Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush

I'm building up quite the collection of Real Techniques brushes. I think I have all the ones I want so I think I'm going to stop buying them now. I want to focus on building my MAC collection more and buying these just takes from the cash I could be using for those. Real techniques makes pretty good affordable brushes- and the ones I like, I really really like.The brushes that I think are average I could totally do without.

Real Techniques claims:

From subtle to dramatic, this brush is ideal for creating flawless high-definition results:

• look pixel-perfect even in harsh light
• ultra-plush, synthetic bristles are hand-cut and 100% cruelty-free
• extended aluminum handle is light and easy to use

Has anyone noticed the price going up on the regular line? I have. The brushes are good at the price point they were. Raising the prices is not a good move in my opinion and with the price increase I probably am not going to purchase more.

Anywho, this brush is listed at $6. I  paid around $4.99 for it. I definitely wouldn't pay $6 for it. That's mostly because I don't like the design of the brushes. It looks...cheap. The brushes are color coded...purple for the eye brushes, gold for the face and etc. So they are user friendly for a beginner. I guess. Personally I don't think brushes are that hard to identify what they are for. Unless it's possible to mistake it for a foundation or blush brush. Haha.

A couple years back I bought the starter set for eyes and felt they do a big disservice to the buyer by not including the base shadow brush. You can easily use another brush in the set to apply color all over but it just felt like something was missing. 

So when I found this...I bought it. 

I figured it could come in handy for packing shadow onto the lid.

And it's ok. It's just I find I have to keep re-dipping the brush into the shadow to get it on my lid. 

I wanted to compare it to my favorite shading brush which is the MAC 239. I love my 239. It just somehow helps me to get the perfect shape of base color. The Real Techniques one I find a bit harder to control so I always ended up with shadow higher than I wanted it. It's nothing earth shattering and I can still get a decent look but I just prefer the MAC brush. 

I do find that I love this brush for cream eyeshadows though. I don't like using natural hair bristles on creamy stuff and this does an excellent job. It is a little thicker too which I think also helps a lot when blending a cream product. (good for cream, not so much for packing the shadow on).

It's pretty soft....but it can get scratchy depending on how you use it. I would just change the motion of applying my shadow and it was no longer scratching my lids.

Overall, it's not my favorite shading brush but it does the job. I wouldn't pay $6 for it. I think it's worth about $3.99 and no more.