REAL TECHNIQUES BOLD METALS COLLECTION MAKEUP BRUSHES

Real Techniques have to be my favourite high street make-up brush line on the market. I have tried pretty much every single one of their base line brushes and this year they released a more premium line called the Bold Metals collection. This range is a little pricier than their first range and the design of the brushes is higher end and better quality. The collection consists of seven brushes so far, I currently have five of them. The collection consists of face, eye and finishing brushes and the handles are coloured gold, rose gold and silver depending what use they have. The bristles are a lot softer than the original brushes, they’re weighted for control and comfort and the shape means they stay in place when you put them down instead of rolling off your dressing table.
The first brush I bought and my favourite from the range is the 301 Flat Contour Brush. This brush creates shadows and highlights on targeted areas of the face, I’m most likely to use this brush with a powder bronzer or highlight to create structure to the face. Also in the finishing range is the 300 Tapered Blush Brush. I like to use this brush with either cream or powder blushes on my cheeks.
I have all three eye brushes, my favourite one has to be the 200 Oval Shadow Brush. This brush is great to pack on the shadow, it’s full and round shaped which allows you to cover the whole lid in one sweep. I then blend into the crease with the 201 Pointed Crease Brush, which is a densely packed brush with tapered bristles and gets right into the outer corner of your eye to create so many smokey eye looks, I also like to bring this one underneath the eye for more definition. The final eye brush in the collection so far is the 202 Angled Liner Brush which is a slanted bristle brush that is great to use with eye liner to get close to the lash line but also could be used with eyebrow products.
There are also two face brushes which I am yet to purchase, but looking forward to adding them to my collection. The 100 Arched Powder Brush which is domed in shape and great to apply press or loose powders. There is also the 101 Triangle Foundation Brush which is unlike any brush from the original collection. The brush has large flat edges which are ideal to cover the face as well as getting in the hard to reach places like around the eyes and nose.

Have you tried the Bold Metals collection? What's your favourite brush?

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REAL TECHNIQUES MAKE-UP BRUSHES - NIC'S PICKS

Real Techniques has to be my favourite high-street brush line. I  have spoken about one of my Feelunique sales purchases in a recent post here, but I also picked up the Nic’s Picks set with that order too. Real Techniques now have a wide range of brushes and I have now tried most of the base line brushes. I will always reach for a Real Techniques brush as they're such high quality and the range of brushes is so vast to choose from. As the brushes are designed by professional makeup artists you know you will be able to create so many different looks with these brushes. You can also watch the online tutorials to show you how they like to use the brushes and for handy tips and tricks on YouTube.

Nic’s Picks is a limited edition set, which is an essential collection for any make-up enthusiasts. The collection features five brushes in total, three of which are exclusive brush cuts. I really like how this set has a limited edition silver metallic design, which now follows into the Bold Metals collection. The brushes include; Duo-fibre Face brush, Cheek brush, Base shadow brush, Angled Shadow brush and Eyeliner brush. The Cheek brush, the Angled shadow brush and the Eyeliner brush are exclusive to this set. The brushes can be used together to create a complete look, you could travel with this and have everything you need for your base, eyes and contouring. The brushes are made from ultra-plush synthetic bristles, that are cruelty-free and help to create flawless, high-definition results.

Having used most of the Real Techniques brushes, I wasn't disappointed by this set. They pick up a good amount of product and apply lovely and evenly on the face. I got this set for £23.99 in the sale which works out at just under £5.00 per brush. In my opinion this is amazing value for such high quality brushes. You would spend that much on one brush from a higher end brand. My favourite brush in the set is probably the angled crease brush which works really nicely to blend in shadows on the eyes. I’m pleased to have a back-up of the other two brushes that I already have, but I must admit the duo-fibre face brush is my least favourite, just because it doesn't pick up enough product. I really like how the name of the brush is written in the colour of the collection it belongs to, so the eye brushes are in purple, the base brush is in yellow and the finishing brush is in pink. The handles are really lightweight, they wash really nicely like all Real Technique brushes and it's a great starter set to start off with or add to your collection.

