GLAMOGIRL recently sent me a bag of Beauty UK cosmetics for review. I have never heard of the brand before today so after some googling, I learnt about this UK bred brand that makes colourful makeup at affordable prices. So after a day of experimenting, here are my overall thoughts of the products:
- Packaging - Due to the affordability of products, the packaging was probably compromised. I feel they share 'mass produced' packaging similar to L.A. Girl and other budget brands. I do not fancy the way these products look but neither are they flimsy.
- Quantity - Generous amounts. No complains on that.
- Quality - Varies from product to product. I will explain more in detail later.
- Affordability - Maybe it's cheaper in the UK but I feel like they're priced average on GG. For the price, there are better alternatives available in the market.
Look out for the 30% off discount code at the end of this post!
1. Baked Eyeshadow Trio in Meadow ($17.80)
This dome shaped trio gives you a highlighter shade and two base colours. All three shades apply very fine and easily blend-able and both shades of green contain gold shimmer. For this review I swatched and applied the eyeshadow without a primer, and sad to say it didn't hold up very well. However, the colour is lovely to me and has a sheer iridescent quality. It's great for beginners who want a subtle eye look but you'll definitely need a primer with this.
2. Metallic Eye Spark in Gold ($11.80)
This metallic gold jumbo pencil comes in a shimmery and creamy consistency, a little too creamy for my liking. As I have mentioned, I applied my eye makeup without a primer, and this formula started creasing almost instantly into wear. Not cool. I used it around the tear duct without much blending, perhaps the consistency might be better used as an all-over shadow stick, blended out. Overall, I do not recommend this pencil because I don't see why will I need it when there are better alternatives.
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| Baked eyeshadow + gold pencil | Eyeliner + mascara |
As for the eyeshadow, I used the medium green all over lid, dark green on the outer edge and highlighter on the brow bone.
3. Stripey Blusher in Pink ($15.80)
Okay here's a product worth your attention, it's the stripey blush that reminds me a lot of Bobbi Brown's shimmer bricks! It comes in six stripes that gradient from light to dark. And that's exactly why I love it because you can easily contour your cheeks with just one product! As you can see below, the middle stripes give an all-over pink colour and the darker stripes function as a bronzer. Obviously, the shimmery white highlights. On lazy days, you can swirl all the stripes together and still look good.
Blushers show up better when you reemphasize its colour with a matching lip. The shimmery finish of the blusher provide a dewy/ glowing effect. exture is sheer and blendable. Matte blushers usually photograph better but shimmery ones reflect light and look fantastic in reality. Personally, it's a refreshing change for me. I highly recommend this blusher for anyone who wants to achieve a healthy looking glow.
4. Lip Vinyl in Pure Pasha (13.80)
I have never liked lip glosses in any form, except for the Mac lip glasses that I'll wear occasionally. When I had long hair, my hair would stick onto my lips all the time. But surprisingly, the Beauty UK lip vinyl changed my impression of lip glosses completely! Specifically, this product somewhat a liquid lipstick; it has the shine of a gloss and opacity of a lipstick.
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| 1 coat of Pure Pasha lip vinyl |
It has decent staying power and non-sticky. I applied straight from tube, you don't need to be very careful with this product. Highly recommend!
5. Lipstick in Vampire ($14.80)
This is another product worth your attention. The product comes in a lipstick form but applies like a cream. You will be surprised at how smooth it glides on your lips. The consistency feels thin yet the colour is very opaque. However, it's difficult to apply evenly straight from tube so you would need a lip brush (what I did) or pencil to get a defined edge. It does not contain shimmer, smells minty and has a creamy finish. Staying power is decent but you have to reapply after a meal.
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| 1 coat of Vampire |
Don't be intimidated by its name but frankly the red is really gorgeous. It reminds me of old Hollywood stars and Burlesque dancers. I love the way it looks on me, so I highly recommend this to you too!
6. Eyeshadow Palette in Soho ($17.80)
Initially these reminded me of my Coastal Scents palette but soon after swatching these on my hands I grew disappointed. The quality of these shadows are nothing compared to the baked eyeshadow I talked about earlier. It saddens me that the quality can vary so much even when it's produced by the same company.
Eighteen dollars may seem like a good deal for ten shadows but as you can see above, the consistency is powdery with lots of fallouts. I do not think these would blend well. It took me a 3-4 swipes to get the color on my hands. Unfortunately, I will have to give this product a miss.
Most interesting product of all - a blue mascara?! Is it me or coloured mascara seemed to be trendy in the 90s? I gave this a try and realized the blue isn't that scary after all. On lashes, it is actually very subtle. Now that I know how blue lashes look, I wouldn't mind wearing them for special events! The downside: product is clumpy and required few coats for the blue to show. Experienced slight flaking and is not waterproof.
I am not sure if I would repurchase but it's definitely fancy. Might use this for photo shoots, who knows?
Final verdict:
I certainly enjoyed the colourful variety offered by this brand. I see it as a good, affordable choice who girls who just started out in makeup, or wish to experiment colours without spending too much money. I also think the lip products were outstanding and I am open to trying more. However, not all products performed the same. I was disappointed by the metallic pencil and eyeshadow palette in particular. Therefore, I would suggest you to read more reviews or try testers if possible before purchasing anything.
Products I would repurchase: Stripey Blusher, Lip Vinyl, Lipstick.
About GLAMOGIRL
GLAMOGIRL is a Singapore based online boutique that offers a selection of UK beauty products.
Thank you for staying with me till this far! I truly hope the review was informative for you. Anyway, if you happen to make purchase from GLAMOGIRL any time soon, remember to quote 'ULI30' at checkout! It applies for other brands on site too, not just Beauty UK.
Have you tried anything from Beauty UK? What do you recommend? Talk to me in the comments!
