We road tested No7’s new luxury makeup range – here’s our honest opinion

For the archetypal clip successful years No7 has turned its absorption distant from skincare saviours to merchandise a caller 12-piece luxury makeup collection.

Including lipsticks, articulator liners and oil, on with an eyeshadow palette, bronzers, blushes, primer, escaped mounting powder, brow gel, touch-up concealers and oculus pencils – each merchandise comes with a terms tag nether £20.

It’s already got the seal of support from constitution influencer Nic Champan (one fractional of Pixiwoo and a Boots No7 ambassador), who says: ‘Social media would person you judge that everyone knows what they’re doing erstwhile it comes to makeup, and you request a cupboard afloat of products and an precocious accomplishment acceptable to look your best.

‘The world is that astir of america conscionable privation a fewer superb products that are speedy and casual to usage and that present stunning results. You don’t request tons of clip to execute a beauteous look with these products – the high-quality formulas are fool-proof and tin beryllium utilized astatine location oregon on-the-go.’

It’s a bold connection from a constitution marque that has spent 90 years gathering up its portfolio – but the existent question is, does the scope actually deliver? Especially erstwhile it doesn’t see a mascara oregon foundation.

To enactment it to the test, we asked 3 Metro unit to effort it retired and fto america cognize however they got on. Then we asked Metro’s favourite constitution creator Desmondino to springiness it a whirl for our photoshoot.

Here’s however they got on.

Joy Anokwuru, Entertainment Social Video Journalist

I utilized the postulation to implicit my look for an evening lawsuit wherever I knew I’d beryllium mingling with a clump of creatives and Love Islanders – truthful the stakes were precocious for No7. Especially arsenic I usually usage a luxury cosmetic brand, specified arsenic Charlotte Tilbury and Lancome.

Getting ready, I discovered that the Base Perfecting Primer was beauteous lightweight and really doubled up arsenic a moisturiser. It’s besides acheronian tegument friendly, conscionable guarantee you don’t use to overmuch and you hitch the merchandise into your tegument truthful you won’t spot immoderate achromatic hue/cast. Once I did that, it was a large basal for me.

I recovered the Loose Setting Powder large for sculpting and mounting my face, portion – erstwhile I’d applied my articulator and eyes – the Fixing Mist was bully astatine holding everything together.

As a miss with a deeper complexion and aureate undertones, I did find it hard to accommodate immoderate of the products to suit my tegument though.

For example, I couldn’t usage the Rose Precision Edit Lip Liner arsenic I knew it’d beryllium excessively light, portion the Red Carpet Ready lipstick was not pigmented capable to beryllium connected darker tegument tones.

Admittedly, portion the Rose Couture lipstick unsocial looked chalky connected my skin, erstwhile I paired it with the brownish articulator liner it became the cleanable combo. Plus, I was truthful gladsome determination was articulator lipid successful this collection, particularly arsenic we present entering Autumn/Winter.

I thought the shimmer shades connected the Nude Eye Palette were fab and truly helped my eyes pop. The darker brownish shadiness wrong the palette was large to make a bully basal and adjacent worked arsenic a bully contour colour, however, the airy brownish shadiness conscionable blended successful with my skin.

What I did find rather astonishing is that the constitution truly did enactment the people from 5pm to 2am – the lone drawback was that it seemed to hitch disconnected rather easy with conscionable my hands, truthful I americium unsure of the fixing powers existent strength.

It’s nary exaggeration that I got told a fewer times astatine the lawsuit that radical loved my look. I adjacent got stopped connected the thoroughfare by idiosyncratic telling maine I looked fabulous – making it a immense tick for a precocious thoroughfare range.

So did No7 crook this luxxy girl’s head? Absolutely. I wouldn’t usage each of the scope arsenic it simply wasn’t close for my tegument tone, which is simply a shame – but what I could use, I thought was truly bully worth for money.

Plus, I person to springiness a outcry retired to the plan of the products, arsenic for idiosyncratic who loves luxury beauty, the packaging is what attracts maine the most. I emotion the sleek, magnetic focused, golden plan of the products. The oculus palette virtually screams luxury, fixed it’s gold, wrong retired and caput to toe.

Deborah Arthurs, Editor-in-Chief

I’m No7 loyal erstwhile it comes to skincare, ne'er to beryllium recovered excessively acold from a conduit of Future Renew serum. But for constitution I’m anyone’s – Huda, Mac, Charlotte Tilbury, Dior, Chantecaille… I’ll bargain immoderate I effort connected the time that I like.

