Lush Emotional Brilliance

Lush Cosmetics are mostly known for their bath bombs, natural cleansers, sweet smelling shampoos and slightly sexy massage bars. This summer they launched their first range of makeup products with the aim of becoming a little more diverse and colourful (although they're pretty colourful already!) Emotional Brilliance works on the basis of choosing three colours that appeal to you spontaneously by spinning a wheel - there are physical wheels of colour in store, or you can use the 'virtual wheel' on their website. These colours then relate to products that aim to uplift and motivate you, matching your mood rather than basing colour choices on hair colour, eye shade or complexion.

Within the range there are over 30 eyeshadows, eye liners and lipsticks, as well as a highlighter and transluscent powder as an added extra. Unconventionally packaged (would we expect anything less?) in little pots that wouldn't be out of place in a chemist or apothecary, these are labelled with really cute uplifting names. I've been kindly send Happiness, Passionate and Fantasy (oh er, what sort of thing do they think I'm in to?) and they're really rather lovely. I wasn't too sure what these be like, knowing how much makeup is based on chemical ingredients and artificial colour that's obviously not up Lush's street, but they definitely deliver.

The pigments of the product are great, really delivering a deep and high impact colour. The applicators aid getting the product from jar to face, although they do have a tendency to pick up a little too much and need a good wiping before you go anywhere near an eye or lip. I love the metallic finish of the eyeshadow colours and the creamy consistency, making it easy to blend or create a stronger result by building up colour. As they apply wet you need to ensure you're using your brush to blend straight away before the eyeshadow dries, or you'll have to use a damp brush to blend. The liner is super glittery and perfect for creating a little sparkle around eyes, or even used as a face paint for festivals or parties. It doesn't crack or dry uncomfortably, just leaving a pretty great golden result. You'll never get through this pot either, it being pretty huge and giving enough product to decorate half the population of Reading Festival with golden flicks and star tattoos.

The lipstick is one of the most bizarre lipsticks I've ever come across - mainly because it's not in stick form at all. The creamy and rich formula is held in the same little pot as the eye products, the applicator being thicker and softer to ensure colour is applied precisely to the lip line. You need such a small amount of this to create colour, the formula blending to leave a really striking and strong hue of pink. You can blend using your finger for a subtler result, or build up with the applicator while waiting a few seconds between each layer for the colour to settle into skin. Not for the lighthearted, this lipstick certainly sticks around for some time - it's more of a stain than a lipstick, so be prepared for it to dye your pout from morning til night.

I'm really impressed with this range of cosmetics, especially because they're only full of good stuff. The colour options are brilliant too, there being everything from silvers to blues, to purples and golds and everything in-between. I'm not sure if this is a line they intend to keep indefinitely or even expand, but these little pots of colour certainly uplifted my mood. The downside is they're not cheap - £14.50 for each product means you can't really justify stocking up on more than one or two, but they'll make great little gifts for a loved one or a treat when you're buying that bath bomb on Saturday... Especially if the summer never starts and you need a little boost!

Available now in store and online for £14.50 each.