Marks & Spencer I Heart Make-Up Limited Collection

It’s that time of year again, it just can’t be avoided.  Of course I’m talking about Valentines Day, when everything becomes pink and heart-shaped.  Marks and Spencer have embraced the Valentines vibe by releasing a selection of heart-themed products as part of their Limited Collection, entitled I Heart Make-Up.  As expected, the collection is cute, girly and very, very loved-up.

There are eleven products in the collection in total, and all cost less than £10, with the cheapest product being the super-cute Heart Cosmetic Bag at £4 and the most expensive being the Face Palette at £9.50.  There are 2 mini gloss sets, 2 mini polish sets, 2 shades of lipsticks and 2 palettes.  The three products I’m showing you today are the Heart Shadow Palette (£8.50), Heart Blusher (£6) and the Heart Lipstick in Light Pink (£5).

The Heart Shadow Palette* consists of six shades, all of which have a shimmer finish other than the purple.  The pigment isn’t amazing, but I think keeping the payoff light stays in theme with the Valentines vibe.  I really like both the silver and emerald green shade and all colours are easy to blend.  The palette includes the obligatory double-ended sponge applicator which isn’t great, but when are they ever any good in palettes?

The Light Pink version of the Heart Lipstick* is a heart-winner (boom, boom) on looks alone as the bullet is an actual heart shape which is just adorable; I actually hated myself for swatching it as I would’ve liked to just keep it as it is and look at it.  It’s a glossy, moisturising formula and the colour is a surprisingly bright, slightly vinyl pink which, as regular readers will know, is the kind of pink I love.

The star of the three products I received is the Heart Blusher*, which interesting I thought would be my least favourite before I started playing with the products.  It’s a collection of three different pinks with a tiny hint of shimmer; it actually looks a lot more shimmery in the pan than it does on the skin.  I was really impressed with how easy it was to blend and how buildable the colour is, and I would say this is a pretty accurate dupe for Bobbi Brown’s Peony, yet it’s a third of the price.  I also love the cardboard box that it comes in as there’s something very retro and kitsch about it.

This is such a cute collection on aesthetics alone and if I had a teenage friend this would be the sort of thing I would immediately buy these for.  Make-up connoisseurs might struggle to appreciate these products beyond their aesthetic appeal, but for the price range and cuteness alone I think anyone who loves a bit of pink and pretty will love these.