Friday 31 May 2013

My 1st Illamasqua Haul + Swatches.

You may need to sit down with a cuppa for this one......
 
 
Recently, I have been a very active member of the whole blogging community and of course Twitter and time and time again I have seen nothing but one big hype about Illamasqua and their products. Intrigued,  I decided to take a look into them and boy was I impressed. It was only until they decided to have a whooping 50% off sale online for reaching 50k followers on Twitter that I decided to take the plunge and buy a few things for the very first time. And seeing as it was such a generous offer, it would have quite rude not to!
 
I was taking a huge risk here, I'm not just talking about the hole in my wallet that I was going to create, but the fact that I have never tried any of their products so I didn't know what to buy and what not to and which shades would suit me and so on. I had just simply taken others word for it. And I'm glad I did. Yes I did break my spending ban. And no, I didn't feel the slightest bit guilty simply because it is not every day you get to see such an offer.

Like myself, if you were caught up in the whole hoo haa , you would have known that on Friday 18th of May, the whole world and his wife were on Illamasqua's website frantically adding things to their basket before the 5pm cut off time and its no wonder that the site crashed numerous times resulting in a few people missing out on the fantastic offer, some were not afraid to express their frustration and anger.
 
For me, it did mean having to add all the items to my basket at least six times and then waiting almost an hour at the checkout stage but thankfully I made it  just in the nick of time. It was very tempting to give up half way through but in true makeup addict style, I was just so determined desperate to get hold of their items at half price.
 
I wanted to have a good thorough browse but truth be told, the site just kept crashing so it was quite tedious going back and forth. in the end, I opted for their much talked about Skinbase foundation in Shade 12 (They had a comparison chart and Mac NC40 was a SB12), a satin primer, precision gel liner, Lipsticks in Eurydice and Over, blushers in Hussy and Lover and a Gleam highlighter in Aurora. I did have my eye on their Sealing gel and their Hydra Veil, reportedly to work wonders under their Skinbases foundations but as I expected, they were out of stock. In fact, sadly, a lot of things were.
 
Anyway, enough of the rambling, I have done a breakdown on each product below and I promise to keep it short and sweet :-)  Seeing as I have just received my delivery, there wont be a full on review on each product, just a few main points and swatches.
 
 Skinbase in Shade 12







It has now been a while since I have started to get bored of my Mac Studio Fix. I just feel it doesn't give me that 'wow' factor anymore, its great to wear for buildable coverage but think some MAC products do tend to be way too over hyped. (Sorry MAC!)
Illamasquas Skinbase foundation has quickly found its way into my top 10 favourites and think it will stay there for a very very long time. I have got to admit, when I first saw the foundation, I was shocked at how tiny the bottle was, it was almost like I had paid for a travel size version of it.

Yet, they do say all good things come in small packages and this definitely deserves all the hype it gets. What I just couldn't understand was how on earth can something so light give insane coverage? it covered literally everything and I mean everything, although, personally you do still need to apply your concealer under your eyes if like me, you are a sufferer of dark circles.
The consistency of it resembles that of a BB cream and a little goes a long way. It feels so natural on the skin despite its great coverage and you almost forget you are wearing it. It blends like a dream and just melts into your skin and if applied correctly, (I like to use my beauty blender or a stippling brush), it will give a flawless airbrushed finish.

If I was to knock a few marks off it, it'd simply be because of the cheap plastic bottle which I know most people frown upon. I guess I'm just too used to the glass, pump bottles buy hey,  on the plus side, its easier to travel around with. Another downside If I may? It doesn't contain any SPF in it but then that means its great for taking photos as there are no flashbacks. Win win!

Would I repurchase? Indeed I would! Yes at £27 it seems a little on the steeper side but the fact that it has amazing pigmentation as the case with all of Illamasquas products, it caters for all skin tones and it has amazing coverage compared to some of the other higher end brands is just why it is rapidly becoming the go to foundation.


Blushes in Lover and Hussy.

If you ask me why I got these two particular shades, the answer is I really do not know.
These stood out to me the most but as the site kept crashing I couldn't have a good browse around. But according to a few bloggers and Youtubers, I couldn't have picked a better two colours. Lover and Hussy (Ooo Ilamasqua have gone all provocative on us!) are a match made in heaven. I've heard so much about how greatly pigmented their blushers are so at 50% I just had to buy them and pray they would go with my complexion.














Lover is a soft apricot corally type colour and Hussy is a bright candy pink both with a matte finish. you just cannot go wrong with a coral and pink blush, you can wear them separately or layer them on top on one another perfect for spring and Summer and I am absolutely certain these would suit all skin tones. It looks chalky but infact the texture is quite velvety and smooth and blends seamlessly. I just love their trademark square pots too. Tres chic!
 


