Archive for the Illamasqua Category

The Only Way is Essex ‘REEM’ party, GlossyBox and Illamasqua..

By on September 9, 2011

I very rarely do ‘event’ coverage posts but I’m sure if I was a reader I’d definitely be interested in seeing a few pics of the The Only Way is Essex REEM party. The party was in celebration of their new beauty and fragrance line held at the swanky Sanctum Hotel in Soho, and I was lucky enough to get this picture taken with the lovely Kirk from the show.Of the four shots taken, the one where I’m not pouting and caught ‘laughing’ (oh, the horror) is the one they sent to me. Also, note the somewhat surprising height difference between us (or lack of it)! It was really difficult to get decent shots of the range as the was lighting was abysmal for photography (great for partying though!), however I managed to take this cheeky snap which gives you an idea of what is to be expected. The cosmetic range (available from Argos) is aimed at young girls to teens, and the fragrance is surprisingly available at The Fragrance Shop. The ladies one was very sweet smelling, definitely not for everyone, however the men’s was in contrast nice and fresh.

GLOSSYBOX
Got my September GlossyBox today. I attended a fun event by them last week where they allowed us to make our very own GlossyBox! We got to pick five items from a selection..

Here’s what I picked for my self-made GlossyBox:
Weleda Pomegranite Regenerating Body Oil
Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
Inlight Organice Daily Face Oil
Korres Lip Butter in Mango
Korres Lip Butter in Plum (yes, I was cheeky and picked two of the same as I couldn’t choose!)

Interestingly, if you ever wondered why you got a few full size products alongside sample sizes it’s because sometimes companies want to be involved with GlossyBox but they don’t have  the budget to manufacture samples sizes, so it’s easier for them to just send over full sized ones! There, mystery solved.

ILLAMASQUA
I also attended the Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless A/W event last week, grabbing a good opportunity check out the new collection. They have a really gorgeous coral cream blusher (cream pigment) coming out called Androgen. I really liked it as a blush but apparently it’s also the perfect shade for blocking out stubble(!), hence the name.Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Androgen

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless: Pure Pigment in Zeitgeist, Nail Varnish in Taint and Lipstick in Kontrol
I generally despise the colour purple, but the purple lipstick (Kontrol) they gave me in my goody bag is considerably wearable and rather flattering!! Again, not a shade for the faint hearted, you have to be pulling off a slightly edgy look in the first place, but you can easily come across as high fashion instead of goth (which I think is what most people want).

So that’s my update of the most blog worthy events I attended in the last few weeks.. Next week is gonna be manic with Fashion Week and all but I will try and keep you updated and I have a special surprise – if I can find the energy to do it!

Have a good weekend!
Lx

This entry is filed under GlossyBox, Illamasqua and tagged .

Illamasqua ‘Body Electrics’ Body Range!

By on April 13, 2010

SNB13193

Oh Oh Oh, I just got sent some FAAAAAB products from the brand spanking new Illamasqua Body Electrics range; the Illamasqua body range. The range went on sale last Friday (9th April) and here are the two bits I’ve got swatched here for you today. Full reviews to follow in the next coming week..

SNB13202

Illumine Oil in Volt

A dry body oil with a gorgeous iridescent shimmer that you can build for intensity. This oil actually comes in two shades, a bronze shimmer (Pulse) and an iridescent violet shimmer (Volt). Me has the violet one and it is very pretty and smells DIVINE. I cannot stress enough how good it smells! So luxurious to wear.

Usually I would have gone for the bronze, having darker skin a bronze is typically a better accompaniment then a paler one. However the violet is still very wearable and from initial swatches you can really build (or tone down!) with this and make it work for your skin tone. Great for shoulders, arms, etc. Priced £32.

Liquid Metal in Surge

I’ve never tried Illamasqua’s cult product Liquid Metal however this is a new platinum shade they’ve bought out from it to go with the theme of the Body Electrics range.

It’s beautiful, the swatches here really doesn’t do it justice; it’s so creamy and smooth whilst still remaining light. Haven’t worn it on the face as yet so can’t judge on staying power, creasing, etc, but I will very soon so look out for the upcoming review and pics of it worn so you can decide for yourself what you think. So far I love it, even though I generally tend to steer away from silvery shades this is almost a taupe and I consider it quite wearable. This product can also be worn on the body and generally any areas you need more illumination! Priced £17.

So what do you think? The body oil is definitely gonna get lots of wear from me as it smells soooo good; perfect for a night out! And I can’t wait to play around with the Liquid Metal shade and see what gorgeous shimmery looks I can create with it.

Check out the full Body Electrics range at www.Illamasqua.com.

