w7 Cosmetics Review: Affordable Makeup at TJ Maxx

Have you ever browsed the beauty section of your local TJMaxx or Macy’s Backstage? If so, you may recognize the brand w7 Cosmetics. w7 has been on the rise in the US after being a high-street hit in the UK due to their product lineup that resembles high-end faves at a much more affordable price. I’ve been curious about their products for a while now after seeing so may rave review son social media, and was super excited to play when a bunch landed in my mailbox last month.

w7 Cosmetics has something for every stage of your makeup routine. They pretty much have all the latest trends covered, keeping up with what’s popular. Looking at their products, you can probably tell where they got the inspiration for some of these launches— whether it be the packaging style or the color schemes. But how do they actually perform?

w7 On the Rocks Neutrals on Ice Palette
I first shared a little about this palette during my New Years Eve makeup tutorial. I’ll come out and say it off the bat: the color scheme definitely looks inspired by the Anastasia Subculture Palette. I love the mix of greens, golds and pop of burgundy. Dipping into the shadow formula, most of the mattes are pretty powdery and apply slightly sheer, but can definitely be built up with layers. The shimmers were all very soft and pretty opaque in one stroke. One of my biggest issues with this palette is that although the matte shadows have more color payoff over a sticky base, applying over concealer also changes the color’s hue. So you can forget about using concealer or another sticky base for a cut crease, because you won’t be able to blend the shade for a smooth gradient. I’ve been able to get awesome looks from this palette, but I have to choose either a full cut crease or a softly blended look.

w7 Brow Parlor Eyebrow Grooming Kit
I’m a fan. Three pigment shades and a wax, plus a brush and tweezers. I found the included brush to be pretty useless and hard to blend with, so I’m considering just deporting the shades into slimmer packaging (this tin is pretty thick!). Also, these shades all lean warm, which I can kind of get away with now that I have purple hair but otherwise would look weird under my cool black-brown brows. Either way, the shades blend really easily and do their job!

w7 Extra Fine Super Precision Eyeliner Pen
Ya’ll know I’m extremely picky with my eyeliner. This one is OKAY, and that’s generous for me. It’s got a slight sheen finish to it, but the tip of the applicator is very thin which I love to create wings with. I’ve only used it a few times so I’m not sure how fast it will start to fray (it’s a felt tip) but for now, it’s definitely usable. But, my fave from NYX is only about a dollar more than this and I’m pretty loyal to it— so this probably won’t make its way into my routine permanently.

Also Read: The Best Drugstore Liquid Liners

w7 Eye Got the Power Base Primer
I actually really like this eye primer. It goes on with a slick feel but dries down quickly. It comes out beige but dries clear so is suitable for all skin tones and won’t alter the hue of your shadows. I set it with a base shade to slightly mattify it, and shadow applies super smoothly on top. I would classify my eyelids as naturally oily and I feel like this primer definitely helps them settle down so my shadow can last longer.

w7 Absolute Lashes Mascara
This wasn’t a love, but it wasn’t a hate either. The Absolute Lashes Mascara is definitely super separating and adds a bit of length, but was lacking in the volume department. I feel like this is a great prep mascara for falsies, and maybe I’ll grab it for every day looks, but it didn’t quite deliver the drama I like from my mascaras. I also felt that it didn’t hold a curl very well— I have super straight lashes so that’s important to me!

w7 Beam Me Up! Illuminator
I love a good liquid highlighter, and this one adds just the right dewy glow to any look. I either add it to my foundation for an all-over radiance, or top my cheekbones with it to catch the light in a fierce way. This shade, Dynamite, is a natural golden glow with a champagne pop. It illuminates in a natural way, but you can definitely build it up for a statement strobe!

w7 Glowcomotion Shimmer Highlight
So I’m actually kind of obsessed with this highlighter! It’s hard for me to find good powder highlighters I love, because a lot of them are just packed with glitter. This one gives me the look I want: a beam of radiance when it catches the light the right way. The shimmer is super fine so you don’t look glittery. It applies smoothly and doesn’t enhance any skin texture imperfections on me.

w7 Skinny Lipping Matte Nude Lip Color
This is a super creamy liquid lipstick that dries down to a true matte finish. Surprisingly, it’s actually pretty comfortable and the pigmentation speaks for itself. So much color payoff in one swipe— one thin layer will do you right! This shade is Danny Boy, a cool brown that is giving me major 90s vibes.

w7 Metal Pout Matte Lip Gloss
The Metal Pout Matte Lip Gloss is a bit of a misnomer, because it’s not a gloss at all. It’s definitely just a metallic matte liquid lipstick. Either way, it has a consistency very similar to the Skinny Lipping lip color but with a super reflective finish. I’ve said pretty openly how I’m not usually a fan of metallic lipsticks, but this one is growing on me! The shades are just super intense and I love the statement they make.

Here’s a full look I created using the w7 products. Overall, I’m into this brand! I want to keep my eye on their releases, especially the ones that are inspired by other popular products. Some of these particular items will definitely be working their way into my daily routines… namely the highlighters and eye primer.

Have you tried w7 Cosmetics yet?