Illamasqua Fall/Winter 2011: Kontrol Lipstick

Illamasqua Kontrol Lipstick ($22.00 for 0.14 oz.) is described as a “blue-violet” by Illamasqua, while Sephora lists it as a “matte deep lavender.” The texture of Kontrol is actually quite different from Illamasqua’s line of lipsticks–it’s very, very creamy. It’s not dry at all, and the reality is the finish isn’t exactly matte either. It’s has a noticeable shine though it wears off in an hour or so, and then it takes on a more satiny, semi-matte finish. I was utterly shocked by how creamy the consistency was! It glided on like butter with mostly opaque color coverage.

The color is a dark purple, which doesn’t read “blue violet” to me, though it’s not red-toned either. It’s more cool-toned than warm, especially as it brings out the yellow undertones in my skin. I felt like I had seen this color before, but I couldn’t think of anything and nothing matched in the Swatch Gallery. When it comes to lipstick, most purples lean red, so if you’ve always wanted something truer, this might be the one.

Illamasqua’s lipsticks wear well, usually four to six hours because of the drier, mostly matte formula, but some of the darker shades wear as long as eight hours before reapplication becomes necessary. Kontrol wore about five hours on me, but it was more comfortable to wear compared to other Illamasqua lipsticks. I don’t find the formula to be drying, but the lack of slip does decrease overall comfort a tad. The lipsticks are unscented and taste-free.

See more swatches!

Illamasqua Kontrol Lipstick

Illamasqua Kontrol Lipstick

Illamasqua Kontrol Lipstick

Illamasqua Kontrol Lipstick