Nanshy Masterful Collection Brushes Review

Nanshy Makeup Brushes have been around for a little over two years and have quickly become very popular. I heard about them around two years ago and I was kindly sent two lovely set of brushes from their range to review- The Professional Face Makeup Brushes (review) and the Eye Makeup Brushes (review). The quality of these brushes are amazing and they still look as brand new as there were over two years ago. Don't believe me...check out their pictures below. The older ones are in the cup on the right and they look as brand new as the Masterful Collection in the cup on the left. That's what you get with amazing quality.

I have not experienced any problems with them at all. I was more than delighted when the lovely Nanshy people contacted me to ask if I would like to try out the lovely Masterful Collection. Of course I said yes and I know I have way too many brushes but it's hard to pass up lovely Nanshy brushes. I was so pleased to see that there were so soft and lovely and I could not wait to use them. I took a looooot of pictures and I hope you like them and they are not annoying, I just can't help myself when I am in the mood with good lighting and perfect products. I thought about splitting this post but I decided to leave it all in here. So grab a cuppa...

Masterful Collection Contents

I believe the Masterful Collection is one of their newest launches towards the end of 2014. It comes in two colours: Pearlescent White and Onyx Black. All my other Nanshy brushes are pearlsescent white so it was only right that the new additions were in the same colour as well. I think the pearlescent white stands out amongst all my brushes although the onyx black looks very classy as well. In the Masterful Collection, there are 12 brushes in the set comprising of Face Makeup Brushes and Eye Makeup Brushes. There are 5 Face Makeup Brushes and 6 Eye Makeup Brushes and the most beautiful lip brush I have ever seen. Nanshy Brushes particularly stand out because they are made with 100% Synthetic bristles and no animals have been hurt in any of the manufacturing processes of creating these brushes.  They use nylon synthetic bristles  which are very durable, flexible and they don't lose their shape after cleaning or use. Also, the colour of the bristles never fade because they do not use dyes as there is no need for it. Talking about cleaning, these brushes are also antibacterial so they are really good for the skin.  As you would imagine, these brushes are vegan friendly and they are PETA approved which is rather impressive. 

Packaging
I like the flat packaging because it helps keep the brushes compact and in shape when I clean them. I never throw away brush packaging I like because they are always handy for this purpose. The packaging feels sturdy and I know it's not one to get damaged easily. The packaging has a transparent insert which is useful for storing the brushes if you are travelling or keeping them in shape. 

Bristles/Washing/Shedding

The Bristles are sooooo soft and fluffy. It's really such a delight applying your makeup with them. Most importantly, there is a great deal of control while using the brushes and they do the job well. I find that it is very hard to strike a good balance between fluffiness and control. I am so happy that the Nanshy Brushes tick these boxes for me. They are densely packed but they still retain their fluffiness which I am so pleased about. I have not experienced any shedding with these brushes after a few washes but I am not surprised at all. All my previous Nanshy Brushes have been intact and I have experienced no shedding at all.

                                   Nanshy Masterful Collection- Face Makeup Brushes

In the Nanshy Masterful Collection, you get Five face brushes including a Powder Brush, a Contour Brush, Foundation Brush, Blush Brush and a Stippling Brush. I cannot think of any of the brushes within this category that I will not get a lot of use from. They are a lovely mix of brushes. I don't use them for the purposes that they are labelled; I find that some are better used in different ways. The only thing that appears to be lacking in this collection is a buffing brush. I know a lot of people including myself prefer to use a buffing brush compared to a flat foundation brush. However I own the Nanshy Buffing Brush which came in the previous Professional Face Makeup Brush set. I think they also sell it separately if that's what you are after.

Nanshy Powder Brush

This.Brush.Is.So.Fluffy!!I just love it and it has quickly replaced my Real Techniques Powder Brush which I thought could never be replaced. It is smaller than some of my powder brushes and I very much prefer it that way. Although it is slightly smaller, it picks up my powder really well and distributes it evenly across my face. It has an amazing surface area and it is one of my favourite brushes in the entire collection. It still retains its fluffiness even after a few washes and uses and I am impressed about that. Some brushes lose their fluffiness after a few washes and others feel weighed down with products after a few uses before they are washed. I have not experienced any of these issues with this Nanshy Powder Brush at all.

