I am swooning beyond swooningness (if such a word exists) over the debut collection from Bagsy, the new make-up and beauty brand that is aiming to declutter our lives (well, OK, cut out the unnecessary from our handbags).
I was cooing unreservedly over this beauty essentials line-up in my first-look post earlier this month, here. But I wanted to wait a few weeks before writing-up full reviews to give myself a chance to play around with the products and assess them properly.
Well, I certainly have done that. I’ve got nine products from the 23-strong debut collection, and they’ve all quickly taken pride of place on my dressing table – and in my handbag. Yes, I’ve also been eagerly whipping them out of my Mulberry (I wish) at every available opportunity, showing friends (even those who hardly wear make-up) and getting them to try them out.
This range is truly stunning (though naturally I have favourites). The textures are soft and creamy, so blending is a doddle. It’s all very hydrating, making these the perfect products for dry and more mature skin. The shades are spot on too, a mix of muted and intense.
I’m going to review each product I have in turn, starting with Wonder Wand, then working my way through as if applying my make-up (you may well apply in a different order, of course). You’ll note, that this is a photo heavy post, as I think pictures speak louder than words here - this is such a beautifully packaged and cleverly designed collection.
Wonder Wand - £18
This is a true innovation - a split-lead pencil with a highlighter on one side and a concealer on the other. In the pencil the concealer looks dark, but on the skin it comes up lighter and blends down to match my light olive complexion (see pics below). A quick flick of the wrist allows you to highlight areas like cheekbones. I particularly like using this to brighten my eyebrow arch.
 |
| Freshly Swatched: Highlighter (top), Concealer |
 |
| Concealer Blended (bottom) |
Ray of Sunshine - £18
 |
| Bronzer Swatch: Medium Dark |
The beautiful baby blue pouch, mirror in lid and quirky quote gives this affordable powder a luxury feel. It has a matte-finish, so ideal for day wear or for those afraid of high shimmer bronzers. One tap of a brush is enough to give skin a subtle glow, but you can build the colour if desired. I blend with the Kabuki brush. Available in light medium and (as here) medium dark.
Kabuki Brush - £14
With soft bristles, this caresses the skin. The gorgeous little carry pouch means you can pop it in your handbag for those blending emergencies, without fear of coating your mobile in brown powder.
Beautiful Eyes - £14
 |
| Beautiful Eyes: Caffeine Fix, Swatch |
This is very smooth, creamy and light. The shade here is Caffeine Fix, a shimmery mink, so ideal for creating neutral/natural make-up looks (something I’m currently favouring). The big win for me is that the formula doesn’t crease – with my oily lids this nearly always happens! Also available in Pearly Bird, The Big Smoke and Take The Plunge.
Pretty Cheeks - £16
A firm favourite. The hand-friendly dome shape design makes this blush super easy to apply on the go. According to Bagsy, you don’t need a brush or a mirror (though I still prefer to have a portable one to hand, just in case!). Simply, tap the blush into your apples and finger blend. This looks like a cream but acts like powder, so it blends easily. In fact, very easily - a single sweep of the fingers will tone down this highly pigmented blush to a subtle flush (see swatches below). Available in Velvet Rose (as here) and Velvet Coral.
 |
| Blush Freshly Swatched |
 |
| Blush Finger Blended |
Lip Velvet - £12
Another favourite. Initially I thought this was a lip gloss – it comes in a tube with a doe foot applicator. I’m not a fan of shimmery sticky lip glosses, but this is SO NOT that. It’s a matte liquid lipstick that applies like a dream, looks incredible on and has super staying power. It really does feel and look velvety - I don’t even need to blot my lips before I’m happy with the finish! Available in Spilling Plates (as here, swatched below), No Frills, Rush Hour and Living The Dream.
Wow Lips - £12
If you want to make an impact, get heads turning, then this is the one. It’s a highly pigmented chubby stick, formulated with nylon and spherical powders to hug lips better. The shade here is Killer Heels, and it certainly lives up to the name. It’s a glossy deep red that shouts ‘look at me’ (well it would if lipsticks could speak!).Swatched and worn below.
Lip Cocoon - £7
I’m going to get straight to the point: this is the best lip balm I have ever tried. Period! It smells and tastes of raspberries – for the younger among you, my 10-year-old daughter says it tastes like Maoam sweets! It’s superbly nourishing without that sticky, tacky feel you sometimes get with balms, so it feels fantastic on.
There’s icing on the cake too – it’s got a hint of raspberry colour. Actually, it’s a little more than a hint. It’s pigmented enough to use in place of a lipstick and makes smackers look super sexy in a natural way. Do try this balm!
 |
| Balm Swatched |
Hair Wonder - £5
I use cans and cans of dry shampoo. I workout four times a week at the gym, but only wash my hair twice (yep, sorry if that conjures up images of really smelly greasy hair). Dry shampoo is my life saver, as it means I can get away with washing my hair less often. The trouble is that a lot of dry shampoos have an unpleasant synthetic odour to them. This one doesn’t. It has a light fresh scent more akin to fragrance.
It also works really well. I can spray this on my hair before I train and even after a sweaty hour of cardio and weights I don’t need to respray. That’s impressive! But be careful when using – it will leave a white residue if you spray too close to your roots.
My Bagsy FOTD
 | |
| Eyes: Caffeine Fix, Cheeks: Velvet Rose, Lips: Killer Heels, Hair: Hair Wonder |
Summary
Bagsy is one heck of a fantastic new brand. The products feel so very luxurious at a price point that is so very affordable. You can buy the launch range now at Feelunique here.PR Samples
