Review: Real Techniques vs Artis Oval Makeup Brushes

Artis Oval Brush 7 (also here)// Artis Oval Brush 6

Real Techniques Contour Brush// Real Techniques Foundation Brush

Shop the Brushes:

I have used Real Techniques classic-style makeup brushed for years but I have seen the Artis oval style brushes for years and have always wondered how they compared to a traditional makeup brush. I then started seeing tons of other brands creating the oval-style brushes and most cost much less than the Artis brand. So, I decided I would try the Real Techniques brand of oval brushes as it is a brand I have used and loved for years. Then I decided to order the Artis brand brushes in comparable size so I could do a proper comparison and find out if the Artis brushes were truly worth 3x the price. 

First of all, if you have debated ditching your traditional style makeup brushes for these oval brushes, I highly recommend it. Regardless of brand, I MUCH prefer the oval-style over my traditional brushes. The way they apply liquid, cream, and powder makeup just seems so much easier and also feels more intuitive. I also feel like the blending of products is a lot more professional looking. Overall, I just really prefer them! 

Brushes are something that can make or break your makeup. If you have ever painted a picture or even painted the walls of your house with cheap brushes and then switched to nicer brushes, you can see just how much difference the quality of your brushes can make in the finished product. It's the same thing when it comes to makeup- bad brushes can really affect the way your makeup looks when applied! It doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune on brushes, though, but if you are unhappy with your makeup, switching out your makeup brushes could help a lot! 

Now to get down to brand comparison. Artis's brush sizes are numerical whereas Real Techniques just names the brush after what you would use them for.

Artis Oval Brush 7 is comparable to Real Techniques Foundation Brush

Artis Oval Brush 6 is comparable to Real Techniques Contour Brush

Artis vs. Real Techniques 

Artis is truly about 3x the price of Real Techniques, but let's first start out pushing price aside. Overall, the Artis brushes were my favorite as they are high quality and feel more luxurious. When looking at the two brands side by side, you can really see that the bristles of the Artis brush are much more densely packed in. 

Artis:

- Handle is made of metal. 

- Brush feels substantial 

- Bristles of the brush are more densely packed

- The bristles are much flatter in how they sit

Real Techniques:

- Handle is made of plastic

- Handle makes the overall feel of the brush cheaper and lighter in weight

- Bristles are densely packed but just not as dense as Artis

- The bristles are overall more curved

I used one brand on one side of my face and one brand on the other when applying my makeup. I noticed almost no difference. I don't think anyone else would have noticed any difference at all. If I looked really closely in the mirror and was very critical I think the Artis brush blended slightly better but barely enough to even mention. 

I prefer the heavier handle on the Artis as I feel as if I have more control over using them. The lighter weight of the Real Techniques brushes are something that would be better if you do a lot of traveling as the Artis really are a lot weightier than Real Techniques. 

Although both feel soft, the Artis brush feels softer and more luxurious on my face (which, quite honestly, it better at the price per brush).

My Final Thoughts

Since I have both brands of brushes, I will always favor the Artis brushes over the Real Techniques. I like the way they feel on my face better and the heavier handle in my hand. However, if I didn't have any of these brushes yet, and was shopping around, because there was no noticeable difference in the end product of my makeup application, I would likely purchase Real Techniques over Artis. Both are great options and while I do like Artis a little better, I do not like it 3x the price better!