Topshop Beauty Is Back & It's All Cruelty-Free – Here's A First Look

Earlier this year, Topshop made the decision to discontinue its entire makeup collection, sending those who relied on failsafe lipstick shades like Saint, Rio Rio and Shoal, not to mention that baked glowy gold highlighter, into meltdown. Occupying a space between high street and high end, the pigments were impressive and price points affordable, so whether the products would return was a question on pretty much every beauty-lover's lips.

Fast-forward to this week and Topshop Beauty is back. In brand new (and very sleek) packaging with smart, cruelty-free formulas approved by the Leaping Bunny Program, it's more or less five times the size of the original collection – there are now 83 (!) lipstick shades to choose from.

Refinery29 took a trip to Topshop HQ to catch a glimpse of all the products, priced between £5 and £16, before they launch in store and online on 2nd November. Here's what's worth your hard-earned cash.

You already know there are a huge 83 lipstick swatches to experiment with, including products in crayon and chubby stick form (£8 each), but there are also three finishes to choose from: matte, cream or satin. As fans of the original formulas, we can confirm they're just as brilliant, if not better – especially the creamier textures. Long-wearing, highly pigmented and hydrating, it's basically everything you want from a lipstick.

Topshop gives good glow, fact. Its popular baked Crescent Moon highlighter is back and has shed its classic black and white packaging for a very apt gold case. As for the formula, it's much less glittery and a lot more natural on the skin, whether you apply it over foundation or onto bare skin. Chameleon Glow – one of Topshop's most popular pigments – has also made a reappearance in baked highlighter form.

Mascara, eyeliner and eyeshadow can be hit and miss, but we're absolutely sold on all three in the new collection. The Keyboard Mascara lengthens like any luxury buy and the Soot Longwear Matte Liquid Eyeliner is smudge-proof. That's before we've touched on the six different eyeshadow finishes, including matte, satin and chrome, the incredible staying power of the pigment and the eyebrow mascara – a brilliant cross between Glossier's Boy Brow and Charlotte Tilbury's Legendary Brow Gel.

Topshop has served up a 10-strong collection of brushes, including tools for seamless foundation application and eye makeup, and they're on par with any luxury brush set we've tried. Each brush comes complete with its own zippable, transportable case, so you can cart them around without getting them dirty.

While there are only 12 shades of longwear foundation available currently, a Topshop spokesperson told R29 that there are plans in the works to expand the range to suit all skin tones. The formula goes on lightly but lends full coverage – a little goes a long way. There are also numerous shades of concealer with a blendable texture and impressive coverage we'd compare to NARS' brilliant Creamy Concealer. In other words, stockpile it.