Provided for review
Postie+ is a bit of an institute for us kiwis. How many of us remember trekking in to buy school clothes with our mums when we were little? It wasn't until I hit my teens that I realised what a treasure trove Postie+ is, not just for clothing, but for beauty! They have a wide range of brands, everything from OPI, Essie, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, Ulta3, W7, BYS and more - and they're CHEAP. In New Zealand, where a Revlon lipstick that sells for just under $9USD in the States (about $12NZD) goes for $27NZD here, that's huge. Most of Postie's beauty products are under $20NZD and they have shopping rewards that give you money back to spend in store after four shops. I'm a big fan - in addition to being a regular haunter of the beauty section, I buy heaps of my kids' clothes there too - so I was thrilled when Postie+ contacted me to ask if I'd like to share a beauty haul with you. There's so much here, so let's get stuck in!
BYS Highlighting Trio
BYS is a brand I'll always have a bit of a soft spot for - one of my earliest makeup purchases was a frosty lilac BYS liquid lipstick purchased when I was about 14, which I wore with great enthusiasm. Thankfully, we've both upped our respective makeup games and their Highlighting Trio in 'Illuminate' ($10) is a testament to that. This wallet-friendly palette will give you the enviable glow of a much pricier highlighter. It contains a trio of matte and shimmery shades to mix and match as you see fit, all with lovely pigmentation. I will note that the two shimmery shades feel a touch dry in the pan, but this doesn't translate in their application, they sit well on the skin and don't emphasise pores. I'm particularly fond of the far right shade, which I'm wearing in the images below.
W7 Shape Your Face Contour Kit
The contouring trend isn't letting up anytime soon and the handy W7 Shape Your Face Contour Kit ($15) makes it super easy to nail it on a budget. There are two shades of contour powder and a matte highlight, along with an angled brush which is just the right size for defining cheekbones and jawlines. I'm really impressed with this kit: the brush is soft, the powders apply and blend well and they hold up all day, too. You can see them in action in the look below.
W7 Brow Bar
If you like a good multi-tasker, look no further than the W7 Brow Bar ($12). This set comes with three brow powders, a brow highlight and all the tools you need to get the job done. Why three brow powders? Well, they can be mixed and matched to create the perfect shade for you but the quad can also double as a set of eyeshadows, cutting down on the amount of space being taken up in your makeup bag (and leaving more room for lipsticks!). I mixed the two brown shades to fill in my brows, which you can see in the makeup looks for the W7 Contour palette and W7 Colour Me Buff palette.
W7 Colour Me Buff
If you haven't heard of W7's Colour Me... series of Naked Palette dupes, you may have been living under a rock. They've been a runaway hit for the brand - after all, who can say to a such a pocket money-friendly alternative? The palette above is Colour Me Buff ($14), the Urban Decay Naked 2 dupe, which I also own and I have to say, the colour matches are pretty spot on. These feel a bit less buttery than the UD shadows but the quality's still there and the colour payoff speaks for itself. I used Colour Me Buff and the W7 Brow Bar for the look below.
W7 The Nudes
W7 The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette ($8) is a compact quartet of basics that are ideal for incorporating into a variety of makeup looks. The Nudes doesn't have enough contrast to work as a stand alone palette, in my opinion, but your mileage may vary, personal preference definitely comes into these things! The colour payoff is on the sheer side but even, with a degree of buildability and the texture is finely milled and smooth, if a little on the powdery side. My favourite shade in the quad is the third from the left - it looks like a regular cream satin in the pan, but when swatched it's a shimmery ivory with gold reflects, similar to MAC Vanilla pigment.
I used all of the shades from The Nudes in the look below, alongside ColourPop Seeker and Dark Matter Makeup Xenomorph. The gold sheen in the ivory shade is gorgeous, you can spot it on the inner corner and browbone here.
Ulta3 Soft Toffee and Sugar Plum
At $6 a piece, Ulta3's lipsticks are already tempting straight off the bat, but the formula really impressed me, too! I was sent the shades Soft Toffee (a warm nude) and Sugar Plum (muted glossy plum), both very wearable shades with semi-opaque, even coverage and comfortable wear. There are heaps more colours on offer, so there's sure to be something to tickle your fancy.
BYS Read My Lips and Vamp
The other two lipsticks in my haul are from BYS, a bit more 'no frills' in the packaging department, but a good lesson in not judging a book by its cover! They have a couple of lip ranges out and these particular ones are $6.99 each. I got the shades Read My Lips and Vamp, which I've swatched below for you. Vamp is my favourite of the two, the colour payoff is excellent, especially for such a cheap lipstick! I've swatched many, many higher end lipsticks in similar tones and it seems to be a hard pigment to get even colour from, but BYS have done it.
W7 Cover Stick
Rounding out the cosmetic offerings in my haul is the W7 Cover Stick. I received the shade Light-Medium which is unfortunately a bit too dark for me, a real shame as the texture and coverage are very nice.
If you can tear yourself away from the makeup, there's no shortage of skincare bargains to be found at Postie+ too! I've been enjoying the Beauty Formulas Charcoal Clay Mask, a total steal at $5 and the Collagen Facial Mask is excellent for frightening my children with refreshing dehydrated, tired skin. And look, I know the Deep Cleansing Nose Pore Strips aren't great for your skin but they're SO satisfying, I can't help but sneak one in now and then! There are also foot masks and anti-wrinkle eye gel patches to complete any pampering session and the Beauty Formulas Micellar Water for gentle makeup removal.
Have you shopped at Postie+ for beauty products before? You can find your closest store using their store locator or shop online.
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Lani
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