Lx

This entry is filed under Body Care, Illamasqua and tagged , , . | 6 Comments

Illamasqua Lipstick in Box and Medium Pencil in Feisty

By on January 14, 2010

Here’s the review for rest of the lovely Illamasqua products I received! The reason it has taken a little longer is that the colours have been so hard to photograph in order to represent a true likeness, in the end I randomly threw some of the lippy and liner on one morning (sans any other make-up) and played around with my camera settings to finally get a decent representation! So sorry in advance about the state of my appearance in the pics below – just try and focus on the lips! ;)

As I mentioned in my Illamasqua Dixie Cream Blusher review, what I was sent to review was perfect for my own taste and individual style. I love bright make-up and classic statement lips are top of the list! This shade of red really reminds me of my first red lipstick – I was bought it by my mum when I was 15. It was Yardley (anyone remember those?), purchased from a chemists’ bargain bin at a reduced price of 40 pence. I kid you not, the texture, shade and finish was unbelievable. It could rival any higher end brand. I loved that lipstick and wore it religiously for 2 whole years, until eventually all the Yardleys were sold out, packed up and out of business, and so was my favourite red lipstick.

So hooray for Illamasqua Box! I’ve since discovered this shade is called Box after Illamasqua creative director, Alex Box (not after pillar box like I originally guessed, doh!), and is designed to be the perfect red, a warm bluish orange-red, that looks great on everyone, but especially those with paler skin. I don’t have paler skin, but I still think it looks rad on me (ha), thus proving in my opinion that it probably really does suit everyone!

Box Lipstick and Feisty Medium Pencil

Application
Well it’s a lipstick in tube form – I don’t bother with lip brushes I like applying straight from the tube. The Medium Pencil in Feisty is the perfect match to line your lips (interestingly, medium pencils can also be used on the eyes!!). When you’re wearing a red, especially a strong red like this, you really need a good lip pencil to define your lips as any smudges or flaws are double more noticeable.

Swatches

Verdict
LOVE the shade, it really is a classic red for me. Reminds me massively of the sorta lipstick that Amanda De Cadenet wore when she decided to be all grunge for a split second in the 90′s. Courtney Love has also defined this as the perfect red.

Again, apologies for my shabby appearance! The pics look blue as I had to change the setting in order to pick up the lipstick colour as how it actually looks in the flesh. It comes out too orange in regular settings.

It’s a dream to apply, goes on smoothly and as it is a matte finish lipstick it isn’t greasy and a mess to get a neat, precise application. It’s quite creamy at first, but does get a teeny bit drying later on. When worn out for evenings, the colour did wear off on the center of the mouth (where you drink), so I found myself reapplying often to liven up the colour. However, I still really think it’s a good, long lasting lipstick and I never felt my lips get all flakey and ruined despite the reapplication and the fact it is a matte lipstick.

The good thing about the Medium Pencil Feisty is that I do already have a few other red lipsticks in varying degrees of bluish tones and orange, but miraculously this shades seems to suit them all! Very impressed with that! It has a good consistency of creamy but strong, you can easily define your lips and it stays in place once lined.

So yet again Illamasqua have done it and received a full thumbs from me! A great lippy (my favourite red so far!) and liner that I will be reaching for time and time again! Bravo!
Lx

This entry is filed under Illamasqua, Lips and tagged , . | 11 Comments

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie

By on January 9, 2010

It’s pretty apt that as I write this I’ve been tormenting myself with trying to get tickets to the sold out Hole show for February this year. I will actually probably cry if I can’t get tickets (their first show in London for ten years, I was at the last one). Hole is the band fronted by Courtney Love, someone who I’ve idolised since I was 14 (a long, long time!).

This is apt because when I was sent some lovely Illamaqua products for review, I mentioned beforehand I adored Courtney Love to their press folk. It transpired Courtney is a huuuuge fan of the brand so they kindly sent me products she herself is very fond of(!!!!). When the products arrived my first impressions were impressive, I couldn’t have loved them more. They had seemed exactly what I would have picked if you had let me run loose at an Illamasqua counter myself. But the product that caught my eye the most was the Cream Blusher in Dixie..

I have always been a massive cream blush girl, it was actually my ‘thing’ when I first really discovered make-up. Products like Benefit Posietint and Stila Convertible Colors were the prized possessions in my make-up kit. But despite all of the products out there I still felt like I hadn’t found my Holy Grail cream blusher, despite 12 years of searching. You (well, me) wants something that is dewy, sheer but also pigmented enough to give a good pop of colour. You want something that lasts, including the moisture/dewyness! And lastly, you something you can reapply/build without it going cakey.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie!

Application
It comes in a black compact, which I feel is stylish and convenient – easy to open and seems pretty sturdy. It has a clear plastic ‘window’ in the top half displaying the blusher beneath so you can at a glance make sure you’re picking up the right shade.

It says on the packaging that you can wear this under and over foundation, I only ever wore it over so can’t comment how it works under. To apply over I would simply rub a clean finger in the product (you can also use a brush, if desired) and smooth over the intended area of my cheeks (usually the apple and a little out).

