Review - eBay Real Techniques Bold Metals Brushes Dupe

If you're into the bold metal trends this season then you have undoubtably spotted and lusted after the Real Techniques bold metal brushes. However, if you are like me (and you live in Australia) then you may have looked at the hefty price tag for each brush and quickly turned and walk the opposite way. Because of the price of these brushes in Australia and after the advice of some girls on make up social I turned to eBay and decided to check out the dupes and replicas that they have on there.

If you search something along the lines of "bold metal makeup brush" on eBay chances are you will stumble across a heap of replicas of the Real Techniques brushes. For around $12 including postage for the entire set of 7 brushes I figured that it was too good an opportunity to pass up and that the brushes would be worth a try.

My brushes arrived from china just under 2 weeks after I ordered them. I ordered the full set of 7 from one seller and two individual eye brushes from another - just to check out whether they would be the same or not.

Here are the brushes when they first arrived:

300 replica

301 replica

101 replica

100 replica

201 replica

202 replica

200 replica

200 replicas from different sellers

First impressions: When the brushes first arrived to me I was very impressed as to how soft the bristles were. The bristles for all brushes were very neat and even with no shedding in the packaging. The set of 7 brushes all have "RT" on one side and the brush number on the other, however the eye brushes that I purchased individually do not.

All the brushes I purchased aren't weighted at the bottom, but are still very nice to hold and fit well in your hand. The brushes in the set with "RT" printed on them seem to be better made than the individuals as the ferrule and the handle are attached more evenly without gaps.

The first wash: For hygiene reasons I washed the brushed before I first used them. The brushes seemed to wash and dry well with no shedding after washing them.

Overall thoughts and first use:

Overall I am not completely impressed with these brushes. The look pretty and the 100 replica (which I use for powder) works well, however usability-wise the rest of the brushes aren't great.

My main gripe with the brushes is the absorption of product. For all eye brushes and the 300 replica I find that although the brush picks up a lot of product it seems to just get stuck in the bristles and does not transfer back on to the skin very well.

the 200 loaded up with eyeshadow from my Too Faced Chocolate bar palette

Pay off: Right is the pay off using my sigma blending brush; Left is the pay off using the 200 replica

Overall, if you just want these brushes for looks then go for it. I like the way they sit on my vanity so I will keep them and continue to use the powder brush. If you are in the market for some good quality brushes then I would try out the real deal by Real Techniques or invest in some by Sigma or Zoeva. If those are out of your price range I find that my Elf and Revlon brushes do perform better than these eBay ones.

Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or if you have used these brushes and what you thought of them.

El xo