Fayhalicious: Real Techniques

Real Techniques - Nic's Picks

I was lucky enough to lay my hands on the limited edition Nic's Picks (KWD 17) set from Real Techniques from Lifestyle over a month ago. I think they launched sometime last year and since they were LE, I didn't imagine I'd get to buy them now after all these months but I guess they are slow to get sold out here in the Middle East.

Anyhoo, the two main reasons why I wanted this set more than anything - first, there were three exclusive brush cuts in this set, meaning they are brand new brushes and NOT sold separately or in any other RT collection. And secondly, because I wanted a big fluffy brush to powder my face as I didn't own a single one and this happened to include the duo-fiber brush from their LE Duo Fiber Collection that launched about 2 years back. And which is still being sold here as well, LOL. So much for "limited edition".

Real Techniques - Nic's Picks

Quickly coming to the brushes themselves, the Duo Fiber Brush which I was really looking forward to owning is a neutral for me. Not bad, not great - just good. It has extremely fine, sparse bristles meaning it picks up very less product, so you're definitely not going to overdo any powder, blush or all-over bronzer. I wanted this for setting my makeup with powder, and it does a fine job. I still want that big fat RT powder brush though.

I've read online that the exclusive Cheek Brush is somewhat similar to the Expert Face Brush. I don't own EFB personally so I cannot compare, but it really does look a lot similar from the pictures. This was also the main reason why I wanted this set desperately. By the time I get around to finally buy an EFB, I might as well do with a cheek brush. The bristles of this brush are dense, soft and pack on a good amount of product. I love this brush.

Real Techniques - Nic's Picks

A brush I already own is the Base Shadow Brush, but its always good to have a back up. This is a good brush, applies smoothly all over the lid and also works well to define a crease for those who have small, barely visible eyes like me. The Angled Shadow Brush is my favorite among this lot and it makes defining a crease much easier. If you start out from the outer corner of the eye crease into the middle, it ensures the color is rich and dark at the corner while blending out beautifully at the middle. Very convenient to use.

Lastly, the Angled Liner Brush is a good addition. I haven't really used it that much, but the angled shape does make drawing out a flick easier for those who are beginners. This is great for defining brows as well as its small and dense enough to ensure a natural stroke. I personally use the brow brush from the Starter Kit collection to draw a feline flick on my eyes, that works WOW; but for brows I feel it is too thick.

So that's it for Nic's Picks. My favorites are the Angled Shadow Brush and the Cheek Brush. What's your favorite pick?

Real Techniques | Nic's Picks