Illamasqua Generation Q Nail Lacquer Collection Fall 2012 Swatches and Review

The Illamasqua Generation Q collection comes out today! It's a fairly big collection with a lot of new items, so you may want to check out the whole lineup on Illamasqua's website. While you're there, take a look at the amazing models they used for this collection! These models were chosen as a result of the Beauty Before Age contest, where the featured individuals were submitted by family and friends for a chance to star in an Illamasqua campaign. Pretty cool, right? I think so at least. I love seeing normal, genuine, everyday people in advertisements instead of the current trend of digitally reconstructed, completely unrealistic, airbrushed-to-death fantasy portrayals of humans.

Anyway, I have the two new nail polishes from the Generation Q collection to review today: Charisma and Creator.

Illamasqua Charisma - Illamasqua Creator

Illamasqua Charisma. This is a pretty unusual color. It's a sort of cranberry verging on burgundy color- a medium wine red - but it has a strong flash of purple underneath it. It's like medium burgundy shimmer particles in a red-toned purple base. There are hints of gold in it as well. It's quite pretty and very fall-like without being the usual warm red or dark vampy wine type of fall color. I can't think of another polish I own that looks like this.


Illamasqua Creator. This one is a small silver glitter in a black creme base. The glitter is small and somewhat irregular in shape. It's not perfect, round glitter particles. Because of the small size and flat shape of the glitter, this polish is surprisingly smooth. It doesn't need more than one coat of topcoat to achieve a glassy finish. The color itself is not unique- there are several black-with-silver-glitter polishes out there- but the nice formula and smooth finish of this is quite nice.

The formula on each of these was different. Creator was thin (thinner than I'm used to with Illamasqua cremes), very smooth, very easy to apply. Charisma was a lot thicker and kinda foamy feeling. Creator gave me no problems at all but Charisma was a little tricky. Charisma wanted to get stringy and pool at the edges of my nail, creating bumps and ridges in my manicure. I think it would benefit from a few drops of polish thinner. Despite the differences in texture and application, both dried quickly.

I like both the colors in this collection. Charisma is a unique color, but the formula isn't as good as I had hoped it would be. Creator has an absolutely perfect formula and it is an awesome color, but it's not entirely unique. I can't think of another polish that looks exactly like Creator, but I know there are several similar black with silver glitter colors out there (Orly Goth comes to mind).

The Illamasqua Generation Q collection is available now on Illamasqua.com, but as of now it's not yet available at Sephora.

(This was sent for review.)

Illamasqua Limited Edition Rubber Brights Fall 2012 - Optimist Swatches and Review

Illamasqua has a new, limited edition collection of rubber-finish nail polishes out for Fall 2012. Unlike the deep, vampy colors of the original rubber finish polishes, these new shades are bright and vibrant. The color I have to review is called Optimist, and it's a sunny yellow-orange.


Illamasqua Optimist. This is a strongly yellow-toned light orange with a semi-matte finish. It's not a chalky, completely matte finish. It has a bit of sheen to it and really does resemble rubber. This shade is a little smoother than the originals, which had a tiny bit of a grainy texture when fully dried. This does dry darker than bottle color.

The formula on this wasn't perfect. The texture was smooth and thick, but it had a tendency to show brushstrokes and ridges as the coats dried. I needed three coats to even it out. If possible, try to use as few strokes as you can to apply each coat and let the coats dry in between. Dry time was longer than average.

The new Rubber Mattes come in six limited-edition shades: Nurture (candy apple green), Optimist (warm yellow), Aorta (scarlet red), Devotee (candy pink), Serenity (bright turquoise) and Prosperity (rich purple).

These are currently a Sephora online exclusive. Each polish retails for $14.

(This was sent for review.)

Illamasqua Naked Strangers Collection Summer 2012 Swatches and Review

The Naked Strangers collection from Illamasqua is a different take on summer colors. Instead of the usual summer brights and neons, they've created a mixture of fleshy nudes and gleaming metallics. The full collection consists of two new lipglosses in Intimacy (nude pink brown) and Stranger (platinum gold), Powder Blusher in Naked Rose (neutral beige brown), Cream Blusher in Zygomatic (naked pink brown), and three new nail varnish shades (Faithful, Monogamous, Swinger).

Illamasqua Naked Strangers Collection Nail Varnish

Faithful, Monogamous, and Swinger.

