Sunday, July 17, 2011

Illamasqua Haul + First Impression

Illamasqua is one of my favorite brands ever. Their makeup is bold and intriguing, and the makeup looks that the Illasmaqua MUAs create are simply stunning.

Unfortunately for us non-UK folks, Illamasqua is difficult to find. Even though Sephora has made it easier for us to obtain Illasmaqua products, their selection is limited. And we can of course order from the Illasmaqua website, but shipping costs and money conversions are ridiculous.
Because of this, I only had a couple of Illamasqua products, and I was itching for more. I took the plunge and ordered a couple things from Sephora.


I purchased two lipsticks, one pigment, and one cream blush.

1. Creme Blushes in 'Libido' ($24 or 16.50 GBP)
I have wanted this creme blushes for a long time, and it is my first creme blush from Illamasqua. The color looks super scary in the pan, and it does swatch that way, but it is easily blended out and sheered out. I love how this feels on my skin, and it is a really long lasting blush. I love the color, and the texture, the packaging, everything. I haven't seen anything negative about it so far.

2. Pure Pigment in 'Ore' ($24 or 15.50G BP)
I have the Alluvium pigment already, and I wanted to give the pigments another try. I have heard a lot about 'Ore' so I decided to buy it. I was not disappointed! It is an amazing color. Albeit, they are expensive and the packaging, although chic, is very inconvenient. But, I absolutely love the color. It has the most amazing shimmer and sparkle.


3. Lipstick in 'Liv' and 'Obey' ($22 or 15.50 GBP)
I had seen these colors when I visited the Sephora in San Francisco (it is the closest Sephora that carries Illamsaqua) and I had been lemming them since then. Liv is a super pale pink, almost like white pink, with lavender undertones. I am quite fair, so I thought this color would suit me, and I am planing to dye my hair black soon and pale pinks look good on me when I have dark hair. 'Obey' is a light peach color with some pink undertones. The lipsticks are very pigmented, slightly on the drier side, and matte. Although they have a dry formula, it is not drying on the lips. So far so good! I do have one problem though: the packaging. The case it self I like, but the problem is that the base of the lipstick is very fragile (in order worse, the lipstick itself is very loosely attached to the actual packaging). Because of this, these lipsticks will be very prone to breaking. That is a major issue for me, but all I can do is to be very gentle with these lipsticks.

Liv and Obey
Swatches
Libido  /  Ore  /  Liv  /  Obey
Prices
I included the prices for both the US and the UK for a reason: they are inconsistent. In the UK, the blusher is the most expensive item at 16.60 GBP. But in the US, the blusher is the same price as the pigment, $24. That means that the blushers are cheaper to buy in the US (16.50 GBP is roughly $27 compared to the US price of $24 for blushes). Lipsticks are $22 in the US and 15.50 GBP in the UK. 15.50 GBP is roughly $25, so you pay more in the UK for the same item. That is why I say that conversions from the UK pound to the US dollar will affect the prices of the items. Also shipping from the UK to the US is about 10GPB, which is like $16! Not a great bargain for us. That is why, you should definitely purchase from Sephora instead if you live in the US.
My total for these 4 items in USD: $92
My total for these 4 items if in UK prices:$102
See the difference?

Once I use these more, I will have more in depth reviews/swatches.
Thank you for reading and until next time!

19 comments:

  1. Ore is so beautiful! I just made an Illamasqua Sephora purchase too and wish I had gotten Ore.

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  2. Omg hun. I love your haul. I've never tried this brand before and now you're making me want to. Beautiful swatches. I love the lipsticks.

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  3. @JC: Oh really? Looking forward to see what you got!

    @D.Sasie: Thanks~ It is a really great brand <3

    @Dilan Dilir: Thanks!

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  4. you´re amazing,thanks for following :D following you now,too! <3

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  5. OOOO i am loving the swatches~~~the colours looks soooo nice~~~i luv the cream blush...i think orange is a super hot colour~~~


    JEssy

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  6. I love Libido. What does it look like blended out?

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  7. They look great! Obey's swatch is so pretty!

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  8. i love the color of ore!! so pretty. i also love cream blush in general, i would love to try that. i'm going to have to look for that brand in sephora near me, and see if they carry it.

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  9. Oh my goodness. I am so excited at your haul!!

    Those lippies are so up my alley. FOTD with them if you have time please? XD

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  10. @Dilan Dilir: Aww thank you hun!

    @Jessy: Yes the blush is gorgeous <3

    @Kristen: I will do a seperate post on each product, and I will have pictures of Libido blended out. But it looks like sheered red/orange. Almost like a cheek tint red.

    @mybeadifullife: Definitely check them out :D

    @PopBlush: Will do :)

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  11. wow so pigmented! I've been hearing so much about Illamasqua, but I've been avoiding it because of the price LOL. Definitely looking forward to some FOTDs with the blusher on :)

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  12. That cream blush is amazing ^^ such a gorgeous color.

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  13. @Sofiaichelle: Yeah the price was a turn off for me at first too, but the products are amazing quality and will last you a long time. Its all a matter of finding the right product and color. I personally love Illamasqua because of their unique colors/products as well as the quality.

    @Michelle: Right? It is such a unique colored blush!

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  14. oh my gosh I think I just found my other illamasqua twin! =P I adore this brand! Dedicated so many posts to it in my blog.. Isn't Ore just amaaazing?!

    I've never come across Libido! It's Aahhhmazing!! I love bright blushes! Thanks so much for this post and for the swatches hun =)

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  15. nice haul! I like the Ore, it's so pigmented :)

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  16. love everything! <3 all the colors are so pretty hun! can't wait for the looks that you will come up using these products.


    libido seems a bit bright. would def. love to see it on you! ^-^

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Thank you for taking the time to comment <3 I appreciate every single comment I receive ^_^