Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless: Facade Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Facade Intense Lipgloss ($20.00 for 0.20 fl. oz.) is described as a “taupe beige.” It’s a medium-dark taupe–it’s a mix of beige, gray, and brown–with a cream finish. The glossiness of traditional gloss is very apparent, but it’s opaque in color like you’d expect from a full coverage lipstick. Like many Illamasqua colors, it’s not your typical “nude,” but it can work as such.  When I was trying to think of a dupe for it, nothing was coming to mind–not a gloss or a lipstick; MAC Our Pick was the closest, but it’s warmer.

In my experience, Illamasqua’s Intense Lipgloss is opaque, long-wearing, non-sticky, and scent- and taste-free. Facade doesn’t last as long as a lot of the other shades I’ve tried within the range, but it does last four hours (and it’s not marketed as a long-wearing gloss).

The Glossover

P	Façade A
	It's a different color, but I think it's workable--especially on cooler skin tones. Against my warmer skin tone, it's not too flattering, but with a really heavy, smoky eye, I think it might work. I love the color coverage!
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4/5
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Illamasqua Facade Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Facade Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Facade Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Facade Intense Lipgloss (apologies–I’m not wearing foundation!)

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless: Nail Varnishes

Illamasqua’s fall/winter collection, Theatre of the Nameless, included four new shades of their Nail Varnish ($14.00 for 0.5 fl. oz.), and they’re described as: Vice (deep cerise), Taint (stone brown), Kink (bottle green), and Faux Pas (blue violet). They have a “rubber finish.”

• Vice is a reddened berry with a rubber finish. I used two coats for opaque color. It reminded me of Rescue Beauty Lounge Bruised, which has a shiny finish.
• Taint is a yellow-tinted brown with a rubber finish. I used two coats for opaque color. Barielle Cowl of the Wild is similar but cooler-toned. China Glaze Street Chic is a bit lighter and grayer, plus it has a shiny finish.
• Kink is a deep forest green with a rubber finish. I used two coats for opaque color. It’s much bluer and cooler-toned than Rescue Beauty Lounge ORbis Non Sufficit, which also has a shiny finish. It’s greener and less blackened (and has that semi-matte finish) compared to MAC Jade Dragon.
• Faux Pas is a blue-based violet with a rubber finish. I used two coats for opaque color. It is similar to Orly Purple Pleather but appears a bit more vibrant.

If you remember Orly’s Plastix Collection, then the finish to these may seem familiar. It’s a bit like vinyl; it’s not matte because there is a muted shine to the natural finish, but it’s not your traditional cream. This type of finish is tempermental; ensure that each coat is dry before applying the next one, and it’s best to wait as long as possible for the final coat to dry before doing anything else. These will pick up and show texture so, so much if you rush! They dry quicker than your standard polish but not as quickly as a matte finished shade.

The wear on this is less than the average Illamasqua Varnish, because in order to maintain the rubbery finish, you can’t use a top coat on top. I managed seven days with noticeable tip wear but no chips–I would have probably removed it after four or five days because of the tip wear, but I wanted to put it to the full week test.

The Glossover

	Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Vice, Taint, Kink, Faux Pas Review, Photos, Swatches A-
	Because of the reduced wear time (and Illamasqua's Nail Varnishes wear like iron on me with a base/top coat), these seem more like a novelty--like matte polishes, which work well for a certain look but are less durable than traditional nail lacquers.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 8/10 Application 4/5
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Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Vice, Taint, Kink, Faux Pas

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Vice, Taint, Kink, Faux Pas

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Faux Pas, Kink, Taint, Vice

Illamasqua Vice Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Vice Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Vice Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Vice Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Taint Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Taint Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Taint Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Taint Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Kink Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Kink Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Kink Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Kink Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Faux Pas Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Faux Pas Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Faux Pas Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Faux Pas Nail Varnish

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless: Belladonna Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Belladonna Intense Lipgloss ($20.00 for 0.20 fl. oz.) is described as a “vibrant magenta.” It’s a vibrant, medium-dark fuchsia pink with a creamy finish and glossy shine. It has full color coverage and goes on evenly with little fuss. MAC Full Speed Ahead is similar in color, slightly brighter and bluer-based.

Illamasqua’s Intense Lipgloss formula is one of my favorites, especially when you’re hunting for an opaque gloss. It delivers shine but full color coverage without feathering or bleeding. I typically get really good wear, too; when I sported Belladonna on its own, it wore for a full six hours and lasted until eight hours where I felt I needed to reapply. The glossiness fades quicker (mostly gone by the third hour), but the color lingers for much longer. It’s non-sticky, too, and I couldn’t detect any scent or taste.

