H&M Beauty Haul & Review

So just a few days ago I shared a post about the production of the very new Beauty department at H&M Norwich. As a member of staff (and a beauty fanatic) I thought it was only right I delve in and buy a few bits to try out and share my thoughts on. Clearly I went a little overboard, but never mind, you only live once! There are many different products, ranging from nail polishes, lipsticks, eyeshadows and bases (foundation, concealers and primers), to body and hair products and tools such as creams, lotions, shampoos and brushes. There was so much to chose from that I thought I'd begin with colours, as I find they're the most exciting products to try out! I stuck religiously to nail polishes, lipsticks and eyeshadows, and I can honestly say they didn't disappoint! 

So the first products I spied were the pallets, which are so so beautiful. There's about six different pallets, each with an incredibly pretty and different colourway. I chose one to begin with which was difficult as I was toying between this one (Ready, Set, Glow) which is mainly golds and bronzes, and a khaki toned pallet. I wanted to go for something I wouldn't normally wear but which would compliment my eyes. Golds always look good with blue eyes, and as I don't have many, I thought this would be easy to start with. The pigment is fantastic, with no need to pack loads on the brush before you see a drastic change of colour. I favour the glitters more than I do the matte colours, as I feel they're a lot richer in colour. My favourite colours so far are the two golds on the bottom left and the mauve-toned matte brown in the middle of the top row. At £9.99 a pallet, you really can't go wrong, and I'll definitely be grabbing another one! 

After setting up the polishes for what felt like a lifetime only a few days ago, I felt I needed a little treat to thank myself for working so hard on them! I could have gone so overboard with the polishes, as they are my true weakness, but I stuck to my guns and only bought two to try out. I love both of them so much, they're fantastic. Like I said in my previous blogpost, I have always been a fan of H&M nail polishes and I genuinely didn't think they could get any better! They are so easy and smooth to apply, and don't chip for days! The colour is rich and strong and they dry so quickly, there's no need for smudges! I chose a rust brown with the name 'Brickwork', and a very pale french-tip style pink in 'Sunlit Snapdragon'. I have made it my mission since I very first started painting my nails to find a subtle, pretty pink just like the extortionately expensive celeb manis you see in magazines. No pink I have found has ever sufficed, until this one. Both the polishes require about two layers, no more and no less. They're £4.99 and worth every penny! Plus, they come in almost any colour you could possibly think of! 

I bought two single eyeshadows, because these colours weren't featured in any pallets and I thought they were far too pretty not to buy! The far left is called 'Gala Gown', and it's just a really pretty silver-toned gold, very light and quite sheer, but perfect for highlighting or for applying to your tearducts. The second is 'Sahara Dawn', a brown-toned purple with a slight hint of shimmer. It's much less glittery than the other, but heavier in colour and much more pigmented. It actually looks lighter in the packaging than it does when applied, but don't let this put you off, when applied correctly it makes a blue or even dark brown eye look smouldering and beautiful! 

 (Left: Hayday, Middle: Penny Red, Right: Ember Glow) 

So now onto my favourite products, the lipsticks! There are many different lip products, such as lip stains, lip velvets and vinyls which all start off as lipglosses and have different finishes, but as more of a lipstick girl, I thought it made more sense to start off with these. Since talking to people who've also bought the lipsticks, it seems they have been the most favourable product of all the ranges. They're super creamy and incredibly pigmented, but I will say that the staying power isn't great simply because of how creamy they are. As someone who is very used to matte lipsticks and the staying power they provide, it's hard to get used to them, but as the colour is so amazing with each one, I will conform to change!

My favourite of the three is 'Hayday', which is a very creamy soft brown, very similar to MAC 'Velvet Teddy'. 'Penny Red' is much more of a deep purple than a red, which is confusing as the name doesn't seem to match at all, but it's still beautiful all the same. 'Ember Glow' looks like a rusty red, which is a colour I don't have at all, part of the reason I wanted it, and I was quite surprised when I swatched it and it was more of a bright-toned red, with no hint of rust-orange what-so-ever! But never mind, it's still a lovely colour, and all three lipsticks are great quality, you just need to be a little more optimistic with your colour choice! 

Overall, I'm really pleased with the beauty range and I will definitely continue to use it and try out new products. Next on my list will be the body range to try, with items such as shampoos and body sprays being first in line! 

xoxo 

H&M Norwich Beauty Launch

As I work for H&M as a Sales Advisor, I am lucky enough to be involved in every new venture our ever-growing Norwich store achieves. As most beauty addicts would be aware, H&M have recently launched their worldwide new beauty range, which stands pillars above the cheap-as-chips, grab-a-lipstick-to-go-with-your-top makeup range they have sold for years. Don't get me wrong, I was a fan of this makeup, particularly the nail polishes, but there is always room for improvement, so when I heard that the store I work in has the privilege of becoming one of only a few stores in the UK to sell the new beauty range, I couldn't wait. 

I was asked to partake in the night shift last night, which included working from 6PM to the following 6AM. The thought of doing such a long, gruelling shift wasn't too appealing, but with the promise of being one of the first in the store to see and touch the wonderful new products, and to set them up to perfection, I got stuck in.

Myself and a team of eleven other people worked incredibly hard ensuring the makeup was set up to it's advantage, showing just how beautiful the products really are. After the long, hard work was completed, it was only right to take a few snaps, and they look so beautiful, I just had to share them on here. 

As it was my job to line up and colour coordinate every nail polish in the wall, as well as paint a little tester nail for each one (which, needless to say, took hours), I think it's only fair to buy as many of them as I can, right? I feel like a proud mother seeing it all set up so so perfectly! 

I haven't purchased anything yet but I've written myself a list of everything I want already, and let's face it, it's not going to be a small list! If you're lucky enough to be near a store with the new beauty department, absolutely go and see it, it's worth every look! 

xoxo