Oxford Street Beauty Haul, Summer 2013

By Kathryn Wingfield on June 18, 2013

London called this summer, and I finally answered. This Oxford Street beauty haul featuring finds from Topshop, Primark and Superdrug is the first in a series of hauls, reviews and reports from my recent study abroad trip across the pond.

TOPSHOP

Topshop’s beauty department became my home during my several trips to the multilevel shop because it was the only section whose price tags didn’t give me heartburn. Especially with the pounds-to-dollars conversion (which I’ve done for you throughout this post), it’s no secret that this store’s prices are a bump or two above the typical college student’s budget. However, the make-up department was a little more welcoming, and I’m so glad I made the purchases I did since they’ve proved to be worth every pence and penny.

1. Nail Varnish

Picking colors from the selection of $7.85 polishes was nearly impossible since they had everything I could ever want and some I didn’t even know I wanted. In the end, I passed up sparkles, crackles and nail art kits for five simple hues, from left to right: Mannequin, Cloak and Dagger, Venus Flytrap, Daydream and Gone Fishing. As someone who normally goes for the cheapest polish possible since I know my nail-biting habit will never let it last long anyway, I was in love with these and their highly-pigmented staying power. Were I not a rabid nail biter, these would probably last about two weeks. (For me, it was a week or so. But even that is a record.) While these can’t currently be shipped to the U.S., Topshop’s website has a whole section of nail products that can be sent worldwide. (When shopping online, always make sure to check your location at the top of the page before you fall in love with something that can’t be shipped to you.)

2. Nail Varnish Remover

This $3.14 jar of mini polish removing wipes does the trick for a quick polish change- as long as you always keep the lid on. They tend to fray when they’re at all dried out, which can make nail edges hard to get just right. But their disposability makes for an easy clean up and keeps you from using up unnecessary amounts of remover.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Louise Gray Mascara

Topshop’s Oxford Street location was giving away this Louise Gray mascara  as a promotion for the designer’s upcoming clothing and make-up line, set to debut in August. Though the packaging is as cute as it gets, I thought the actual mascara was hard to love. The wand pulled out way too much product and made my lashes clumpy and wet, so it would come off in black streaks every time I blinked. So far it hasn’t been my favorite, but the clothing line looks promising, so we’ll have to wait and see!

 

 

 

 

4. Make-Up Removing Wipes

I love make-up wipes in general and tend to buy them whenever I see them in a store I’m in, so again Topshop’s perfect packaging sucked me in. These were $3.95 for a pack of 25, and did about the same job as Primark’s wipes, which were two for $1.75 (see below). However, these did seem to leave my skin in better condition, as they contain cleansers, toners and moisturizers with cucumber and aloe vera. They also smelled amazing and were safe to use close to my eyes when taking off make-up.

 

 

 

 

 

PRIMARK

1. Make-Up Removing Wipes

These two-for-$1.75 wipes I picked up last-second near the register also claim to cleanse, tone and moisturize, but are mostly stellar at make-up removal. With 25 wipes per pack, value is key, something that usually makes me nervous when it comes to skin products. But these didn’t irritate me at all or leave my face too dry or too oily, so in this case a little cost went a long way. I would recommend sticking with your normal skin care routine as well once you get your make-up off, rather than depending on these for total cleansing.

 

 

 

 

SUPERDRUG

1. The Rimmel Wake Me Up Line (Foundation, Concealer, Highlighter)

I ordered the Wake Me Up concealer a couple of months ago from ASOS (who, by the way, carries and ships tons of U.K. items to the U.S.) and now use it every day, so I decided to pick up the rest of the line. Good decision! Beauty bloggers have been obsessed with it for a while, and rightly so, since it does really give a fantastic glow that looks very natural. As a super white person, however, I have to be really careful with the $15.26 foundation since even the lightest shade is too dark for me and goes on very orange. The highlighter ($8.47) and concealer ($9.32) are my favorite though, and like everyone else, I highly recommend them.

 

 

2. Maybelline Mega Plush Mascara in Very Black

As I reached for blogger favorite Falsies, my roomies stopped me and said this mascara was the way to go. At $5.94, this was definitely worth the price, but it had the same problem as the Louise Gray mascara, pulling out more product than the brush could hold and causing clumps. Since I bought it, I’ve only ended up using it a handful of times. With a little extra effort, this can create some awesome volume- however, I think I’m sticking with my all-time favorite, Covergirl’s Clump Crusher.

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