I don't know what's come over me but I'm possessed by an urge to be proactive this week - I think it's because my best friend is arriving from the Middle East on Saturday for a four day visit so I'm taking next Monday and Tuesday off work to stalk Sephora, hang out in our favourite brasserie, day drink and enjoy Paris with her. In preparation for that I've been organizing all my paperwork, cleaning the apartment and generally getting myself organized to alleviate some of the mild guilt I feel about taking time off work in such a busy period.
My friendleft me moved to the Middle East to take a management job with the American brand Victoria's Secrets. We have a system whereby we send each other boxes every six weeks full of products from our respective countries - French pharmacy for her, and a lot of VS swag for me.
If you are in Ireland you probably know that VS are in the middle of setting up shop in Dublin on Grafton Street (how much has Grafton St improved in the last few years?!When I lived in Dublin there was nothing on it apart from M§S and BT's). Reports say that it will open before Christmas, which makes sense.
Dublin isn't the only city sans VS, Paris doesn't have a store either - although the opening of a store in Dublin suggests expansion on their part so it's likely that we will see more and more European stores in the future.
VS is famed for it's yearly fashion show in which the most beautiful women in the world strut their stuff in the stunning lingerie made by the brand. If you're not familiar with the brand you could be forgiven for thinking that they only make lingerie, but you would be mistaken. They actually have a rather large range of products from nightwear and make-up bags to body products and now an emerging beauty line. Given the social media world's growing obsession with beauty and the money to be made in this ever-growing market, it's no surprise that VS are throwing their weight behind beauty - every year the beauty media goes crazy for the make-up of it's fashion show models which is always pure perfection - sultry, glowy, sexy and basically everything you could want in a make-up look. I had negligable experience with VS products before my friend started working for them and sending me a steady stream of their stuff, but I will say that I have a VS make-up bag that a family member purchased for me in Dublin Airport en route to France two years ago - and it's honestly the best cosmetics case I've ever owned. It's extremely good quality and after two years is still in almost perfect condition. It's extremely durable, which is important as I travel often and I can't stand when my cosmetics cases look battered which they invariably did before I got this one.
While I don't have the full range of products as it's huge when you include all of the body mists and lotions, I do have a body cream, two lotions, three mists, and four lip products so it's a good introductory to the burgeoning world of VS Beauty - while the mists and lotions have been around for a while, these lip products are relatively new. I'm going to break this review into four categories so it makes sense and isn't an utter, disorganized mess - Cosmetic Cases, Body, and Lips. This is not a full review on everything VS has to offer obviously, but just what I have in my possession.
Cosmetic Cases
I have two of these, or five if you count the minis that came inside the newest.
The first as I said is two years old, it's a faux leather finish, the design is incredibly cute and everything you would expect from the girliest brand on the market. Even better than that it's durable as hell and has been through two years of travel and being tossed around in my luggage. The zip is good quality and hasn't broken - crappy zips are a pet peeve of mine, a cosmetics case is about as useless as Jedward if the zip is broken. The second I've had for about 6 weeks and is made from a lighter material and comes with three smaller cases that fit perfectly inside even when full. If I'm to be honest the second is my favourite as when I recently travelled to central France for 4 days I was able to fit all of my make-up inside, including a Morphe sized palette which fit snugly in the bottom.
If you're in the market for a new cosmetics case I highly recommend checking them out - either when they arrive in your city or on their site. They range from about €20 for a small case to €51 for the larger versions - they aren't cheap but they are worth it if you're someone who travels, or even needs nice storage.
BODY
Of this range I have the Luminous Cream which I talked about in my Summer Saviours so I won't go on again. I also have two matching lotions and mists, and one shimmery mist - Rush, Velvet Petals and Pink Cool and Bright Shimmer Mist which contains some silver sparkle (I quite like this one, it smells fresh and I'm a sucker for sparkle😂). Rush is described as clementine and crystal amber (I have no idea what crystal amber is supposed to smell like, to be honest) but it's nice. It's less floral than Velvet Petals which I also really like, surprisingly, as I'm not into florals so much. They are great for every day if you don't want to waste your perfume and they are housed in sturdy plastic containers with a good spray nozzle - the spray is nice and fine and I wish some companies that make facial mists would take notice - I want a spritz, not a shower. You get 250ml of product so they're huge and will last you a good while even with daily use and cost around €20. The lotions match the fragrances in scent and are decent - not the most intensely moisturizing if you have dry skin and a bit thinner than what I prefer in a body lotion, but they are not greasy, absorb easily and give a bit of hydration - layered with the matching mists you will smell like a VS angel all night. They are the same price as the mists, which may seem a bit expensive but if my friends store and the US website is anything to judge by VS have regular promos - at the moment both the mists and lotions are €7.55 on the international site, which I think is great value for the size of them (although when I clicked on Rush mist it said that the item couldn't be shipped to France so I can't say if everything is available internationally).
