I have to admit, one of the first things I do after booking a holiday is check to see if there is a Sephora in the neighbourhood. In the UK we are totally deprived of this glorious chain of cosmetics stores. As a result I tend to go a little wild with my spending whenever I visit one. Wouldn’t it be so great if we had something similar in the UK? Well, I have good news, and that good news comes in the form of new store “Indulge Beauty”.
Indulge is a first of it’s kind in the UK. The store focuses on a cross brand and cross category selection of just beauty and grooming products (much like Sephora does!). They have selected some of the most exclusive, cult and high end brands in skincare, makeup, fragrance and more for men and women. I popped along to the new store in Westfield Stratford last week to check it out for myself. I was really happy to see brands like The Ordinary, Make Up Forever, Urban Decay and Glamglow all together! Today I thought I’d review a couple of the brands featured in store that I was lucky to get my hands on.
Sachajuan – Ocean Mist
This is a spray that gives texture and volume to the hair. I struggle with trying to achieve a nice loose, beachy wave, but after using this I found it fairly easy actually! I sprayed a fair amount into my damp hair and then blow dried it and scrunched it up a bit. My hair was less frizzy and had more of a tousled, wavy effect.
Beauty Blender & Blender Cleanser
Ah the cult fave, the beauty blender. I have used one before and although I alternate between this and the real tecnhiques miracle complexion sponge I always love the finished look I get when I apply my makeup with a sponge. Using the beauty blender allows you to build up the product you are using until the coverage is as you like. I find the dampened sponge allows for a streak free finish.
Clarins – Hydra Essentiel
This hydrating cream by Clarins is for use in the morning and before bed. It helps the skin to remain hydrated no matter where you are. I tend to have oily skin so I never really have the problem of having dry skin. However I found this left my skin feeling very fresh and soft. I also have very sensitive skin and this didn’t aggravate it in any way, nor did it make my face go into oil over-drive.
Lord and Berry – Lip Crayon 20100
This lip crayon gives great colour pay-off and is super comfortable on the lips. The crayons themselves are available in shiny and matte textures. I found the crayon nice and softening on the lips, and not drying unlike other similar products I have used. It applied smoothly and stayed looking fresh until I inevitably had something to eat. Nothing a bit of re-application can’t fix!
Bbrowbar – Clear Eyebrow Gel
I’ve been trying out a couple of eyebrow gels recently. I was able to try one by Billion Dollar Brows a couple of weeks ago and got on well with it. So when I saw this in my bag from Indulge I was excited! The formula contains nourishing and strengthening ingredients like Vitamin B5. The formula left them feeling nice and glossy and not crispy, which is always a plus!
Urban Decay – All Nighter Spray
Indule had loads of offerings from Urban Decay on sale. I was pleasantly surprised to see they had some liquid lipstick sets and lip palettes which are harder to find! I received this little bottle of the all nighter spray. I’ve used it in the past and find it helps my makeup to stop sliding off my face. I don’t need to powder half as much when I use this. It doesn’t feel sticky or tight on the skin and saves me from looking like a hot mess!
I hope that the Indulge concept gains more popularity and they can open even more stores. I’d love to see them in every shopping centre! Have you heard of Indulge Beauty? Will you be heading along to the shop to check it out for yourself?
