I was at my ULTA and wondered if it had the Real Techniques brushes by Sam Chapman of Pixiwoo. Lo and behold there was slim pickings of selection but I managed to buy all the sets. The individual brushes disappeared except for the eyeshadow brush.
The sets come in a case that measures 3 3/4" x 7/8" x 7 1/4"(9.5cm x 2.2cm x 18.4cm) when closed. When open it magically changes itself into a brush stand. Well, no magic but just a toggle bead that holds the case in place. It kinda has that origami thing going. I just put all my brushes in a brush holder (cup).
In the Travel Essential ($15.99USD), there are three brushes: Essential Foundation, Multi Task, and Domed Shadow. All are syntthetic hair and have an aluminum handle which is really one long ferrule with a rubber bottom for easy grasping. I like how the ferrule is one long body of the brush because there is no chance of the water getting past the ferrule when washing. In regular brushes when the water gets past the ferrule, the wooden handle swells and can become damaged.
The Essential Foundation brush is what I call a large cat-tongue shaped brush. This brush will lick foundation onto your face. The hair although synthetic are not the stiff and rigid type; they are flexible and soft at the tip. For some the softness may not translate well in certain foundation applications like thick creams. This one is best for liquids.
The Multi Task brush is a domed shape brush that looks like a powder brush. This one can be used for face powders or mineral makeup; application of liquid foundations, and soft cream foundations. It can also work as a blush brush and bronzer brush. Like the name says, it is a multi tasking brush because of its shape.
The Domed Shadow brush is a large shadow brush that is good for applying color all over the eye. It can also be used to buff away powder around the eye area or small areas. If you are looking for precision application, this is not it. This is the "wash of color" on the lid and go brush.
There you have the three brushes from the Travel Essentials kit. I can't say these are the highest quality type of synthetic hair used but they are soft and flexible unlike some that are so stiff that they don't grab anything but watercolors. These work well with most makeup textures although for some who love natural hair makeup brushes, these may take some getting used to because of the slight learning curve. And by learning curve, I just mean how the hair grabs product differently than natural hair. Economically, these are well priced synthetic brushes and do a decent job in makeup application.
More to come on the other brush sets.
