Zara makeup: what’s the new beauty collection actually like?

We’re already *very* into Zara’s candles and fragrances (the Jo Malone collection in particular ) so when news landed of Zara’s first full beauty collection (complete with 130 different colours) we were chomping at the bit. We were suitably impressed by Zara’s lipstick collection  back in 2019, so had high hopes for the new Zara makeup.

Created in collaboration with iconic British makeup artist Diane Kendall and launching this Wednesday (12 May), the collection is priced from £3.99 to £17.99 and includes everything from lipsticks to blush, eyeshadows to nail polishes, all housed in magnetic, refillable packaging. The blusher, bronzer and highlighter all share the exact same case, meaning when you finish a product you have the option to refill the packaging with any of the other makeup options.

"Our aim was to create something everyone regardless of skin colour, gender, age or personal style will want to use," Diane says. "I was so excited to collaborate with Zara on this, even more so because it was going to be consciously crafted."

More eco-points are awarded to Zara with the news that you can recycle the packaging at in-store recycling points when you’re done with it, while the refill trays can go in your recycling bin.

We’re yet to get our hands on the highly anticipated collection, but makeup artist Lisa Potter-Dixon gave it a full rundown on her Instagram and was singing the praises, particularly of the  Matte Lipstick , £11.99 or £6.99 for refill, which she compared to Chanel's Baume Essentiel , £35. "The lipstick feels gorgeous," she told her followers. "It’s matte but it’s not drying. The formulations are so creamy."

She also loved the Demi Matte Lipstick , £9.99 or £5.99 for the refill, which she compared to Hourglass' Ultra-Slim High-Intensity Lipstick , £31.

In the eye department the collection launches with four products; an eyeshadow palette with six shades , £17.99, available in five different colourways, an eyeshadow duo with two shades , £11.99, available in eight different colourways, an inky black eyeliner, £7.99, and for dramatic,  Euphoria  style looks,  Metal Foil Loose Pigment , £9.99, in four shades. In total there are 45 different powder eyeshadow shades which can be slotted into the palettes available as refills at £3.99 each.

For your face there are four  bronzers ,£6.99 for the refill, four blushes , £4.99 for refill, four highlighters , £4.99 for refills, and three face palettes , £12.99, as well as six brushes , from £4.99, to help you apply all of the above. The multi-use case for all of the above, complete with one refillable, is £14.99.

To complete the collection there are 38 nail polishes , £5.99, housed in glass packaging to minimise waste .

Anyone who's ever asked a Zara shop assistant for help will be familiar with the fact they're not always the most helpful and we have to say, this rings true on the Zara makeup section of the website too. It's somewhat hard to navigate; the products aren't labelled as 'highlighter' or 'bronzer' etc, nor is it clear about how the pricing differs between the refillable and the full purchase with the case, so shopping on site does require some getting used to. Thought if Lisa's review is to be believed, it'll be worth it!

Zara Beauty is launching online at Zara.com and at select stores on Wednesday May 12.