The Review: Nanshy Eye Brush Set

A few months back I was lucky enough to win the Nanshy Eye Brush Set in a giveaway run by the amazing Danniella, an awesome bloggy friend of mine (go follow her). I'd been looking for some new eye brushes for a while, relying on a MAC 217 and a couple of fluffy & Other Stories Brushes, so it couldn't have come at a better time!

This set retails for £29.95 and contains seven brushes, that basically get every eye related job done. They're all brilliant quality, I haven't had any shedding issues with them, and they wash really well. They're all synthetic fibre brushes, and they're vegan, & cruelty free. (P.S. Sorry that they're dirty, I kept forgetting to photograph them after I'd cleaned them!)

First up we've got the Large Shader brush, a big flat brush with a slight dome, perfect for really packing colour onto the lid. The Blending Eyeshadow brush which, you guessed it, is great for blending shadows in. It's got really soft, long bristles, and it's domed, so it fits perfectly in the crease and gently blends out the shadows. The Tapered Crease brush is a double purpose one. It's great for it's intended purpose, pushing shadow right into the crease, but it's also great for blending shadow around the lashline. The Flat Definer is great for using eyeshadow as liner, since it's easy to sit it flush to the lashes. The Eye Crease brush is my favourite for building shadow into the crease, and at a push it can blend too, a good one to chuck in for travel. The Angled Detailer has become my go to for brows, especially with the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade, and the Precise Bent Eyeliner Brush is the perfect brush for gel liner, the fact that it's bent means it's so easy to get it flat against the lash line. 

Overall? There's not one single brush in this set I haven't or wouldn't use. They're all fantastic quality and great shapes and sizes. I'm so impressed, and it works out at under £4.30 per brush, bargain!

Have you tried any Nanshy brushes?

The Review: Blank Canvas Brushes

The majority of my makeup brushes come from Real Techniques, with a couple MAC, a bit of Space NK, a few Topshop and one or two Eco Tools in the mix too, all stuff that is really readily available, but not very exciting. I've been umming and ahhing over ordering some Zoeva or Nanshy brushes, mostly because I wanted to try out some new eye brushes, especially since my MAC 217 bit the dust.

Whilst trying to settle the Zoeva/Nanshy battle, Daphne pointed me in the direction of Blank Canvas Cosmetics, and after showing me her MAC 217 and the Blank Canvas alternative (there is no difference!) I decided to place an order.

So first into the basket went the Blank Canvas Cosmetics E26 brush the aforementioned MAC 217 dupe. The only difference I can find between the two is that the E26 has a longer handle, which is actually quite handy (gettit?). It's got fairly long natural hairs, that are slightly flattened, making it easy to use for packing shadow on the lid, but since it's super fluffy it's great for blending too. A good multitasking eye brush. 

I also got the E10 brush* a small crease brush. This one is very small and slightly tapered, making it perfect for blending colours into the crease. It's got synthetic hairs so it's equally as great with cream products as powders, and I'm seriously impressed with this brush. It makes blending so easy! 

And lastly, I picked up the F22 brush, a domed synthetic fibre face brush. The bristles are densely packed but incredibly soft, making it perfect for achieving a full coverage look without being harsh on the skin. I've been using this brush every day for applying my base and I'm obsessed with it, it's perfect!

What are your favourite makeup brushes?

The Brush Edit

Brushes are something I use on a daily basis, but very rarely talk about. I'm not by any means a brush snob, I have a few MAC, Dior and NARS brushes, but for the most part, my most used brushes are high street ones. So here's the lowdown of the brushes in my daily rotation (if I had any brain cells I'd have photographed them in some kind of order that made sense, but I didn't think about that at the time and I don't fancy washing them again to photograph them!).

The first brush pictured is the Topshop Domed Shadow brush, which I don't think they actually do anymore (helpful I know). I picked this up on a whim, I think it was about seven pounds, and I actually love it. It's got quite densely packed bristles, and it's slightly domed, which means it fits perfectly into the crease of my eyelid, for applying shadow directly into the crease. 

