Real Techniques Nic's Pick's Collection Review

Happy Holidays! Sorry for the lack of posts. But here is a review for one of my best purchases of the year.

Charlotte Tilbury, world renowned makeup artist to the stars said invest in good makeup brushes because they can make all the difference, in other words, the finish will speak for itself, high end makeup will look cheap if not properly applied, and drugstore makeup can't be told apart from high end brands with the right application.

Price: P1750 on @stuffinstyle

Description:

A collection of Nic’s favorite brushes. Complete any look with this limited edition set, featuring 3 exclusive brushes specially designed to create the perfect finish.

Includes all the brushes needed to create a complete look:

• duo-fiber face brush: for lightweight application + blending of face powder or pigments
• cheek brush (set exclusive): evenly applies makeup across cheekbone for a more dramatic finish
• angled shadow brush (set exclusive): perfectly cut for layering eye shadow in the crease
• base shadow brush: applies a smooth, flawless foundation of color
• eyeliner brush (set exclusive): firm, angled head for optimal control along lash line

I never paid much attention to makeup brushes at the start of my cosmetic life, I loved using the little applicators, which is not a mortal sin but if you want to see the real power of that eye shadow, that blush or how immaculate your skin could look with foundation without being too thick, that's where the big toys come in,.. brushes!

At first I bought cheap brushes like P100 for a kit kind, clearly they did not convince me to buy into brushes, and let's face it brushes from some Filipino brands smell horrible, so I'm sorry to be unpatriotic but I tend to gravitate towards foreign brands which proved to be too steep for my pocket but upon discovering Real techniques, I found hope. Affordable and good quality and they smell like nothing, Plus sets! Sets are definitely for people who are beginners, who have no idea what to use, my first kit was the Core collection, then the Travel essentials, now I have this kit, Nic's Picks, Nic, being one of the Pixiwoo sisters who made the brand.

Now on to the review:

These brushes have special ferrules, silver, which make them look so Pro! I believe the hairs to be made of Taklon, which is synthetic. And it comes with 3 exclusive brushes, which you can't buy anywhere but this set!

Duo Fibre Face Brush

I have been longing to try this brush for ages! Mostly because my idol, Ruth Crilly from A model Recommends, uses it a lot. and many reviews stating that this was the only good brush from the duo fibre collection which was limited edition, not wanting to spend good money on unwanted brushes, I was psyched to have this in a different set! It is unbelievably soft, and it picks up so little product which is a good thing since you can use it with a heavy hand without looking like you piled on the makeup today, this is ideal for powder products, great for translucent powder since it diffuses product so well, and very pigmented blushes and bronzers, the ones that make you look like a clown can finally be used with this brush, giving sheer layers and your choice of color build-ability! This brush is probably enough for you to get the whole set, since the other brushes are pretty nice but this has a very luxurious feel to it, no scratchiness at all, contrary to its appearance.

Cheek Brush (Set Exclusive)

This is a flat blush brush, simply put, I personally prefer a dome shaped brush for blush so the shape is not my cup of tea, but it does a good job for applying blush, it gives a soft flush. But not the best at blending in powder products, be sure you use  the tap tap tap method for applying. And if you have the expert face brush, you'll find this to be the fluffier and bigger version. I think this is actually good for setting makeup and I have even tried this for  liquid foundation and it has worked out surprisingly well, so I think this would actually be more ideal for cream or liquid cheek products.

Angled Shadow brush (Set Exclusive)

I have been severely disappointed with my RT Travel set essentials dome shadowed brush which had to be glued again, badly I might say. So I was tickled pink to have two eyeshadow brushes. Not a big eyeshadow fans, but the right tools changed my mind, I've been stuck with sucky brushes, but these changed my eyeshadow application life! Brushes do change your life. Hahaha. This is actually used for the crease, but I find myself reaching for it for concealer since it does such a good job in blending, I have used it a couple of times for eyeshadow but it's a tad big for my crease but turned the right way it can work. It is very soft, so blending in is not an irritating task.

Base Shadow Brush

This brush can be found in the Starter set, which I wanted to purchase before, but held off for this set. This brush is equally as soft as the crease brush, It can pick up shadows adequately and it is my most reached for brush for eyeshadow since it can blend well too. 

Eyeliner brush (Set Exclusive)

I have just been getting into eyeliner, but by that I just use powder eyeshadow for a softer look, since I'm merely dipping my foot in the water, I use this for a black eyeshadow or a dark brown/ But most of the time I find this is great for eyebrows, many who bought the starter set found the eyeliner brush in the set was too thick. But as I searched for pictures online, it really is compared to this one found in the set. It is a very sturdy brush so I hope to use more of this when I buy a gel liner in the future!

Overall I find that this set has good value for money, I love these brushes and I'm looking forward to purchasing more brushes from real techniques if the maintain their quality and price range. Thanks for reading and Happy almost new year!