What I haven’t been buying much, astatine slightest since I was a teenager, is No7 makeup. By their ain admission, their absorption has been connected skincare (and with worthwhile results).

At a apical concealed motorboat astatine their archive successful Nottingham, I was reminded of the fearsome bequest Boots has erstwhile it comes to makeup: groundbreaking, female-led, revolutionary constitution lines that kept British women astatine the forefront of cosmetic innovation – and successful measurement with their glamorous Hollywood counterparts.

We got a glimpse of the scope then, but now, I yet had my hands connected it to effort it for myself – and I had a pro constitution creator connected standby astatine our photoshoot to enactment his magic with the products too.

So what did I think? With each items coming successful nether £20, this scope aims precocious successful presumption of quality, but not budget. The 3 lipsticks are £14.95 and consciousness precocious extremity – a cross-hatch embossed texture is giving Burberry lipstick vibes and the due metallic packaging has a lid that closes with that satisfying magnetic ‘click’ that indicates luxury. A treat, particularly arsenic different luxe brands power to cheaper plastic. So acold truthful good.

The younger maine would person loved the heavy pigmented Red Carpet Ready red, but the older, rosacea-inflicted maine had to pass. It was conscionable excessively pinky-blue and enhanced each the incorrect tones successful my skin.

The Rose Couture, however, conscionable mightiness beryllium my caller nude. It smooths on, gives bully sum and is escaped of sensation and fragrance (I can’t carnivore a nasty tasting lipstick).

The matching articulator liner – creamy, bully extent of colour – tin beryllium utilized to enactment oregon screen the articulator for max staying power. (Top tip: Makeup creator Desmondino utilized the Rose Couture articulator liner and lipstick past added the lighter Modern Nude Chic conscionable to the centre arsenic a highlight.)

The articulator radiance lipid from the scope gives this alternatively matte decorativeness immoderate sparkle, keeps lips from drying retired and gives 2 looks from the aforesaid shadiness – 1 matte, 1 gloss. Both products a yes from me.

On to the eyeshadow palette and I’ve been outed arsenic a basal bitch by constitution creator Desmondino. The archetypal regularisation of eyeshadow palettes? You indispensable NEVER usage the colours arsenic they are. ‘You’ve got to premix your tones, girl!’,  Des insists, arsenic his brushwood flies implicit each but the darkest colour of the No7 palette to make a caller shade.

Having been a palette idiosyncratic for years and utilizing this method for my highlighter, I person nary hint wherefore it’s taken maine until present to realise I tin bash this connected my eyes, too.

Before putting myself into the hands of a professional, I’d recovered the lightest code of this palette – made up of 2 airy shimmery tones and 2 darker browns – excessively yellowy for my pink-toned skin. Once mixed with the different 3 colours close determination connected the palette though, it’s conscionable the benignant of lukewarm tawny metallic shadiness I love.

The darkest brownish is fantabulous arsenic a brushed liner oregon to smudge retired a pencil enactment and works good for a smokier eye.

So is this my caller palette? Day-to-day wear, it could beryllium – but the palette is rather safe: I’d similar to spot a mates much tones, overmuch much aggravated pigment and much glittery shimmer added to this postulation to marque it enactment harder from time to nighttime and to springiness it much lasting power.

The 12-hour brownish eyeliner is consecutive successful my basket, though. Some pencils are hard and scratchy – this is the opposite. Good staying power, goes connected smoothly without dragging delicate (older!) skin. Blends good and makes for a smokey oculus that adjacent an amateur tin propulsion off, particularly combined with that acheronian brownish shadow.

I’m nary adept with bronzer – I usage a much forgiving bronzing highlighter for a metallic shimmer. The lightest (Light Glow) successful the caller Soft Glow Cream Bronzer postulation is darker than I situation to spell and much matte than I’m utilized to.

Used precise sparingly and with a afloat base, I got immoderate invited cheekbone explanation and a sun-kissed look. I rated the gel-to-cream texture, too. Some girls emotion a superior bronzer, but for maine to invest, this needs to beryllium combined with a shimmery highlighter.

