So you might’ve heard about Iconic London’s latest new launches? They are slaaaaying the game at the moment! Two new brush sets and an eye shadow palette, with a new lash range launched just before. I’m yet to purchase any of their lashes but I couldn’t resist the new palette and both new brush sets. The palette review is over on my ‘Day to Slay’ blog post and the Complete Gold & Cream Face Set on another post, but I’ll be running through the ‘Ultimate Brush Set’ here.

New Iconic London Product Launches ♥

So first up is the 12 piece ‘Ultimate Brush Set’. These were a surprise launch, Iconic literally dropped a post on their instagram a week before the launch, but up until that point I’d not seen any hints about the release!

12 Piece Ultimate Brush Set ♥

To put it simply, the brushes are beautiful. Iconic have literally nailed the design by opting for a gold high-shine stiletto handle with plush cream bristles. I’ll just add that the overall brush design paired with some of the softest bristles I’ve felt in luxury brushes really is a unique selling point. As mentioned on their instagram post, ‘no unicorns in sight’. By cleverly opting for a chic alternative paired with cruelty free and 100% vegan, they’re definitely going to attract a much wider range of consumers. At £75 for the 12 brushes, some would argue this is excessive and pricey but as I mentioned in my previous post regarding the Huda Beauty Rose Gold Palette, Iconic haven’t opted to sell their products in Boots and Superdrug. Instead they are retailing in Harvey Nicholls, House of Fraser, and Cult Beauty so you can’t really complain about the price. To me on appearance alone, when I first received them, they seemed a variant of the Real Techniques Bold Metals brushes. After using them though I began to notice the differences. For one thing, the entire set was all one colour, and another, the brush styles, designs and functionality were completely different! 

Iconic London is a brand I’ve only began testing in the last 2 months but it’s safe to say I’ve been impressed! Their products are definitely worth it, I’m hooked!

Iconic London Collection ♥

So you’ll surely want to know what brushes do you get for £75 and what can they do?  Well, another reason that I decided I needed this brush set was purely down to the inclusion of the most beautiful Iconic London brush bag. A soft baby/salmon pink, this faux leather look textured bag is encased with a bold rose gold zip and embedded logo. To me, I had to take a second look to judge if the brushes were a true ‘gold’ or rose gold as the colour of the bag slightly threw me! You can see from my photos below of the set that different lighting makes all the difference! Either or, they are simply stunning in every where and will sit proudly on any dressing table. 

Moving away from aesthetics and over to the practical side of the review, are these something to be left on display or can they actually be used? The short answer is of course YES! After an internal struggle I managed to dip these beautiful brushes into some product and put them to the test. I’ll admit now that as soon as I was done I cleansed and then double cleansed these brushes to get them back to the pristine cream they were. I couldn’t help it! Anyway, below I’ve listed the official ‘brush list’ taken directly from Iconic London’s website and paired it with my thoughts on each brush.

I’m obsessed, look at those bristles ♥

Please Note: there was no insert included or that I’ve found published anywhere to confirm which brushes are which. My analysis below is purely my interpretation and based on my personal knowledge. This review is how I decided to match the brushes against the set brush list published by Iconic London on their website. 

1: Large Powder: Perfect for loose or pressed powder – that’s just what it is, perfect! beautifully soft and plush, a very broad head great for dispersing a dusting of powder to set your look in place.

2: Tapered Powder: Perfect for loose or pressed bronzer – again, I’d have to agree! A slightly more pointed domed head, still plush but not as broad, this for me rivals my ride or die Morphe R2!

3: Foundation Buffer: Ideal for buffing and blending foundation – as soon as i picked this brush up I was intrigued. I’m all for a good foundation buffer brush, my Morphe M439 & Y6 have changed my base game and this one did not disappoint! A different take on the classic round flat topped version, but still gets the job done!Soft, silky and no shedding. What a dream!

4: Contour Buffer: Perfect for sculpting – use to apply, buff and blend your contour – This is literally my new favourite thing! For anyone who struggles with cream contour, this will become your new best friend! I love that this is an angled buffer brush! Genius!

5: Angled Powder: Use to apply bronzer and blusher to sculpt cheeks – I’m always on the lookout for a new blush brush and I loveee an angled one, they’re my favourite so this one went down a treat!

6: Concealer blender: Ideal to apply and blend concealer with to cover imperfections – a small compact buffer brush to target the under eye area and blend your favourite concealer.

7: Flat Fan Brush: This super lightweight brush is perfect for dusting and great for removing powder excess – now all we need is a blinding powder highlight palette from you Iconic London… tried and tested with a few of my favourites and it makes the cut. A solid fan brush.

8: Large Shader: Use to evenly cover the whole eyelid and apply shadows – a domed semi-compact brush that will definitely coat your lid swiftly and evenly.

9: Medium Angled Shader: Gives a soft application of colour. Great to use on brows or to blend the crease – i personally love this style brush for contouring my nose but each to their own!

10: Tapered Blending Brush: Perfect to apply colour, use through the crease for a beautifully blended finish – the perfect luxe crease brush, a must have for any eye brush set to blend those transition and crease colours! Soft and fluffy!

11: Small Angle Brush: Ideal for applying eyeliner with precision or to perfectly shape, fill and define brows – I struggle to condone any other brow brush after the Anastasia Beverly Hills #7B entered my life but this one rivals those in sets from Spectrum, Morphe and Real Techniques! Personally, a good brow brush isn’t too plush in terms of width, but the bristles are firm and steady and create that perfect fine line. Brands just need to work on the strength/rigidity of the bristles rather than density of the brush head.

12: Small Point Brush: Use to make perfect, smooth lines ideal to use use with gel or liquid liners – a good solid liner brush, sturdy and a perfect liner effect brush tip.

That bag though… ♥

So that’s the low down on this new deluxe brush set from Iconic London. Beautiful, elegant and practical.They’re just so pretty it takes a stroke of courage to dirty them but I’m really glad I did! 

My only critique of this set is a small one, minimal really. It’s not of the brushes themselves but of the extra bits, or lack of in this case! Yes, you receive a beautiful bag that I will definitely be using as a clutch! But for the beginner, this set might not appear the most user friendly because it’s not clear how to differentiate between the brushes if you have limited knowledge. 

I know from my first experience dabbling in the new world of make up brushes, I struggled to decide which brush was which and what it should be used for. Over time, those of us who use and explore makeup daily learn brushes are there for you to do with as you please. My first proper brushes were all Real Techniques, purely because every brush or brush set you bought each was packaged showcasing brush names, images, descriptions and instructions. Not only this, but the brush name was actually printed on each handle. Maybe just a printed insert placed in the box with each purchase of this set would be a useful additional touch?

Either way, I loved them.

Rating:     
Design : ♥♥♥♥
Functionality : ♥♥♥♥
User Friendly: ♥♥♥♡
Value for Money: ♥♥♥♥

Overall rating: ♥♥♥♥
max = ♥♥♥♥♥        ♥=1    ♡=½

Let me know in the comments section below if you’ve also bought these and what you think of them or if you’ve seen these and want to know more. I’d love to hear from you! Thanks for reading guys! More posts will be up over the bank holiday reviewing the ‘Slay the Day’ palette and the Gold & Cream face set!