Lips
There are 7 types of lip product offered by VS (Velvet Matte Cream, Gloss Balm, Pure Metal, Liquid Colour, Lip Gloss, Satin Gloss and Pout Perfectors) and I have 3 of them - Velvet Matte, Liquid Colour and Lip Gloss. They have also just come out with Lip Kits featuring the faces of some of their most famous models such as Martha Hunt, Elsa Hosk and Jasmine Tookes which I definitely have my eye on and am sure will sell like hotcakes.
Let's start with the mattes - if you are looking for a true, long-lasting matte lip then these won't be for you. But personally I really like these - I'm not a fan of liquid matte lip products in general as I find them to be extremely drying. I don't mind a Huda or Colourpop liquid lip every now and then but generally I steer clear. The formula of these is quite creamy and opaque. The colours I have are Tease and Love which are pinks, and I find that they last up to a couple of hours if I'm not eating. That said, I have no problem with re-applying lip products - I prefer re-application to dried out lips. So they do fade but in a natural way - they dont gather around the edges of your lips or crumble unflatteringly.
The lip gloss I have is a metallicized Rose Gold colour and it's lovely over a pink lipstick (or either of the mattes) or a nude liner like Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk. It's relatively unsticky and gives a lovely rose gold sheen.
Last up is the Liquid Colour, which is probably my least favourite of the four just because of how sticky it is - properly sticky, in a wind I was struggling to get my hair off my lips. The pigmentation is lovely and if you don't mind a stickier gloss it might be something you'd like, but I'm ruined by ABH lipglosses which I think are the best on the market - creamy, opaque and non-sticky.
Overall, I will definitely be asking the BF to send me over some more of the Velvet Mattes and a couple of the lip kits. The colour range is stunning and exactly what you would expect from what we've seen on the VS catwalk - lots of pinks, nudes and reds. Right up my alley, in other words. If you're someone who likes out there colours like what Balmain have done with L'Oreal this range may not be you but for a pinky nude lover like myself it's spot on.
Overall I have to admit being impressed by VS Beauty. I have walked past the VS store in Dublin's Airport The Loop so many times but have never really paid it much attention. But now I'm kind of crushing on their beauty section, especially the lotions, mists and Velvet Mattes, and I can't wait to see what they do next beauty-wise. I would love to see everything from foundations to bronzers and highlighters - all modelled on the gorgeous, glowy, sunkissed faces we see sashaying down the VS catwalks. The first thing I see when I look at the VS models is glowing skin and beautiful lips. If VS can harness some of this into good quality and affordable products they will have a huge success on their hands - if they do it right it could be amazing. Look at the hype around recently released Gigi Hadid X Maybelline collection (Gigi has modelled for VS) - the market opportunity is obvious.
*Edit - they now have face masks - these I must try...!
Has anyone tried anything from the VS Beauty line?
Have a great week everyone!
A
Doyouevencleanse Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
 | |
| NOT a real Morphe palette, it's a knock-off and probably as good as the real thing. That company doesn't get my money. |
My friend
If you are in Ireland you probably know that VS are in the middle of setting up shop in Dublin on Grafton Street (how much has Grafton St improved in the last few years?!When I lived in Dublin there was nothing on it apart from M§S and BT's). Reports say that it will open before Christmas, which makes sense.
Dublin isn't the only city sans VS, Paris doesn't have a store either - although the opening of a store in Dublin suggests expansion on their part so it's likely that we will see more and more European stores in the future.
VS is famed for it's yearly fashion show in which the most beautiful women in the world strut their stuff in the stunning lingerie made by the brand. If you're not familiar with the brand you could be forgiven for thinking that they only make lingerie, but you would be mistaken. They actually have a rather large range of products from nightwear and make-up bags to body products and now an emerging beauty line. Given the social media world's growing obsession with beauty and the money to be made in this ever-growing market, it's no surprise that VS are throwing their weight behind beauty - every year the beauty media goes crazy for the make-up of it's fashion show models which is always pure perfection - sultry, glowy, sexy and basically everything you could want in a make-up look. I had negligable experience with VS products before my friend started working for them and sending me a steady stream of their stuff, but I will say that I have a VS make-up bag that a family member purchased for me in Dublin Airport en route to France two years ago - and it's honestly the best cosmetics case I've ever owned. It's extremely good quality and after two years is still in almost perfect condition. It's extremely durable, which is important as I travel often and I can't stand when my cosmetics cases look battered which they invariably did before I got this one.
While I don't have the full range of products as it's huge when you include all of the body mists and lotions, I do have a body cream, two lotions, three mists, and four lip products so it's a good introductory to the burgeoning world of VS Beauty - while the mists and lotions have been around for a while, these lip products are relatively new. I'm going to break this review into four categories so it makes sense and isn't an utter, disorganized mess - Cosmetic Cases, Body, and Lips. This is not a full review on everything VS has to offer obviously, but just what I have in my possession.
Cosmetic Cases
I have two of these, or five if you count the minis that came inside the newest.
The first as I said is two years old, it's a faux leather finish, the design is incredibly cute and everything you would expect from the girliest brand on the market. Even better than that it's durable as hell and has been through two years of travel and being tossed around in my luggage. The zip is good quality and hasn't broken - crappy zips are a pet peeve of mine, a cosmetics case is about as useless as Jedward if the zip is broken. The second I've had for about 6 weeks and is made from a lighter material and comes with three smaller cases that fit perfectly inside even when full. If I'm to be honest the second is my favourite as when I recently travelled to central France for 4 days I was able to fit all of my make-up inside, including a Morphe sized palette which fit snugly in the bottom.