Nanshy Stippling Brush

I am just getting into the whole stippling brush game and I am seriously loving it. I love how firm this feels although it is incredibly soft. For a stippling brush to be effective, I believe it should be slightly firm so you can control the bristles and apply the product where you want it. The Nanshy Stippling Brush captures this rather beautifully and it is such a dream to use especially if you are newbie to Stippling brushes. I use this with cream products especially blushes and it applies it so evenly without patchy streaks. I have used this for powder as well and I enjoyed the light diffused finish it gave me. It can also be used for foundation for a flawless natural finish.

Nanshy Blush Brush

I am a huge fan of blush brushes because I use them for blushes, bronzers and light powders. The Nanshy Blush Brush is amazing for all these products  as it picks up the product well. It is really good for very pigmented products and it really helps if you don't have a light hand. The shape is perfect for my face because it is not too big or small. I know I have said this so many times in this post but I can't get over how soft and fluffy these brushes are and the Blush Brush feels extra soft to me.

Nanshy Contouring Brush

When I first set my eyes on this particular brush, I knew that I would definitely not use it for contouring. The main reason is because it is a slightly too big for my face. However, I have been using it for other products. I particularly love using it to apply bronzer around my temples and perimeters of my face. It just fits much better and the slight angled dome shape makes it so easy to use. I think some people can still get away with using it to contour particularly if you are doing a very muted/light contour.

Nanshy Foundation Brush

Now this is the brush that works better for me as a contour brush and it surprisingly does the job well. As the name suggests, it is a foundation brush with flat bristles. I am not a fan of flat foundation brushes but they are the best way to get full coverage of your foundation. That's why you always see Makeup Artists on  beauty counters using flat foundation brushes when they are trying to match people to foundation shades. I have tried it a couple of times and it does the job well although it is time consuming therefore it is not my usual favourite way. As a contour brush, I really like this brush and I pair it with my Sleek Makeup Contour Kit. It fits so well around my cheek bones which is where I concentrate my contour powder and it blends it out well as I apply it.

                                         Nanshy Masterful Collection- Eye Makeup Brushes

I personally feel Nanshy Eye Makeup Brushes are one of the best affordable ones I have tried and I still have all the ones from my previous set. They are easy to hold and use and it is very hard to go wrong with them. Majority of the brushes in this set were also included in the Eye Makeup Brush set. Honestly, the Nanshy Masterful Collection is really good value especially because you get these lovely eye makeup brushes in addition to the Face Makeup Brushes.

Nanshy Shader Brush

This is the second shader brush and I still enjoy using it although I prefer to use it for cream eyeshadow brushes. It is very densely packed and with short bristles so it really picks up cream eyeshadows very well. I just personally prefer flatter and less dense  eyeshadow brushes for powder. Nevertheless, this is a good eyeshadow brush. I also use this to contour my nose and it is amazing for this (I told you these brushes can be used for anything you fancy; there are no rules).

Nanshy Blending Brush

I already featured this brush (from the previous set) in my MAC 217 Eyeshadow Brush Dupes post and I love this brush for blending. It has a tapered dome shaped tip which fits perfectly in the crease of my eyes. It can be used to apply eyeshadows but I mainly use it for blending eyeshadows that I have applied to my crease. My MAC 217 brush is best for overall blending while I use my Nanshy Blending Brush for blending a defined area (if that makes any sense).

Nanshy Crease Brush

This is a new one for me and I felt really excited to see it was included in this set. The previous set I own has the tapered crease brush which is slightly smaller and less dense than this one. The Nanshy Crease Brush is densely packed but still maintains its fluffiness. I love how much control the brush offers which is crucial when you want to define the crease or maybe create a cut crease. It fits perfectly in my crease and deposits the eyeshadow very precisely. It can be used to blend out eyeshadow as well but I prefer using the blending brush for that. The Crease brush can also be used in the outer V of your eyes to smoke things out or to add some dimension.

