By BR Kellie
It's such a first world problem, (but, as my husband is prone to saying, 'a first world problem is still a problem') but nothing niggles at me quite like the way the internet exposes us to amazing beauty brands that we can't easily get our hands on here in New Zealand. We've been lucky recently with the opening of Mecca that some previously untouchable brands are now in our hands - but there are more out there that we feel we need to be able to swatch and play and touch before we commit to buying.
So what brands are on the crew's most want to get our actual physical hands on list? Check these out!
If I see Tati rave about another lipstick from Flower Beauty (the brand created by the fabulous Drew Barrymore) I'll cry. Flower lipsticks look drenched in colour, super creamy, and the shade range is gobsmackingly beautiful. Then there are the Flower Pots Powder Blushes, which look divinely blendable, and the packaging is super cute. That Flower needs to stretch its petals all the way around the globe!
Beauty Bakerie, bless them, do ship internationally - but - there's no distributor or stockist in New Zealand, so we can't sweep their stunning products over our hands to imagine how they'd look on our face. Also, the packaging is just so darn cute we'd love to see the range displayed on a stand. It would brighten up even the bluest of days.
Viseart is not cheap. Heck, you wouldn't even call it sort of affordable. It's 'spensive. But it's raved about in the beauty community. We love a good eyeshadow at BRHQ. Palette's give us life. But sometimes hearing how great a product is isn't enough for us to commit the cash. Sometimes you just need to run your finger through the formulation before buying.
Shape Tape. Shape Tape. Shape Tape. If you watch YouTube beauty gurus then you'll know Tarte Shape Tape is beloved by the online beauty community. Revered for its ability to cover and not crease. Heck, Tarte on the whole is adored - but they're on the pricey side, and the shipping is $$$. Last year they had a free shipping day and I coughed up sixty odd dollars for a holiday set - and, well, I was left disappointed. The lipstick was nice. The blush, bronzer and highlighter were okay, and the eyeshadows had a couple of shades I liked, but on the whole the pigmentation and creaminess wasn't there, and had I been able to swatch it first I'd have passed. Further investigation saw many people who'd bought it saying it wasn't the usual formula and was substandard. Another reason why we wish more brands would come to New Zealand so that we don't waste our money buying something that isn't up to scratch (also - segue alert! - Why do brands do this with holiday sets? I've often read reviews saying the product isn't as good as their usual offerings. And further investigation sees that the product has been made in a different country. First, why do this to a customer? Second, why do this to your brand?) Either way, it's safe to say I won't be buying Tarte again unless I can swatch it first.
How gobsmackingly beautiful is the above eyeshadow palette? Don't you just want to smear that top middle shade on your eyes? Well, first we want to smear it on our hand to see if it's as pigmented as we hope. Whle Makeup Geek's range of eyeshadows, face powders, lip products and brushes look beautiful, we're not game enough to go there. But if they were in New Zealand? You bet we'd give them a go!
J Cat Beauty is another product YouTuber Tati raves on about. She loved their Holo Eyetopper (on her top lids, not on the lower lid), their triple baked highlighters, and their holographic lip cream. She also enjoyed their HD Skincealer Foundation. Can we get it here in New Zealand? Not so much. There are a couple of online stores that sound like parallel importers, but that's about it. We still hold out hope though. I mean if Farmers can bring Wet n Wild our way, perhaps there's a chance for J Cat!
Yes, Sephora NZ sells Huda Beauty and Fenty Beauty online - but what really needs to happen is for Sephora to open physical stores in New Zealand so we can get in there and ogle and play to our heart's content!
So fellow beauties... are any of our wish-list beauty brands on your radar. Are there other beauty brands you'd love to see hit our fair shores? Tell us about it and we'll keep our fingers crossed that someone, somewhere, with all the beauty-bringing power can put things in motion!
I would definitely want to see a real life sephora!