Next is a little Angled Brush I got in a Umberto Gianni travel brush Christmas kit from Boots aeons ago. It's a small angled brush that I use for so much, usually either for filling in my brows with powder, applying shadow as liner, or taking eyeshadow along my lower lashline. It's really small and thin compared to most angled brushes, making it more precise.

Next is the NARS Eye Shader Brush, which came with my And God Created the Woman Palette. I use this occasionally to apply colour to the lid, but mostly to sweep under my browbone after I've finished my eyeshadow to blend out any harsh lines, or to apply highlight under my brow. It's super soft, but just a little too big for shadow application.

Next one along is the & Other Stories Artist Brush, think of it as the MAC 217, but with slightly longer bristles. This is my absolute favourite eye blending brush, it's so easy to use, I prefer it to my 217, and it's only £7!

You'll all know the next one, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush is the best foundation applier I've ever tried. I use this on a daily basis for seamless, flawless foundation. It's super soft, washes well, and just an all round good'un. I'm considering buying a second one because it's also super handy for powder too!

A recent addition to the tool ranks, the Eco Tools Buffing Concealer Brush is awesome for, you guessed it, blending in concealer. I like to use this on any redness or blemishes I want to conceal, I place the concealer where I need it, then use circular motions to buff it in. This brush is excellent, it blends in seamlessly but doesn't compromise the coverage.

The MAC 215 is the only MAC brush of mine that actually gets used a fair bit. It's got short, densely packed natural fibre bristles that are perfect for really packing shadow and colour onto the eyelids. I haven't found anything better than this!

For under eye concealer, I really love the Real Techniques Duo Fibre Eye Brush, it blends out concealer flawlessly, and doesn't let it settle into any creases. It's the perfect partner to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.

For setting powder, no surprises here, the Real Techniques Powder Brush is my first love. I don't wear powder everyday, but when I do I love to just dust it all over my face with this, it doesn't disperse product too heavily which I really like. On a daily basis though, I like to use this after I apply blush and bronzer to just blend out the edges a little more, I find that when I take the time to do that my makeup looks much more natural. 

The Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is a great all rounder brush, I actually have two of these in my collection, they are so handy. This is what I use to apply my foundation when I'm after a little more coverage, the bristles are slightly denser than the Buffing Brush, so it gives a fuller coverage finish. I also love this for cream cheek products, particularly the Chanel Cream Blushes, Benefit Sunbeam and the Bourjois Bronzing Primer. It really buffs them into the skin leaving a natural finish.

And last but certainly not least, the Space N.K. Contour Brush is just one of those brushes that everyone needs. Perfect for applying blush and contour, it's slightly angled and very fluffy. I also use this to apply the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. I love this because it really picks up product, the natural bristles give a lot more pigmentation than artificial ones would. 

Those aren't all the brushes I own, but they are definitely my favourites! 

Phew! If you made it that far, I salute you! Let me know in the comments what your favourite makeup brushes are!

Brush Cleaning 101

Sunday nights inevitably include half an hour devoted to brush maintenance. It's a tedious but necessary activity which I have to force myself to do without fail in the evening, before curling up in front of a dvd with a face mask and a bottle of coral nail polish.

One thing that does make the task a little easier is having decent products. By far my favourite is Johnson's baby shampoo, which is just super gentle on the brush hairs and doesn't leave a scent behind. It's really deep cleaning and gets the job done quickly. It's super cheap and widely available too. I tend to use this on foundation brushes, and bigger brushes, as it's a bit more heavy duty for bigger brushes that are packed with product.

Also in the rotation is the Dr Bronners Magic Castille soap. This stuff's a bit more pricey but it does last forever, since you really only need the tiniest amount. I'm still on the fence about this stuff because I just find it takes a couple of goes to get everything out, whereas the Johnson's stuff gets all the crap out in one go. I do use this on fluffy eye brushes though, as it's a little lighter. 

