Real Techniques | Bold Metals & Original Line In Depth Review

When the Pixiwoo sisters first launched their Real Techniques makeup brush line in 2011, it seemed like the beauty community went crazy for them. And rightly so. These brushes are a great price, good quality and look pretty on a vanity or dressing table.

Girls who loved makeup, but perhaps couldn't afford to build a brush collection from brands like Mac, could pop down to their local Boots and pick up a ready-made set of brushes without splashing their cash. On top of that, the brushes were made by trusted Beauty Guru’s they knew, and the amount of buzz and rave reviews on the internet left them in no doubt that the brushes would get the job done well.

Whilst now I tend to reach more for my Sigma brushes, I loved the Real Techniques range when I first got my hands on them a few years ago. I can’t deny that the original line still offers truly great value for money and great quality brushes. They are soft, hold up well over time, and offer enough of a range to suit most people’s basic makeup needs – by that I mean, most people can almost own every brush they’ll ever need by just sticking to the Real Techniques line …almost.

Designed to be makeup brushes for the “every day girl”, they were never intended to be show-stopping, industry-changing tools (though you could argue they kind of were!) and so now, Pixiwoo have launched the Bold Metals Collection, designed for  a more professional market.

The Bold Metals Collection consists of just seven brushes:

(GOLD)

100 Arched Powder £25.00

101 Triangle Foundation £22.00

(SILVER)

200 Oval Shadow £15.00

201 Pointed Crease £12.00

202 Angled Liner £10.00

(ROSE GOLD)

300 Tapered Blush £24.00

301 Flat Contour £24.00

Not wanting to go overboard, I bought the only brush that really jumped out at me, the Flat Contour brush.
As you can see, the brushes are priced much higher then the original collection. A few people have had real problems with this, as I think the Real Techniques brand has now become associated with affordable makeup tools, but that’s not what Sam and Nic were trying to achieve here. In their own words, “these are premium brushes that are being sold in a drugstore”.

So the price didn't make me wince that much when I took my single, solitary £24 brush to the counter, as I was expecting a truly top notch result for my money. What has upset me a little bit is that, the brush I own doesn't really feel that premium at all.

That’s not to say it’s not a good brush, but I think the main thing that makes it a good brush is because there’s very little on the market to rival it. Being unmistakably designed as a contour brush, it fits perfectly into the hollows of your cheekbones and deposits a “stripe” of product, for you to then blend out. That distinctive flat, dense, “contour shape” is perhaps something that only the NARS Ita brush is really competing with right now, and at £43 I think I’ll give that a miss thank you!

The brush is nicely weighted in your hand. It feels heavy, and in that respect, good quality, but it’s also an awkward diamond shape which just doesn't sit as naturally in my hand as a classic round handle. Not to mention it’s very long, which isn't a big deal but looks unnecessary and strange next to my other brushes. 

I’m also really, really not a fan of the colour or finish of this brush. (Don't hate me!) It’s a personal preference thing obviously, but for me, the “rose gold” coating just looks tacky and cheap. It’s far too shiny and whilst I'm a fan of rose gold in general, I think I’d prefer my makeup brushes to be a more timeless, classic black, rather than something currently on trend that might look really dated in a year or two. Pixiwoo also claim that the brushes are much softer than the original collection, but I don’t feel like that’s the case with the brush I own. Maybe I got a bad one? Maybe the other brushes in the collection are absolutely heavenly, but my Flat Contour brush feels distinctively average in the softness department. It deposits product well, but not that well, sometimes leaving me with darker areas to blend more extensively no matter how hard I try to coat the brush evenly!

It doesn't do a bad job at all, but where I was once perfectly happy with the leap up in price from the old collection, I’m now not so sure…and £24 now feels like a bit of a sting for what I actually ended up with.
I’d still like to try more from the Bold Metals collection, it just didn't meet my expectations after such hype. That said, you might absolutely love them, so please don’t take this review too negatively. 

I couldn't recommend the original line any more highly for someone with basic makeup needs and a modest budget. I really don’t think you’ll find better for the price.
As for the Bold Metals collection, I say go for it if you have the money to spend and want to try out Sam and Nic’s latest launch, but don’t expect miracles or game changing results, and don’t feel like you need these brushes if your budget is tight or you’re fairly new to makeup.
Stick to the original line for amazing affordable tools and maybe try Sigma or Mac if you end up seeking better quality from your brushes down the line.