Let’s face it: it was only a matter of time before Zara extended its (rather fashionable) arms into the world of beauty. I mean, the brand had already whet our appetites with the hugely successful launch of Emotions, the fragrance line created by none other than Jo Malone. So when the high street stalwart decided it was time to bring out a make-up collection, it was only right that it teamed up with an equally as iconic name from the make-up world. 

The artist in question? Diane Kendal. An industry legend, Kendal’s hands are behind countless memorable catwalk, cover and campaign beauty looks for designers like Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta.

So how do you translate a fashion behemoth like Zara into a curated collection of beauty products? Naturally, you go big. Spanning lips, cheeks, eyes and even nails, the range caters to everyone’s inner experimentalist, with bold colours bound to take you out of your cosmetic comfort zone. If you ask me, it’s a very welcome reminder of the fun to be found in make-up, especially after a year avoiding the stuff.

It isn’t all wild, though. The versatile textures mean you can dial your look up or down, while the face formulas (think soft blusher and highlighter powders) are milled so finely, they look just like the skin below, only glowier. And while the high street has a way to go in terms of sustainability, notably, each of the Zara Beauty products are refillable.

One thing to note: when you include all the different shade options, there’s 130 individual products on offer which can make the job of selecting your favourites a little overwhelming. So I thought I’d help. Below, I’ve cherry-picked the Zara Beauty products that impressed me the most, so much so they’ve been granted space in my post-lockdown make-up bag. 

Images: courtesy of Zara