Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection- Pointed Crease Brush (201) Review

I always pop into Boots and Superdrug to see what's new and check out anything  that catches my fancy. I always pop round to  the Real Techniques counter/shelves to admire the brushes. I have no business buying any more makeup brushes because I have a loooot of makeup brushes. I also have quite a huge selection of Real Techniques brushes; some of which I purchased myself and the rest were sent to me (not as a PR samples but more as good customer service-find out about it here). However, I still buy more brushes because I am a crazy makeup brush girl. I think the latest set I added to my collection was the Collector's Edition Sculpting Set which I have reviewed here. When the Bold Metals collection was launched, I really wanted to try them but the price tag kept me away. If I lived in the US, I would totally buy them because they seem to be the same figure in dollars as in pounds e.g. a Bold Metal Brush retailing for $18 is also £18 which seems really strange to me. Anyway, I knew one day, one of these brushes will be mine and I waited rather patiently until Boots finally had 25% off the whole collection and it is currently still on offer. I picked up the Bold Metal Pointed Crease Brush 201 because that's the one I wanted the most. The Bold Metal collection is made up of seven brushes in total including 2 Base Brushes (Gold handles), 3 Eye Brushes (Silver handles) and 2 Finishing Brushes (Rose Gold). They are a luxury designed range and come with a luxury price tag to match the amazing aesthetic






Packaging
I really like the packaging of the Bold Metal Collection because it feels more well made than the regular RT packaging although I am still a huge fan of the regular RT brushes.. The outer packaging is quite long  to accommodate the long handle of the brush. The brush in itself is stunning and looks amazing on my dresser and brush holder. It has silver handles with RT logo on one side and the number of the brush (201) on the other side which is useful. I think this is the first time RT are using numbers because it was just names for the other collections. The Bold Metal Pointed Crease Brush is longer than all my other RT brushes and many other brushes in my collection. It's about the same length as my MAC 217 brush for comparison. The handle is weighted which makes it easy to handle and rests the weight evenly as you apply your eyeshadow.  It also has a pointed handle which I think makes it look even more cute.  I am keen to see how well it would preserve its beautiful aesthetics but I have never had issues with other RT collections so I have high hopes for this collection.



Bristles
The bristles are made from synthetic bristles/hairs which is the similar to the rest of the RT brushes. They have a beautiful white colour which I like because it makes the brush look pretty when it is clean and you know when it is time to give it a wash. The bristles feel well made and I can tell that none of the hairs will escape from the ferrule. The bristles also have a pointed tip which you would expect from a crease brush and it helps the brush do its job better. I would not say the bristles are very soft or fluffy; they feel firm (but not harsh) and I think that's the best combination to make crease brushes work. If a crease brush is too fluffy then it becomes a blending brush. I feel a crease brush should have a degree of firmness to allow you to precisely deposit colours to the crease.

Washing/Drying/Shedding
I have washed it a few times and I have not experienced any shedding at all. I am not surprised because many of my RT brushes have lasted me for years and they have not shed on me. It is relatively easy to wash as well..It also dries really fast which I am pleased with but I did not expect anything less because all my RT brushes dry super fast. The bristles appeared to feel better on my eyelids after a couple of washes which I am pleased about.



How I use it
Crease brushes are designed to deposit colours to the crease and some crease brushes can also be used to blend eyeshadows out. The RT Bold Metal Pointed Crease Brush has a pointed tip which makes me feel it is specifically designed to deposit colour to the crease- the main way I use it. If you have small eyes, you may struggle to get the best technique with this brush because it is quite a large crease brush. However, my eyes are a regular size so it works well for me.  I also use this brush to define the outer crease (aka outer V) of my eyes and it does a good job. I am really pleased with using this brush and I am so glad it is finally in my stash.

Cost// Link
The regular retail price was £12 but I got it for £9 (hooray!). I just used my Boots loyalty points to get this brush because I have been collecting my points for a long while and I wanted to treat myself. I am not sure where else it is being sold in store in the UK apart from Boots. I think it is exclusive to Boots because it is not sold in Superdrug. I think RT makes exclusive sets for these two stores because Superdrug had the Collector's Edition Sculpting Set exclusive to them. If you live in the US, you can buy it online and also in Ulta.


Overall Thoughts
I really do like this brush mainly because it looks aesthetically pleasing. However, it does a really good job and I would recommend checking it out especially as it is now on sale. I even found that the Core Collection is currently on offer for £10.99 in Boots which is such an amazing offer. I think it is only in-store so this is a good time to try it. I could not help myself and I purchased a back up (mainly because my current RT Buffing Brush is in an absolute state and it is only sold in the Core Collection). Anyway, I am pleased with this brush and I am almost tempted to try the others but I am holding on tightly to my Boots Points and Wallet. That's pretty much it!! Have you tried any brush from the RT Bold Metal Collection?...xx
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Real Techniques Collector's Edition Sculpting Set Review

 I am a huge fan of Real Techniques brushes and I have spoken about them several times. I also love majority of  their new collections although I have not tried the Bold Metals Collection because I think it's too expensive. There are also various mixed reviews of the Bold Metals collection so I was a little wary of purchasing them. However, when I saw that they had launched the Collector's Edition Sculpting Set, I hot footed to Superdrug to purchase it. I am beginning to enjoy contouring/highlighting so having a practical set of brushes was all I wanted. I am really pleased that the Pixiwoo duo decided to design these lovely set of brushes which have already become so popular as you can hardly find them in store.



