If, like me, you have trouble applying foundation smoothly with a traditional oval taklon brush, this brush may be your savior. I've never been very good at applying foundation with a brush. It usually turns out streaky and though I do love the airbrushed look I can get with a buffing brush, it just seems to take so much foundation to achieve the right results. I gave this brush a chance, not really understanding how I might use it. I am delighted. It is thin enough not to soak up a lot of foundation but it is soft and plush, allowing for a really nice, soft, buffed finish. Layering is quite easy where necessary. Just for the record, there are three different "foundation" brushes in the Real Techniques line: this angled one, a rounded one in the Travel Essentials set, and a smaller pointed one in the Core collection. Additionally, the stippling brush (separate) and the buffing brush (core collection) are great for applying various types of foundation. I didn't think I'd get much use out of this one but it's turned out to be my favorite for both liquid and cream-to-powder foundations. I also really like the buffing brush, but I use it less frequently since trying this one.

First, let me preface this review by saying, I LOVE these brushes!! They are cruelty-free and of fantastic quality. The bristles are phenomenally soft and really hold pigment for application. They are great. I have many different brushes from a variety of price points (MAC, EcoTools, Sonia Kashuk, etc) and these are truly my favorite. I just really don't think you can go wrong with most of them.

This brush in particular was one I was excited about trying, as I wanted to get a good brush for applying foundation... Well, when I tried this one, I was somewhat disappointed. The length of the bristles (fairly long, in my opinion) made the foundation somewhat streaky when I applied it, which of course I didn't like. It also doesn't feel as dense as what I wanted from a foundation brush.

That being said, I still like this brush a lot for other purposes. It works great for applying contouring powders or highlighters, and I would repurchase for that use in a second! I just don't use this for foundation.

As always, I rarely purchase anything without searching for reviews on MUA. I don't mean just reviews in Productville, I also search the boards. After doing so, I felt confident about purchasing the "Expert Face Brush" which is what this review is for.
I found a coupon for ULTA and the brushes were buy one get one 50% off. I guess my overall rating would be 2.5 not 2, because that is midway. I guess I expected more from this brush because I could not find any bad reviews. There were people listed as "professional makeup artists" who swore by this brush. Well, I know anyone can put "professional" and still not be the likes of KJ Bennett. The packaging is simple, nothing out of the ordinary, it's got Sam's face, background information and her website for tips and tricks. Nice touch. The brush is soft, but I didn't expect it to feel grainy as it's synthetic and I doubt she would give her seal for something that would irritate the skin. I did watch her use the brush, and not find anything outstanding, as she seems able to use a toothbrush and get great results.
I tried the brush last night, and was not impressed. Seriously, after reading all the raves, I didn't want a miracle, but it's a brush, and I have heaps of brushes and ULTA, Japonesque and Rite Aid have brushes that work better. It's not hand made and to be fair, they aren't expensive, so I don't resent the purchase, but sadly I purchased a back up. I don't sit my brushes upright so I can't speak to that, but it's a nice brush. It's not going to clean your floors, make your precision go from regular to HD but it does feel nice against your skin, doesn't use up too much foundation, but you will need another small brush if you need to cover under your eyes, which is my situation. I would suggest it to someone on a budget not exposed to other lines, but I have had better results with other low end brush lines so I will not repurchase.

Wow! I cannot get over how amazing this inexpensive brush is. My husband was in the US this past week and I gave him a list of items to pick up for me that I cannot get in Canada. I very much wanted the Real Techniques flat topped stippling brush and only at the last minute, did I tell him to pick up this angled foundation brush as well and I am SO glad I did. Frankly, I'm surprised that this brush doesn't have a higher rating because I've found it to be perfect.

Most days, because I'm in a rush, I wear mineral powder foundation. I have quite a few really good liquid foundations (2 from MAC, 2 from Clarins and also Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau, which I think will replace all the others for me, once I use them up). I've also got several good liquid foundation brushes - MAC, Sephora, etc. But even so, if I want to achieve a truly flawless application, it takes me a bit of time - more time than I've got most mornings when I'm rushing out to school (I'm a teacher, not a student). However, with this new foundation brush, I can apply liquid foundation really quickly and with perfect results....none of the annoying "dots" where the foundation highlighted my pores, no streaks - just a totally perfect application.

Because of the angled cut of this brush, it's also really good for applying a contour powder or a highlight on top of the cheekbones. Now that I realize how good and how versatile this brush is, I am planning to get a 2nd one to keep for contour/highlight purposes. At 10 bucks, it's the best value going. I also like the flat base so you can stand these brushes up if you want to, though it does make them a bit bulky for travelling, and I can promise you this is one brush I will NOT want to leave at home.

Do yourselves a favour, MUAers, and if you can purchase this brush, at least give it a try. I am amazed by the perfect results it gives and I hope you will be also!

