Monday 22 August 2011

Illamasqua Haul + Swatches

 I was feeling very happy this morning when I discovered a parcel sitting in my mail box! I received some amazing Illamasqua products in the mail!

Illamasqua recently started their Summer Sale on their online site with a selection of makeup products on sale at up to 65% off. Have a read through my recent post about the sale here.


I must admit that I 'was' an Illamasqua virgin until the day this package arrived...


Since the day I made the order, 11 business days went by and these Illamasqua beauties arrived in my mail box! Postage to Australia was £8, which is very reasonable in my opinion. 




L-R: Powder Blusher in Sin (£10) and Cream Blusher in Betray (£12.40)

Swatches without flash, L-R: Sin and Betray
Swatches with flash, L-R: Sin and Betray
Powder Blusher in Sin: Deep violet plum with a matte finish
Cream Blusher in Betray: Deep rose plum with a dewy finish


Both Sin and Betray are slightly too dark as a blusher for my light skintone, however, it's a good thing that Betray is a cream blusher and that it works perfectly well as a lip colour! Betray is a highly pigmented cream formula which gives my lips a very modern and professional look. I would definitely wear this shade for any formal meetings to come.


Sin appears slightly rosey in the photos above, so don't be fooled as this shade really is a slightly darker plum shade. The pigmentation is supurb and I found the swatch on my arm very difficult to remove! Sin would be suitable for warmer skintones and I wouldn't recommend this shade for pale skintones, unless you're looking for a dramatic look.


Lipstick in Filth (£5) and Lipstick in Wanton (£10)

 Filth Lipstick: Pastel pale pink with a matte finish
Wanton Lipstick: Warm lilac rose with a matte finish


Matte lipsticks tend to appear chalky and unattractive, however, the trick is to dab the lipstick onto your lips then use the warmth from your fingertips to blend it in. This gives an overall 'soft' and 'matte' look. 

I've never attempted to try such a pale pink lipstick before, but since 'Filth' was on sale for £5, I couldn't resist not trying it out! I actually like this shade more than Wanton as I have way too many dusky rosey shades like Wanton. Wanton is still definitely a beautiful shade and it reminds me of Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle lipstick and Revlon Colorburst lipstick in Soft Rose.

Intense Lipgloss in Femme (£9.75)


Intense Lipgloss in Femme: Bright red/coral 


Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss smells absolutely divine! It smells like sweet candy and it's just really addictive! The shade Femme appears more red than coral, though it's a very wearable bright shade. The finish of this lipgloss is highly reflective and provides a bold and beautiful finish which leaves my lips looking fuller. 


I absolutely LOVE the packaging of Illamasqua's Intense Lipgloss as the tube is nice and slim and the applicator is small and slanted. This makes applying lipgloss on the go so much easier!


Swatches without flash, L-R: Filth, Wanton and Femme
Swatches with flash, L-R: Filth, Wanton and Femme
Top, L-R:  Cream Eye Shadow in Morn and Stimulus (£5)
Bottom: Pure Pigment in Involve (£11.65)

Swatches without flash, L-R: Involve, Morn and Stimulus
Swatches with flash, L-R: Involve, Morn and Stimulus

Cream Eye Shadow in Morn: warm pink with satin finish
Cream Eye Shadow in Stimulus: Soft lavender purple with satin finish
Pure Pigment in Involve: Royal purple shimmer

The cream eye shadows provide a beautiful satin finish. The texture is very thin, however, the pigmentation is fantastic. The intensity of the shade appears exactly the same after you apply it on the lids.

I'm a fan of products that are versatile and so I've decided to test out the shade Morn as a cream blusher. Morn is such a girly pink shade that it really does pass as a pretty pink blusher for my cheeks. I don't really see myself reaching out for pink eye shadow as often, however, I would probably reach out for this more often as a blusher rather than eye shadow. 

Pure Pigment in Involve is packed full of irredescent shimmer and the swatch in the above photo just doesn't do justice! The texture is surprisingly smooth and very easy to blend. I never knew how good the quality of Illamasqua Pure Pigment collection was until now!

Illamasqua is my new love! I will definitely look into expanding my Illamasqua collection, as their range of shades and quality really is exceptional!

I'm already going through a list of Illamasqua products in my wish list and I really need to try Pure Pigment in Ore and Intense Lipgloss in Mistress.


Have you purchased anything special from the Illamasqua Summer sale?
Which Illamasqua products do you love most?

Rose 

8 comments:

  1. Great haul!!! Love the lip colors <3

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  2. Great post - Those eyeshadows look super feminine!

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  3. @Vita, yes they are! I have too many purples that I just can't stop buying!

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  4. hey hun! yes i did i got LOTS! :)

    check out my haul! :)

    http://pixielovessoapandglory.blogspot.com/2011/08/shameful-haul-and-illamasqua-addiction.html

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  5. @PixieVoltaire, your haul looks FAB!

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  6. Wow amazing haul! Yes you need Ore! It is amazing~

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  7. Thanks Nancy! I saw your review on Ore and I was just amazed!

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