Illamasqua Aurora Gleam Highlighting Cream ($24.00 for 0.23 oz.) is described as a “champagne.” It’s a soft, warm ivory champagne with a strong shimmer-sheen. The shimmer is fairly fine, but it has a strong sheen that’s almost metallic depending on how much product you use. Benefit Watt’s Up! is similar, though a bit less warm-toned. NARS Albatross is similar in color but a bit lighter because the white base is stronger. MAC Truth & Light is lighter.
The Gleam formula is supposed to be lightweight with an iridescent finish to highlight both the face and body. It’s very creamy and slides right over the skin, and it doesn’t take a lot of product to highlight the higher planes of the face. I used some on the top of my cheekbones, along the bridge of my nose, and above my cupid’s brow. I used a clean spatula to take a little product out of the pan, and then I used my fingertips to pat it on. (Bonus: you can see it live in this video.) It does emphasize pores somewhat, because it does have a strong sheen that almost looks metallic, depending on the lighting.
This is a true cream, as it doesn’t dry down or set over time, so the wear time wasn’t stellar. I managed about five hours of decent wear (and I have normal-to-dry skin), and after a little over six hours, a lot of it had faded/separated. It’s a product I’d consider setting lightly with translucent powder, which would help to set it as well as tamp down some of the high sheen finish (if you prefer a subtler highlight).
If you like more intense highlighters, you might like Aurora, which should work on a variety of skin tones, because it's not an ashy champagne, but it's not too yellow that it becomes gold. The shorter wear time is its biggest downfall.
Product
8.5/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
9/10
Longevity
6.5/10
Application
4/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
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The Precision Ink formula is supposed to be an “intense, waterproof liquid eyeliner” that’s long-wearing and “dries within seconds.” If you’re familiar with MAC Superslick Eyeliners, Make Up For Ever Aqua Liners, or Stila Sparkle Liners–this formula is very much like those. There’s no real distinction between them, other than they vary in color range, some are just a wee bit thinner or more watery. But the reality is they perform and wear and feel very much the same across the board. In this instance, that’s a good thing, because they all wear like iron.
Precision Ink does dry down quickly (about 20 seconds) and sets into place; no smudging, budging, fading, or the like happens until I remove it (which was 10 hours with Wisdom). When I use a cleansing oil, it removes easily. I can take a shower or swim with this formula on and not experience any problems. It applies mostly opaque in a single go, though a second go-through might be necessary for a really crisp line.
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
I couldn’t resist–there are too many fabulous bright shades to highlight! If you’re after a lot of brights, Make Up For Ever has a spectacular selection.
Illamasqua Charisma Nail Varnish ($14.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “deep raspberry pink.” This is a rich berry-red with fine, ruby red shimmer that’s noticeable but on the subtler side. Dior Graphic Berry is a smidgen lighter and has no shimmer. Essie Size Matters is redder and has no shimmer. Illamasqua Vice is a bit more berry-hued and has a rubberized finish with no shimmer. Dior Apparat is very close, perhaps a smidgen more red and has a subtle golden sheen. Rescue Beauty Lounge Bruised is similar, slightly more berry-colored, and has no shimmer.
Charisma was fully opaque in two coats, and almost opaque in one, but it definitely needed two for full opacity. The formula was lovely to apply, because it was just the right thickness to yield rich color without causing it to pool along the sides, bubble, or streak. There are subtle brush strokes visible under really bright light (like flash photography) but are barely visible under natural light. This dried on par with most polishes, not exceptionally long or short. I typically get a full week of wear with very, very minor tip wear and no chipping with Illamasqua’s formula.
The only flaw here would be the appearance of brush strokes at certain angles. They're very subtle in natural light and slightly more noticeable under flash. The color is rich and opaque in two coats and was easy to apply evenly.
Product
10/10
Pigmentation
10/10
Texture
10/10
Longevity
10/10
Application
4.5/5
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Where to Buy
This product can be purchased at the following retailers:
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Illamasqua Creator Nail Varnish ($14.00 for 0.50 fl. oz.) is described as a “magical black.” It’s safe to say that’s a very apt description; it’s a gorgeous deep, dark black cream with large silver sparkles–that seem to be in an almost rectangular shape. NARS Night Breed is very nearly the same–I really can’t tell the difference. China Glaze Tinsel town has a lot more silver sparkle/glitter, so it looks more like a silver glitter with a black base than black with silver shimmer/sparkle.
Creator is opaque in two coats, and there’s plenty of sparkle with every coat. It scatters in an “even” way–you don’t have to worry about the bits of sparkle getting clumped up on one side or anything like that. As anticipated, the formula was a breeze to work with. It wasn’t too thick or too thin, so it spread evenly, easily, and fluidly without pooling along the sides or bubbling. The drying time was average, and the finish was naturally shiny. One of the reasons why Illamasqua’s formula ranks tops in my books is because it wears like iron. I’m always reaching for an Illamasqua shade when I go traveling, because I know it’s not going to chip and even the tip wear is so, so minor. I’ve worn several shades for as long as 14 days!
Sometimes products are discontinued or limited edition, which means that a product may no longer be available at one or more retailers so you may need to shop around for those hard-to-find shades! We try to update products as they become discontinued, and if you discover a product has been discontinued, please help us help others by letting us know.
Disclosure: Temptalia uses affiliate links, which give us a small commission when you make a purchase (given to us by the retailer, at no cost to you). Your purchases help to support the site!
Generation Q is a celebration of individual self-expression. Ageless, and without limits or restrictions. It’s our declaration to the world that beauty is inclusive, not exclusive. In fact, Generation Q is a clear message to everybody, everywhere that beauty is not young, old, black, white, male or female, but anything, everything and everyone.
Illamasqua has become a lone voice in an industry controlled by the world’s beauty cartels – cartels, which we believe, have forced their soulless definitions of beauty onto the world.
We are proud to launch our new collection – Generation Q – a new, dynamic range that provides the industry’s only antidote to the cartels’ homogenised and prejudiced vision of beauty.
So in typical Illamasqua style, we have done something that no other brand would or could do. The Generation Q campaign will go against the industry’s despicable taboo, by featuring older models as well as young. In fact, Generation Q models aren’t models at all, but real make-up fans, with a real sense of their own beauty.
The future of beauty is changing and we are the new voice of a brand new generation – Generation Q, where beauty has no age limits.
