Illamasqua’s Art of Darkness: Scarab

Illamasqua Scarab Nail Varnish (£13.00 for 0.5 fl. oz.) is a fiery ruby red with copper and scarlet shimmer strewn through the color. It almost looks metallic but not quite. It’s a very cool shade with depth; I envision flames licking through the ruby red, because it just has on-fire look to it.   This shade was extremely rich in pigment–one coat was nearly enough, but I still wound up with two, just because it feels more complete (to me) that way.

Nonetheless, smooth, even application with no fuss.  The formula itself was of a medium-thick consistency–the norm for Illamasqua’s varnishes.  It has a slight shine in its natural finish, but I recommend a shiny top coat to really finish it.  I noticed very subtle brush strokes in close-ups, but everything looked pretty smooth at a normal viewing distance.  Illamasqua described this as a metallic, but it feels more like a shimmer with only a touch of metallic-ness.

Scarab is new for fall, but it looks to be permanent from what I can tell–so far only available through Illamasqua directly.

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• Product: 28/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 5/5
• Packaging: 4/5

RECOMMENDATION: Definitely a favorite of mine for the fall season–rich, luxurious, and top notch application.

AVAILABILITY: Illamasqua

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Illamasqua Scarab Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Scarab Nail Varnish (Natural Light)

Illamasqua Scarab Nail Varnish (Natural Light)

Illamasqua Scarab Nail Varnish (Natural Light)

Illamasqua Scarab Nail Varnish (Flash)