Nanshy Pencil Brush

I have been on the haunt for an affordable pencil brush for my eyeshadows. I have very sensitive eyes so I hardly ever use eyeshadows on my lower lid mainly because I couldn't find the right brush that didn't irritate my eyes. I am so pleased that the Nanshy Pencil Brush does the job really well and gives amazing results. The bristles are tapered and firm but they don't feel harsh or scratchy under the eyes which is impressive.

Nanshy Angled Detailer Brush

This has to be my Holy Grail Nanshy Eyeshadow brush and it was also included in the previous set I own. It can be used for a variety of products but I mainly uses to conceal and define my eyebrows. I fill in my brows with a brow gel and then go in with a concealer to neaten everything out and this Nanshy Brush is my best choice. It is very small but precise so it makes everything so neat. It does not pick up too much product which is perfect because you don't want anything too heavy around the eyes. I cannot rave about this brush enough and I am more than delighted I now have a backup with this one. The one I already have is two years old and it's still going on strong without losing its shape or shedding.

Nanshy Eyeliner Brush

I am going to be honest; this is my least favourite brush mainly because I don't use gel eyeliners. I also don't even know how to use this brush effectively. I am sure people out there may know how to work these kind of brushes but I am not one of those. The bristles are very thin and I guess it's perfect for picking up the right amount of eyeliner gel. It does not have as much control as the other brushes in the set but I guess that's the best design for applying gel eyeliner precisely.

Nanshy Retractable Lip Brush

Have you ever seen a cuter brush? I definitely have not seen anything even close. It looks like a typical lip brush but the packaging is exquisite. At first, I thought it was a pen but it is not. It has a stainless steel lid which houses the lip brush. The lip brush itself is very tiny but the retractable brush acts as a handle which is quite long. When I am out and about, I am pleased with the small size and when I am sat at home doing my makeup, I prefer it with the handle. I don't use a lip brush every time I use lipstick but I reach for it when I am wearing bright colours and want a defined lip look. It is so beautiful and functional.

Cost
The Masterful Collection retails for £49.95 let's just say £50 and I think it's such incredible value for what you get. It is the perfect beginner and professional friendly set of brushes that are high quality and will not set you back a lot. They last so long and you get so much use from them. You get 12 brushes for £50 which comes down to a little over £4 per brush and I can't think of anywhere else that offers such amazing quality. They can be purchased on the Nanshy Website and Amazon. They offer free shipping on orders over £20 which is super easy to do on the Nanshy website and a free gift is added if you spend £30. The best news is they ship worldwide which is pretty impressive so it does not matter where you are, you can get your hands on these babies.

Overall Thoughts

I love every single brush that was sent to me including the ones I use the least. I am so thankful to Nanshy for sending them to me. I know these brushes don't need any more introduction because they are well known in the beauty and makeup world and have been featured in several magazines and won the Silver Award in the Pure Beauty Awards 2014. I honestly have not heard anyone complain about these brushes and I feel the Nanshy Masterful Collection really stands out amongst many other brush collections out there because you get a complete set. The quality is very comparable with other high end brushes and you get it only for a fraction of the price. That's it folks! Have you tried any Nanshy Makeup Brush?
*PR Samples + Affiliate Links, read my full disclaimer here

Nanshy Eye Brush Set Review

Hi My Lovelies,
Yes, I am back with another brush review so soon but I can't help but write about this. Where are my manners? I hope everyone has had a nice week and you are looking forward to a smashing weekend. I am sure you must have read my review of the Nanshy Professional  Makeup Brushes* which were sent to me a few weeks back. If you have not head over here to read that post and familiarise with the brand. The lovely people from Nanshy were kind enough to also send me the Nanshy Eye Brush Set* which is absolutely fantastic.. I am a very lucky girl!!  I am really grateful to them. So let's find out what these brushes look like.