Boo. I have most of the Real Techniques brushes and love them all... except this one. The bristles were much more "plastic-y" than any of the others and did not feel nearly as nice. I went back the next day and returned this brush. The stippling brush is MUCH better and can be used for more makeup applications. However, if you really want a flat foundation brush, I'd suggest getting the Travel Essentials set which includes the essential foundation brush... plus 2 other amazing brushes. :)

When I first heard Sam Chapman was coming out with a signature line of brushes which included a foundation brush, I had to laugh because in pixiwoo videos she's always the one applying her foundation with her hands. So much so that she inspired me to start using MY hands to apply foundation again, after years of using a brush. But of course I had to check out the line, and of course I picked up this brush.
It's a "meh". Does the job, doesn't shed, it's soft enough with a good spring to the bristles, and small enough to fit around your nose and into other tight spaces.
With that said, I'm back to using my hands. Can't beat them for dexterity and cleanliness.

I was eager to try out Sam Chapman's new brushes as I am a fan of PixiWoo. I have just started using this brush, but it is really fantastic. I thought that is was just a small, mediocre foundation brush when I first looked at it, but I was happy to find that it makes foundation application so EASY. The small size, and the angled shape allow for easy blending. Unlike others, I didnt find that the brush streaked my foundation, and I actually ended up using less product because the brush helped give me better coverage.
The construction of the brush is sturdy and of good quality. I like the base because it feels good in my hand, but I dont need the brush to stand up really. The bristles are not terribly dense, but I feel the amount is adequate and they are just dense enough that I have to be careful how I wash it because the soap gets trapped in the bristles so easily.
Overall, I am so pleased! These brushes are just as good as Sonia Kashuk, and are cheaper and I really love my SK brushes. I think I might stop getting SK's now in favor of RT. Congratulations Sam for making great brushes!

I was really excited to try the Real Techniques brushes. Unfortunately, they were out of the 2 brushes I desired most: the Stippling Brush & the Powder Brush. The foundation brush was third on my list, though.

Short Story: I was disappointed & would probably not purchase this again.

Long Story....
The Good: I love the design. Very clever and user friendly. Unlike most foundation brushes, this one is angled for easy application. The bottom of the brush is flat so you may stand it on a counter. It's very lightweight and the bristles are soft.

The Bad: I wish the bristles were denser. Also, cleaning the foundation out of the brush was quite a chore. I've had this problem with other brushes too, so maybe the problem is me. I was disappointed because I had specifically looked up a brush cleaning video from Sam herself hoping for the best. This brush does have a tendency to streak. You simply have to continue to blend it in with short strokes, repeatedly.

The Worst: This was the breaking point for me. I bought this brush tonight and went for a trial run. The application was okay, but a letdown.

Then I went to clean it. The brush head was loose! The entire brush head can be moved in & out of the ferrul about a 1/4 inch or so. To be clear, none of the bristles came out. They seem secure. It's the entire piece that moves.

I am so annoyed. I will be returning this item tomorrow and moving onto another brush. I still have faith in the RT brush line, and perhaps the loose head was simply a manufacturer error, but the other drawbacks to this product do not make it worth repurchasing.

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Generally speaking, all Real Techniques brushes are really soft, they don't shed at all, they're not smelly or anything and they kept their shape after I washed them with warm water and Marseille soap like I do for all my brushes. All brushes are made of Tacklon and are cruelty-free, which is great.The color of the handle indicates the use of the brush: eye brushes are purple, yellow ones are for face and pink ones are 'finishing' brushes. The whole name of the brush is written on the handle, so it's really helpful for beginners.I also like that all brushes have a flat end to their handles so they can stand on it.

This brush has relatively firm bristles, a bit like the Mac 190. But its particularity is the angled shape, that allows you to apply foundation very easily around the nose and under the eyes. It seems so obvious that I can't believe there aren't more brands that offer this kind of foundation brush!There's something you need to be cautious with, though: the brush being quite large, it feels easy to spread the foundation all over the face in just a few wide moves, but if you do that you might leave streaky marks. Make sure to use smaller motions to prevent that.This one costs £8.99/ USD 9.99

I'm going to break this down into three parts: Brush construction, bristles and application.

The brush itself is solid. I love the fact that most of the brush is the ferrule. It feels light in my hand which makes it easy to move around and the size of the handle is certainly big enough. This one feels a tiny bit heavier but it's good for the fact that it's a foundation brush. I find it cute that it stands on it's own. It's not a requirement for me but it's certainly nice that she had the consumer in mind rather than the makeup artist.

The bristles, again, are taklon. The shape is unique for a foundation brush. I have seen angled foundation brushes but I've not seen any this dense in some time. I usually find them to be about the same as the pointed style and they tend to have the same thickness. This brush is slightly more dense and the head is better for covering large area.s

As far as application, I love this brush. I have applied various cream and liquid products with it and it applies them flawlessly with no streaking. I see the possibility to streak but that's only if you really don't know what you're doing with your makeup brushes. I reach for this brush almost every single time I'm doing a full face of makeup. It's brilliant!