An Alternative to Red for the Holidays

If you’ve been reading Temptalia for a few months, you probably know I have an obsession with Illamasqua’s Intense Lipglosses (see reviews of ten other shades here). They’re ultra pigmented with a high glossy shine in bold, bright colors. They last awhile and never feel uncomfortable on lips.

Illamasqua Hermetic Intense Lipgloss ($20.00 for 0.20 oz.) is a new shade launched with the Art of Darkness collection for autumn/winter. It is unique in its finish, from my experience with the Intense Lipglosses, because it has a high shimmer, nearly metallic finish (all Intense Lipglosses I’ve tried are creamier, very subtle if not zero shimmer). It’s a welcome addition, since I do enjoy shimmery glosses, too. The gloss comes in a thin, squeeze-tube with a slanted applicator.

Hermetic is a bold burgundy brown with lighter burgundy shimmer. It’s very deep and takes very little color to get opaque results. It feels very holiday to me, which I think owes to the slight metallic-ness of the finish. It’s holiday without being a full-on red. I see subtle red-brown undertones, but it’s definitely not your typical holiday red. It seems a little on the cooler side to me, though it worked well on my warmer skin tone, so don’t let that dissuade you from checking it out.

Illamasqua Hermetic Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Hermetic Intense Lipgloss

Illamasqua Hermetic Intense Lipgloss