Brief Background on Nanshy Brushes
Nanshy Brushes are a UK-based Makeup Brush company and their brushes were launched in 2012 after some years research to ensure they produced high quality brushes that provides a seamless and flawless finish of makeup products on the face. According to the Nanshy Website, they strive to bring products that have been researched extensively to ensure only the best quality is produced. Apart from that, they have gone the extra mile to ensure their brushes are vegan-friendly, have not been tested on animals and are PETA approved. I think that's amazing! Nanshy brushes promise high quality brushes with a price you can smile about which i will agree with but don't take my word for it...Let's find out together if they back up their claims well. Meanwhile, be sure to follow Nanshy Brushes on their Twitter and Facebook as they always have exciting discounts especially for this festive season.

Contents
The Nanshy Eye Brush Set* is a makeup lover's dream (beginner or professional; you are well covered) because it contains all the essential brushes to create all kinds of eye looks ranging from the everyday look to night look to smoky eyes..name it. The set consists of 7 eye brushes which include the Precise Bent Eyeliner Brush, Angled Detailed Brush, Flat Definer Brush, Blending Eyeshadow Brush, Eye Crease Brush, Tapered Crease Brush and Large Shader Brush. I totally love the selection of brushes in the set. The good things is all the brushes are well labelled so anyone can use them (of course , you don't have to restrict their use to their labels, they can be multi-tasking as well). I like that the brushes are small enough to fit your hands when doing delicate and intricate eye shadow designs. I don't think chunky handles for eye brushes go well so I really like the size of this as it is really perfect.



Packaging
Again, i really like the packaging of this collection and it is pretty simple. One thing that has stood out for me is the plastic insert of this set which has some grooved corners for the brushes which means you can travel easily with them stored inside. Also, you can leave it here to dry after washing as it would help mold it back to shape if ever it looses shape. It is a really flat, weightless packaging which makes it easy to slip into your bag.



Bristles/Brush Hairs
As expected from a PETA-approved company as Nanshy, these eye brushes are synthetic and they are also vegan-friendly which means they have not been tested on animals and no animal products have been used in producing them which i think is really thoughtful. I think it is commendable when companies, especially beauty and makeup brands, try their best to cater to the needs of most of their customers. Before i used them, i played with the bristles a lot because they were so soft and fluffy..i could be a little weird sometimes but hey! we all are :-)



Application
Just like the Nanshy Professional Makeup Face Brushes, the Nanshy Eye brushes are really soft and fluffy so it makes using them really easy to use.I am not a fan of harsh brushes on the eye area..it's way to delicate for anything harsh. There are not as densely packed as the face brushes as expected because they are for the eyes. They are made of synthetic hairs so they really pick up products really well and it is so easy applying my eye shadows, bases and eye liners with them. 



Washing
They are so, so easy to wash and dry which really endears them to my heart. If you are a clean freak, you can actually wash your brushes everyday and it will dry before you need to use them. I have used various makeup brush cleaners (and even Fairy kitchen liquid, naughty me) to wash them and it comes clean with just one swipe no matter how dark the eyeshadows i may have used earlier are. Minimal effort with washing yields maximum results with these brushes. 

Shedding
I have had them under a month now and they have not shed at all which is good but i know a month is too soon to tell but I am quite confident that they will stay put because the brushes that shed always show tell-tale signs when you are washing them. I would like to add that i have washed these brushes a lot because i love to see their white tips and they are still as good as new.





Precise Bent Eyeliner Brush
This was the first brush i tried/used because my previous one was nothing close to being precise- it was all over the place. The Nanshy Precise Eyeliner Brush is what it should be and that's precise. It is slightly bent at an angle to ensure your cat flick eye liner application is super. I use this with my Maybelline Gel Eyeliner and both of them are a dream together. 



Angled Detailed Brush
I use this for my eye brows and that's mainly to highlight them after the brows have been done. I use this with my concealer to clean up any mess and its precise angle follows the arch of my eye brows really well. It is slightly smaller than my Lancome and Elf ones but i find this is easier for me to control and its smaller size makes it easier to reach some areas which may prove difficult.



