Real Techniques Filtered Face Set Review and Photos

Real Techniques Filtered Face Set

I think I'm in the majority vote when I say I'm a total fan and addict when it comes to Real Techniques Brushes. For me, this brand has gone from strength to strength over the years with its vast selection of on-trend and functional brushes to suit every skill set and budget. I know I've certainly recommended a fair few friends and family's various RT brushes throughout the years!

Today I'm sharing with you this stunning Real Techniques Filterest Face Set which was released for Christmas 2017. So here are my thoughts...

Price
The Real Techniques Filtered Face Set retailed for £80 which sounds like a lot but this did go on offer for £40 over the Christmas period and if you weigh up how much you get in here then this is pretty good value for money. Inside you'll find 8 Brushes, 3 Sponges and a Storage Container for your brushes to sit.

Unfortunately this particular set is no longer available, however, most of these brushes can be purchased separately (minus the pretty duochrome finish), so any I do find I will link down below for you guys.

1. Buffing Brush - I use this for foundation but it's also great for mineral foundation. The Buffing Brush is available in the Core Collection Kit here*.

2. Contour Brush - As the name suggests this is great for contouring, highlight and even blush. Again this can be found in the Core Collection Kit here*.

3. Domed Shadow Brush - Perfect for applying shadow to the whole lid. This is very similar to the Base Shadow Brush found in the Eye Shade and Blend Set here.

4. Duo-Fiber Eye Brush - A great brush for blending and applying shadow in the crease. This Eye Brush is available as part of the Duo Fiber Kit here*.

5. Shading Brush - Another shadow brush which is also wonderful for concealer also. This is available within the Enhanced Eye Set here.

6. Setting Brush - Again as the name suggests this is the perfect sized brush for setting foundation or concealer with powder or you could also use this with highlighters. The Setting Brush is available to buy on its own here*.

7. Lip Brush - I love this not only as a lip brush but as an eyeliner brush! This is available within the Lip Colour and Blur Brush Set here*.

8. Stippling Brush - A good one for applying cream blush or even mineral foundation. The Stippling Brush can be purchased alone here*.

Miracle Complexion Sponge (Orange)* - This iconic sponge is one of my favourites damp as it helps gives your foundation an even flawless finish.

Miracle Sculpting Sponge (Pink)* - This performs like the Miracle Complexion Sponge but is cut differently for a more precise application.

Miracle Mini Eraser Sponge (Purple)* - I adore using this damp to blend out concealer under the eyes, nose or anywhere you need to erase a mistake.

Brush Cup - You can use this to store your brushes in or I use it in my bathroom draws as it's a great size to fit in small and awkward spaces.

Packaging
There's no doubt that these are visually stunning, but more importantly, there is a great, versatile mix of brushes that can be used in so many different ways.

Application
I found all of these brushes easy to use and they for sure helped apply my makeup with ease thanks to their super soft bristles. These are synthetic and I have to say the quality of the brushes has definitely improved throughout the years.

The sponges are also as I mentioned above great to use damp as they just help blend especially concealer and foundation so easily and quickly.

Overall Thoughts
Finally, if you're in the market for some new brushes or you're wanting to build up your first collection of make-up brushes then the Real Techniques family is a great place to start. Large versatile kits like these don't come around often and they're great to snap up at Christmas time as they usually go on offer for a limited period. However, if you're after some of Real Techniques current collections and kits then I've linked down below some affordable sets that are on sale now as well as RT newest Limited Edition collection of stunning brushes called 'Brush Crush' which are available from Superdrug here and Ulta below.

I award the Real Techniques Filtered Face Set a 4.8 out of 5

10 Last Minute Stocking Filler Ideas Under £10

Stocking Fillers for Her Under £10

With Christmas less than a week away, the pressure is on to pick up those last minute gifts! Today I'm sharing with you 10 Stocking Filler Ideas that are all under £10. These gifts are not only affordable but they're perfect for any beauty lover out there!

Before I go I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your continued support here on the blog and over on the PPB Channel, it means more than you'll ever know.💗 I hope you all have a wonderful Merry Christmas and an even better 2018! Xx

Carmex Skinny Dip Unicorn Sugar Plum

1. Carmex skinny Dip Limited Edition Unicorn Sugar Plum Lip Balm £3.95
This is the perfect gift for any Unicorn lovers, plus it's on offer in Superdrug at the moment for only £2.59.

Real Techniques Mini Brushes

2. Real Techniques Mini Brushes £6
This year Real Techniques are not only doing their value brush sets again but they are also releasing the cutest mini brushes and sponges in a hanging gift box. I actually picked this one up from Walgreens on my recent trip to New York, but they have similar versions in Boots for only £6!

Leighton Denny Two of a Kind

3. Leighton Denny Two of a Kind* £10

This beautiful duo is part of the Two of a Kind Collection consisting of three different sets. Each set contains two mini nail polish shades that are ideal for anyone who loves painting their own nails and experimenting with colour.

Leighton Denny Images of the Past and Jewellery Box.

Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo

4. Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo* £8 each
These are great stocking stuffers for anyone who loves to travel or who maybe is a gym bunny and likes to have dry shampoo to hand in their gym bag if they're on the go alot.

Primark Magic Eraser Dupe

5. Primark Cleansing Mits £2.50 for Three
If you've seen my First Impression on this here, then you'll know how much of a great dupe these are for the Makeup Eraser. The Cleansing Mit is wonderful at removing makeup in minutes with just water and I love these when I just need to get my makeup off quickly or I'm travelling.

Bilou Cotton Candy Shower Foam

6. Bilou Cotton Candy Shower Foam £3.99
Here's one for the ultimate girly girl! I adore these cute Shower Foams from Bilou as not only do they smell delicious but they're a 100% vegan and come in a host of yummy scents!

