Roses are red, violets are blue. I love PLouise, how about you? Sounds corny, right? But, when you seek and then find your ‘happy place’ in the shifting sands of beauty, you will recognise the sentiment. I was drawn to PLouise for its eyeshadow palettes - and found a community. Eyeshadow, my once ‘be all and end all’, has been replaced with, first and foremost, friendship, followed by skincare, liquid cheek products, cream bronzers, lip oils, and more recently hair products. Phew! So, as you can imagine, I was right there for the cherry skincare launch ahead of Valentine’s Day.
Just because I am a PLouise fan doesn’t mean I can’t occasionally be critical. I view every launch as an opportunity to immerse myself in newness, but I’m still a consumer. I’m looking for products that tick the boxes that come after the brand name. Does a product offer something different while maintaining that distinctive, girly quirkiness associated with PLouise? Does it represent value for money? Will it fit in with my beauty routine? Do I really need it? I struggle to answer that last question sometimes but, to summarise, being a PLouise product doesn’t guarantee it’s going to be a must-have.
The cherry skincare collection ‘spoke’ to me on several levels. Firstly, it’s a no-brainer theme for Valentine’s Day. Secondly, three products in the range are a great addition to the already well-established Obsessed For Less double cleanse and moisturiser bundle. Thirdly, the smell, as everyone anticipated, is divine. The build-up to this launch was phenomenal. I can’t count how many times I saw customers sending begging messages on social media for the drop to come sooner rather than later. There was a limited pre-release Cherry Mystery Box, and I managed to grab myself one on TikTok. It was a brilliant introduction to what was to come.
Like so many, I was itching for February 7 - the day the full collection could finally be added to my online shopping cart. As well as the cherry Obsessed For Less, the big draw was going to be the fanciest, frilliest PLouise cosmetics bag and an entire new collection of skincare products, including a brand new cherry Rise and Shine hyaluronic acid serum. The buzz before the launch was that the ‘Heartthrob Hydration’ bundle would be a sell-out. Everyone in the PLouise community wanted one!
Cherry skincare and WHAT?
Nothing ever runs 100% to plan when it comes to a PLouise new release, I’ve discovered. This one was no exception. With people literally on the edges of their seats waiting for cherry skincare products to drop, it was revealed… Cherry wasn't the only newness coming on February 7. Also launching at the same time were entire peach and nude collections, along with new limited edition Bad Bitch flavours, a Bad Bitch Energy box bag, lava lamp-style lip oils, and a smaller box bag. What?
That’s not all, within the additional collections were Love Bites multi-purpose cheek and lip balls, double ended lipstick-gloss combos, a Get Peachy With It rich face cream, and more! Suddenly, people were confused. Even people like me, who were mentally committed to either the cherry Obsessed For Less or Heartthrob Hydration bundle, or both. We were at a loss. On launch day, I was even in two minds about whether or not to ‘tune in’.
When I did decide to watch the launch, I was prompt. I mean, I was on PLouise’s TikTok page from 4.30pm, waiting for the 5pm pre-launch, ahead of the actual launch at 6pm. It was past 6pm before the ‘live’ finally flickered onto my screen. By then, of course, some fans were distraught - the Heartthrob bundle, stated on previous lives and in some sort of PR magazine to be priced £60, was already listed in the brand’s TikTok shop and was £80 - a third more than many had expected.
The plus-point of the launch was that the brand’s owner, Paige, decked out in cherry red for the occasion, led from the front with compelling product information. She ensured that anyone new to the brand or not sure about the benefits of products were able to make informed buying choices. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a PLouise launch without entertainers extraordinaire Jas and Dan, who manage to mix captivating live antics with rowdy calls to action.
So, what did I buy?
In the run-up to the live launch, I had settled on the Soak Me lava lamp lip oil collection. So, at the end of the day, no cherry skincare. (I love Obsessed For Less so much that I’ve got a stockpile!) Then… I spotted the Letter To Santa blush and bronzer set was on offer for £10, so I popped that in my cart too and checked out. Then… I realised, I could have everything - and I mean ALL the newness, except the cherry Obsessed For Less - for £150. So… I bought that as well!
What does this mean? Apart from spending a bit more than I intended, it means I can get my daughter and granddaughter around for a PLouise ‘fight night’. We can fight over who gets what, in the nicest of ways. I already know that my granddaughter and I will have a Soak Me set each and that my daughter will get her hands on the entire Heartthrob Hydration bundle. (I’ve noticed the latter has been ’phoning me even more than usual today - no doubt hoping I’m going to say the goods are on their way!) Everything else will be divided between us. I’ve got my mind set on the cool toned nude palette and the rich peach cream. Other than that, I am happy to go with the flow.
