High street fashion brands turning their hand to beauty -
what’s our opinion? (Think New Look, Accessorize and H&M).
If we’re going to be honest, ours is pretty spilt *input cheesy Marmite comparison* – and
no it’s not our inner snob making an appearance, well not really…
Who doesn’t love to save money? Don’t lie. We ALL love
saving money. But, when it comes to make-up does buying a cheaper brand mean
you're getting something less, well, effective or even damaging?
Personally, I’m a sucker for high-end beauty. I read and
hang on every last word that so elegantly embraces the products’ minimalist
label. But, that’s not to say I haven’t been left penniless and with a mound of
sticky mess on my face, that might as well have been fairy liquid.
Over the last few years more and more of our favourite
high-street fashion brands have been dipping their Shellac’ed toes into the
business of beauty – and when we say beauty it’s mainly make-up that’s been
popping up amongst their ever crammed shelves – and always near their tills.
Have you noticed that too? Although, until late we’ve been more inclined to
pick up the bag of strawberry laces than the garishly packaged florescent-pink
sparkly lip ‘something’ that alway sit in abundance (obviously, we are not
alone in our thoughts here).
There seems to be a bit of a taboo for some people with
high-street brands. Saying that, a lot of people wouldn’t think twice
about popping into H&M and spending £2.99 on a basic white T-shirt. For a
lot of us with make-up we assume cheap and ‘not so cheerful’ – and that it must
be packed full of mineral oil and cheap fillers – which isn’t always the case.
Don’t be fooled, you’re just as likely to find luxury brands
full of exactly the same stuff. Go on, read the ingredients on your £30
lipstick, we dare you!
Anyway, ingredients aside, as that is not the focus of
today’s post. Today I want to talk about H&M, again. Yes I have a bit of
thing, ok?
At the end of last year, there was as huge buzz in the
beauty sphere when H&M announced they were ditching their cheapo-looking
(sorry it was) make-up range and launching a brand new beauty offering – which
included some premium products (without the premium price tag, we may add).
And, best of all the packaging has lost it’s bling and now showcases sleek
cream, nautical navy and polished gold (although it is still a little
plasticy…).
I’ve had my hands on a few products over the last few
months and today; I wanted to share with you my verdict of the products I’ve
been testing out...
Pros:
This palette is a great price and every single colour is wearable. It creates the perfect subtle shadow for the office or a working lunch - but can easily be sexed up with by adding depth with the two darker shades. It's also a great size, compact and slimline. Also, there is a generous sized mirror in the lid.
Cons:
We can't name one.
Pros:
Good price, nice packaging and very rich pigment.
Cons:
It sucked all the life out of my lips and took matte to an entirely new level. Maybe it was me, I do have lips on the dry side, but this just made my lips looks like i'd been living in a desert for the last year.
Pros:
I have a confession, I bought this with the intention of using it as a bronzer. It's shimmer free and leaves a soft veil on your skin. It sets and mattifies you skin without looking cakey. It also didn't cause any skin irritation or cause me to breakout. There's also a mirror in the lid too.. what can we say? we like looking at ourselves ok?
Cons:
They don't appear to do many darker colours. So if you have a very deep skin tone you may struggle.
Pros:
The brush on this mascara is great. Is small and precise meaning it grabs every last lash with ease. The colour is rich and it really helps to define your lashes and comb them through.
Cons:
It isn't waterproof and it is a bit smudgy. I found that after a long day in the office and a few tube rides, there formula had run a little. So maybe one to avoid in warmer weather or rain.
Pros:
This blusher is my current favourite. I just love it. This particular shade offers my cheeks a beautiful blush of tawny peach. It looks natural and has no red undertones. It makes my complexion look glowy and healthy. The product isn't shimmery either - i'm not a huge fan of shimmer for everyday. It doesn't irritate or cause breakouts either. I've been using it EVERYDAY since I got my hands no it.
Cons:
There is only one draw back to this product. There is no mirror in the lid.
Have you tried any of H&M's make-up? We'd love to know what you thought in the comments below.
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