Verdict
I love it! This could genuinely be my Holy Grail blusher! The pigment is amazing, just by rubbing a small amount of product onto my finger I would get enough colour for one cheek perfectly – massively surprising as normally with these products you really need to build the colour up. However, if you found you do need more colour, just simply apply more! It blends and builds beautifully, stays in place throughout the day/night, and best of all – remains dewy on your skin! A rarity, even amongst the best of them! You can also use this on the lips too which looks sooo pretty but doesn’t last as long as it does on the cheeks (but still okay!).

Applied on cheeks and lips. L-R, No flash, flash

Reapplied 6 hours later. Still dewy!

Still looking fresh, despite 7 hours after original application (reapplied once)!

What I really liked about this product was sometimes I’d use a powder blusher, like Benefit Coralista (a light shimmer blush), but then decide after that I need more colour so tentatively reach for my Dixie. While most cream products would cake when applied onto a powder anything, Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie rose to the challenge and never blotched or caked regardless of what I applied it on top off! Admittedly, you were compromised on the dewyness it would ordinarily have given when used alone (as the powder product absorbs this) but most importantly it didn’t look patchy or cakey, and it did still impressively provide some decent sheen/dew to your cheeks!

I love this product and can’t see myself ever tiring of it – finally a cream blusher that suits all my needs perfectly! Why wasn’t this invented when I was 17? If I had to summarise what it compares to, I’d say a far, far superior version of Stila Convertible Colours (is it just me or is Poppy the only one that was actually great from them?), and a high end Max Factor Miracle Cream Blush, as while that product was good (especially for high street), it didn’t last on the skin and you really had to really build the colour up to get a decent amount of pigment – unlike this. I should add (do I really need to?) that this is probably going to be too greasy for oily skin, but I doubt people with oily skin would want a cream blush or its’ finish anyway but just in case you were curious!

So as if you couldn’t tell I am utterly impressed and couldn’t recommend this enough. I will definitely be checking out the other colours!!
Lx

This entry is filed under Cheeks, Illamasqua and tagged . | 6 Comments

Coming soon – Illamasqua product reviews!

By on December 13, 2009

I got some fab pieces sent to me from Illamasqua yesterday for review – being a huge Courtney Love fan and knowing Courtney in turn is a huge Illamasqua fan they kindly sent me products that she herself personally adores (gush!).

It sounds so cheesy but from appearances I love everything they sent as they seemed to tailor it perfectly towards my own personal style. Unfortunately I haven’t tried any on in the slightest yet as am ill (yes, AGAIN) and didn’t want to ruin the beautiful products with my sickly germs, but have done swatches and will most likely bust into them this week – can’t wait.

Being a huge fan of cream, dewy blushers I am probably most excited about the Cream Blusher in Dixie, a beautiful coral pink – perfect for smokey eyes and babydoll cheeks and fresh, dewy skin.

But then the matte lipstick in Box, a striking classic red (I personally think a little darker than pillar box red but possibly that is where it got its name from) is an essential shade in any ones kit and actually this shade of red is something I’ve been needing for a while as all my others are too orange or bright so perfect timing!

And lastly, a medium pencil in Feisty – again, I sound like I’ve been paid by Illamasqua or something but I assure you I haven’t(!), a perfect partner to the Box lipstick and all my other orange-red lippies! You can also use these pencils on the eye, but I think I’ll stick strictly to the lips with this shade for now.

Swatches
Awesome shades, and I’m really excited as I’ve heard lots about Illamasqua but personally haven’t tried anything of theirs until now. As I mentioned above I’ll probably start wearing them out this week and begin testing their wear through various stages of xmas partying so let me know if there’s anything you would like reviewed here first, and I’ll post in order of request popularity.

Lx

This entry is filed under Illamasqua. | 2 Comments

Sophie – A Dark Angel

By on November 28, 2009

I’m sure most of you have already heard about this from somewhere online, if not actually remember when it happened a couple of years back. Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend Robert Maltby were brutally attacked and left for dead by a group of thuggish teenagers simply for dressing differently. In saving her innocent boyfriend’s life, Sophie lost hers.

I think this 4 minute film says it all, very heartbreaking.. 


Please support The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, which hopes to stamp out prejudice, intolerance and hatred everywhere by donating or purchasing a S.O.P.H.I.E. wristband or tee, or even visit Illamasqua and buy a S.O.P.H.I.E. Pencil – if not for yourself than as a stocking filler or small gift for female loved ones. I know I would appreciate the gift and all the sentiment behind it.

S.O.P.H.I.E. Pencil

Will definitely by picking some pencils up when I next visit Selfridges.
Lx

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This entry is filed under Illamasqua, S.O.P.H.I.E.. | 2 Comments