Soap and Glory Get a Smooth on Scrub and Butter Duo

7. Soap & Glory Get a Smooth On Duo £5
Another great idea for anyone who loves a pamper or who deserves a bit of them time is one of Soap & Glory's many Christmas Gift Packs. There's quite a few under £10 this year, but I particularly love this duo as it has the iconic Righteous Butter in it along with the Flake Away Exfoliator for super smooth skin.

Boots Ingredients Sheet Mask

8. Boots Ingredients Sheet Mask £2.50
Sheet Masks are not only convenient but they're a great little additional stocking stuffer idea for the girl on the go as they're less messy, quick and a great little pick me up treatment. I adore this one from Boots in the Charcoal and Willow Bark as it's super refreshing.

Tanya Burr Mascara

9. Tanya Burr Selfie Lash Mascara* £7.99
This is one of the best mascara's to come out of 2017! It's such a great all-rounder mascara and a wonderful stocking filler idea. Read my full review here.

Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighters

10. Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighters £6
These are another great product to come out of 2017 and they're also another perfect stocking idea for anyone who is obsessed with highlighter! Here are three of my favourites Rose Gold, Starlight and Unicorn Glow, you can also read all about them here.

I use the Rose Gold on my cheeks, Starlight mixed in with my face moisturiser and Unicorn Elixir mixed in with my body moisturiser to create the ultimate unicorn glow!

*The Leighton Denny set was sent to me in PR but as always all opinions are my own.

Ten of the Best Beauty Products of 2016

Best in Beauty 2016

2016 has been a year of pretty amazing launches, from skincare to make-up, drugstore to high end, I've tested a fair few out this year. The drugstore market has certainly made an impression on me this year and with so many favourites to choose from I had to narrow it down to the best of the best, so here's my 2016 Ultimate Ten...

1. L'Oreal Pure Clay Masks

2. L'Oreal Extraordinary Facial Oil

3. Real Techniques Miracle Mini Eraser Sponges

4. Clinque Beyond Perfecting Foundation & Concealer

5. L'Oreal Glam Bronze Cushion Bronzer

6. Revolution Fortune Favours the Brave

7. MUA Luxe Powerbrow

8. Rimmel Kate 15 Lipstick Collection

9. Barry M Matte Setting Spray and Primer Water

10. Maybelline SuperStay 7 Days Gel Nail Colour

Beauty Blender Dupes & How to Use - A Beginners Guide

With so many make-up sponges to choose from nowadays it's hard to know which ones are right for you and how to use them properly. Now the Beauty Blender is my ultimate favourite foundation sponge, but over the past few years I have accumulated a fair few and some I've loved and others not so much. So here's the 411 on the make-up sponge, plus some affordable Beauty Blender Dupes too.

1. REAL TECHNIQUES BOLD METALS MIRACLE DIAMOND SPONGE - £12
I like to call this the multi-tasker as it's good for applying most make-up products. It's also super soft to use and it expands considerably so you can cover large areas of the face quickly. I do find the pointy end a little too pointy for under the eye area, however it's perfect for getting in around the nose area.

2. REAL TECHNIQUES MIRACLE COMPLEXION SPONGE - £5.99

Not only is this affordable, it's great for flawless foundation application and you can also use this to swipe and pat product onto the face too. This is still really soft, however comparing it to the diamond sponge, the diamond version is just that little bit softer, but both are equally as delicate, so just take care when cleaning these sponges as they can tear if your not careful.

3. PRIMARK MAKE-UP SPONGE - £1.50

Now although the Real Techniques sponge is really affordable, Primark also have their own even cheaper version! This looks identical to the Real Techniques one and it does actually do a great job at applying foundation, but it is slightly firmer and not as bouncy and I would say overall it just doesn't give you as flawless coverage compared to the Miracle Complexion Sponge and Beauty Blender.



4. REAL TECHNIQUES MIRACLE MINI ERASER SPONGE - £5.99

Now these have become my holy grail sponges for applying concealer as they are super soft and bouncy and are perfect for using around the delicate eye area. You get two in a pack for £5.99 and again these are fantastic for a multitude of sins including, applying concealer, baking, wiping up mistakes and cleaning up under the eyes.

5. BEAUTY BLENDER - £16

Speaking of holy grail sponges, this for me is the crème de le crème of make-up sponges, why I hear you ask?! It's firm but bouncy, durable, the shapes perfect and it can be used wet or dry, plus it helps give you the ultimate airbrushed finish.

6. COSMOPOLITAN BLEND PERFECTION SPONGE - £4.99

This was actually one of the first sponges I ever bought and you've probably seen a lot very similar to this anyway. Texture wise this is a lot firmer and rougher but it's still nice and bouncy and it does apply foundation reasonable well when used damp. I cannot seem to find this particular sponge anymore but I have linked some other options instead here*.

7. MAC PRO PERFORMANCE SPONGE - £15.50

8. MAC SOFT POINT SPONGE APPLICATOR - £15.50
Lastly I wanted to feature two high end sponges so you could see how these compare to the Beauty Blender which is around the same price. Again I've had these for years (way before the Beauty Blender phenomena) and both can be used damp to apply creams and liquids, they just don't expand. I love the shape of these MAC sponges as you can use them almost anywhere on the face, however they are quite firm and rouge in texture and honestly these are nowhere near as good as the Real Techniques Sponges and Beauty Blender!

Overall if you can stretch to the Beauty Blender then it's a life changer, but if you are on a budget I would recommend all three of the Real Techniques Sponges as they perform fantastically and you can't beat the price point and accessibility factor of these sponges.