My takeaways from this launch? The price error for the Heartthrob Hydration set should have been corrected on a live before the launch. It had been repeatedly stated that it would be £60. Surely, any kind of PR is monitored for errors? The record should have been put straight as soon as the mistake was realised. My heart goes out to those who saved up £60 but couldn’t stretch to £80.
Too much was launched at the same time. The peach collections (yes, there are two!) should have been launched a week or two later. There’s always room for new Bad Bitch flavours, because people collect them. As for the nude bundle, it could have been absorbed into a more fitting collection. Pricing needs careful management. Some of the items in this launch, including the £30 cosmetics bag, were expensive. Going forward, the goal should be to keep prices reasonable (not necessarily cheap) to prevent fans from drifting away and to encourage potential new customers to enter the world of PLouise. And, as always, prices should be attractive to promote repeat purchases - especially for the skincare products, which could be a very valuable source of steady revenue.
PLouise cherry skincare review
I am still waiting for my order to arrive. However, I already have three products from the collection.
Just A Swipe Micellar Water - The bottle is huge! It’s also seriously attractive. As well as ticking all the aesthetic boxes, it has a unique product delivery system that avoids wastage. Simply pop a cotton pad on the top and press down. Easy.
I found this micellar water average at removing makeup. It did the job. There was no oily residue and my skin felt hydrated and clean after use. This product is priced at £12. I would purchase it again, because I know it will last quite a while. It also has the most wonderful, non-irritating cherry scent.
PLouise also sells this product in a bundle with heart-shaped cotton pads.
Cherry Plump Me Pretty Moisturiser - This moisturiser is one of my all-time PLouise favourites. I was over the moon to get this one in my cherry mystery box. As well as performing on multiple fronts as a moisturiser, the smell… Think of cherry cola and imagine better. It’s great!
Currently, this product is only available in an Obsessed For Less Bundle which represents incredible value for money at £25. You can read an in-depth review for Plump Me Pretty here.
Shake It Off Cleanser - This foam cleanser is sold in a squirt can. Part of the Heartthrob Hydration bundle, it can also be purchased separately for £15. I put this in a drawer, intending to save it for a rainy day (when my current haul of cleansers run out). However, I couldn’t resist a try.
The cleanser is foamy but also incredibly rich. Super-soft on the skin, it delivers a deep cleanse with no harshness. You only need a small amount to thoroughly remove makeup and other impurities. I rate this as a convenient, indulgent alternative to a balm. It’s lovely to use and incredibly effective. The cherry scent is an added bonus.
I will update this review when the full collection arrives - and I will seek the input of both my daughter and granddaughter (aged 29 and 11 respectively), so we have a multigenerational perspective. More images to follow.
The collection arrived today (February 12), along with a Jas and Dan Body Mist Bundle.
My grandaughter chose the Peach Iced Tea Bad Bitch Energy, the Peach Perfection palette, the deepest Love Bites shade, the medium eyeliner, and, of course, the Soak Me lip oil collection. When asked what she loved the most (she was absolutely enthralled going through the bundle and making her choices), she said: "The Soak Me lip oil collection. I love the oils and the bag. I also like the Love Bites blush - it's good."
She said that while resembling Aunt Sally - I'm going to have to give her some makeup lessons!
From Jas and Dan's Body Mist Bundle, she chose Pineapple and raved about it! I chose Vanilla. Honestly, one squirt and I smelled amazing. These mists have a very long-lasting fragrance. My daughter is left with Blue Raspberry.
My daughter bagged the entire Hearthrob Hydration bundle (with the exception of the Rise and Shine serum, because I nabbed that), one of the nude Love Bites, a Just The Two Of Us lip combo, a Bad Bitch Energy in Peaches and Cream, the peach skin perfector and, of course, the Blue Raspbery Body Mist.
So, what did she think? She was over the moon with the cherry skincare bundle. She watched the promo video for it before it arrived. She said: "I can't wait to get into my new cherry skincare routine. It all looks so good, and I love the little heart-shaped cotton pads for use with the micellar water."
She is especially looking forward to using the cleansing products and the overnight serum.
The lip duo and Love Bites blush really surprised her.
But... The biggest surprise? She was blown away with her Blue Raspberry body mist!
I have put a little box aside for a teenage neighbour, so there will be even more sharing from this bundle.
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