Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism

I was eagerly awaiting the release of the Human Fundamentalism collection last week after seeing lots of tempting images from other bloggers. Unfortunately, it wasn't until I started browsing the collection that I realised that, because of my eyeshadow and nail polish ban, I'd restricted my options to the white precision liner and teal Apocalips lipstick. Although as a pairing they look stunning in the promotional images, I don't think it's a look I'm ready to rock just yet...

I already own CanCan eyeshadow, the Sealing Gel and I have previously owned the intensely pigmented Box lipstick. The items that particularly caught my eye (if you'll pardon the pun) from this collection were the Neutral eyeshadow palette, Stance nail polish and the gorgeous dark teal Burst eyeshadow. I was very taken with Vex in the City's swatches of the Fundamental palette but wasn't sure if this was something that would suit me. For now, I'm going to have to restrict my enjoyment of this collection to having a play at a counter and reading further reviews. I'm quite relieved that Illamasqua isn't like MAC and that I have a good chance of being able to purchase the items that interest me once my ban ends in the Summer.

I love that this collection is a blend of 'safe' and daring. I think Illamasqua do a great job of catering for all tastes ranging from the fairly conservative to the outrageous. I know if I hadn't already owned CanCan, I would have wanted it all over again. I will crack it out on Friday and pair it with my sparkly navy eyeliner: my alter ego may not be all that daring but she does like purple!

As an aside, I have been browsing the socalise area of the re-vamped Illamasqua site. I really hope they continue to expand the swatch area as I think it's really vital for those who shop online. I think you can submit your own swatches as well as reviews for inclusion which is pretty cool. Have you bought anything from this collection? Any tips on which items I need to pick as soon as my no-buy is over?

Comparison of My Red Lipsticks

My Tom Ford lipstick has arrived and to mark the occasion I have done a comparison of my red lipsticks. I have posted lip swatches of most of the others quite recently but here I will show you how they look side by side. As well as the colours, you can see the difference in coverage and texture more so in the side by side swatches.

The colours I am comparing are Illamasqua Box, Eve Red by All For Eve, Avon Charged Cherry, Tom Ford Smoke Red and Illamasqua Fume lipgloss. It may seem strange to include a lipgloss but the Intense lipglosses are very pigmented.

L-R: Box, Smoke Red, Eve Red, Charged Cherry

L-R: Box, Smoke Red, Eve Red, Charged Cherry

L-R: Box, Smoke Red, Eve Red, Charged Cherry. Fume lipgloss below

L-R: Box, Eve Red, Charged Cherry, Smoke Red. Fume below.

More subdued light

Under flash

Below are my impression of all of the colours. In each case, I feel the colours are a touch more blue than they appear on screen.

Box - It's matte, opaque and very pigmented. More crimson and darker than it appears in some of the swatch pictures.

Smoke Red - It has the same depth of colour as Box (despite the appearance in the bullet) but it's more burgundy/maroon. It's pigmented and glossy with great staying power.

Eve Red - It has a nice satin finish, less pigmented and more neutral in tone than the others. Still more blue based in comparison to Fume.


Charged Cherry - As the name implies, this is a cherry red so this is a brighter, pinky toned red. It's more sheer and far less pigmented that the other lipsticks. As well as the glossy sheen it has a metallic pink sparkle in it that gives a very different finish to the others.

Fume - In the tube this looks scarlet but when swatched this has no blue to my eye and looks more of a tomato red than the other colours I have.

I will leave you with a sneak peak of how Smoke Red looks on my lips. I need to wear it a bit more before I post a review but my first impressions are that it was worth the wait!

A Week of Lips: Illamasqua Box

I have been stuck in doors a lot over the past few days, so to cheer myself up, I've decided to have a week of bold lip colours. It was Welsh Beauty Blog that actually inspired me with her stunning Chanel red lips.

Yesterday's shade was Illamasqua Box. I've had this quite a while but I think it's only the second or third time I've worn it. I also lined my lips using Le Metier de Beaute pencil in Rose and I have included a swatch with the lipstick.

Box is a stunning colour, some of the pictures make it look quite bright but it's actually a dark, scarlet red which has pink undertones rather than orange. It looks fabulous, the wear is excellent and it's heavily pigmented. There is a downside to this pigmentation though, especially if like me you have small children who like to poke at your face! My baby succeeded in smearing this everywhere and I stained her head with it accidentally a few times. It doesn't smudge easily but it does transfer to anything that it touches.

The texture of the Illamasqua lipsticks is a little strange too. They're matte and have what I can only really describe as a waxy texture. Whilst it isn't totally drying it can be more comfortable to wear a gloss over the top. I haven't done that with Box though as I think it would be too much of a statement lip for me.

Despite the flaws, I really like this lipstick. It's not for everyday but every once in a while it's nice to wear something really dramatic.


Disclosure: Le Metier pencil in Rose was a PR Sample.

Oops.....a haul!

Well, I will concede that I'm not really doing very well with project 10 pan. I'm emptying things and trying to use things up but I just can't seem to pass things up. In my previous post I said how keen I was on the Give Me Liberty of London collection. You won't be surprised to hear that on Thursday evening I dragged the whole family out in the car so I could visit the MAC counter! I picked up Ever Hip lipstick, Prim & Proper blush and Shell Pearl beauty powder. So, I wasn't even restrained enough to limit myself to one item! Thankfully it is all as beautiful as I'd hoped. At least I funded the haul by selling off some of my unused make up.

Just to test my willpower even more I got a £5 off a £25 spend in Debenhams - I'm already deciding what to buy! I also won £100 to spend at ASOS.com on Thursday, hurrah. My husband made sure I didn't spend it all on make up. They stock Illamasqua and I've been wanting to try some for ages so I ordered a lipstick in 'Box', a gorgeous red and a blusher in 'Unrequited' a matte baby pink. I also bought an Urban Decay eyeliner in Gunmetal after reading lots of recommendations. All of the make up is gorgeous, particularly the Illamasqua bits. I'm sending some of my order back and will be swapping it for some Converse and, yes, you've guessed it......more make up. I'm very tempted to get another Illamasqua lipstick, as yet I can't decide between 'Climax' or the more neutral 'Test'.

On the subject of my (pretty rubbish) Project 10 pan attempt, so far I've finished a Revlon Colorstay foundation, Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara and a Bobbi Brown beige lipgloss. My Viva Glam V lipstick has hit the plastic and I think both my Touche Eclat and No.7 foundation are very close to empty. I'm going to resume finishing off my Modesty lipstick and Brule eyeshadow. I will carry on trying to stick to it despite my blips. I am pleased I am using things up even if I can't stop buying as at least it shows it gets used. I did manage to avoid buying at the Cosmetics Outlet on Saturday so I'm not altogether without willpower!