I Tried a Full Face of Refy Beauty—These Are the Products I Would Actually Buy
There's one makeup brand that I find myself reaching for a lot lately, and I'm seeing it all over my FYP too. It's Refy Beauty. Created by founder Jess Hunt, the brand has a modest edit of multi-functional products in equally minimal, aesthetically pleasing packaging. The brand is all about streamlining your beauty routine so you can do a natural yet pulled-together look in less than 10 minutes. There's no high-maintenance foundation, complicated eye shadow or contouring here; these are all products you can pat or swipe on fast to create a "no makeup" vibe and easily throw in your bag for quick touch-ups. Think impeccably groomed brows, dewy skin and glossy lips.
Beauty editor Eleanor Vousden wearing a full face of Refy Beauty products.
I was already a fan of the Refy Cream Bronzer (£18) (I've hit pan and I'm sad about it) and the Brow Pencil (£14), but there were a few products from the brand that I'm yet to try. So, I decided to road test every product from the brand to see which ones are really worth a deserving place in your makeup bag. Below, you can read my honest review of the full Refy line.
The Best Refy Beauty Makeup Products
I've had this brush for over a year now and it's one I reach for every single day. On one end is a fluffy stippling brush and on the other is a denser brush. They can both be used in so many ways, but I love the fluffy end for applying cream bronzer and the shorter end for patting in cream blush. As it's double-ended, it saves on space and is ideal for touching up makeup when you're out and about.
This might be my favourite Refy product of the lot. This cream bronzer is *chef's kiss*. It's so creamy, has zero shimmer and melts into the skin to deliver a healthy glow. It has an almost sheer quality which makes it look both radiant and natural when buffed into the skin with the fluffy end of the Duo Brush. That being said, you can easily layer it for more intensity. I like the fairest shade, Dune, for my skin tone, but there are four shades in total to choose from which can cater to a spectrum of skin tones. If you only buy one product, I'd make it this one.
This is one of the OG Refy products that put the brand on the map. Brow Sculpt was truly innovative when it launched for creating a fluffy, laminated-brow effect with a long-lasting, non-flaking hold. You use the pomade to brush the solution through the brows before using the comb brushes on the other end to lift and set the brows into place. Whilst it does really hold brows in place without that dried-glue feeling, I'd advise applying this before foundation or any base makeup, and before applying any other brow products too. I say this because as you comb through your brows, it can pick up product underneath which can then gather and clump in the hairs.
I really, really love Refy lip liners. Having tried a couple of the shades now, I can attest that these liners are amongst the longest-lasting around. On the other end of the pencil is a setting solution—a kind of sheer, matte balm, that you apply over the lip liner to lock it into place. And it works really well. The twist-up nib is so easy to apply on the go and the shade range features three pinks and three browns in different undertones, as well as a suits-all cherry red. In my opinion, this is a must try if you're big on your lip liner.
I love the concept of this primer. The roller applicator means you can massage and sculpt as you prime your skin for makeup with its serum formula, which contains niacinamide and glycerin to address oiliness and hydrate. However, I feel like I could skip this product. It's nice to have, but I don't see drastic improvements in the longevity of my base makeup. Refy doesn't yet have a skin tint or foundation, but I have a feeling the brand would nail it.
Refy's cream blushers are a thing of beauty. They're creamy and nicely pigmented, but not so much so that you end up with too much colour. I dab the shorter end of the Duo Brush into the product and press it into the skin for a healthy flush. They have a radiant finish which makes your skin look juicy and healthy and can be built up to the intensity you like. I have the shades Rose (a bright pink) and Cherry (pictured here), which is a bright pink, but there are three other shades to choose from.
Refy has a very extensive brow range, but it's the brow pencils that I favour. The're ultra-fine, meaning you can create realistic-looking individual brow strokes, and the formula isn't too hard that it drags, nor too soft that it melts off. These are great if you want to add some subtle definition to your brows, and the spoolie brush on the other end helps to groom the hairs into place and diffuse any product so it blends seamlessly with your own brow hairs. I can't live without this now.
I'm usually wary of brow gels of the tinted variety (I find they deposit too much product in all the wrong places) but this one surprised me. It has a glossy formula that coats brows evenly and leaves a subtle tint, with zero flakiness. It the hairs into place nicely whilst offering a medium hold that doesn't turn crusty come 2 p.m. The spherical brush manages to capture even the little hairs, so you get a consistent coating.
Refy's lip glosses combine the benefits of a hydrating lip balm with an ultra-glassy sheen. They come in shades that match the lip liners, with the addition of a clear gloss too, so you can go matchy-matchy with the corresponding shades, or use them with lip products you own already. The combination of shea butter, hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil leaves the lips hydrated and plumped, and the metal applicator is so cooling on contact with the lips—a great little experiential luxury.
