I was lucky enough to get my hands on some Gerard Cosmetics at the Beauty Bay Carnival towards the end of last year and since then it has been a bit of a love affair with the brand. The description of the brand is as follows: "Gerard Cosmetics was created with a true passion and clear vision to offer a solution to the everyday makeup blunders of women. This is a cosmetics brand created for women by women who empower each other and strive to offer products that are luxurious, accessible and endlessly chic.
So I was really lucky to be given an in-depth look into the brand and swatch and use so many products in one afternoon. Given the choice to choose a favourite product was so much harder than I had imagined, so with a little help, I now have Merlot and Berry Smoothie lipsticks and Ruby Slipper and 1995 Hydra matte liquid lipsticks and I just totally and utterly love each one and am determined to add to my stash.
Merlot and Berry Smoothie look incredible. The gold lipstick bullets are sleek, elegant and stand out amongst the crowd. Once in your handbag there is little chance you are going to miss this looking back at you, it calls to your inner magpie for being oh so shiny. The lids click on really securely and click into place, so thankfully there is little chance of them coming apart in your bag.
Berry Smoothie: This is described as being a neutral pink brown shade. It is opaque, giving full coverage and the pigmentation is really quite something. It glides on to the lips and has quite a creamy and once applied it dries down to a semi-matte finish with a really nice sheen. At just £6.90 this lipstick is such a bargain.
Merlot is quite a striking to look at. It has notes of a red and berry blend to create what has been described as a 'full bodied vampy hue'. It is not only Matte but is also packed with pigment and was created as an alternative to your classic blue based red. It glides on to the lips with its creamy almost buttery texture and is not at all drying. Priced at £11.50 this is a shade for your stash without question.
So I am really impressed with the lipsticks and given my obsession with liquid lipsticks, I was really excited to give Ruby Slipper and 1995 a try, the latter being incredibly popular amongst bloggers in America. Encased inside a slightly frosted looking tube, the gold lid is quite classy looking and again appeals to my inner magpie.
Ruby Slipper is not a shade I would usually ever opt for, but there is something about it I just adore. It takes on the classic dark red shade, applies like a liquid and dries down to become a dark matte red but it has an infusion of sparkling glitter which makes for a truly unique and dazzling effect.
It is a product you need to layer on a few times to get the full on vampy effect, but beautiful it definitely is. It doesn't budge once on the lips and as the colour begins to fade some 8 hours later, it still looks incredible. Priced at £11.50 it is amazing value for money.
It is a product you need to layer on a few times to get the full on vampy effect, but beautiful it definitely is. It doesn't budge once on the lips and as the colour begins to fade some 8 hours later, it still looks incredible. Priced at £11.50 it is amazing value for money.
1995: This is the Gerard Cosmetics all-time best-seller and was inspired by the neutral hues of the 90's. A liquid to a matte formula that is long-wearing but comfortable. It has a Mauve and rose tone which flatter all skin tones and this is my favourite of all the Gerard Cosmetic products in this post, I just love it.
Again, once it has been applied it doesn't budge but does fade after around 6-7 hours and during that time I have never felt the need to re-apply. Priced at £11.50 this is the one nude you need in your stash.
Again, once it has been applied it doesn't budge but does fade after around 6-7 hours and during that time I have never felt the need to re-apply. Priced at £11.50 this is the one nude you need in your stash.
Both of the Hydra Matte liquid lipsticks obviously are matte, but the texture is not at all drying when on the lips. Lightweight with no transfer, they last for such a long time once applied it is almost effortless to wear them.
This was my first venture into the world of Gerard Cosmetics and I have loved what I have used so far and they are a cruelty-free brand.
*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise