Review: W7 Deluxe Lipstick* and Rose Glow Blush*

Yes, another #Oxmeet post – this bag of goodies is never-ending! I am honestly overwhelmed with how generous all the companies who donated have been! In amongst all the other bits and bobs were two items from W7, which is not a brand I’d heard of before, but I’m very glad that I now have, because these pieces are really high-quality for such a budget brand. In my bag were this fabulous red Deluxe Lipstick (no sign of a shade name) and very pretty blush in Rose Glow.

The packaging of the lipstick is pretty basic, just square black plastic, which isn’t the most exciting thing in my make up bag. However, looking past the boring-ness of the outside, the lipstick itself is surprisingly nice! This is a very blue-toned red, almost Hollywood-esque, which is a great colour on most people – I definitely favour blue tones over orange tones, because blue makes your teeth look whiter! This is a very wearable red that would suit daytime and evening looks.

The formula is pretty good for a budget lipstick: it goes on smoothly, it’s not at all drying, and it lasts for a good few hours if you leave it alone. The downside is that it’s very smudgy, and if you’re planning on eating, drinking, kissing or just touching your face, it’s going to get a little bit messy. Lipliner does help, as does applying lip balm over the top to sort of seal it in, but this is not a tactile lipstick! Just something to bear in mind – it’s not a deal breaker for me, as some days I need something I can trust to stay put for hours, and some days I don’t mind retouching…

Sorry if this photo is slightly out of focus, I wanted to get the best colour accuracy I could!

With the blush, the packaging is again fairly cheap-looking (and the brush is entirely useless), but wow, do you get a good amount of product (4g – for comparison, the Bourjois Little Round Pots are 2.5g). Rose Glow is a very pretty dark rose shade with an almost coral hint, which sounds odd but looks incredibly natural on my pale skin. I’m impressed with how blendable this blush is – it’s very, very good to work with, and leaves just the right amount of pigment on your skin. I use the Real Techniques powder brush with it, rather than the brush it comes with, and it creates a really subtle glow that is very impressive!

So, I think W7 is a classic example of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ – these are some seriously nice products hiding in a budget exterior! I think the easiest place to get hold of this brand is on Fragrance Direct, where the prices are so low I’m thinking I could do with a few more colours of these!

What do you think? Have you heard of this brand?