Packaging
It's pretty much the standard Real Techniques packaging which I quite like. This set is pink themed and I think it looks gorgeous. It has some sort of shiny finish to it which I think makes it stand out from the other regular pink themed Real Techniques brushes (the setting brush, cheek brush and stippling brush). There are three brushes in the set which include: The Setting Brush, The Sculpting Brush and The Fan Brush. They really look stunning in real life complete with white tips.


Bristles
The bristles are synthetic and cruelty-free which is standard for Real Techniques. I find that synthetic brushes seem to shed less but that's just my opinion though. The bristles are very soft and fluffy and they feel really gentle on my skin. They are really well attached to the handles so you don't get any stray hairs when they are in use. Stray hairs on my face make me very irritated.


Shedding
I have only had this for about two weeks or so but I have washed it up to 3 times already (as at the time this post is going up) and I have not experienced any shedding at all. I am not surprised because many of my Real Techniques brushes don't shed. A few from old collections do shed after I have used them for a long time as expected but it is not a common occurrence which is why I love them. 


Ease of Washing/Drying
They wash really easily which I am pleased about because the last thing anyone needs is a brush that's difficult to wash. I was a little concerned about the Sculpting Brush being difficult to wash because it is very dense but I am happy to report that it is really easy to wash. I wash them with Johnson's Baby Shampoo and Dr Bronner's Liquid Soap but the baby shampoo really gets all the makeup off. They also dry really easily although the Sculpting Brush takes longer to dry compared to the other brushes in the set. Of course, this is expected because the bristles are very dense and closely packed so I wouldn't expect less but it still dries faster than some less dense brushes in my stash




The Sculpting Brush: This was the brush that made me buy the whole collection. As mentioned earlier, I was really keen to try one of these sculpting brushes for contouring my face. I almost bought the Bold Metals version but I could not justify paying such an amount for just one brush. I am pleased to say this is a really good brush for contouring. It has a slight angle but the bristles are rounded (if that makes any sense). The unique shape makes it really easy to blend out my contour well. It is the perfect size for my cheek bone and I just really love it. This sculpting brush can also be used to apply bronzer along the perimeters of the face and temples if that's your thing. 



The Fan Brush: This was also another brush I was so close to just ordering from Ebay. I don't think I own any fan brush in my current collection. I didn't really miss having a fan brush for a long time until I started getting into contouring and highlighting. If you want a subtle highlight (which is my preferred look), a fan brush is the way to go. You can imagine how delighted I was to see that it was included in this set. As the name suggests, its bristles are fanned out to resemble a fan. I love how well made this brush is and you can tell the bristles are not going anywhere because they are well attached to the brush handle. It does not pick up a lot of product but I don't mind because I prefer a very subtle highlight. Nevertheless, I really love using it on the high points of my cheekbone and it feels lovely against my skin. I wish it was a little bit bigger though but I think a lot of people may prefer this size. I really enjoy using this and it's ever so easy to wash/dry.




The Setting Brush: I was also very delighted to see this brush in the collection. I already own an earlier version of this brush and it's definitely one of my favourite Real Techniques brushes. This is practically the same brush but I have a sneaky feeling that it is slightly fluffier than the earlier version. I have a review of this brush here if you fancy a read. The shiny pink colour is really lovely and it's useful for helping me separate how I use the two brushes. I use the earlier version of the setting brush to blend out my under eye concealer while I use the new one to set my under eye concealer with powder. The Setting brush delivers really good results for these techniques but it can also be used for concealing blemishes, blending out contours (around the nose) and even blending out eyeshadows. It's a real gem!


Cost 
I purchased the Collector Sculpting Set from Superdrug for £20.99 and it was even sold out in store when I got there. The kind sales lady had to go into the warehouse to see if they had any left and I was very lucky. This set is only exclusive to Superdrug so you can check your local one to see if it's available. Otherwise you can always buy it online. If you live in the US, I think it is available in Ulta as always. I can't think of any cons at the moment; maybe the cost. It's slightly more expensive in the UK than it is in the US and I can never understand why this is always the case.


Overall Thoughts
I am sure it is self evident that I am obsessed with these brushes. I love every single one of them and I think it is such a great collection to have especially if you are looking to up your contouring/highlighting game. All the brushes in the set are very functional to me and I use them frequently whenever I do a contour/highlight. I seriously love it and I really recommend it. Have you tried the Real Techniques Collector's Edition Sculpting Set?
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Must-Have Real Techniques Brushes

I am pretty sure Real Techniques Brushes are by far one of the most popular and affordable makeup brushes. I absolutely love them and I have featured them on here a couple of times. I was also lucky to be sent some brushes a little while ago (find out why here) which made me very pleased. All (but one) of the brushes featured today were purchased by me. I may feature some of the ones I received in a separate post another time. Although I have a looooot of Real Techniques brushes, I find that I reach for some of my favourites more often than the others. I bought majority of them from Boots during their 3 for 2 offer. The rest were bought in Super Drug because they sell RT brushes slightly cheaper than Boots and when they have offers, it is much better as well although their loyalty points are not the best. Anyway, I thought it would be nice to show you these must have Real Techniques (RT) brushes.