I've seen mixed reviews about this one, but I'm a fan. Personally, I think it's all in the application. You can apply this as you would a traditional lipstick, but I prefer dabbing it onto my lips for a blurred, effortless finish. It gives a lived-in flush that looks like your lips, but better. The product's matte finish lends itself well to this application, but some have noted it's quite drying on the lips if you swipe it on. I actually love using this as a blush to add a hint of colour to the cheeks.
Hate glittery highlighters? Me too. This one is all sheen without any sparkle, and it gives a wet-look highlight to cheekbones or anywhere you choose to apply it. It's lightly tinted with a metallic topaz hue (there's only one shade), but on the skin, it reads as a pretty, translucent glow. I return to this product every summer when I want to finish my makeup with a touch of radiance.
Eleanor wearing Refy Beauty Gloss Highlighter.
If you want to fill in larger areas of your brows, then Brow Pomade is certainly worth a try for covering more ground. I personally prefer the pencil, but I love that Refy has catered to everyone on the brows front—we love a brand that gives us options. The packaging on this is really well thought out; one end houses the pomade and on the other end, there's an angled brush that makes defining your brows both easy and fuss free if you need to top-up on the go, without the fear of anything exploding in your makeup bag. Simply dip the brush into the pomade to pick up some product and swipe through brows to create shape, add volume and define.
I discovered this product in the depths of winter when my lips always suffer from dryness. Whilst lip balm helps, sometimes I need something to exfoliate the dry skin prior to applying anything on top, and Refy has solved this problem. It has a bristled applicator that, in tandem with the hydrating serum inside the tube, works to buff away dry flakes whilst delivering moisture to the lips. It's been a game-changer. What I will say is that because it's really effective at removing dead skin, the flakes can (forgive me for being a little gross here) collect in the bristles and can be tricky to remove, as the nibs are quite firm.
Come summer, I adore this product. It's essentially a serum highlighter for your body which you can apply to your décolletage, shins or anywhere you require a little glow. Like the highlighter for the face, this has zero glitter and leaves a glossy, wet-look sheen that I can only imagine would leave supermodels jealous. It isn't sticky, and although it has a subtle bronze tint, it doesn't provide coverage like body makeup—it gives more of a translucent sheen. It's also fragrance-free and hydrating, making it ideal for sensitive or dry skin too.
I don't know what kind of sorcery is at play, but this powder is magical. It's water-based, which sounds strange given that it's a powder product, but it essentially sets makeup and mattifies areas of shine without drying the skin or caking throughout the day. It feels kind of cooling on the skin at you pat it on, and it works well to blur pores and reduce areas of unwanted shine. I'm always so impressed at how it makes the pores around my nose look practically non-existent. There are two shades; 01, which has a yellow, warm undertone and 02, a pink hue that better suits cooler complexions.
I find that this sponge is the best way to apply the powder, as the pointed shape allows you to precisely place the product around the nose or the areas where you want to de-shine. I'd describe it as a nice-to-have sponge, but you don't need it if you prefer using a different one or a powder puff to apply powder. That being said, it's great for blending in concealer if you want to use it for that instead.
This isn't your average makeup bag. You'd be right in thinking that a white makeup bag isn't a good idea, but this one is made from a patent-pending material that can be wiped clean. This means that all the mess that can come from makeup brushes or product explosions inside the bag can be wiped away, and the same goes for the exterior. I was sceptical, but having kept my makeup brushes and products in here, I'm delighted to confirm that it really works. It's also really roomy to hold all of your products, and it comes with an internal zip section for smaller items that you might want to separate.
Shop More Refy Beauty:
Refy has just released a new mascara that you're going to want to get your hands on. The unique applicator is unlike anything I've ever used before, and it really works to sculpt, separate and lengthen the lashes.
Want to try some of Refy's hero products? This set allows you to save money on individual prices (a saving of £28) and you can choose the blusher, bronzer and powder shade to suit you best.
This mini set of the brow sculpt and highlighter is so cute—great for travelling or throwing in your bag for touch-ups.
Refy's iconic brow products can be used together for your fullest, fluffiest brows yet.
I own this kit of cherry-red blush, lip liner and gloss, and it's perfect for creating a glossy red lip and cohesive cheeks. It also comes with a very chic compact mirror.
This duo is perfect if you want to pair your lip liner with your gloss—you can choose your own shades.
Next Up: I'm Obsessed With Merit Beauty—Here Are My Honest Thoughts On Every Product
Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner and her miniature dachshund.
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