Save or Splurge - Foundation Brushes. The Verdict!

Article compiled by BR Natalie

Whenever we need a new product, we're faced with the inevitable question - do you have to spend more for a good product? Can 'budget buys' ever really compete with an upmarket brand?  Our popular feature Save or Splurge is all about finding out.  

Every fortnight we pick a product type and find two similar products from very different ends of the budget spectrum.  3 members put both products to the test and report back.

We asked our latest trio of reviewers to put the Bobbi Brown Foundation Brush ($68) and the Real Techniques Foundation Brush ($25) to the test.  Here's how they got on!

Beauty Review Hero: Rezee

These are both great brushes, if I had of tried either one separately, I don’t feel like I would have  been disappointed at all.

In saying that, it wasn’t too hard for me to pick a winner. The Bobbi Brown really won me over from the first time I used it and using the Real Techniques afterwards only confirmed those feelings for me. The softness and the fact that I could use it as a concealer brush as well  helped. You could almost say it’s just like buying two $35 brushes so that helps in my mind to  justify any costs!

Also I just loved how it made me feel while using it. I think we all deserve to  feel special and to be treated with a luxury product.  Before using either brush, I was kind of rooting for the underdog but I’ve definitely crossed over  to the world of luxury brushes.  

VERDICT: SPLURGE

Beauty Review Expert: babyrebelxx

I was incredibly fortunate to be selected for this Save or Splurge trial. Flat foundation brushes aren’t my usual weapon of choice, so it was exciting to be able to try something I normally would not go for - I am through and through a flat buffer kind of girl.

First of all, these both do a fantastic job at applying my foundation. They are both, although not equally, soft. Bobbi Brown is definitely the softest, but it is only noticeable around the sensitive areas such as around the eye. Over the 10 days, neither of the brushes shed. The main point in difference for the bristles definitely had to be the shape, Bobbi Brown was a classic tapered point and was of an average thickness, however the Real Techniques was an angled flat brush and was very dense. This made slight differences in application and how the brushes were cleaned at the end. Both made relatively smooth applications of my foundation, the Bobbi Brown definitely was very smooth and did not require much additional layering to remove any streaking or uneven areas, this definitely came down to the thickness of the brush and how it didn’t absorb any excess product. The Real Techniques also provided a relatively smooth application, but because it did absorb a bit of the product, I did have to go over some areas. Also, because of the angled edge, it made it easy to get into nooks and crannies such as around the nose.

Aesthetically, for me, Real Techniques has it down. I’m not a fan of how the Bobbi Brown brush looks - it’s a little boring and reminds me of a hockey stick. It’s not as ‘luxurious’ as I would have liked for the $67 price tag, even though it was comfortable to use. The Real Techniques brush definitely has a little bit more luxury with the curved handle and brushed metal finish - it looked more striking and modern.

Overall, the winner of this trial for me was.. Real Techniques Foundation Brush. Despite the Bobbi Brown Foundation brush definitely having its pros over the Real Techniques, I definitely think it wasn’t worth the extra dollars. Real Techniques Foundation brush is a fantastic product for it’s price, and definitely does the job!

VERDICT: SAVE

Beauty Review Expert: DylanAdams

So I've used each brush twice a day and there was quite a difference in the quality and the finish each brush gives.

Real Techniques Foundation Brush: So to be really honest with you I didn't like this brush at all, it wasn't dense enough, and it was super thin I couldn't get good coverage with it and left me quite streaky, it looked more like a blush/contour brush to me when I first opened it, but i wouldn't recomend using it as a foundation brush. to be fair I did use it as a contour brush and I kinda liked but yeah, I'd give this brush a 3/10

Bobbi Brown Foundation Brush: Well I definitely liked this brush a whole lot more than the RT one, this one's quite dense so it made a big difference as I use thick foundation so I need something quite "sturdy" if you know I mean!  I wasn't left with any streaks. I would definitely use this as a day to day brush, it also looks really nice (I'm a big fan of packaging and how brushes look, weird I know) I also used it for my concealer and it worked just as well and who doesn't love 2 uses in one

So all in all I say splurge on a brush rather than save, its something you're gonna use everyday and you want to get good use out of it, rather than buying cheep brushes that are only good for a short while. I would happily spend repurchase the Bobbi Brown brush, but definitely wouldn't purchase the Real Techniques brush.

They don't really compare in my opinion but other people may feel differently.  I'll be adding the Bobbi Brown brush to my make up belt I really love it, thanks Beauty Review for letting me review these products.

VERDICT: SPLURGE

So we have a split decision but the overall verdict is - when it comes to foundation brushes you should break the bank and splurge!

Thanks to our reviewers - what shall we put to the Save or Splurge test next?