RARE BEAUTY LANDS IN THE UK

 

- Advertisement information: this post does not discuss gifted items however I have / have had a brand relationship with  Space NK (paid content). My blog has Skimlinks and RewardStyle installed to automatically monetise purchases of products I link on my blog, therefore my content may contain affiliate links. All opinions remain my own and please refer to my Disclosure Page  for further detail -

After what feels like aaaaages: Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez is now available for us in the UK via Space NK! If you want to see the products and textures in action - check out my Reel here - but today we're doing a full review now I've had the chance to use the products for a good while...

The first I'll talk about is actually the only complexion product I picked up. Originally, I got a shade that was a bit too dark for me (which I used for the Reel and kind of made it work!) but I did repurchase it and the new shade is much better. You won't have this issue if you live near a Space NK because the brand is now in-store. However, either way: formula-wise the Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer (240) | £18 | is a winner for me. This is a really nice fluid concealer that still gives a medium-full coverage. It blends like an absolute dream and this shade is subtly brightening under my eyes. I would say that it definitely needs setting because the hydrating formula does mean it's more prone to creasing and it can settle a little - for that reason, I wouldn't recommend this if crows feet are something you're conscious of. However, this lasts extremely well on my skin when it's set. It's a great, buildable formula that can take me from a natural daytime look through to something more glamorous and full-coverage.

Let's move onto cheek products! I am absolutely obsessed with the Positive Light Liquid Luminiser in Outshine | £21. I love a liquid highlight for a dewy skin look but they also just meld better with the skin. This does all of that; dot on the tiniest amount and blend it out over the top of your base (using your fingers or a brush) for a striking but natural highlight. It also doesn't move around the complexion makeup underneath. Or put a little on the back of you hand and mix it with your base for added luminosity. It's just stunning. I have a light gold colour and I love that it's warm and doesn't have any sort of silvery sheen or glitter flecks. It's very much that luminosity from within as opposed to sitting on top of the skin. 

I also got the Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer in Always Sunny | £22. This is a stick cream blush so you can swipe or stipple the colour on then blend out with a brush; I would personally reach for a dense buffing brush with this. I personally like the formula but I didn't love it, the reason being: I've been using the Refy bronzer almost exclusively for ages now and it's just more moveable and emollient, whereas this is drier and harder to blend. It's a nice bronzer and it's quite long-wearing due to this more matte quality it has, but I just prefer something a little dewier that's a little less like hard work. It really depends on your preferences and skin type. Always Sunny is the middle shade of the 5 and it has a lovely warm-but-not-orange tone to it.

Then I picked up the cream blusher and the liquid blusher. The Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush in Nearly Apricot | £18 | is your perfect 'a couple of dabs and go' formula. This is a natural and buildable blusher; it's not super-dewy, it's not matte, it just works with the skin underneath it. It's not patchy and it has really good staying-power on the skin. It also kind of has a blurring, perfecting effect, which I find very flattering. This shade is a really nice, natural flush of coral-apricot that's perfect for Spring. I also got the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Joy | £19. Now, this is pigmented; as in, wipe off the applicator before you even put a single dot on your skin! In that sense it's kind of the opposite of the natural and buildable melting formula. This does have a good amount of playtime for blending before it sets down. I was worried with how pigmented this is that it would be patchy and uneven on my skin or difficult to work with, but it's not at all! This is going to last me years at the rate we're going but it's so customisable. You can go for a natural look, a bold look or mix it in with the liquid highlight for a luminous finish. It doesn't shift even on a really long day, either and has more of a matte look on the skin. There's a bit of a knack to it but if this sounds like something you'd enjoy playing around with: the quality of the formula is fantastic. Joy is a sort of burnt orange with a nice little 'pop' to it.

I picked up one eye makeup product: the Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow in Nearly Neutral | £19. I was expecting this to be more of a sheer liquid shadow, but it's actually leaning towards being an opaque eye paint. This definitely isn't a bad thing per se, it just means that you need to work pretty quickly with it before it sets down and becomes budge and crease proof. It can work on its own for low-maintenance days or as a quick base for powder shadows. I personally prefer something a little creamier and more blendable, but if you're looking for that really bulletproof formula: try this. Nearly Neutral is a pink-brown nude colour, perfect for days at the office in my routine.

Last but not least: let's do lips! I got something more natural and everyday and something a little bolder and more matte. The Stay Vulnerable Glossy Balm in Nearly Neutral | £16 | pretty much lives in my handbag, because it goes with most looks and you can apply it quickly on the go. It's a sheer, glossy, moisturising formula and this colour has a hint of that mid-brown neutral. Ok, it's nothing to write home about but it's also something I instinctively reach for a lot. Something a little more noteworthy is the Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cream in Brave | £19. This is a formula that glides onto the lips without clinging to dry patches and doesn't suck me dry of moisture despite having a matte finish. It lasts throughout the day and doesn't do that patchy uneven fade that has you checking in the mirror every hour. It's pretty much exactly what I want in a matte lip colour and the warm reddish-brown terracotta colour is just my cup of tea!

Overall, I'm impressed with Rare Beauty and the quality of the products I've tried from the brand. If I had to pick a top 3, I'm going to go with... the concealer (an everyday staple for me now), the highlighter (which I can't put down) and the matte lip (for the feel, finish and colour). I'm so glad it's finally accessible to us at this comfortably mid-range price-point.

Have you tried Rare Beauty?

Don't forget to follow me on:

Bloglovin | Instagram

Read more posts from this series here!