The Glossover

P	Belladonna A
	Loving the addition of a deeper pink that's still vibrant but not totally in-your-face to Illamasqua's Intense Lipgloss line-up! Full color coverage, six hour wear, and not drying for even a moment makes this formula a favorite.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
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Illamasqua Belladonna Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Belladonna Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Belladonna Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Belladonna Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush

Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush ($24.00 for 0.14 oz.) is described as “neutral pink with shimmer.” It’s a muted pink-plum with golden sparkle. The color is soft and light but buildable enough to provide true-to-pan color as well. MAC Pink Cult is pinker, while Estee Lauder Radiant Berry is plummier. Burberry Cameo is a touch more neutral.

I thought the color was pretty as it could be, but the texture is dry, which may be a nice feature for oilier skin types, but on normal-to-dry skin, it’s not my favorite texture in a blush because it emphasizes skin unevenness. The sparkle could be finer; it seems to sit on the surface of the blush, so it translates as more of a sparkle than a real shimmer-sheen. I found the formula wore well, though, so that it was still visible after eight hours of wear.

The Glossover

	Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush Review, Photos, Swatches B-
	If you have oilier skin, I think this could definitely work for you--and it may wear longer than the average powder blush. If you have really dry skin, I'd skip this in lieu of a softer, less dry-textured powder blush.
	Product 8/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 7/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4/5
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Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush

Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush

Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush

Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush

Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush

Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush

Illamasqua Ambition Shimmer Blush on cheeks, Benefit Watts Up on cheek bones

Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless: Beguile Pure Pigment

Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment ($24.00 for 0.04 oz.) is described as a “shimmering white pearl.” It’s a bright, silvery white with multi-colored reflects with a sandy texture. It’s grittier than their other Pure Pigments–the texture is more like a micro-glitter but slightly more refined. It’s reminiscent of OCC Mirrorball, but Mirrorball has a grayish-blue base, so it has a darker appearance.

I love, love, loved the idea of Beguile. Like NYX Ice Glitter Nail Polish, this twinkles and looks phenomenal in person, because it needs movement to really come alive. Unfortunately, the texture makes it harder to apply. It’s definitely not something you could apply dry without some sort of adhesive base; it winds up all over your face and just doesn’t stick without something more.  Even when I used a mixing medium, I still had some fall out during the day. I’d also recommend using it over another color (even if it’s neutral, like a beige), because it doesn’t create a solid base color easily.

With this product, Illamasqua says it can be used dry or wet, but I’d argue you can’t use it dry, which pulled down the product’s score a fair amount.  I tend not to provide ratings for glitters, because they’re less of a standalone product–they do need another product in order to perform well typically.  However, this is touted as part of the brand’s Pure Pigment formula and line, and if that’s the case, this particular shade falls short of those.

The Glossover

P	Beguile C-
	It's absolutely gorgeous, and it can definitely add more oomph to any look, but it is frustrating to use on the eye, because of the amount of fall out that occurs. It would be easier to mix in nail polish, lip gloss, and the like.
	Product 7/10 Pigmentation 8/10 Texture 8/10 Longevity 6/10 Application 3/5
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Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment

Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment

Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment

Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment

Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment

Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment on lid & lower lash line

Illamasqua Violate Sheer Lipgloss

Illamasqua Violate Sheer Lipgloss (£13.00 for 0.20 oz.) is described as a “dark green shimmer.” The brand’s Sheer Lipgloss is rather self-explanatory–it’s a sheerer gloss that adds shine. This is definitely not as opaque as the Intense Lipglosses, but I’d say it’s more pigmented than it is sheer. I initially thought it was an Intense Lipgloss that suffered from unevenness in application, because it runs semi-opaque.

It’s a dark, forest green shimmer with a really cool, blue-based tone to it, so it almost looks like a teal-green than a true green. The shimmer is layered with a black-brown color base. I don’t have anything like this, and I expect the general reaction will be similar to Kontrol Lipstick. You’ll either love it or hate it. It’s not a color you’d describe as universally wearable and palatable, but again, it’s nice to have options.

The overall darkness in the hue means that any unevenness becomes more apparent, even from afar, but I did keep in mind this is supposed to be a sheer gloss (and deducted a point because it’s more than “sheer wash”). I just don’t think that works so well with really deep, dark shades if you want to avoid obvious lip lines, unevenness, and the like. It didn’t bleed or feather, which was nice, and it wore for five hours before needing to be reapplied. The formula had no scent and didn’t feel tacky.  To get a more even appearance, try layering a black lipstick underneath.

The Glossover

P	Violate B+
	If this is the kind of color you've been looking for, I think you'll like it, despite some of its shortcomings. For the right look, it could be worth the extra effort for perfect application.
	Product 8.5/10 Pigmentation 8.5/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 3.5/5
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Illamasqua Violate Sheer Lipgloss

Illamasqua Violate Sheer Lipgloss

Illamasqua Violate Sheer Lipgloss

Illamasqua Violate Sheer Lipgloss