How Sportsgirl’s new range of budget cosmetics stack up against the more expensive brands
APPAREL brand Sportsgirl has never been a front-runner when it comes to cosmetics. So how do their new range of lipsticks, foundations and palettes stack up?
WHEN it comes to cheap cosmetics, most of us don’t have a lot of confidence.
Will it cake? Will it last from day to night? Are panda eyes inevitable by lunchtime? It’s a pretty scary thought.
For apparel brand Sportsgirl, the beauty category hasn’t ever been at the top of their list.
But since the beauty boom, the category has quickly become one of their fastest growing — with consumers inhaling their budget line of lipsticks, eyeshadows and foundations.
This week, the well known Australian retailer relaunched their branding strategy by including a “Beauty Hub” and a ‘‘Beauty Bar” — which will allow customers to enjoy 20-minute makeovers at an affordable cost of $20 per session, which is fully redeemable on ‘Sportsgirl Beauty’ products.
But with cheap prices and a competitive market — what can a consumer expect from the new range?
Speaking to news.com.au, beauty content director and makeup blogger Rachael Brook has put the new Sportsgirl range to the test against the more expensive brands to see which product comes out on top:
Sportsgirl Pout About It ($9.95) vs. MAC Lipsticks ($36)
“Sportsgirl lipsticks play a huge role in their beauty collection, and it’s no surprise why,” she said.
“They come in a huge variety of shades and multiple formulas, so you have creamy, long lasting matte and now ‘silk’ options.
“Formula wise, they’re actually quite similar to MAC. They’re very comfortable to wear and the quality is equally as great, so it really comes down to the pricing being the biggest difference, at $9.95 for Sportsgirl and $36 per unit for MAC.
Sportsgirl On The Glow Illuminating Palette ($14.95) vs. Anastasia Glow Kit ($72)
“I have to start off by saying that I’ve run out on multiple Anastasia Glow Kits in ‘Sundipped’ as it’s been a long time favourite of mine.
“I love an out of this world highlight and both of these palettes really deliver that.
“The On The Glow palette is quite a lot smaller than the Anastasia Glow Kits, however this is also reflected in the price. I actually love how compact the whole package is, it’s great for travelling. You get four shades in each palette which are stunning highlights, but they also look gorgeous on the eyes.
“I really studied these hard to try and find a difference between the formulas, but the best thing I can come up with is that the Anastasia formula has an ever so slightly more ‘wet’ look about it. “If you’re looking for an affordable highlight palette — the Sportsgirl one will definitely live up to your highest expectations.”
Sportsgirl CC Cream (AU$12.95) vs. IT Cosmetics CC+ (AU$58)
“The biggest downfall with the Sportsgirl base products is their lack of shades. Their CC cream comes in four shades, where as It Cosmetics have seven shades (although that’s still a small range in my opinion).
“I have a feeling Sportsgirl will expand their shade range over time, but what I do love is that for now, while they only have limited shades they do also sell Lightening and Darkening Drops which means you can customise your foundation or CC cream shade to suit your skin tone perfectly — it’s genius.
“I’d recommend owning the adjusting drops whether you have your perfect foundation shade or not, as your skin tone constantly changes throughout the year.
“The formula blends beautifully onto the skin and it delivers a medium to full coverage whilst still feeling lightweight.
“The Sportsgirl formula sets as a slightly more matte finish — I’d call it a velvet finish- compared to the It Cosmetics which looks a little more luminous.
“Both products are on par for colour correcting dark circles and I haven’t had any problems with creasing.
Sportsgirl Eye Shade It Burgundy Palette (AU$19.95) vs. Kylie Cosmetics Burgundy Palette (AU$53)
“I use Kylie’s eyeshadow palettes very regularly — The Bronze Palette is my jam. I haven’t used The Burgundy Palette as much because while I think her colour selection is gorgeous, I’d personally really only use two-three (out of nine) shades regularly.
“This is where I think Sportsgirl have really shone through — their colour selection is on point. All of the colours are very wearable.
“You have everything you need in the one palette; base shades, transition shades, highlight shades and deeper tones to take your look from day to night time.
“There’s also a couple of cooler tones in the palette which makes it even more versatile.
“Kylie’s palette really misses a great highlighting shade, and all of the tones are quite warm. While you get 9 shades in both of these palettes, the Sportsgirl one is noticeably larger, so again you’re getting more bang for your buck.
“Both formulas are incredibly buttery, pigmented and blend beautifully and there’s a nice mixture of matte and shimmery formulas. Also, don’t even get me started on the Kylie Cosmetics shipping! It can take weeks to arrive, so I probably don’t even need to mention how much easier it is to get your hands on the Sportsgirl product.”
Sportsgirl Brush with Fame Set (AU$24.95) vs. Zoeva Rose Golden Brush set (AU$126)
“The big difference between these brands is that Sportsgirl brushes have synthetic hairs and are vegan friendly. Zoeva do have a bamboo range which are 100% synthetic hairs, however most of their brushes have a blend of natural and synthetic hairs.
“To cut a long story short — natural hairs are always going to feel softer and they generally blend powder formulas such as eyeshadows better than synthetic hairs will.
“In saying that, the Sportsgirl brushes are made from great quality synthetic hairs, and they blend cream products brilliantly.
“The Sportsgirl brushes come in a 7 piece set, however I have different feelings about each one so I’ll give a general breakdown of that.
“Firstly, at this stage I would always reach for a Zoeva Luxe Soft Crease Brush over the Eye Blend brush in the Sportsgirl set for blending powder eyeshadows. They’re soft, fluffy and make blending a breeze.
“The Eye Blend brush from Sportsgirl is quite flat so I’d be more likely to use it for applying cream eyeshadows or for pressing a shimmery powder eyeshadow onto my eyes, not for blending the edges.
“In that way, I feel like they’re missing a fluffy, blending brush in the Sportsgirl kit. Their Shade brush is great for adding details or for using under the eyes, but again, it’s not really fluffy enough for blending.
“Sportsgirl have their face brushes sorted in this kit, the Buff brush is awesome for blending in foundation or even for applying cream products, and their Bronze and Powder brushes are great for any powder applications — blush, bronzer, highlighter if you wanted to.
“I don’t use the Foundation brush often as I prefer a buffing brush for that, so I’d reach for the Buff brush instead, but that comes down to personal preference.
“Their Line & Define brush is great for brows or for defining your lash line. I think the Sportsgirl brush set is a really great option for anyone who is just starting to use brushes or for anyone on a budget — it is great quality for the price and suits everyday use, however as a professional makeup artist I’m probably going to get more use out of my Zoeva brushes as the quality is perfect for professional use.”