Fragrance Direct Beauty Haul

Once upon a time Fragrance Direct was a place where I only really went to bulk buy discounted Essie nail polishes. Although Essie polishes are still available online for just £2.49, Fragrance Direct has really grown and changed as a beauty shopping destination since I first started shopping there - and it's now about so much more than nail polish.

This revelation happened quite recently when Fragrance Direct got in touch with me and asked if I'd like to pick a couple of products from their website to try out. I went onto the site and started seriously browsing and what I realised was that Fragrance Direct now stock some pretty heavy hitters in the beauty world, everything from Mac Lipsticks to Kerastase (one of my favourite haircare brands). Although everything on the website still comes at a discounted price - because discounted prices are still Fragrance Direct's forté - you can now find everything from your affordable nail polishes and high street branded makeup to the much coveted high-end beauty brands. 

I decided to take advantage of Fragrance Direct's kind offer in order to try out a couple of products from Bobbi Brown - a brand I haven't tried before, and which Fragrance Direct stock at a discounted price of approximately 10-15%. It might not seem like a lot but it's a couple of pounds of saving that you can spend picking up a new Opi or Orly Nail Polish.

Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Pink Brownie

available from Fragrance Direct for £17.00*

I'd describe Bobbi Brown's Pink Brownie as a dark, brown-toned pink. It's definitely got a bit of a dark and mature vibe compared to the paler, pink nudes that I usually opt for, but it's actually surprisingly easy to wear. I love how this lipstick looks with very, very minimal eyemakeup and a sheer foundation. When I wear it like this my lips become the main focus of my makeup despite still looking very natural - it's a great, sophisticated lipstick option for anyone who's a bit nervous about wearing bright lip colours. The lipstick applies really easily because it has quite a creamy formula and the slightly exaggerated curve at the top of the lipstick bullet fits my lips really well. On the lips it has a cross between a creamsheen and a satin finish (creamy and slightly glossy but that feels just slightly matte). I think it's a wonderful formula and I love, love, love the packaging! It's a very classic bullet design that really reminds me of Chanel's packaging, it's a lovely one to whip out of your handbag for touch ups. Overall, I think that the quality of the product and packging definitely justifies the price - especially if you can find a colour that you really like, and Fragrance Direct stock quite a few very wearable shades.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Cheeks and Lips in Powder Pink (06) 

available online from Fragrance Direct for £17.50*

Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge in Powder Pink doesn't look that pink in the pan, but when it's swatched on the back of my hand you can see that it sheers out into a gorgeous sheen-y pink. It's quite easy to apply to your cheeks - I just use my fingers, tapping the colour onto my skin gently - and because of the sheer formula it's easy to build up a colour that you're happy with. The formula of the product is definitely creamy but it's quite thin and light - very different from the Stila Convertible Colours and Illamasqua Cream Blushes that I regualarly reach for. It doesn't dry down to a powder finish which makes it very nice to use on the lips as well as the cheeks, and on the lips it looks like a pale brown-toned pink. Unlike most of my other cream dual purpose products, I think Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge has a very well considered formula that does actually work on both the cheeks and the lips. However, because it works so well on the lips, I do find that it benefits from a dusting of powder when used as a cream blush as this infinitely aids the blush's staying power. I love the shade, the formula and the functionality (it's a fantastic product for travelling with - two products in one plus a nicely sized mirror) so I'd definitely repurchase it and I'll certinaly be looking into getting another shade! You can see what "Powder Pink" looks like on my cheeks in the photo below.

Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge is my favourite out of the pair of products that I chose, but both are really high quality makeup items that I'm very happy to have in my makeup collection. Fragrance Direct is a great place to shop for all sorts of makeup and I've already been back on the website sussing out if there are any other bits and bobs I should pick up for myself for spring and summer makeup looks. 

Have you tried any Bobbi Brown makeup before? 

And do you ever shop on Fragrance Direct?