Precision Gel liner.
 
I brought this simply because I was getting it for nine pounds which is an absolute bargain I reckon especially after reading up reviews on it with it 'staying put', and 'glides on with ease'. I have had my eye on Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack for some time but always hesitated after reading a few mixed reviews on it. Cant wait to give this a go and see how I get on. Illamasqua describe it as "Soon to be the mainstay in the make-up bags of every beauty enthusiast, Precision Gel Liner recreates the fluidity of a liquid liner in the ease of a gel. Creating a smooth, rich black line from the first application, the long-lasting and water-resistant formula is guaranteed to stay in place all day"





Lipsticks in Eurydice and Over.
 
I've seen a few beauty bloggers and YouTube gurus wearing Eurydice and I just knew at that moment I wanted it. I have been long searching for a matte bright pink for bold statement lips and I have finally found the one! I think every girl needs a statement red and pink lippy and seeing as I have found 'the one' for red in Mac Ruby Woo, Eurydice definitely has made itself a little home in my collections of pinks.
I was a little wary about buying this as I thought the bold colour wouldn't compliment my warm skin tone but I was wrong. It doesn't dry out, the pigmentation is superb and the colour is a gorgeous vibrant pink. I just cannot wait to wear this on a night out, best of all, all it takes is a few coats of mascara, a bit of concealer and Eurydice to really make my lips the focus of my face. The colour itself will do just that!






Applied without a mirror so excuse the messy application!


I thought Eurydice would go well with Hussy and the shade Over would go well with
Lover since it is a bright coral pink. Nude or semi nude lippies are very hit and miss with me. I have made a few faux pas in the past where I would wear a bright nude with heavy eyes, only If someone had told me I looked like death. Over seem to be perfect for that natural shade which can be built up in terms of coverage and pigmentation. Think I will reach for this more on a day to day basis.
 
Satin Primer






 Well we all know how important it is to prep and prime the skin first and Mac's Prep+ Prime disappointed to say the least, and I already have the Strobe cream from Mac which is okish so really wanted to give this a try. Illamasqua claim this "Containing UVA and UVB filters, Illamasqua Satin Primer lifts and highlights the face, creating a stunning dewy effect to enhance the siren within" I quite like the consistency of this compared to MAC Prep and Prime and the smell isn't overpowering too.
I had wanted to get the Smashbox primer initially but I am quite keen to give this a go and see how I get on, I am quite liking the dewy look at the minute.  
 
Highlighter in Gleam- Aurora
 
First thoughts? What a gorgeous champagne colour that is creamy and lightweight that gives a lovely glow enriched with very fine shimmer. I brought this because aside from the fabulous reviews it has, I quite like the idea of highlighting and contouring and felt this would deliver. I had never tried a cream highlighter before and lately, I have had a love/hate relationship with my Benefit High Beam highlighter, it just doesn't seem to want to stay put on my face.
 

 The highlighter itself doesn't seem to be overpowering thankfully which makes it quite wearable although you can build up the density if you want that strong lustrous look. It isn't frosty which I quite like and has the perfect amount of luminosity for my skin tone. Another plus point? Since it is a cream  highlighter, there are no shimmer fall outs and you can even apply with your fingers if you wish.


 And lastly, the Under Eye Concealer in 215.
 
What do Illamasqua say about this?
 
"Make your eyes stand out. Designed to keep dark circles and imperfections firmly under wraps, this moisture-rich formula blends easily and leaves skin feeling soft and even. A secret that no one knows but you. "
 
Yep, sounded like exactly what I needed. We all know after having kids, the sleepless/late nights are quite frequent and sadly I have always suffered from dark eyes. If there is one product I specifically look for when shopping for makeup is anything that will conceal them well. My relationship with them haven't got any better as of late, it seems no matter what I do, they always remain shadowed.




 It retails for £13 which I think is quite reasonable for a luxury brand and the first thing that stood out to me about this was the coverage. I'm just not sure I made the right decision with this one. The main purpose of using concealers for me is to cover my dark under eyes hence I thought it made sense to buy the under eye concealer. Sadly, the coverage isn't quite as thick as I'd like it to be. The little compact is a great size and you do get a tiny cute mirror with it but because its quite light and creamy I don't think it would hide my bags that well, at least it doesn't irritate my eyes I suppose and I'm sure I can find some other use for it.
 
So there you have it,  my slightly over the top long winded haul. Did you manage to get anything in the sale? What are your must have Illamasqua products?
 
 
Until next time...
 
xxx
 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 





 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

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