Illamasqua Ore Pure Pigment Review, Photos, Swatches
Illamasqua Ore Pure Pigment
You’ll Need to See This to Believe It
Illamasqua Ore Pure Pigment
($24.00 for 0.04 oz.) is one of those products that shocks and awes the minute you swatch it. Ore is a medium-dark metallic bronze with soft red undertones, multicolored shimmer, and a dazzling sheen. It’s like a metallic bronze base with Christmas (green, pink, gold shimmer flecks) strewn through it. The frustrating part about this particular shade is it really needs to be seen to be believed. It’s so luxe and full of depth, but it looks better in person than it does in photos.
I loved it patted atop a shimmery primer and blended up with nothing else, but it also works well to layer with or use alongside your favorite coordinating eyeshadows. I had several people stop me when I went out with this look on to ask what I had on my lids (which is not the norm). Over a stickier base, Pure Pigments can easily be used dry, but I do prefer using them wet, as they hold together and apply smoothly and vibrantly.
There are, however, two things about Illamasqua’s Pure Pigments that I don’t particularly like: quantity and packaging. As far as similar products, Illamasqua weighs in with a rather tiny amount (Make Up For Ever wavers between 0.07 and 0.09 oz., while MAC tops in at 0.15 oz.).  You don’t need much, so you won’t be finishing a Pure Pigment any time soon, but it’s still worth noting.
The other thing is the packaging, which I find cumbersome and a pain to open. If you’re not careful, it’s easy to loose hold of it and see your precious 0.04 oz. pigment soar across the air. (There is actually a bunch of Ore embedded in my carpet, because it happened yet again to me while photographing.) My best advice for opening these is to wedge your nail between the lid and base and run it around the perimeter a bit, then pull it open. This seemed to alleviate a lot of the fumbling. When it comes to a loose product, I think a screw-top lid might be a lot safer for us clumsy folk.
So why not an A product? Because the quantity is well below average of other comparable, high-end brands and the packaging could be less prone to slipping out of your hands and losing half the product to your carpet, sink, or bathroom floor. This is one of my favorite shades for fall, and I will be purchasing a back-up because it is that stunning.
P.S. — Sephora has it listed as a new shade, but it shows as “out of stock,” though I believe it just isn’t in stock yet. If you can’t wait, you can get it directly from Illamasqua.
Illamasqua Ore Pure Pigment
Illamasqua Ore Pure Pigment (Natural Light)
Illamasqua Ore Pure Pigment (Natural Light)
This color is so beautiful… it might be going on my wish list!!!
Gosh have a similar effect powder called Paradise.
Does the top just pop off? That is so inconvenient! The color is stunning though.
It “lifts” off, I suppose, but it can go pop, too… or the whole thing goes flying, haha. It’s pretty much just a cap that you pull off.
I love the MAC pigments packaging. You can feel it click into place. I actually have a few products that I leave just slightly ajar so I don’t end up spilling them everywhere. However, that’s the kind of thing you can’t travel with or forget about or else you still end up with a mess! haha.
I love this color too but I’ve got the blue pigment in Alluvium, it’s wonderful. Believe it or not, I do like the packaging. 🙂
Very nice.
Really pretty! I don’t own any pigments so this will be my first.
I didn’t even have to see the swatches. You got me with your amazing product description. Love it! Thanks Christine!!!!
Haha, I was hooked as soon as I read “You’ll Need to See This to Believe It”
Mmmm… I like gold pigment, but not that glittery. I mean, not with so many colours in the glitter… I don’t know if you understand me ¬¬
I feel the same way about packageing and the unique design could be made practical. packaging should always be functional first before getting creative with the design.
I probably have a due of this in my stash of MMU eyedhadows so I’ll start looking.
Let me know if you find one 🙂
So glamourous and yet it goes with everything. Luv it!
I was just searching this yesterday! Excellent timing, as always, Christine!
This is *gorgeous* but I can’t get over the price tag. Whoa.
beautiful, might just have to get this one
Can you post pics of you wearing it? Please? Thanks.
I have a couple of looks to post soon, please be patient, thanks! 🙂
Nice! Love this. It looks so luxurious. And expensive. I would pay the $ to own this.
I’m not digging these pigments at all so far, but I have to admit that I’m sort of in love with their choice of packaging for them!
Hey i was wondering if you could share some tips on how to use their pigments wet because i have their green one cant remember what its called. Usually i dont have a problem with this but for some reason it just clumps up and doesnt work smoothly and no colour comes out, also does it last much longer wet?
I just use it with MAC’s Mixing Medium and a flat brush like the 242. I always wear it over a base, so it lasts all day for me either way! 🙂
Okay, so I just had to add my thoughts. Becuase Christine did such a great job in ‘selling’ this shadow (teehee!) I placed an order via Sephora (in the shade “Incite”)….Just WOW. I love this. Currently, it’s on my eyes and under my nude/goldish lipgloss. I’ve been @ work for an hour and a half and I’ve already gotten 2 compliments (Both from “Beauty Junkies” like myself, so they’re always on High Alert for something new-looking)
My only 2 complains are – yes, the packaging. I just got a manicure yesterday afternoon, so when the package was at my door last night, I was cursing to the High Heavens trying to pry the lid off with newly painted nails. The trick is to LEAVE THE TAPE THAT COVERS THE HOLE ON IT…Just keep covering it up, cuz I do garuntee, that one of these cold winter mornings coming up, my frozen hands will be numb and I will spill this all over. My other complaint, is, when I was telling my 2 gals at work of my new purchase, I kept saying “Illa…umm, Illama…oh, I don’t know what it is. I’ll bring it in Monday and show you”. I can’t pronouce it. HA! But all in all, I do love the one shade I’ve gotten and WILL BE purchasing the (navy)blue asap. I think it’s called “alluvium”. I saw on the Illamasqua website they also have this in BLACK (swoon!) yet that’s not available (yet?) on Sephora….
p.s. My other 2 items on that same delivery were TARTE’s “Good as Gold” Lipgloss collection and Lorac’s double feature concealer. Highly recommend both, esp. the gloss…. 15 shades for $29. Seriously. Ridiculous!
I think it’s Ill-a-mask-kuh, but I could be wrong. I’m really bad with remembering pronunciation of beauty brands for some reason… go figure.
I’m so happy you love Ore as much as I do! It’s just SO SO gorgeous in person! It’s ridiculous! Alluvium is pretty, too. Illamasqua has a lot of shades available but not all are stocked at Sephora (limited number of items allowed to be carried – I think it’s per Sephora’s restrictions!).
This finally came back in stock a few days ago at Sephora and I got mine last night…and OH MY GOD you weren’t kidding! You HAVE to see it in person to believe how multi-dimensional this product is! I plan on wearing it to my family’s holiday dinner tomorrow night because the gold, green and red tones in it just SCREAM Christmas to me (with a bold red lip, to boot)! Thank you for your review, you were so spot on as usual. I would recommend this pigment to *anyone* because it’s unique and stunning.
Oh, and your tip for opening with my fingernail? SO true. I have thin acrylic over my nails, so this was the perfect way to get it open without decorating my living room carpet in gold.
OMG YAY! I’m glad you got it AND love it… and totally glad I’m not the only one who thinks it looks 283472934x more amazing in person than just photos.
🙂
this is beautiful! but i agree i don’t like lids like that i have butterfingers!