The look was enhanced erstwhile I was successful Des’ hands with the Coral Blush – different merchandise I usually avoid, since I endure with redness – but conscionable a smidge to assistance the bronzer gave the benignant of steadfast glow I thought I’d near down 10 years ago. God bless the nonrecreational constitution artist.

The clicky-brush benignant concealer took maine close backmost to my Touche Eclat days, erstwhile my 18-year-old aforesaid would practically colour successful my full look with it. The nary 2 colour was the cleanable shadiness for maine and lifted my acheronian circles portion covering pigmentation. While the sum is light, that besides means it doesn’t beryllium successful and exacerbate good lines. It’s truthful casual to use too.

An implicit indispensable for maine these days is fixing spray. I’m a caller person and this 1 surely does the job. My caller look did not budge contempt a time astatine work, rhythm location and kid pawing my face. Well worthy it.

I perceive there’s much to travel from this scope and I’m excited to spot it. It’s surely enactment No7 backmost connected my buying list.

Sarah Hooper, 25, quality reporter

I’m a constitution lover, though admittedly not precise skilled. I rotate betwixt loads of brands based connected what’s connected merchantability and what’s trending.

This caller Pro Artist scope was a pleasant astonishment to me. I person operation skin, meaning I don’t cognize if 1 time it volition beryllium oily oregon dry. I applied the Touch Up Concealer implicit my breakouts and nether my eyes aft utilizing my Dr Jart Cicapair colour corrector arsenic a base, and it made maine look much awake, which is hard to do.

I utilized the achromatic 12 Hour Artist Eye Pencil connected my precocious lids – I emotion drafting successful my interior oculus country for immoderate play – and it stayed connected rather well, lone smudging adjacent the extremity of the time erstwhile I accidentally rubbed my eyes (not capable coffee, clearly).

The eyeshadow scope was called ‘Eye Palette Nude’, which was cleanable for a precise basal colour palette and bully for a staple kit. But I felt it could decidedly person done with a spot much originality, arsenic I emotion to experimentation with oculus colours and felt rather limited.

I besides didn’t truly attraction for the Soft Glow Cream Bronzer – adjacent the lightest shadiness felt a spot excessively acheronian for my skin. But arsenic I seldom usage bronzer to statesman with, it didn’t truly fuss me.

For me, if the staple constitution specified arsenic pulverization and articulator colour enactment on, I’m sold, which is wherefore the winners for maine though were the Rose Couture Matt Muse Lipstick and Lip Shine Oil combo.

I was truly pleased determination wasn’t overmuch transportation erstwhile it came to my lips (and I drank 2 cups of java – lone reapplying erstwhile aboriginal successful the day). And the articulator lipid was shiny and moisturising, portion not sticking to my hairsbreadth successful the conduit upwind connected the mode home.

I besides loved the Set The Scene Loose Setting Powder, which applied smoothly and didn’t cake, on with the Finishing Touch Fixing Mist arsenic it was airy and scentless, making it truly refreshing.

At the extremity of the day, it was casual to get disconnected with my cleansing balm, which I’m ever grateful for.

What did our constitution creator think?

Getting the squad acceptable for their shoot, Desmondino had to enactment speech astir of his accustomed trusted products and springiness the no7 Pro Artist scope a go. Here’s what helium had to say:

‘The eyeshadow palette was good, arsenic successful the colours suited each tegument types and blended nicely, portion the escaped pulverization was bully and fine, and evened the tegument retired perfectly.

However, my favourite products were the spray arsenic it truly fixed everything unneurotic for a agelong stay. The articulator gloss was besides beauteous and the applicator was brilliantly shaped truthful the gloss covered the lips nicely successful 1 sweep.’

Desmondino’s tips:

• With the eyeshadow, usage the blend of the lighter 2 metallic colours nether the little lid enactment too, to soften a acheronian eyeliner enactment and screen up immoderate reddish there.
• You tin besides swirl a blusher brushwood implicit the lighter tones of the eyeshadow for a highlighter to expanse crossed precocious cheekbones.
• ‘Fix’ your oculus pencil with a bedewed pen eyeliner – it volition marque it past longer and springiness you a much defined line.
• If you’re moving connected your flick and it’s getting wider and wider arsenic you effort to close errors, halt trying to close with much achromatic liner. Take your instauration brushwood and a interaction of base, propulsion your enactment up and retired and gully up nether it with your foundation, creating the cleanable flick.

Hair and constitution by Desmondino and his adjunct Saffron.

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