Real Techniques have just released their Bold Metals premium range of brushes, I have picked up a couple and am currently testing them out! Which Real Techniques brushes would you recommend?

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BENEFIT MAJORETTE CREAM BLUSHER

Benefit are well known for their boxed powder blushers in their cute, compact packaging. Coralista, Bella Bamba, Sugarbomb and Dallas are a few of my favourite shades. The box powders are handy as they come with a brush, mirror and plenty of product which lasts ages. The newest make-up item to the Benefit collection is the Majorette Cream Blusher. The blush is a cream to powder formula, which you can wear alone or layer under your favourite boxed blush for more colour. The shade is a lovely pink peach which is definitely my sort of colour. There is no shimmer which is actually quite refreshing as many of their boxed blushers do, but it still gives a nice healthy glow to the cheeks. The formulation is creamy and a little goes a long way. You can apply this with your fingers or I like to use the Real Techniques Stippling Brush and apply it to the top of my cheeks. The shade is really natural, the formulation is long wearing and definitely stays around longer than my powder blushers. You could even use this on the lips too. I've always said I'm much more of a powder blush kinda-girl, but cream blushers are becoming more and more popular and brands are bringing out multi-use products which are so much easier to use on the go as you don't need tools.

The packaging is so cute, much bigger than I thought it was going to be, but still compact. The round, scalloped edged compact is a gorgeous item to have handy in your handbag. The product didn't come with any outer packaging, which I thought was strange for Benefit, but the blush is pretty enough on it's own. The blusher also has a lovely, sweet pomegranate scent which is nice when you're applying it. The name of the product is much more suited to the American market, but I think it fits in nicely with the rest of Benefit's make-up line. The blush is priced at £23.50 for 7g of product. I'm really looking forward to using this more throughout Autumn, another great make-up release from the brand, they have been on point this year with their new products. It will be nice to see if they release any more shades in the future. 

Will you be trying Benefit's newest cheek product?

BEAUTY WISHLIST - JUNE 2012 MUST HAVES

My birthday is coming up next week, so I might treat myself to the things I have been lusting over for ages. And thought I would share...
Stila In the Light Palette £25.00 - I have wanted this palette for a while now, probably since christmas time. I haven't bought it because I have been using the Naked 2 palette instead. But after reading Zoella's blog post about it, I think I might have to go out and buy it. Shade - Kitten looks too pretty. A great alternative to the Naked palette at a cheaper price.
Origins Brightening Musts Gift Set £26.00 - This set contains VitaZing 50ml, Modern Friction 30ml and GinZing 5ml. I have wanted to try these products for a while now, and I think this set is a great price to try them all out and see if I like them. I have other Origins products including the drink up intensive mask, and absolutely love that, so if they are anything like that I know they will become firm favourites in my skincare routine.
Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream £7.99 - I have tried and nearly used up the Garnier BB cream and love that. But want to mix it up a bit and try another brand. I have heard good things about this, so that might have to be my next purchase. I have also sent away for samples, so hopefully they will arrive soon.
L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil 250ml £16.00 - I much prefer to have baths than showers. After reading Viviannadoesmakeup's blog post about this I knew it was a product that I had to try. If it smells anything like the Soap & Glory Almond body wash (my post here) then I know I'll love it. For the price, I think it's a bit of a bath time treat but I guess it will last a while, so to me it's worth it.
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains £7.99 - I loved watching Essiebutton's video and reading her blog post on these lip stains. They look like great dupes for the Clinique Chubby Sticks. Really good colour pay off, as well as being moisturising to the lips. I don't know if these are the right ones on the Boots website, as I thought they weren't available till July. But can't wait to try one!
Real Techniques Starter Kit £21.99 - I own the core collection, the blush brush and the stippling brush from Real Techniques and think they are the best brushes I have tried. So, this kit is next on my list, I know they are great for concealer too.
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer 150ml £22.30 - I got a sample of this when it was in the Glossybox a few months ago. I used it all up and loved the stuff. It defiantly did my hair some good. I'm currently using the Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque, but I think once all that is used up, I will change it up a bit and purchase this.
What's on your wishlist? Have you tried any of these products?