Joe Fresh Beauty: Review

Joe Fresh is a name many Canadians have been familiar with for several years. It's found in quite a few grocery stores under the Loblaws umbrella. Affordable and nice clothing for men, women and children are what the brand is known for. So when a friend asked me about their cosmetic line, I was taken by surprise. Conversation went as follows (we were in a mall, btw):


Friend: Hey, have you tried Joe Fresh?
Me: No. I don't think they have change rooms and I like to try before I buy.
Friend: I don't think you a change room for makeup.
Me: What?
Friend: Joe Fresh sells makeup. Have you tried it yet?
Me: No! Wanna go grocery shopping after this?
Friend: ... They sell it at Shoppers.

My friend was actually quite happy that she heard about something before I did. It doesn't usually happen. Shortly after our conversation, we found ourselves at the mall's Shoppers Drug Mart gawking over the Joe Fresh display. Foundations, concealers, lipsticks, mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadows and blushes. They had all the basics, plus primers and highlighers and makeup remover and I'm sure I seen a bit more.

Now, you can also go to a large Loblaw's store (like The Real Canadian Super Store), and they carry even more. Liquid lipsticks, nail polishes, skincare and makeup brushes.

Everything is relatively well priced, with the liquid foundations being the most expensive at about $18 for 30ml.

 The Daily Boost Fluid Foundation, available in 4 colours, is a dewy liquid foundation that offers light to medium coverage. The clear plastic housing gives it a sleek, clean look that looks good hanging out on your vanity or counter. A pump dispenses the lightweight foundation, making it easy and mess free.For a drug store foundation, this lasted a good 10 hours (with primer, because I always use it). Getting closer to the 12 hours mark, there was a little more fading, but still wasn't too bad.

Overall, this foundation is great. The coverage is just what I'm looking for and it doesn't feel heavy at all. My skin still feels like it could breath. The one thing that I didn't like is the dewyness. I tend to have an oily t-zone, so to start off dewy, it just makes my skin look super oily. A little powder takes care of that though. I'll have to try the matte one next, but  anyone with normal or dry skin (even combination) will like it.... as long as you're one of the four available shades.

The Oil Absorbing Pressed Powder is a bit of a let down. It's a very heavily pressed compact which makes grabbing any product with a brush very difficult. It is best used with the provided microfiber pouf, however I find the transfer of the oil affect the powder. It does help with the oil though. Maybe I need to try a different brush, but so far, this is a bit of a let down.

One of the items that I'm loving from Joe Fresh is the Highlighter Powder in Luster. This pressed highlighter is a beautiful nude-champagne colour that isn't overly shimmery. The powder is finely milled and feels very smooth on the skin. It blends flawlessly into the skin or other makeup to give you a beautiful glow that looks natural.

I picked two eyeshadow colours that are probably boring to most, but I figured I'd get the most use out of. Honeybell is a pinky-orangy-nude (can you tell I'm having a hard time with this colour? haha!) with just a hint of shimmer to add a little dimension to it. It's a great colour for those days that you just want to add a touch of colour to your lids.  Pale Pink can barely qualify as a pink. To me, this is a perfect nude. It does pull a wee bit more pink than beige, but this works better for my skin, making me look less zombie-like.

Honeybell

Pale Pink

Both colours have decent payoff and no fallout. Used with primer, these shadows stayed all day. I believe they're one for $6 or two for $10. Personally, the price is worth it.

The Joe Fresh Long Wear Liquid Lipstick proved to be a winner. For only $8, you get a liquid lipstick that lasts a full 6 hours (like it says!). Even after breakfast, a cup of tea and lots of talking (because that's part of my job!) this lipstick still held up! The lady at the café where I got my lunch complimented me on it - it was 1pm and I had applied it around 7:30! Once dry, it is a little on the matte side and it is a little drying on the lips. Specially since you're not applying lip balm for nearly 6 hours (my lips need something every hour or so).

The applicator is a slightly curved inwards, so it actually hugs your lips. Plum is a dark purple with red undersones and when applied, is nice a smooth. It is not patchy at all. Like I said, this is a winner!

And to remove it all, we have the Joe Fresh Makeup Remover Wipes. Before I talk about the wipes, let's take a moment to appreciate the packaging. While very similar to most other wipes, this actually has a plastic closure, not just a sticky seal that you hope will survive the lifespand of your wipes. Also, because of this, the wipes don't tend to dry up as quickly.

Not only do these wipes contain vitamins A, C and D, they're also hypoallergenic and dermatologist and ophthamologist tested. But, do they work? The answer is an OMG yes!  The top one was a bit of a let down, possibly because it wasn't as saturated as the rest. Once you get down a couple wipes, you'll see their magic. It removed my long-lasting KVD eyeliner with barely a struggle and still managed to leave my skin feeling clean (not gross like some others). If the packaging and the fact that it actually works isn't enough for you, these wipes are only $10 for 30!! You can't beat that.

So if you haven't tried Joe Fresh's cosmetic line, you're missing out. There's some great items at fantastic prices and I can't wait to see more from them!

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