Flat Definer Brush
This is definitely my least used brush and it's not because it's not amazing but mainly because the other brushes fit more around my everyday makeup application. This can be used in various ways and top on the list is for applying eye shadow to the lower lid. Its really flat and light so it just packs the right amount of shadow for the lower lid. Also, if you are not a fan of the lower lid eye shadow application then you can use this for filling in your eye brows which is what i do. I use this with my Sleek Eye Brow Kit powder and it gives my brows an even finish. I don't use it very often because i now use my MAC Brow Pencil which is sufficient in itself.



Blending Eyeshadow Brush
Just as the name suggests, it is for blending eye shadow and this is my favourite of the lot because it really helps blend out any harsh lines the eye shadows (especially dark ones) may have left. It is fluffy and slightly larger than the other brushes but the density of the bristles ensure that it can fan out and blend out eye shadows really effectively. If you are adventurous (and multi-tasking seeking) like me, you can use this to set your under-eye concealer and let me tell you--->it is amazing and gives the best even finish for your under eye and prevents any creasing.



Eye Crease Brush
This is looks a little similar to the blending eyeshadow brush but it is smaller and more precise. The bristles are more closer together in order to target the crease even better. I use this mainly for my crease because it allows me define my crease evenly. I really like that it does not pack too much eye shadow for my crease (i hate that) but it just picks up the right amount and it also acts as a blending out brush as well.



Tapered Crease Brush
This is quite similar to a pencil brush and it is useful in adding dimension to the crease. I use this usually with darker eye shadow colours. More often than not, i use it towards the outer "V" of my eye lids and its tapered tip really captures the v shape really well. If you are a fan of the smokey eye, this would be your new best friend.



Large Shadow Brush
Last, but not least,  is the Large shadow brush. It is the most densely packed of the whole lot which makes sense because it is meant to pack on eye shadow to the lid for the initial application before you startt building up. It is really soft and picks up the eyeshadow well but it does not deposit as well as i would have preferred. I think if it was a little less dense, it would be better but that's my personal opinion. I still use it everyday but more for when i am adding an additional eye shadow colour on top of one already deposited.



Cost
The whole set retails for £29.95 let's just say £30 and i think it's a bargain given the number of brushes and the quality you receive. It works out at  about £4 per brush which i think is brilliant. I have had previous eye brush sets which i have only liked and only used about 3 brushes but with the Nanshy Eye Brushes, all of them are useful to me and i really love them. You can buy the Nanshy Eye Brush Set from Ebay, Amazon.co.uk, BeautyStore4U, Madame Cosmetics (Italy), Amazon.de(Germany), Amazon.fr (France) and they are working on shipping worldwide.

Cons
To be honest, I have thought so hard and I can't really think of anything i don't like about these brush set. I really like them and i am sure you can tell. Forget about them being free or anything, if you like something, you just do. However, the only con i can think of which is more like an advice to the Nanshy Team would be to make the Large Shader Brush a little less dense so that it can pick the eye shadow colours and deposit them as well. As mentioned earlier, it picks the eye shadow well but it does not deposit as much as it should; maybe it retains them..I don't know. Other than that, I think they are fantastic. Also, maybe the addition of any eyebrow spooly brush and/or comb would have made the whole set more complete because i definitely have to do my brows and i reach for my Lancome spooly for that which is amazing!



Verdict
Although I was sent these brushes to review, I would buy them in a heart beat. Why? Simple because they are amazing. The whole set contains all the eye brushes you would ever need and the quality is comparable to the bigger names out there like Sigma, Real Techniques and even MAC. Yep, it is so true. They are durable brushes and wash really well and i have experienced no shedding at all so far. Don't even get me started with their white pearly handles which makes them look really classy. Thats's it folks, I hope you have enjoyed this and see you in my next post.

*I received these brushes to review but my opinion remains mine and I have not been compensated in any way to give a positive review. I always include the Pros and Cons of a product because I believe no product is 100% good or bad.