You Haven't Seen Brushes Like This New Set

You know when Aladdin was all, I can show you the world? Shining, shimmering, splendid? You're familiar. That's Real Techniques' new lip brush set. Where the lip brush game has for years stuck to the tried-and-true shape, their new brushes look downright wacky, which is not a term I use lightly. But the cult-following brush brand's four new lip brushes fit the bill, a collection of shapes intended to go beyond the classic "get it on my lips" concept. How limited our minds were. Distribution of this set is likewise, so here's where to buy Real Techniques' new lip brush set.

Retailing for $19.99 on Real Techniques' website, the four-piece, limited edition Prep + Color Lip Set "has every brush you need to prep, line, color, and perfect your lips." Their intended uses are very, very specific: There's a Lip Smoothing Brush to exfoliate your lips before color application, and a Lip Lining Brush to "apply detailed lip art or add an ombré shaping effect to the outside corners of lips." More standard is the Lip Brush, with a flat side and tapered tip to smoothly blend color onto your lips, and then it's right back to crazy with the Lip Fan Brush, a "multi-functional fanned shape [that] helps perfect outer edges of your lips and highlight your Cupid’s bow."

Given all the insane lip art tutorials floating around on Instagram, color me intrigued.

Lip art videos are a dime a dozen (and endlessly fascinating to watch — a favorite recently is Smashbox's celebration of the Chinese New Year, below), but actually getting down to the detail work requires dedication and an uber-fine tip. And while you might not splurge on a painter's brush alone, the value's here. As ever, think of the likes.

So predicting the Lip Lining Brush for MVP. But the fan brush also looks especially intriguing — I don't know how or when you'd use it, but I've gotta think always, for everything (at least for the first week of owning it) (c'est la vie).

On the face, fan brushes expertly apply high-drama blushes and highlighters with a light touch, so it could be a one-step gimme for multidimensional lip looks. Or a way to cleanly swathe lips in a layer of pigment without the dread patchiness, liquid lipsticks' greatest downfall. There's only one way to find out.