Hello!

I’m always up for trying out new make up brands, especially ones which are not so readily available.

Oriflame is a bit like Sweden’s Avon, and after Mad Men I thought it would be good timing to feature them on the blog. The company itself is actually pretty huge. I’m sure I’ve heard of them before but it’s only been recently I’ve started seeing their products around – they operate in 60+ companies and have over 7900 consultants. Wow. Actually, one of my favourite things about the rise of e-commerce is the visibility we now get on overseas products – the skin & beauty products like Vichy from France, Benefit from America and Moroccan Hair Oil. There’s actually a pretty good list of things to pick up abroad here.

But, back to Oriflame. I guess there’s a few things you might want to know:
- No, they don’t test on animals
- Yes, they are big charity supporters
- Yes, they do everything from skin, to fragrances, to hair
- No, they aren’t new. They’ve been around since 1967.
- Yes, the prices are great! (And if you sign up as a consultant you get up to 35% off)

I tried 3 of their products, chosen because it’s pretty much the same as what I wear on a daily basis (but a lot less expensive) and here’s what I thought:

Mascara // VolumeBuild

I was slightly concerned at how this mascara would perform, judging as I always do, by the packaging. While it’s a very lovely purple colour, I’ve been recently spoilt by the Lancome packaging and wasn’t impressed with the cheapness of the plastic!

But, cliche time. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.. and after all, mascara is supposed to define your eyes, whether or not it comes in posh packaging. What I particularly liked about this mascara was it’s texture. The actual liquid was thick enough to actual define my eyelashes whilst not being clumpy.

I think for £8.45, without consultant discount, this is just as good as standard mascara’s you get on the high street which cost around a tenner. Can’t ask for more than that!

Eyeliner // Studio Artist Gel

I’m somewhat of an eyeliner junkie. I love a good cats eye, and have tried everything: kohl, pen, gel & liquid. My favourite for years was the Bourjois ‘Liner Pinceau’ which I now seem to not be able to buy at Boots, so recently I’ve been trying out gel eyeliner (as is all the rage!).

This Oriflame Studio Artist Gel comes in a very cool little box with a tiny brush (although I will admit I used my longer version). It was really easy to apply, however I found it to be much thinner than I am used to, not creating such a defined line. I was a bit put off by this, but later on in the day I thought that it would actually be great for making a more smokey eye.

Lipstick // Powershine Satin in Ultra Pink

Finally – the lipstick. I never used to wear lipstick pre-Topshop make up, and now only ever wear matte shades or use my fave Nars pencil. And it’s normally red (unless it’s Brighton Rocks!). So this Ultra-Pink satin shine was a bit out of the ordinary for me!

I actually really liked the result and found that after I blotted it, it actually went a bit matte and lasted quite well. I reckon you could wear this both day and night and have 2 different looks. But, my absolute favourite thing is the grapefruit smell, something I’m not used to having in a lipstick!

Overall, Oriflame: Thumbs up, you get what you pay for, and a little bit on top. And it’s different. Can’t ask for much more than that!