Tuesday, 3 March 2015

beauty | Spotlight on: Tropic make up


Tropic was actually created by one of The Apprentice's contestants from 2010 - Susan Ma. She basically created the collection from her kitchen and all of the products in the range are derived from 100% pure plant extracts. That makes everything brilliant for sensitive skin and work on all skin types. They don't test on animals, are completely vegan and made with natural plant extracts.
So far so good.

I was introduced to Tropic by my hairdresser, who's one of the ambassadors of the brand. I went to a Tropics party (like Avon parties) and was blown away with the quality and story behind the brand.


I decided to invest in the Flawless Complexion Gift Box in 'Barely Nude', which includes a mineral foundation, bronzer and perfecting powder. It also comes with the softest kabuki brush and a concealer brush for £49. The packaging is the standard for most mineral foundations - a twisting device that controls how much product you get so you don't end up wasting it or dropping powder everywhere (which is a massive ache to clean up!).

The foundation itself is very sheer and lightweight - but it's easily build-able as you buff it in with the kabuki brush. It gives skin a 'glow from within' finish that really perks you up and lifts the skin.

The bronzer is really warm toned and looks lovely blended over the temples and cheekbones. It isn't all that great for contouring though because of the colour of it!

And finally, the perfecting powder which is along the same lines as the Bare Minerals 'well rested' powder - it's a shimmery pink-toned highlighter that can be dusted under the eyes to brighten them.

These three products work really well together and last fairly well on my dry/normal skin - but I do find I need to touch up during the day as the 'glowy' foundation can sometimes end up turning shiny on my own skin, which definitely isn't the look I'm going for!

The foundation kit only comes in six shades though, so it might be a problem to find one to perfectly match your skin tone. I'm lucky that Barely Nude is a perfect match for myself - on the swatch below you can barely see the foundation on my skin.

I also picked up the Colour Click lipstick in 'Sweet Pea' which is a beautiful coral-pink colour. It's quite neutral toned so doesn't make teeth look yellow (one of my biggest peeves with lipsticks) and it's got a creamy consistency so doesn't feel dry or tugs on the lips. It does however really emphasize dry patches so be wary if you suffer from dry lips! I always apply a lip balm ten minutes or so before I apply to make sure they're in good condition.

Lipsticks cost £14, which is almost the same price as Mac lipsticks - but I do think this one is a lovely shade - and they're enriched with carmellia, jojoba, avocado and argan oil so they're moisturising on the lips. The colour also lasts for a while - I wore it through dinner the other day and it was still in place after three courses!


As you can see from the swatches, the perfecting powder and foundation are so sheer and lightweight on the skin you can barely see them! But as I said, they are build-able and look beautiful on the skin.

Overall I'm really happy with the make up I picked up from Tropic - I also bought some of the skincare so I'll hopefully get a post up about them soon! 

Have you heard of Tropic? Would you invest in their make up?
Tropic make up can be bought here.