For inbetween Sundays, particularly for eyeshadow brushes, The MAC Brush Cleanser is really handy. A little bit of this on a tissue or cotton pad, swirl your brush into it and done! Super handy if you're smoking it up in the evening, and after something a bit more neutral the next morning.

How do you wash your brushes?

& Other Stories

It was only a matter of time before this post popped up on my blog. The main reason I was so desperate to get back to London was to check out the newest brainchild of the H&M and Cos creators. Dubbed the 'bloggers store' the concept behind & Other Stories is very different to any other store out there at the moment. I'm sure you've all heard a lot about it, so I'll be brief! 

The store sells clothing and beauty products. Just imagine what it would look like if Ikea did fashion and beauty, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what the store looks like. The clothing and bags are all pretty pricey, you're looking at upwards of £50 for a clutch bag, but the beauty products are all pretty reasonable.

The store is laid out in a way that makes shopping incredibly easy. You'll find a photographed look, and all the components of that look all together, the clothing, accessories and makeup used, handy right? If you needed an outfit for an event and had little time to spend putting it together, this is the place to go, all the work is done for you! 

As well as stocking their own brand beauty products, & Other Stories also stocks L.A. Brüket, This Works, Dr Bronner and The Balm,  amongst others. Although I was tempted by a The Balm primer, and a couple of This Works products, I decided to take advantage of their own brand instead.

The beauty section is laid out like a beauty blogger's dream. Lollipop sticks with nail polish swatches, giant sinks to try out the soaps, creams and cleansers, makeup testers paired with suggested brushes and tools, it's swatching heaven in there! I could have easily left with one of everything! 

So my thoughts on their products? All their 'beauty tools' brushes, wipes, cotton buds, eyelash curlers, pocket mirrors etc. are all really reasonably priced, and the brushes are great quality. The blushes and eyeshadows with phrases printed into them are adorable! The nail polishes are great quality (I'm talking one application needed folks, it's the holy grail) and really cheap, just £5 each! Their own brand soaps and creams are all gorgeous in scent and formula, and so hard to resist!

So what did I leave with?

First thing that went into the basket? A pot of cotton buds, since I'd run out, and this adorable pot was just a pound. This is the sort of thing I'll refill when I run out, I love that the pot says & Other Stories on it! Next up, nail polish! I could have bought them all, but limited myself to just one. I left with Pekin Cherry, a deep berry red, which with hindsight was probably a silly choice heading into spring and summer, but I loved the colour. This looks great paired with the Butter London polish 'West End Wonderland'  from the Harvey Nichols gift with purchase promotion.

I then picked up two brushes. The Universal Eyeshadow brush is super soft, and great for packing shadow onto the lid, as well as blending colour into the crease. This brush was only £7, and I love it! I haven't used my MAC 217 at all since I got this. I genuinely think I might prefer it, and it's less than half the price! I also picked up an eyelash brush and at £2 each, I'm wishing I'd gotten two, one for shaping the brows, and one for seperating lashes. It does the job and it's a lot cheaper than any other one on the market! Last from the beauty section was the Perfectly Purifying Cleansing Gel. I've been on the hunt for a new cleanser since Lush went and discontinued Let The Good Times Roll (sob) and this might not smell as good, but it's doing wonders for my skin. It's got one of those lids where you twist it up, and then the product comes out a little hole in the middle. Great for combination or oily skin as it helps remove any excess oils. And the best thing? It's paraben free! (we'll be having a little chat about parabens later on in the month!) 

The last thing I picked up wasn't from the beauty section. Since chopping all my hair off, I've been looking for ways to jazz it up, since there's not much I can do with it! These packs of hairgrips were £4 each and look really cute pinning my fringe back, or holding my hair off my face. I thought four pounds was really reasonable! 

Have you checked out & Other Stories yet? What do you think?