Beauty review: the Huda Beauty Pretty Grunge Collection

It feels like Huda Beauty are more than adept at grabbing onto a trend and making it their own, so when I heard the 90s look was key to their newest release I was super keen to see which aspect of my OG beauty days they would focus most acutely on.
Being a brand that is all about the glam, I was beyond surprised to see that Huda Beauty had jumped on the grunge scene for inspiration but wow, have they done it right – and put their own spin on it in true Huda form. The end result is the limited edition Pretty Grunge Collection, which combines a rock aesthetic with elevated glam for a truly iconic look. Cocktailing two maximalist trends, the Pretty Grunge Collection gives you everything you need to rebel and redefine beauty standards; an eyeshadow palette, face gloss, mini Liquid Matte Lipsticks, and a Lip Gloss duo all coming together to cause beauty chaos wherever you go.

Standout fave: the eyeshadow palette
The Pretty Grunge eyeshadow palette is an absolute winner, being comprised of 18 ultra-pigmented wearable shades and innovative textures, ranging from chrome metallics, shiny shimmers, flattering mattes and a creamy gloss. I personally love that it’s definitely matte-heavy, but with enough pops of sparkle to keep things pretty if that’s your aim.
The shade 'Grunge' is an innovative black gloss that makes a simple grunge-tastic eye easy, and I love 'Strong AF,' a purple, silver marble for a supercharged glow. 'Rebelle' is a crushed trio chrome shade that adds sparkle to any look, while 'Avant-Garde' is a very versatile, metallic brown with soft pearl finish. I love that all of the shades are intensely pigmented, and crazy easy to blend with minimal fallout. Finger application is recommended for the shimmery shades and metallics for easy high impact, and every shade really is a winner.

The runner up: Face Gloss
This limited-edition highlighting gloss has a sheer multi-use formula that gives an effortless luminous sheen to the lips and cheeks. Formulated with pH-Bloom technology, this gel gloss is clear when applied but adapts to a subtle 'Punk Pink' blush on the skin with a silky reflective glow. It’s also lightweight, non-sticky, and so easy to use, just use your fingertips to warm the gloss to activate pH-Bloom before applying to the lips and cheeks.

And highly commended: the Liquid Matte Lip Collection
I rarely leave home without a lip, and love that this set is made up of minis of two of Huda’s best-selling shades, bombshell and sweet talker, along with two new shades, maverick and rebel. These lipsticks have major staying power, boast eight-hour wear, and have intense colour payoff for an effortless, lived-in, rockstar look.

The Huda Beauty Pretty Grunge Collection is on counter now at Sephora.