet for something more sheer and natural. Once you use a sponge, you can't go back. Sponges are great for blending out streak marks and achieving a natural, even coverage from your foundation.

The material that the sponge is made of is easy to clean with a bit of gentle facial cleanser, however I don't think it's the best quality. It's not that it absorbs a too much excess product. After a couple weeks of use, there are already tears in the sponge from where my long-ish nails had attempted to squeeze the water out. 

I fear that the Miracle complexion sponge is a gateway drug to the Beauty Blender (of which is double the price ~$22). For now, I'm content with the Miracle Complexion Sponge, as it's well-priced and works like a dream with my heavier coverage foundations (Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet Plus, Rimmel Stay Matte Mousse, CoverGirl Outlast 3-in-1).

[Right: Real Techniques; Left: Bristled Brush]

In theory, the silicone liner brush is meant to provide precise application of eyeliner without pulling or tugging the skin. In practice, I was not as impressed. 

The fact that the Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush doesn't have bristles is actually its downfall. The lack of brush hairs creates an inability to pick up product. Instead, this results in the need to get the product on the piece of silicone in a "scooping" motion, and then plop it down on the lid. I find that compared to a bristled brush (ex: the Eco-tools Angled Eyeliner Brush), it doesn't create as even of a line. Yes, the tip is very fine, but the silicone doesn't allow the product to glide in the same way that a brush would. Perhaps, I'm not using it correctly and I need to play with it a bit more. For now, I'm not a fan. If my thoughts change, I'll be sure to let you know. 

For the most part, I've been above and beyond impressed with Real Techniques beauty tools. They're well-made and perform extremely well in comparison to products that are much more expensive. 

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GUEST POST: Best Blush Brushes with Beyond Blush

Hello readers of Fun Size Beauty, I'm Laura from Beyond Blush, and I'll be guest posting here today as a part of the Canadian Beauty Bloggers group! Today I'll be sharing with you my favourite blush brushes. I absolutely love blush, and I change up my brushes depending on the blush formula that I'm using. All of the brushes I use are synthetic. 

The Body Shop Blusher Brush ($24) - Initially I was quite skeptical of this brush - it looks nothing like blush brushes that I'm used to! I've found that this brush works really well with powder blushes that can sometimes look spotty or muddy on my skin - like NARS' Sin. I don't love this for harder powder blushes like Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blushes, it just doesn't pick up the product nicely. These bristles are so soft, and my blush always applies evenly with this brush.

Real Techniques Blush Brush ($9.99) - This brush is fairly fluffy, and I find that this brush can be used with almost any powder blush. These bristles aren't super soft, but they aren't scratchy either. This brush can be used to apply a sheer wash of colour, or you can build up a more intense cheek. I also love the tip of this brush to apply highlighter!

Sigma F40 ($19) - I love how soft Sigma's synthetic bristles are, they feel really nice on my skin! This brush picks up a bit more colour, so use a light hand with a very pigmented blush. The head of this brush is smaller and angled, so you'll get a more precise application. 

It Cosmetics French Boutique Blush Brush ($34.50) - I absolutely love the design of this brush! The head of this brush is large and fluffy, and I love using this with loose powder blushes. This also works really well with pressed powder blushes. 

Real Techniques Stippling Brush ($10.99) - This is my absolute favourite brush for cream blushes! I'll tap a little cream blush on my cheeks, and then use this brush to really work the product into my cheeks for a flawless look. These bristles are easy to clean with a bit of baby shampoo.

Overall, my top picks would have to be Real Techniques' Stippling Brush for cream blushes, and It Cosmetics' French Boutique Blush Brush since it works well with pressed and loose powder blushes. You can't go wrong with any of these brushes, and there's some at each price point to meet everyone's budget. 

What is your favourite blush brush? Have you tried out any of my favourites? 

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