Buffing Brush (sold in the Core Collection Set for £21.99)

This was the brush that made me fall absolutely in love with Real Techniques because it changed the way I applied all my bases. The annoying thing is that it comes in the Core Collection set so if anything happened to it and you just wanted to repurchase the one, you would have to get the whole set. I have bought a few back ups (Core Collection) just because I needed the Buffing Brush. It is a dome shaped brush which s slightly flared out. It  flawlessly buffs and blends in my foundation so well that I can say hand on heart that it is one of the best I have tried (only few brushes provide the similar results). I have spoken about it here already so I won’t ramble too much.

Expert Face Brush (£9.99)

I also have a review of the Expert Face Brush over here so I would try to keep it short. I purchased the Expert Face Brush because my Buffing Brush was about to kick the bucket. I also fell in love with it as expected because it is a damn good brush. Unlike the Buffing Brush, it is slightly smaller and denser which helps apply my foundation really well. It is very easy to travel with and it can be used to blend out other makeup products like blushes and contours because it really fits into the natural contour/curves of the face. Thankfully, it is sold separately so if you don’t want to splash out on the Core Collection, this is a good one to try.

Setting Brush (sold mainly online from £6.50)

Dear Nic and Sam, thank you for realising that there was a huge gap in the beauty world for a brush that fits under the eye so well, blends and sets everything like none other. I have a full review on the blog already but I can’t help but gush about this brush. It is small, slightly dome shaped, tapered and very fluffy. It is amazing for blending concealer under the eyes and around the face (on blemishes). I also use it to add some setting powder under my eyes and everywhere else that needs it. I have even shamelessly used it to blend out my eyeshadow and it does a lovely job. I already have several backups because it is definitely one of my favourite brushes in the whole RT collection.

Powder Brush (£12.99)

The Real Techniques Powder Brush is again one of my favourite brushes because it really does its job well. I also have a full review here if you fancy a read. It is very dense but still fluffy which helps in flawlessly applying my powder. I have used it for up to a year now and it has still maintained its fluffiness unlike some powder brushes which become stiff after a few washes. Its wide surface area means my whole face is covered with a few sweeps and I always reach for this over all my other powder brushes. A cheaper alternative/dupe is the Wilko Powder Brush (review here) which is very similar to the RT one and I love both of them. The only downside is it’s quite a big brush so it’s not one that you can chuck into your makeup bag but that doesn't really matter to me.

Essential Crease Brush (sold in Sam's Pick Set £29.99)

I think this may be another exclusive brush within a set. It came in the Sam’s Picks set which I purchased from Jasmine in her blogsale and I was just so thrilled! I think this was my first eye brush from Real Techniques and I loved (and still love) everything about it. As the name implies, it is an eyeshadow crease brush that beautifully deposits and blends out eyeshadow(s) in the crease. It is quite small so it fits well into the outer V of the eyes and I love using this brush so much. If it was sold separately, I would definitely purchase a few backups.

Duo Fibre Contour Brush* (sold in the Duo Fibre Set for £23.99)

When I was putting my brushes together for this post, I was debating on what contour brush was my favourite. I have both the Duo Fibre Contour Brush and the Core Collection Contour Brush; I love them both but the prize goes to the Duo Fibre Contour Brush. The main reason I chose it over the other contour brush is simply because of the soft finish provides. I usually opt for a soft contour contour and the Duo Fibre Contour brush helps me achieve this look really easily with minimal blending. It applies my contour really soft and blends it out well for a more natural “faux” cheekbones and that’s the look I favour for an everyday face. If you prefer a more defined contour look, then the Core Collection Contour Brush is your guy. It just does not blend out my contour as flawlessly as the Duo Fibre one.



Multi Task Brush (sold in the Sam's Pick Set £29.99)
This was also in the Sam's Pick set I purchased from Jasmine and I absolutely love it. I really wish it was sold separately as it would be a perfect staple brush. As the name suggests, it is a proper multi task brush which can be used for blushes, powder, bronzer and even for light coverage foundation. I love the flared out shape and it's so fluffy. When I have limited space in my luggage (on short trips), I always pack this brush along because it can be used for various products and techniques. My favourite is to use it as a blush brush and I very much prefer it to the other Real Techniques Blusher Brush.


These are my top picks from Real Techniques and I hope you enjoyed it. I am sure you can tell I love Real Techniques Brushes and I am so lucky to have a huge collection of them. I am thinking of purchasing at least one brush from the Bold Metals Collection but they are a little pricey. I may treat myself; who knows?. I don't need any more makeup brushes though- said No Woman Ever!!! I am addicted! I am keen to know what brushes are your favourites. Have you tried any of these brushes? See you in my next post...x

*I was lucky to be sent this particular brush along with other brushes (read about it here)
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