Drew Barrymore's Flower swatches and photo

The new cosmetics line that launched in February is simply named "Flower" and is only available at select Wal-Mart stores and Walmart.com. Flower can be found as a full display at Wal-Mart, and at my own local store, it was found right next to the CoverGirl display. The first impression was the packaging. Very clean, elegant and superb quality packaging. Made in America and no animal testing...something a lot of cosmetics lines cannot boast about. I will forewarn to those who are not fans of parabens: you will be disappointed. There are parabens found in several products that I'll list below. Drew seems like a sensible gal, I think if a few of us submit our concerns about parabens, she might help to change the formula (I've seen this happen with other cosmetic companies). I wouldn't mind paying a few bucks extra if better quality ingredients were used instead of parabens. The price point is just about the same price point as L'Oreal cosmetics from the drugstores. The highest priced item in the line is the anti-aging foundation with primer, which runs only $14 for quite a large bottle with a pump. We'll get into the specifics of the foundation later in the post.

Items purchased from Wal-Mart in Mountain View, CA:

• About Face Foundation - LF3 ($15)
• Secret Service Cover-Up - CU2 ($8)
• Win Some, Rouge Some Creme Blush - CB1 Pure Petunia ($8)
• Flower Ready Set Glow! Blush/Bronzer Duo - Gloriously Golden ($10)
• Color Play Creme Shadow - Good as Mari-Gold and Orchid-ing Around ($8 each)
• Flower Lash Knockout Volumizing Mascara - Intense Black ($7)
• Flower On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner - Black ($7)
• Flower Kiss Stick High-Shine Lip Color - Tulips 2 Kiss You ($7)
• Flower Nail'd It Nail Lacquer - Fanatical Botanical ($5)
• Flower Shadow Play Eye Shadow Quad - Foxy Browns ($10)

Swatches of color: Color Play Creme Shadow - Good as Mari-Gold and Orchid-ing Around

Pros: The packaging alone makes me want more of these creme shadows. I usually end up hating creme shadows due to creasing, but this product delivers highly-pigmented, smooth, shimmering color that doesn't budge. I do use E.L.F Cosmetics E/S Primer first, which helps it hold a bit better. Good as Mari-Gold is a perfect everyday "dab" on the lid and go color. Orchid-ing Around makes smokey eyes a snap and blends very well along with powder shadow, especially the Flower Quad powder shadows.

Cons: Contains parabens. Studies indicate that methylparaben applied on the skin may react with UVB, leading to increased skin aging and DNA damage. (From Wikipedia)

Flower Kiss Stick High-Shine Lip Color - Tulips 2 Kiss You

Pros: The color is creamy, vibrant, long-lasting and top-notch quality. This opaque color gives you that "Barbie" lip look without being too garish. You can use this color applied with a fingertip to create a stain. I applied a peach shimmery gloss over the top (not pictured) and it looked absolutely stunning. I have worn this color every day this week and haven't become bored of it yet!

Cons: Might be too bright for some!



Flower Shadow Play Eye Shadow Quad - Foxy Browns Pros: I am a total sucker for quads, but I usually end up only using just two colors from the compact. With this quad, I've used them all, and frequently. Each neutral shade is superior in quality; a very fine and blendable texture, it looks airbrushed and flawless. Reminds me of the texture of the YSL quads that I've dreamed about owning for years. The darker brown and taupe are both matte and the copper and beige shade are both shimmer.

Cons: Contains parabens.



Flower On Your Mark Liquid Eye Liner - Black Pros: Soft black, not harsh. Easy to apply and was long-lasting. Cons: For some, this liquid liner won't look dramatic enough. The finish is a matte, soft black.

        More reviews:

• About Face Foundation :
• Pros: A gel-like texture in a high-quality bottle with pump. Feels similar to the Chantecaille $72 foundation. The coverage is light to light-medium with a satin finish. It's undetectable in natural light.
• Cons: With my oily skin, this foundation, although quality, didn't stay on too well. I do use a mineral setting powder by Jane Iredale on top. The coverage was too sheer for what I am used to (Revlon ColorStay liquid).

• Secret Service Cover-Up - CU2:
• Pros: Nice texture, almost like a thicker version of the liquid foundation. The shade was in a pinker tone, and I like that for a brightening effect. Doesn't cover acne as well as I hoped, this is more of a sheer concealer. Works well under the eyes.
• Cons: Contains parabens. Not pigmented enough to cover acne.

• Win Some, Rouge Some Creme Blush - CB1 Pure Petunia:
• Pros: The color is just adorable. Gives you that "dolly" look with a coral-pink pop of color. I use a foundation brush to apply this blush and it works very well. No shimmer!
• Cons: On my oily skin, it didn't last through the entire day. That's to be expected with most creme blushes on my skin. I may try this on the lips to see what it looks like with a gloss on top.
• Flower Ready Set Glow! Blush/Bronzer Duo - Gloriously Goldenros: Having blush and bronzer in one compact is very convenient. The no-shimmer bronzer and blush are easy to coordinate and look soft. I haven't used much of this, so I'll update this review as I go.
• Cons: Today I tried it out again, and I am not sure about the bronzer. I like to contour and highlight my face and this was a little too "natural" for me.
• Flower Lash Knockout Volumizing Mascara - Intense Black:
• Pros: The packaging caught me off-guard. It doesn't really match the other Flower product packaging, but that shouldn't be a concern. I LOVE this mascara. Very creamy, not at all clumpy, I was able to apply two coats with no issues. Doesn't leave my lashes stiff.
• Cons: I am not a fan of the brush. I use another brush with this formula.
• Flower Nail'd It Nail Lacquer - Fanatical Botanical
• Pros: This color is exactly the same color my mom used to wear when I was a kid in the 80s. She told me it was expensive ($4) and made with crushed diamonds. I don't remember what brand it was, but she wouldn't let me use it! I saw the color and I had to have it. It's very natural and feminine and since I hate my chubby fingers, this adds just a little happiness to my fingertips. These polishes are getting rave reviews online, too.
• Cons: These colors are similar to Essie, which can be purchased at Target. I'm hoping the line expands with more nail color choices.

Fantastic review! thanks!

Wow thanks for the very detailed reviews!  You've made me really curious about the cream shadows now.  I especially love the nail polish "pro" you listed, that it was a shade your mom used to wear when you were a kid.  awww cute!

Yes, there is a YouTube video review here:

This girl is completely insane in love with the Flower line. She goes into deeper detail about the cream shadows, calling them better than MAC paint pots. I am agreeing with her so far.