If you're in the market for a new cosmetics case I highly recommend checking them out - either when they arrive in your city or on their site. They range from about €20 for a small case to €51 for the larger versions - they aren't cheap but they are worth it if you're someone who travels, or even needs nice storage.
BODY
Of this range I have the Luminous Cream which I talked about in my Summer Saviours so I won't go on again. I also have two matching lotions and mists, and one shimmery mist - Rush, Velvet Petals and Pink Cool and Bright Shimmer Mist which contains some silver sparkle (I quite like this one, it smells fresh and I'm a sucker for sparkle😂). Rush is described as clementine and crystal amber (I have no idea what crystal amber is supposed to smell like, to be honest) but it's nice. It's less floral than Velvet Petals which I also really like, surprisingly, as I'm not into florals so much. They are great for every day if you don't want to waste your perfume and they are housed in sturdy plastic containers with a good spray nozzle - the spray is nice and fine and I wish some companies that make facial mists would take notice - I want a spritz, not a shower. You get 250ml of product so they're huge and will last you a good while even with daily use and cost around €20. The lotions match the fragrances in scent and are decent - not the most intensely moisturizing if you have dry skin and a bit thinner than what I prefer in a body lotion, but they are not greasy, absorb easily and give a bit of hydration - layered with the matching mists you will smell like a VS angel all night. They are the same price as the mists, which may seem a bit expensive but if my friends store and the US website is anything to judge by VS have regular promos - at the moment both the mists and lotions are €7.55 on the international site, which I think is great value for the size of them (although when I clicked on Rush mist it said that the item couldn't be shipped to France so I can't say if everything is available internationally).
Lips
There are 7 types of lip product offered by VS (Velvet Matte Cream, Gloss Balm, Pure Metal, Liquid Colour, Lip Gloss, Satin Gloss and Pout Perfectors) and I have 3 of them - Velvet Matte, Liquid Colour and Lip Gloss. They have also just come out with Lip Kits featuring the faces of some of their most famous models such as Martha Hunt, Elsa Hosk and Jasmine Tookes which I definitely have my eye on and am sure will sell like hotcakes.
 |
| L-R: Metallic Glow Rose Gold, Velvet Matte Tease, Liquid Colour Bitten, Velvet Matte Love |
 | |
| I'll take one of each, thanks |
Let's start with the mattes - if you are looking for a true, long-lasting matte lip then these won't be for you. But personally I really like these - I'm not a fan of liquid matte lip products in general as I find them to be extremely drying. I don't mind a Huda or Colourpop liquid lip every now and then but generally I steer clear. The formula of these is quite creamy and opaque. The colours I have are Tease and Love which are pinks, and I find that they last up to a couple of hours if I'm not eating. That said, I have no problem with re-applying lip products - I prefer re-application to dried out lips. So they do fade but in a natural way - they dont gather around the edges of your lips or crumble unflatteringly.
The lip gloss I have is a metallicized Rose Gold colour and it's lovely over a pink lipstick (or either of the mattes) or a nude liner like Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk. It's relatively unsticky and gives a lovely rose gold sheen.
 |
| Look at those colours💓💜 |
Last up is the Liquid Colour, which is probably my least favourite of the four just because of how sticky it is - properly sticky, in a wind I was struggling to get my hair off my lips. The pigmentation is lovely and if you don't mind a stickier gloss it might be something you'd like, but I'm ruined by ABH lipglosses which I think are the best on the market - creamy, opaque and non-sticky.
 |
| Tease Velvet Matte and Rose Gold Lip Shine |
 |
| Velvet Matte in Love |
Overall, I will definitely be asking the BF to send me over some more of the Velvet Mattes and a couple of the lip kits. The colour range is stunning and exactly what you would expect from what we've seen on the VS catwalk - lots of pinks, nudes and reds. Right up my alley, in other words. If you're someone who likes out there colours like what Balmain have done with L'Oreal this range may not be you but for a pinky nude lover like myself it's spot on.
Overall I have to admit being impressed by VS Beauty. I have walked past the VS store in Dublin's Airport The Loop so many times but have never really paid it much attention. But now I'm kind of crushing on their beauty section, especially the lotions, mists and Velvet Mattes, and I can't wait to see what they do next beauty-wise. I would love to see everything from foundations to bronzers and highlighters - all modelled on the gorgeous, glowy, sunkissed faces we see sashaying down the VS catwalks. The first thing I see when I look at the VS models is glowing skin and beautiful lips. If VS can harness some of this into good quality and affordable products they will have a huge success on their hands - if they do it right it could be amazing. Look at the hype around recently released Gigi Hadid X Maybelline collection (Gigi has modelled for VS) - the market opportunity is obvious.
*Edit - they now have face masks - these I must try...!
Has anyone tried anything from the VS Beauty line?
Have a great week everyone!
A
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