Product reviews: Fenty Beauty Crush on Cupid blush and Girl Next Door x Chic Phreak highlighter

Fenty Beauty, the makeup brand from Rihanna, was launched in September 2017. It has been praised for its inclusivity, especially in offering products for skin tones where previously there had been scant choice.

Fenty Beauty also broke down gender norms, with its products being accessible to men as well as women. One of its most high-profile advocates was Daniel Kaluuya, who wore shades 480 and 490 of the foundation when attending the 2018 Oscars, where he was nominated for Best Actor, and several media outlets commented on how glowy his skin looked.

As I’ve discussed before on my blog, I have tended to be quite rigid in the makeup products that I use, with MAC constituting about 80% of my makeup collection.

But, following the positive word of mouth for Fenty Beauty (if it’s good enough for Danny Kaluuya, it has to be good enough for me!), along with the fact that I adore Rihanna’s music, I decided to see for myself, and treated myself to two products from the line – the blush and highlighter.

For the blush, I picked the shade Crush on Cupid. I loved the boldness of the colours on offer, and I was tempted to go with Summertime Wine, as I thought the slightly darker red would suit my olive-coloured skin. But in the end, I opted for the slightly more daring pink of the Crush on Cupid. Partly because pink is my favourite colour, and partly because the name of the shade evoked memories of chapter 4 of my fanfiction, Red Light, Green Light, particularly when Grealish was admiring De Bruyne’s Cupid’s bow top lip. Not like me to shill my fanfiction at inopportune moments, now is it?

I absolutely love the cream blush, and it’s started to overtake the MAC powder blush Fleur Power as the shade I wear the most. Because the consistency is creamy, you can control how much you apply using your finger, and it blends into the face seamlessly. I find cream blushes more user-friendly than powder ones when you’re on the go, and I often apply my make-up when on the train to work, so the fact that this product is so nimble really suits my lifestyle.

When I first bought it, I wondered if the colour was too audacious (photographed below). But once Crush on Cupid is applied evenly on the cheek area, it blends into the skin colour wonderfully, making my cheeks pop and contributing to a healthy glow-type look. I love this product!

There are seven shades of the Fenty Beauty highlighter available. Two come in one tone (Trophy Wife, Wattabrat), whereas the other five shades come in two tones. I went for the Girl Next Door x Chic Phreak combination. The colour on the left is a soft pink sheen, and the colour on the right is a peachy pink shimmer. (You can probably tell I like pink make-up products).

Highlighter is the make-up product that I think one can have the most fun with (see my previous review of a MAC Get it Glowin' highlighter palette), and I really like the effect that Fenty’s highlighter has on my appearance. The palette coming in two shades means you and pick and choose how much you apply of either. Girl Next Door is much more subtle, so if you wanted to go for the ‘no make-up make-up look’, I’d recommend using that.

In my usual office look, I apply about two layers of the Girl Next Door, and then three of the Chic Phreak. This gives my cheeks some extra dimension, without overdoing it on the shimmer. However, if I were to go to an evening event, I’d apply more of Chic Phreak to really bring out the sparkle of the pigment. As usual, I apply a little dab of the highlighter to the tip of the nose, just to create the 'button nose'-type effect. ☺️

Because the highlighter is so pigmented, you only need a little bit on the brush and it’ll give you plenty of coverage, meaning the product has excellent longevity.

To conclude, I’m a big fan of both of these products! The cream blush was £21 and the highlighter was £28, and they are very reasonably priced for the quality of the product. Below are some selfies / photos of me wearing both the items. When the blush is worn with the highlighter, my skin looks extra gleaming. Thank you Rihanna! Watch this space for more Fenty Beauty reviews!

In the photos below, I am wearing MAC concealer and various shades of MAC dazzleshadow eyeshadow, in addition to the two Fenty products reviewed.

Rocking my Ben Chilwell Chelsea shirt!

If you'd like me to review your make-up products, drop me an email at lemon_and_lime7@hotmail.com. For more of my skincare and beauty product reviews, click here.