Best of Illamasqua
Best of Illamasqua
These are the best products I’ve tried from Illamasqua–I haven’t tried every single product type they have, but from what I have tried, I think these are standout products. When you click on the link, you’ll be taken to the tag for the product type, and any relevant reviews for actual shades will show up! 🙂
- NAIL VARNISH ($14) is an excellent formula that applies evenly, smoothly, and is typically opaque in two coats (though one is often nearly opaque). They have an impressive shade range with a few scandalous names and lots of creams. Some of my favorite shades have been: Bacterium (for its oddness), Baptiste (for its depth), Phallic (for its depth), Radium (for its brightness), Scarab (for its depth), and Viridian (for its color).
- INTENSE LIPGLOSS ($20) is a product I fell in love with soon after trying it! There is a large shade range outside of the U.S., while the shades selected for distribution at Sephora is more limited, they’re still lovely shades (just more wearable overall!). Some of my favorites are Frenzy (intense pink), Hermetic (holiday red gone vamp), Move (plummy-pink), and Succubus (rich red).
- PURE PIGMENT ($24)Â are loose powders that are multi-purpose–they can be used on eyes, cheeks, and where-have-you. Â It’s a very finely milled powder that works wet or dry, and I’ve found that Illamasqua makes some rather nuanced shades. Â Some of my favorites are Alluvium, Chasm, and Ore.
- BLUSH ($24)Â offers a good range of colors–from typical shades to more vibrant ones. They have buildable color, are blendable, and wear well. Some of my favorites have been Excite (orange-coral), Hussy (pinky-coral), and Lover (apricot).
I like their lipstick line-up, but they’re mostly matte (or matte base colors with shimmer), and they can be harder to apply than the average lipstick because of the drier texture. I know several readers have had some issues with the lipstick breaking at the base, too, which I have discovered in a few of my tubes recently. Their Precision Ink Liquid Eyeliners are lovely, but since the formula of those is now a common theme we have seen in five or more brands, I don’t think it’s a best of worthy product. I haven’t tried their cream blushes, but I will be testing them out soon!
Are you doing a “Best of” series now? Great if you are!
This is funny – I was just thinking today that “wish Christine would post best of different brands” and here you are!
I have only four Illamasqua products. Underworld and Over l/s. I have big issues with the matte lipstick formula. I don’t think I have been able to wear Over even once. Underworld is like stars ‘n rockets on lips, it’s better but not great. I also have two intense lipglosses, Femme and Mistress. They are great, but unfortunately I’m more a l/s person.
However, I’ve been wanting to buy the Lover blush, a cream pigment and many of the nail polishes for a while. The new BB like foundation is also interesting. I may order somehing now that thay have a new collection coming out.
I just blogged today and included my fave Illamasqua product – Illuminate in Halycon. Great as a illuminising canvas for eye colour.
Have you checked out their website recently. They are offering a make up service for the dead.
Only if you live in london. Id rather have an illamasqua trained makeup artist put my makeup on my corpse and leave me flawless then an old lady to make me up like an old hooker lol
No need for me to set money aside for that! I find nothing wrong with a cremation! LOL
I am so glad the Nail Varnishes made the list, because I have been wanting to try them out. It’s good to know that the formula is excellent. Thanks, Christine!
Great timing on this review. I just finished putting Collide on nails, and wore Gamma last week. I love both. I haven’t tried the lip glosses, but after reading this, they might be in my next haul.
Illamasqua is a hugely popular brand here in Australian, even though it is relatively new for us. Their seasonal collections are like nothing we have seen before and their philosophy on makeup is quite extraordinary. Their UK website ships worldwide so I would suggest everyone jump on to the site and check out the huge range. My pick, the cream pigments!
The lipgloss is sooooo gorgeous!!!
Love love love blush in Tremble! I always get compliments when I wear it.
me too!!
I have Vitiligo (skin pigment disorder.) My face and neck are primarily albino-white though. No pigment at all. Finding a foundation has been difficult, to say the least. I now use Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer in Porcelain mixed with a little Illamasqua’s Rich Liquid Foundation in 05 (white w/ pink undertones.) It’s not perfect, but it’s the best I’ve been able to come up with. I was thrilled to learn of this brand. It’s very high quality!!
Did you see they’re offering this new foundation and the shade 01 is supposed to be white? I haven’t found swatches online yet though. I’m very, very pale and I’ve been thinking why not just go white since even the lightest of shades from a brand is too dark for me. It’s called Skin Base Foundation. You could try it out since you mentioned what you’re currently using isn’t spot on.
Thank you for this post! I’d like to see more over-all brand reviews/recommendations. I’ve been looking to try a new blush and the ones you listed are on my short list to check out.
Their lipsticks are my fave product! Colorful, bold, long lasting, smooth: I love em!
I was in London last October and visited their new flagship store in Soho. Also paid a visit to their counter in Selfridge’s. I bought the Scarab and Viridian nail laquers and love them, very good quality. I also bought a lipstick and gloss. I love the gloss but the lipstick, although I love the colour is very dry. I don’t know why they don’t make a more moisturizing formula. I don’t think I would buy another lipstick because of the dry texture.
If people didnt unscrew thier lipsticks all the way to apply them then they wouldnt break at the base. Ive never seen such stupid application techniques then where people unscrew a lipstick ALL the way then complain about it breaking, DUH its gonna break youve EXPOSED IT ALL!
Hey Corinne,
I’ve had many lipsticks break in tubes, and it has nothing to do with being extended all the way – for sure one of the Illamasqua lipsticks I have was broken when it arrived.
These are really pretty shades….i been wanting to try Illamasqua….also this would be a great serious….i would love to know what your “best” of every brand is:)
So glad you posted this. Just yesterday I received my pro discount status with them and was asking around what people’s fav products from them were. It’s like you read my mind!
I liked Bacterium as a color, but it chipped like crazy on me! I put two coats on, maybe I needed a third?
I only have two Illamasqua products Hussy blush (LOVE) and Viridian nail polish, I really want to try more of their blushes and cream blushes
My favorite Illamasqua products are the nail polish, lipstick, and the Pure Pigments. I love their Android Pure Pigment…it’s gray with multicolored sparkle.
Right now I love their blushes, Lover (apricot) is great but Tremble is amazing on my skin. It is exactly the blush I have always tried to find.
I have Tremble, Hussy, Nymph and Lover and I have a couple of nail polishes, Gamma and Purity but I am not very impressed with those. Gamma is way too orange and Purity makes me look like a have zombie fingers
I love the new Skin Base, the blushes, the cream pigments eye shadows, the eyeshadows, the pure pigments, the medium pencils and the lipsticks. Okay, I like everything I have tried from them! I wish I could order all the time!!!!
The Test, Sangers, Submit, Salacious, Resist, and Disciple lipsticks. Plus Illamasqua does have lovely nail polish colors also.