Illamasqua's latest collection, Human Fundamentalism, includes some interesting products, including that teal lipstick, and an opaque white eyeliner. It also includes this incredibly wearable palette of neutral shadows - something I never thought I'd see in an Illamasqua collection!
Inside the beautifully shaped black plastic palette, you get four shadows, all of which are intensely pigmented. The creamy white, chestnut brown, and black shade are all matte, with the golden mid-brown being a full on sparkly metallic.
Swatched, you can see the level of pigmentation in the shadows. The creamy white is the least pigmented, but to be honest, I've yet to find a matte cream or white which doesn't apply more sheerly than it looks in the pan.
All four colours applied. They make for a wide variety of neutral looks from day appropriate to all out smoky. One downside of the high pigmentation is that the shadows are not the easiest thing in the world to blend, particularly with the matte shades. My first attempt to use the chestnut brown with a reasonably precise crease brush led to a muddy mass of colour that refused to blend smoothly - I've found that it's best to use soft, fluffy brushes with the matte shades, as packing the colour on makes blending very difficult. Not shades for the beginner then!
Blending difficulties aside, I'm really pleased with this palette and can see it becoming a staple alongside my beloved Urban Decay Naked and Naked2 palettes. If you're similarly enthralled, you can find it at Illamasqua counters and online, where it costs £30.
Disclosure: PR sample
Oh these are pretty. They seem very similar to the shades from Naked 2 (and probably the first Naked palette but I don't own it,) so I'm not sure I could justify buying it myself :(
ReplyDeleteThe subtle smoky eye look is beautiful on you :)
Devon xx
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