When Jason Wu announced he was launching a beauty collection, influencers and artists alike heaved a heavy sigh.
In recent years there's been an increasing amount of celebrities releasing their own makeup lines, saturating the market with one product after another. It's left beauty lovers feeling overwhelmed, and influencers, who perceive themselves as the authority figures of the industry, turning into gatekeepers of sorts.
But when it comes down to it, Jason isn't trying to compete with other celebrity brands. In fact, during a Jason Wu Beauty Masterclass with makeup artist Ash K. Holm, Jason said he doesn't "consider myself a celebrity."
"I'm just a fashion designer," he explained. "Most of my work is done behind the scenes, you know, especially in fashion shows, I'm the one that's busy running back and forth and steaming clothes. So, for me, this comes from the experience of working with amazing makeup artists, such as Ash."
Over the years, the designer has created fantastic looks for stars like Michelle Obama and Lily Aldridge, crafting ensembles that enhance their beauty.
This is the same approach Jason took with his makeup line, sharing in the masterclass that he sought to make clean products that allow one's "beauty to shine through, not cover it."
He admitted that it's "not a very flashy collection," but added, "I think it's really going to be standing out, especially at this price point."
Marketed as a prestige brand, the most expensive product is the Wu-Prime It's So Soft whipped makeup primer, which costs $18.
However, don't be fooled by the dollar signs. Luckily, E! News received the products to test out, and we can confirm that each lip liner and eyeshadow is worth every penny and then some. As for the rest? You'll have to see how it held up. To get our take on the products, read our review below.
Highly Pigmented Sparkly Cream Shadow - Celestial Dust ($12 @ Jason Wu Beauty & Target)
There are currently four shades of this truly pillowy liquid eyeshadow, though Jason teased more further down the line. Of the four shimmery colors—Butterfly, Songbird, Jane Doe, Lace & Grace—we tried out Jane Doe, a bronze shade with flecks of pink. The shadow itself is a dream, but the applicator leaves something to be desired. The doe foot picks up a lot of of product and is slightly flimsy, making precision application slightly difficult. That being said, it's easiest to use your finger to gently blot your eyelid, as a little goes a long way. Overall, the eyeshadow lasted for over five hours with no creasing, much to our surprise and delight.
Flora 9 - 03 Desert Rose ($15 @ Jason Wu Beauty & Target)
Of the three eyeshadow palettes, Desert Rose is the only one to combine matte and shimmer shades. One thing to note, however: The Prickly Pear palette includes one matte brown. The shades in Desert Rose are all nude, but err on the warm-toned side. And though they aren't heavily-pigmented, both matte and shimmer shades are buildable and easy to blend, with little to no fallout. The nine earthy hues bare some resemblance to that of Too Faced's Natural Matte or Tarte's Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte, but comes in at half the price.
The Bush - Soap Brow ($14 @ Jason Wu Beauty & Target)
Out of all the products to come from Jason Wu Beauty, this was one that elicited the most excitement as it's vegan and a good alternative to a brow pencil. Unfortunately, the soap takes a bit of practice. For starters, there's no spoolie included with the compact and it requires a bit of water or setting spray to get it onto the spoolie. But if you get too much water or setting spray on the brush, the translucent soap doesn't entirely set as intended. Use too much product and your eyebrows will feel waxy, but use too little and your hairs will look as if there's no product at all. Additionally, the hairline and brow powder Brows Before Boys is sold separately, meaning full brows will cost you double. Basically, you're better off sticking to Glossier's Boy Brow if you want to avoid the hassle.
Honey Fluff Lip Cream - Matte Lip Cream ($12 @ Jason Wu Beauty & Target)
Matte lip lovers rejoice! This powdery, lightweight formula sticks to your lips for hours on end. On application, it feels powdery and soft, keeping that silky feeling for quite some time before fully drying. Once dry, it feels like your typical matte lipstick, but doesn't get as sticky as MAC Cosmetic's Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour. The Stay in Line lip liner also kept the edges from blurring too much, but isn't necessarily needed. With 10 shades, ranging from a chocolate brown to a deep pink, this is a perfect every day product that leaves your lips feeling hydrated and full of color.
Hot Fluff - 3-in-1 Stick ($12 @ Jason Wu Beauty & Target)
If you're constantly throwing the contents of your makeup bag into your purse, look no further. This 3-in-1 matte lipstick is everything one can need, masterfully acting as an eyeshadow, blush and lipstick all at once. With seven romantic shades, it's that rare holy grail item that ticks all your boxes. And though the colors look deep and intense, blending the powdery soft product into your cheeks is extremely easy and gives an effortlessly natural appearance. As for applying to your lips, the soft feel is comparable to that of Chanel's Rouge Allure Liquid Powder. Our only criticism is that the pink hues will stain your eyelid if you choose to use as an eyeshadow.
Saved By the Patch - Pimple Patch ($12 @ Jason Wu Beauty & Target)
As far as pimple patches go, Jason's does work—or, at least, it seems to do the trick. After wearing overnight on a particularly red zit, there was noticeably less redness and swelling. Did the blemish disappear? No. Did it look less gnarly than it did the night before? Yes. And when it comes to zits, that's all you can really ask for.
To see the full range of products and shades go to Target or Jason Wu Beauty's websites.