There are a few beauty products that I think ought to stay in the past, wrapped in our nostalgia (*cough* Dream Matte Mousse *cough*) and poor application. However, other products are so great that they deserve the spotlight again—Natural Collection being one of them.
The range launched back in 1988 and has since been known and loved for its affordable price tags and easy-to-use formulas. Now, Boots has revamped the Natural Collection formulas and given them a new look with all products being vegan, cruelty-free and £5 or under. All of the products are also fully recyclable and made from a minimum of 30% recycled materials.
You'll find primer, concealer, blush, bronzer, lip balm, lip gloss and more in the new and improved collection. Out of all the newbies, these are the 6 products that I think are worthy of your attention.
1. Natural Collection Concealer
My favourite product from the group is the concealer, which I'm surprised by. It's creamy, easy to blend, conceals and brightens well and doesn't dry out or settle into fine lines. It's a little more on the light coverage side because it's such a hydrating and creamy formula. Having said that, it can be built-up to be more medium coverage for the areas you think you need it. Because of this, it's a product I'd recommend for those who like a dab of coverage and brightening versus a full-beat make-up look. There are 15 shades in the collection, which I think for a budget beauty range is a great start, and there are shade indicators for cool, neutral and warm undertones. All in all, it's a fantastic £4 concealer.
2. Natural Collection Lengthening Mascara
This one really has people divided, particularly if you used and loved the old formula. Now, I haven't tried that old formula in years and years so can't really compare but I do like this new one. It didn't blow me away but at £3, I didn't expect it do. It does a good job at both adding colour, volume and a little length. For me, it wasn't clumpy, the brush grabbed every lash well and it lasted pretty well throughout the day. It's not a mascara I'd reach for when I want something that'll withstand a particularly long day, but it's certainly one I would wear when I'm running everyday errands and working from home.
Despite being called a lengthening mascara, it's not the most phenomenal with adding length out of all the mascaras I have, but it does a decent enough job at a fraction of the cost of my other make-up bag faves.
3. Natural Collection Bronzer
Another I was pleasantly surprised by. I was sure I wouldn't love this as I'm a cream bronzer gal and I assumed the shade was going to read a little orange on my skin tone. I was proved wrong. It's a beautiful, fine powder that has great pigment meaning it glides onto the skin and is easy to buff in to get that natural finish. The shade marzipan worked beautifully with my skin tone, appearing natural yet sunkissed. There are 6 shades to choose from, which although I think is a lot better than most affordable beauty ranges out there, I don't think will work for everyone. For some people, the pan might be a little small but it's fantastic for travelling in its small compact case. All in all, another success in my eyes.
4. Natural Collection Lip Gloss
Another pleasantly surprising product for me and my boyfriend complimented it straight away when wearing, which is always nice. This lip gloss was everything I look for in one: easy-to-wear shade (meaning I can slap it on without a mirror), nice doefoot applicator, non-sticky and comfy on the lips. The formula contains ingredients like coconut oil and sunflower oil, which is why it's so nice on the lips. There are 5 shades to choose from, I particularly like Truffle. However, I don't think shades will be dark enough for everyone and they don't feel true to photos online.
5. Natural Collection Highlighter
Now for the highlighter; this one wasn't as much of a win for me but it's still a fantastic product. Talking packaging first, it did smash en route to me so it makes me wonder how durable these small powders are in the compacts, which is something to bear in mind if you're a little accident-prone. As for the product itself, I tend to prefer a highlighter that is more illuminating and less shimmery and this definitely leans to the latter. Despite being a glittery highlighter and thus not my favourite, I must say, it does have a beautiful, golden finish. One that I can imagine I'd go all out with when going out to dinner on holiday. So if you like that lit-from-within, no-shimmer glow then you might not love this. But if you love your highlighter to really standout, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
6. Natural Collection Brow Powder
Finally, the eyebrow powder, which is great in its simplicity. If you want something to fill in your brows without any faff of creams or gels then this is the one for you. It's a very fine powder, which is easy to blend into the brows using a small angled brush. However, I do think it should be a little cheaper than it is. Of course, £3 is still a great price but there are other products on the market that contains things like a handy brush that are the same price. Since this is just the compact, you'll need to get both an applicator brush and a spoolie to use it.