Illamasqua Vintage Metallix in Courtier, Bibelot, Embellish

Illamasqua's latest collection, Once, is full of whimsical antique/vintage tones, and the star of that particular show is the new Vintage Metallix eyeshadow.  It's a cream eyeshadow with a distinctly twinkly finish, albeit a twinkle that's a bit burnished, in keeping with the vintage theme.

There are three shades - Courtier, a soft pink; Bibelot, an antiqued green; and Embellish, a glowing brown.  Packaging wise, they're pretty standard - screw top lids stop them from drying out quickly, with the cream easily accessible with a fingertip or brush.

Embellish, Bibelot, Courtier

Swatched, the colours are intense and very twinkly indeed, although you'll find that by the time you've applied them to your eyelids and blended, they're a little more subtle unless you layer them up.  I was impressed by the texture of these cream eyeshadows - my oily lids usually mean that cream eyeshadows crease despite my fanatical use of primer, but these hold fast to my eyelids all day atop Urban Decay's cult Primer Potion.  You get about a minute to blend down before they set, and I think I get better evenness of colour using a synthetic brush compared to my fingers.

At £16.50, they're reasonably priced for a premium brand.  If I had to choose a single colour, I'd go for Bibelot - creamy pink and brown eyeshadows are ten a penny, but Bibelot's vintagey green is a very unusual shade.  Find them now at the Illamasqua website.

Disclosure: PR samples

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