Natural Collection cosmetics are available at Boots. Everything in the range costs only £1.99. I bought all these myself and have tested them out for over a month.
Shine Away Foundation £1.99
It is advisable to use a light hand with this foundation as it comes out of the tube quite thickly. I find the best way to get a good effect is to apply it in thin, well-blended layers.
I use a damp beauty sponge but take note: you need to spend a long time blending this on the skin to counteract its patchiness.
It can be blended out evenly as you can see above, but I find that the edges of the application lean a little orangey, especially as the day goes on. In all honesty I do wear this foundation in real life as it gives light coverage for not-going-out days, but it is not my preferred choice. Shine Away Foundation is available in 6 shades.
Verdict: Gives some coverage, but has a patchy finish.
CoverUp Cream Concealer £1.99
This applies nicely from the wand and blends much better than the foundation. It has a creamy consistency and a good, brightening effect under the eyes at first.
It has a good texture and stays in place well.
Over time, however, the colour oxidises on my skin so the brightening effect is lost and once again the shade leans towards an orange tone.
Discolouration after a few hours' wear
This product is available in two shades: Fair and Medium.
Verdict: Good consistency but the shade is inconsistent and disappointing.
Pressed Powder £1.99
This powder is available in three shades: Warm, Neutral and Cool. It has a soft texture and works just as well as other drugstore powders to set makeup.
It has a smooth, natural finish on the skin and does not look cakey at all.
This Warm shade adds some colour to the skin and I often wear it just with a touch of concealer for a no-make up face. It gives a smooth, velvet finish and is just as good as Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder.
Verdict: Great value setting powder with silky soft texture.
Brow Kit £1.99
This is a fantastic little kit, containing a tinted wax and a powder. Perfect for travel and with great pigmentation in the products, I highly recommend this.
The powder sets the wax colour so there is no need for any gel or setting product over the top of these and they last all day long.
Verdict: Amazing eyebrow kit for only £1.99.
Sun Tint Bronzing Powder
This is my new favourite bronzer. It has a shimmer which seems to sit lightly on my skin without illuminatimg any imperfections. It looks subtle but catches the light very prettily.
This is the lighter shade called Sun Shine. The darker bronzer in the range is called Golden Glow.
Verdict: One of my favourite Natural Collection products.
Blushed Cheeks Blush £1.99
I have Peach Melba which is soft, matte powder blush. These are available in six different shades and are great drugstore products.
The finish is sheer and airbrushed, blending into the skin flawlessly. Not as pigmented as some drugstore brands, but buildable and similar in finish to H&M powder blush.
Highlighter £1.99
I love the packaging of this little cream highlighter. The product is very sheer and will not impress you if you are a fan of very pigmented, reflective highlights.
It gives a subtle hint of shimmer to the skin rather than a stripe of shine and stays in place well. I actually quite like it, especially in this pretty rose gold shade.
You could use this as a base for a powder highlight and it would be great to travel with. It is also available in a copper shade.
Verdict: Barely-there yet pretty highlight for those who don't want full-on bling.
I own two eyeshadow shades: a matte, mid-brown called Milk Chocolate, and a shimmery gold called Barley. They both apply as well as other drugstore eyeshadows and last well on my eyes even without a primer.
They are very smooth as you can see in the above swatch, and I use these regularly for an easy, neutral eye look. In my opinion these are great value and similar in quality to Makeup Revolution's eyeshadows. There are 24 colours available in these single powders.
Verdict: Super value eyeshadows in a wide range of colours.
Lash Length Mascara £1.99
This is a great value mascara which gives natural looking, fluttery length and separation to the lashes. It does not smudge or flake and gives lovely definition.
The slim, lightweight wand is particularly suited to coating the lower lashes.
Verdict: Gives a natural effect which ties in with the rest of the collection. Trustworthy, everyday mascara.
Juicy Lips Lip Gloss £1.99
And finally, this lip gloss in the delicious-sounding shade Caramel Shortcake. It has a fruity scent, is delightfully moisturising and is one of my favourite every day lip products. Again, there is a wide range of colours available, ranging from nudes to pinks and purples.
They are on the sheer side, but can be layered over any lipstick if you want more colour. I think these are a great drugstore choice.
Verdict: Gorgeous, affordable gloss.
In this picture I am wearing Natural Collection pressed powder, eyebrow kit, mascara, bronzer and lip gloss.
Overall: The best way to use these products is not by wearing a "full face" of Natural Collection makeup, but by picking the items which work for you and matching them up with your own personal favourites. The foundation and concealer are my least favourite products from the range as they do not make my skin look its best, although they do provide some coverage for an affordable price. A good choice for younger skin perhaps. The eyebrow kit and lip gloss are absolute hits, as good as any other drugstore offerings. The powder products are sheer but very wearable, and available in a wide range of shades. If you are looking for youthful, pretty makeup on a budget this is a great brand to try.
Thanks for reading,
highstreet_beauty
Find Natural Collection Cosmetics here: http://www.boots.com/natural-collection
