Arbonne cosmetics: First impressions and mini reviews

Arbonne is a brand I knew very little about other than spotting some pictures on Instagram here and there so I was naturally curious when I was approached to try out some of their cosmetics for a weekend. "A weekend?" you say? Well, yes and that suited me just fine because it meant I really had to focus on how these products performed and - knowing that I was parting with them after a few days - it also made me ask myself what would I actually buy (and create my own little wishlist in the process).  Also, there was that collective sigh of relief in my household that this beauty blogger wasn't going to drown in yet more products.  I genuinely think this is a genius, non-wasteful idea but before I digress any further let me tell you a little about Arbonne the brand.

I was surprised to learn that Arbonne has actually been around for 35 years (originating in Switzerland and expanding around the globe) and has been very much a green company since its inception.  Arbonne products are botanically based, cruelty-free and the majority of product packaging is recyclable.  Finally, Arbonne's "Pure, Safe, BeneficialTM" ingredient policy means that their products are formulated without: talc, tallow, carbon black, animal products or by-products, formaldehyde-donating preservatives, phthalates, formaldehyde, alkylphenols, benzene, monoethanolamine, triclosan, synthetic dyes, hydroquinone, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavours, cholesterol or trans fats.

As you've probably gathered from the list of "no-no" ingredients above, Arbonne sell more than cosmetics and their full line covers skincare, bath & body, hair, sun, cosmetics and nutrition.  Of course cosmetics are my passion so read on to find out about what I got to try...  

Base products

Makeup Primer (30ml) $51* –  I found that one pump of this primer is enough for full face application.  The gel like formula glides over the face, blurs pores and ensures smooth makeup application. Key ingredients: hyaluronic filling spheres, green tea leaf extract, grapeseed extract.

Got You Covered Mineral Powder Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 (12 shades - 8.5g) $53* - First of all the packaging was great and relatively mess-free for a loose powder product. I loved the easy application, tapping the brush into the mesh sifter base and then simply buffing it into my skin. This powder foundation offers very high coverage, and yet it still results in a natural looking glow rather than a flat matte. I love this product and will be buying my own because I need a good powder foundation especially in the warmer months.  Key ingredients:  zinc oxide, linseed extract, rice lipids, ribose.

Mineral Powder Brush $31* – I'm tempted to get one of these too! This brush is a perfect dome shape, and gets into all the face contours to buff in product. It picks up and securely holds the powder within the bristles until I tap and buff into my face.  While the bristles are dense enough to hold a lot of product they feel super soft and not scratchy at all on the skin.

Perfecting Liquid Foundation SPF 15 (15 shades - 30ml) $56* –  Again one pump was enough for the whole face.  This liquid foundation has a creamy consistency which blends in seamlessly for a satin finish so it provided excellent coverage that evened out my skin tone (pigmentation spots etc) without looking obvious.  To put it to the wear test I wore this without a setting powder and while it settled just little in the creases on either side of my nose it looked otherwise fresh all day without needing any mattifying.  The shade I tried, Honey Beige, was a great colour match for my skin so I must admit I'm tempted to buy this foundation as well.  Key ingredients: zinc oxide, polypeptides, buddleja davidii extract, marrubium vulgare extract.

Arbonne Intelligence CC Cream (4 shades - 30ml) $49* – I didn't get to road test the CC creams properly because the shades were unfortunately both too dark for my complexion.  According to Arbonne the formula is a hybrid of skincare and cosmetics that "primes, mattifies and brightens for more even-looking skintone." Swatched on my arm these are a creamier, thicker consistency than the foundation. The swatches below alongside the Perfecting Liquid Foundation give you some idea of the different texture.  Key ingredients: phytinol, chondrus crispus extract, caper fruit extract.

Swatched heavily from left to right:

 Perfecting Liquid Foundation (Honey Beige), CC Cream (Light, Dark)

Cheeks 

Sheer Glow Highlighter (1 shade - 30ml) $56* – This liquid highlighter gives the skin a pinky-pearl glow without any obvious shimmer, and was subtle and natural enough for me to wear during the day.  The lotion texture is much more forgiving and flattering for mature skin (like mine!) and I found that a little goes a long way so a teensy little squeeze of the tube was all I needed.  Key ingredients:  polypeptides, buddleja davidii extract, marrubium vulgare extract.

Bronzer (1 shade - 9.3g) $47* –  This bronzer is a warm, reddish brown with a hint of glow to add warmth to the complexion on cheeks and browbones and I wore this on my face and jawline. The shimmer is more apparent when swatched but it translates as a natural glow, avoiding that muddied complexion look that some matte bronzers can give.  Key ingredients:  lavender, licorice and chamomile extracts.

Blush (8 matte and shimmer shades - 4.5g) $41* – I tried the matte shade Dusty Rose and was surprised at how pigmented this blush is! It applies smoothly with no patchiness, builds up and blends beautifully and because of the rich pigment a little goes a long way. Key ingredients: polypeptides, cucumber and mallow extracts.

Swatched heavily from left to right:
Sheer Glow Highlighter, Blush (Dusty Rose), Bronzer

Eyes

Eye Shadow (20 matte and shimmer shades 2.2g) $27* – I received 4 of these mineral-infused shadows to try. The one matte shade in the selection, the light pink appropriately called Petal, did not feel chalky or powdery and applied smoothly without any patchiness at all so this has been added to my wishlist (see swatch below). All of the 4 shades applied and blended easily and lasted all day on the lids so they're good workhorse shadows for long days. The shades I tried lightest to darkest were Linen, Petal (my must buy - it could probably multi-task as a light blush shade for pale skins too), Smoke and Titanium. Key ingredients: polypeptides, cucumber and mallow extracts.

Swatched top to bottom:
 Linen (shimmer), Petal (matte), Smoke (shimmer), Titanium (shimmer)

Lips

Glossed Over Lip Gloss (10 shades - 3.36ml) $37* –   These new glosses feel thick and cushiony on the lips, and have a natural slightly fruity scent.  The consistency is neither watery nor tacky, and is long lasting as far as a gloss goes.  The method of application is with a brush rather than a sponge-tip applicator and the pigmentation is good enough for the gloss to be worn alone.  Key ingredients:  edelweiss extract, passionfruit oil and peptides.

Smoothed Over Lipstick (16 shades - 4g) $41* –   Being the lipstick connoisseur that I like to think I am it takes a lot for a lippy to wow me but - spoiler alert! - these were winners.  These newly released lipsticks offer one swipe colour and feel weightless like a gel lipstick.  They're very moisturising and yet they do not bleed or fade and they are surprisingly long lasting for a gloss-satin lipstick.  Also, I have to say I am a fan of the delicious fruity scent.  I need to own one of these because these feel so comfortable and moisturising on the lips!  Key ingredients: watermelon extract, apple extract, meadowfoam seed oil.

Swatched top to bottom:
Glossed Over Lip Gloss (Mimosa), Smoothed Over Lipstick (Poppy, Aster)

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Overall I was very impressed with Arbonne's cosmetics as these are quality products that perform well throughout the day and of course - very important to me personally these days - they're kind to animals, and contain no nasties.  The packaging is chic, functional and appears sturdy and the pigmentation of all of the colour cosmetics is right up there.  The proof was most definitely in the wearing and I wrote up my own shopping list along the way as the mineral powder foundation and lipstick have particularly wowed me! 

If you want to read more about or browse online for Arbonne products then click here.

 *All prices listed are in Australian dollars.

(Products were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)