Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette
These Shades Definitely Complement Each Other
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette ($42.50 for -0.20 oz.) contains four shades: Slink (soft champagne shimmer), Focus (cool brown metallic), Forgiveness (rich chocolate plum), and Queen of the Night (blackened plum).
Slink is a pale champagne beige with a frosted finish. The color payoff was good, and it applied smoothly. It’s not an uncommon shade, though, so you may find you have several similar shades in your stash. Just a few shades to consider: Tarina Tarantino Elektron, MAC Call Me Bubbles, Giorgio Armani Madreperla, Urban Decay Booty Call, MAC Baby It’s Cold, MAC Dazzlelight, and many more.
Focus is a medium-dark brown with a gray-ish tinge and a soft, metallic finish. This is a Liquid Metal, so it’s like a cream eyeshadow in feel. When I used it alone, it was prone to creasing after a few hours. When I used it underneath other eyeshadows in the palette, it didn’t crease. Bare Escentuals Most Requested has more plum in it. Tom Ford Platinum has less red-orange tones. Urban Decay YDK is more golden. Urban Decay Wreckage is grayer.
Forgiveness is a soft plum with red undertones and a matte finish. This shade had decent pigmentation but was a little sheer and powdery. Lancome Color du Jour is a bit darker and has gold sparkle. Make Up For Ever #131 is darker and more intense. NARS Grand Palais is browner, less plum.
Queen of the Night is a dark, smoky purple with a blackened brown base and very fine shimmer (that doesn’t really translate). The texture was very, very dry and somewhat powdery, while the color payoff was good. Queen of the Night Pure Pigment is much better than the eyeshadow iteration. Bare Escentuals Romp is lighter. Urban Decay Rockstar is purpler. MAC Hypnotizing is lighter. NARS Lhasa is lighter and grayer. Bobbi Brown Black Violet is somewhat similar when sheered out.
All four shades work really well together, and it’s a very smoky, purple-themed look. The quality, overall, is just okay. The dryness and powderiness of Forgiveness and Queen of the Night were disappointing, especially because those are the two more interesting shades in the palette. I really had to pack on Queen of the Night to get decent intensity, and it was prone to disappearing when you went to blend the color. I noticed that after eight hours, Queen of the Night looked rather faded when applied over Focus. I didn’t see creasing, but there was some fading. However, I also layered Slink over Focus, and I didn’t see any fading there.
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette
Illamasqua Slink Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Slink Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Focus Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Focus Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Forgiveness Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Forgiveness Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Queen of the Night Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Queen of the Night Eyeshadow
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette
Illamasqua Complement Eyeshadow Palette
I like what you’ve done with it (but I think you can create pretty eye make-up with just about anything) but these are not my colors.
the palette reminds me of the free lamcome palettes that you get when you spend a certain amount… the cheap ones that come out chalky and you never use. I still want to try illamasqua’s foundation though.
Ouch!
Shame about Queen of the Night as that looked like a great colour, though very similar to UD’s Rockstar, as you noted. Btw, at the risk of being a pest, I think you meant to put $42.40 in the price section, not $22.
Thanks!
Beautiful palette, really vampy colours that are perfect for fall, too bad that the formulation is not the same with all eyeshadows.
Oh bum, I was looking forward to treating myself to this but I don’t think I’ll bother now 🙁
Queen of the Night was exactly like that as a pure pigment too, it doesn’t look very good at all unless you use it foiled or with pixie epoxy/sealing gel. So that doesn’t surprise me. Shame about the rest though!
So disappointed in this palette. Love these colours together.
Too bad about this palette–when I saw that first picture, I thought for sure it would be a winner. The shades are lovely though…I am especially loving Focus! I almost love it so much, I was considering purchasing the palette for that shade, but then you mentioned the creasing…yeah, if it creased on you, there is just NO way it would last on my super oily lids! :/
I was looking forward to this one, but now I’m on the fence. Between the pigmentation & similar shades mentioned (I have *most* already), this may be a bit redundant.
Forgiveness also reminds me a bit of NARS Grenadine, only a bit duskier.
Disappointed by the quality, because the colors are gorgeous. But fortunately, I think I have some of your dupes and some other near dupes, so the look you did has inspired me to play with those! 🙂
Awww 🙁 Illamasqua usually do such exciting things and this is so…what’s that word? Tame..
From the beautiful look you’ve created, Christine, I’d never have imagined that this palette performed so poorly. You manage to make even some of the bad stuff look fabulous.
Ah man, that is such a bummer about the quality! Based on the swatches alone, I would have been all over this palette. It’s a good thing we have you hear to save us from ourselves, Christine. 😉
Good thing I read the review, because your eye photos are gorgeous, as are your swatches. Thank you, just saved me money!! xo
Any words for the empower palette? I am on her and i am afraid after the results for the Complement. :/
I haven’t seen it! 🙁
Gorgeous! I just ordered it thnkas to you =) I can’t believe I didn’t know about this bad boy! Thank you so much! Their lipsticks are too drying for me but I Love their blushes! Oh & ever since you posted the Elizabeth Arden Flamingo, I’ve been dying to get my hands on it! When do you think it’ll be available again? Thanks hun =)
I have no idea if they’ll ever bring it back! 🙁