I have sort of the same issue with some of the Studio eye brushes. I have the flat shader brush, the contour brush, the pencil brush, and the angled liner brush (which I like). The flat shader brush is a little too big for my eyelid but my problem with it is that it doesn't pick up eyeshadow or pigments as well as other synthetic brushes I own. For patting on eyeshadow, I prefer brushes that are a tiny bit "rough" and not too dense. I feel like maybe it could be the Studio brush's density and stiffness that somehow causes it to deposit less color. I mean, it loosens powder just fine but it won't pick it up very well. I believe Real Techniques' brushes are also made of the same fiber (Taklon) as are many other synthetic brushes, yet I don't have the same issue because the flat eye brushes aren't dense even if they are just as soft. As for the other Studio eye brushes I own, I tend to neglect them too simply because they are for more precise application/blending and I prefer to really diffuse my always smokey eye makeup, so the shape and density of the brushes don't work for me personally. Besides, the times I have used them I've felt like I had to work more at getting my look right. I haven't tried any of the $1 brushes except for the flat shader brush and some from an old holiday set which have black handles and brown fibers. I do really like those because they pick up color and deposit it quickly and effectively.