Fab Find of the Week... SWEED make-up
Photo: © Jo Fairley
We have only recently deep-dived into the world of SWEED make-up, for which we’d like to apologise to founder Gabriella Elio (scroll down for her portrait). Our excuse? SWEED began as a false lash brand, and… well, we are not really ‘false lash’ (nor lash extension) people, at Beauty Bible.
But over breakfast, recently, we were entranced by Gabriella’s story, and – trying on her make-up right there, right then in the hotel lounge, as is our wont – by the products themselves.
Gabriella spent years in Sweden working as a make-up artist in stores for leading brands, where, as she puts it, ‘I loved how a subtle make-up could transform you into a happier and more confident version of yourself.’ Just what we, too, believe make-up is for. But when it came to creating her own brand, everything had to be vegan and ‘clean’ (free from synthetics), as well as offering a professional performance. She also set out to fill the ‘gaps’ in her make-up bag, helping us to look really well – kinda like we’ve just had a two-week holiday.
Without mega-backing, Gabriella has stealthily and gradually grown her range across many make-up categories, waiting till she was 100% happy with them (and it shows), before launching. Liquid foundation is imminent, but meanwhile, here’s what we’ve fallen for – and we really mean that…
Miracle Powder/£38. OK, let’s start with the absolute hero (pictured below). It IS a flipping miracle. It’s pretty much a mineral make-up by another name, but a few swirls of this sort of bring the face magically, seamlessly together, blurring it and adding a glow. It can be worn on its own over SPF/moisturiser, but our preference (certainly at this time of year) is to wear it as a finishing touch over all base, concealer, blusher, whose life it prolongs. Gabriella calls it a ‘magic filter’ – and really, it is.
Air Blush Cream/£28. We’re big fans of cream blusher for its smoosh, smoosh, GO application style – and this is honestly one of the best we’ve found, delivering plenty of pigment in a format that is almost, ALMOST a powder (which makes for longer wear), but still blends like a cream. (NB Quite a few shades were out of stock when we checked on various retailers, but it’s worth adding to your wishlist.)
Lash Lift Mascara/£22, and Cloud Mascara/£24. It is rare as hen’s teeth that TWO mascaras from the same range push our buttons, but these are brilliant – smudge-proof, budge-proof, speck-proof, gripping and lifting every last lash. For finer lashes, there is the comb-style Lash Lift – but we also get onn well with Cloud Mascara, which is really dense and black and certainly, at this stage, still quite liquid in format, so it really covers before it set. Astonishingly good brushes, the both.
Le Lipstick/£22, and Lip Liner/£19. A twist-up lipstick that feels like a balm (and can be blended into cheeks, too, for a sheeny flush). SOOOOOO COMFY! The soft, nourishing texture means that it doesn’t stay put forever… but if you outline and then ‘fill in’ with the Lip Liner, before applying Le Lipstick, you get a great andgrippier result. What we like about it, though, is that you can put Le Lipstick on without a mirror, because the finish is so sheer and natural-looking. (Probably in the dark, actually, though we haven’t tried that.)
In the picture above, you’ll also see the Satin Kohl Liner/£19, and two excellent synthetic brushes, the Angled Blush Brush/£32 (for blending that Air Blush Cream, although fingers also do really well for this if that’s your bag), and Powder Brush/£38. Our shopping ‘priorities’ in the range, though, are the products we’ve shared above. There is also an Eyelash Growth Serum/£42, which we are about to try – importantly and notably, it is free from prostaglandin hormones, which have made us wary of many products in this category.
And one last thing we love? In a world of so much black beauty packaging and white beauty packaging, SWEED’s cheery aqua livery makes it stand out – and easy to find the products as we rootle around in our make-up bags.
Miracle Powder/£38 – buy here
Air Blush Cream/£28 – buy here
Lash Lift Mascara/£22 – buy here
Cloud Mascara/£24 – buy here
Le Lipstick/£22 – buy here
Satin Kohl Liner/£19 – buy here
Angled Blush Brush/£32 – buy here
Powder Brush/£38 – buy here
SWEED founder Gabriella Elio
