I will happily admit that when this glorious collection of make-up joy arrived on my doorstep, I was little intimidated. As I opened up each product to have a closer look, I wondered how on earth I was supposed to use them – the Brow Artist Sculpt and the Sculpt by False Lash Mascara have brushes that are so completely different to what we’re used to, that I felt beyond my make-up application capabilities! I figured the best approach was to take my time and get to know the products, which I’m really pleased I did, as behind the unusual wands is actually a fantastically well designed product, that’s easy to use and really does often something completely different in a market where I thought most things had already been done, so kudos to L’Oreal for achieving a whole batch of new releases that offer something a bit different. Let’s have a closer look at the new Sculpt School products!
Starting off with the base products, and the first product that I couldn’t really try out properly, which is the Infallible Sculpt Contouring Face Foundation. This is a foundation that’s been designed specifically to enhance the effects of contouring, but for some inexplicable reason, it’s only available in two shades. Two shades! The options are either Light – Medium or Medium Dark, and of course being extremely pale, I am neither. These are £8.99 here – link.
The Infallible Sculpt Contouring Palette is a dreamy duo of creamy contour that is oh-so natural and easy to work with – I think we are currently swamped with contouring palettes that contains a wealth of shades which might get a little lost on those who don’t contour much (like me) so having a set that literally says “here’s the colour to add depth and here’s the colour to add light” and nothing else to confuse with, is a really handy product. It’s so well designed and the finish is very natural and buildable, so you can dip your toe into the world of contouring without risking looking like you haven’t washed off your mud mask properly. Again there are two variants available, Light – Medium or Medium – Dark and they are available here – link – for £9.99 each.
The least fancy and futuristic of the new releases is the Blush Sculpt Trio Contouring Blush, which is basically a trio of colours that, if used individually, can sculpt and contour cheeks by adding light and depth. I haven’t tried this as it’s all a bit too fiddly for me, but if you’re someone who likes to add multidimensional colour to your cheeks (rather than just one lazy splodge like me) then you’ll definitely like these. There are three colourways: Soft Sand, Nude Beige and Soft Rosy, and I really like them all! Predictably, Soft Rosy is my very favourite, but Soft Sand is a great peachy shade that works really well on paler skin tones, and Nude Beige is perfect for that totally sculpted look, where you look healthy and polished rather than made-up. These are £7.99 each here – link.
The most intimidating product of the lot is the Brow Artist Sculpt – I mean really, just look at it; it looks like some sort of alien plant. The idea is that you use the pointed tip to fill in gaps (much like a pencil) and then you can add a bit of volume and set it in place with the wand. The product itself has a mousse-like quality which is brilliant for filling in any space and leaving a very natural finish. The wand works well in the typical brow wand fashion, but I do always end up jabbing my forehead with a little product from the pointed tip. This is no biggy as it wipes away easily, but it’s worth noting! Having said that, I do love this product for a quick and easy brow shape and finish. I have these in Blonde and Brunette with Blonde being a near perfect match for me, however, I see on the Boots site there’s also a Grey option which is brilliant for anyone very ashy – don’t be put off by the term “grey” as it very rarely means the finish will be silver! These are £8.99 each here – link.
The liner is the other product that I haven’t really tried out as I am so rubbish with liner – I think it’s one of those things that you’re either good at, or you’re not, and I’m really not. I have a general rule for trying new eyeliners; if I can create a slender line on the back of my hand, then I’ll try it on my eyes, but unfortunately I couldn’t get anywhere with the Super Liner Black ‘n’ Sculpt, which as, you can see, has a spherical tip that allows lining from any angle, which actually does sound very sensible and if you’re pretty good with liner then you might be able to take your lining skills to a whole new level with this. It’s £6.99 here – link.
When it first launched, I read that the Sculpt by False Lash would tight-line as you applied it and I thought “hmm yeah, if you say so”, but it really does! I’m an avid fan of tight-lining, so I really love this mascara, which works by grabbing on to the roots as you apply it, which then leaves a slender line of product that gives the tight-line finish. I am totally, completely impressed with this and I love how easy it is to use. It’s £7.99 here – link – and if you’re someone who loves a multi-tasking product, then this is an essential addition to your kit.
Finally on to the product that I think most people are excited about, with good reason, which is the new Infallible Matte Max, which is yet another great example of how L’Oreal have done things a bit differently within the Sculpt School collection. The Matte Max lippies are powder lipsticks that kind of buff into lips to give that diffused, stained finish. As they’re powder, they can be mixed up really easily for a bespoke colour, but they also last for absolutely ages and surprisingly, feel really good on the lips too. Obviously you need healthy lips to start with – these will look awful on dry or cracked lips – but they’re not overly drying or horrendously chalky, and the finish is really great. The pointed sponge applicator allows for a sculpting application so you can easily achieve a tidy pout too. There are six shades in total, ranging from reds and pinks to a purple number, and hopefully they’ll add more colours soon. These are £6.99 each here – link.
As you can see, it’s quite the collection! I always try and recommend a couple of products from collections like these, and I think one of them has to be the mascara – which is just brilliant and so clever – then I’d also suggest trying either one of the blushers or the Matte Max lippies, which are both fun, flattering and colourful. Lastly, if you want to try out a really good cream contour product then the palette from this collection is a great place to start.
*PR Samples
Great, thorough review! x
Thanks so much Claire! xx