Illamasqua Faithful. Faithful has a light, dusty-looking, slightly grey-tinged brown creme base with lots of bright, shiny copper metallic shimmer and just a touch of golden broken flake microglitter. The contrast in this color is really interesting. In dim lighting, it looks like a dusty, faded, almost taupe-like brown with a bit of red shimmer. In daylight indoors it looks like an earthy copper bronze. When you see the polish in sunlight, then it really shines. All the metallic copper shimmer comes out and adds a glow to the dusty base color, like smoldering embers. Very cool color.



Illamasqua Monogamous. This color dries to a rubbery matte finish, much like the Illamasqua Theatre of the Nameless rubber mattes. The top photo is its natural finish, the bottom photo is with a coat of topcoat. This color is a light pink-beige creme. It looks like a bottle of liquid foundation, it's a very fleshy, skin-like color. Unlike a lot of pale beiges, this one has a very soft look and it isn't chalky or harsh at all. Because it lacks that harsh, chalky finish, it's very easy to wear and looks clean and flattering without being sheer. It looks a lot more peach against my fair/cool skin tone, but it seems lighter and more pink by itself in the bottle.



Illamasqua Swinger. Swinger is a foil comprised of multiple shades of metallic particles. The main color is gold, but a neutral, non-yellowy gold. There's also platinum, champagne, very light bronze and metallic taupe. The overall look of the polish is rough and speckled with a slight green tinge to it. It only looks rough, though. It dries flat and smooth, even without topcoat. Sparkly and dense.

The formula on these was perfect. They glided onto my nails like a dream and none of these shades gave me even a hint of trouble. I did two coats of each and that's all they needed. The drying time on these is slightly faster than the usual Illamasqua dry time, which was a nice surprise. Flawless formula and application, no complaints here.

Overall, a small collection, but a good one. I like the slightly different take on summer color that they've presented here. The palette of matte nudes, browns/bronzes and pinks with the contrast of gleaming metallics is really great for summer, especially on tanned skin. I was especially pleased with the formula of the nail polishes, it was even better than I expected.

This collection doesn't officially release until the end of the month, but if you're a registered member on Illamasqua.com, you can order these items starting today. Details below.

All you need to do is log in to your Illamasqua.com account, or register for an account. A hidden Naked Strangers pre-release category will then be revealed within the COLLECTIONS section on the left menu within the shop.

The Illamasqua Naked Strangers Summer 2012 Collection goes on sale May 31st, 2012 and will be available at Sephora starting on June 7th, 2012. Registered members on Illamasqua.com can order the collection now.

(This was sent for review.)

New Additions to the Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism Collection Spring/Summer 2012

Illamasqua has just introduced phase two of their Spring/Summer 2012 Human Fundamentalism collection. The new additions to the line include two new lipsticks (Eurydice and Liable) and four new powder eyeshadows (Hype, Inception, Fledgling, Vapour). You can see the entire Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism lineup here, and I have a few swatches to post below.

New Illamasqua shades: Lipstick in Eurydice, Powder Eyeshadow in Inception and Hype.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Eurydice

Eurydice is a bright matte fuchsia. It looks nearly neon in the tube, but it tones down a little once it's on the lips. It's not completely full coverage, but does provide a ton of color. It is a matte formula with no shine or shimmer and the texture is very dry.

Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Inception (left) and Hype (right).

Illamasqua Inception

Inception is a sheer matte purple. It leans toward the blue side of purple. It appears more clean and bright in the pan, but on the skin it has a very dusty/dirty/faded look.


Illamasqua Hype

Hype is a sheer medium yellow matte. Like Inception, it seems rather bright and clean in the pan, but on the skin it take on a muted/faded/dusty looking finish.


Powder Eyeshadow ingredients
(click to enlarge)


Lipstick ingredients
(click to enlarge)

What I liked:

• I always love Illamasqua's packaging. It looks sleek and elegant with a hint of Gothic edge.
• Love the bright color of the lipstick.
• Lipstick is long-wearing.

What I didn't like:

• The two eyeshadows were disappointingly sheer and chalky. I was never able to make them fully opaque on their own (over my usual eyeshadow base) and they did not blend well. Both colors also fade rather quickly after they're applied, which is not something I normally experience with powder eyeshadows.
• The lipstick is extremely dry and feels uncomfortable on the lips. The dryness of the matte formula accentuates flaky skin on the lips, so it's best to exfoliate before applying and then wear a balm on top.

The eyeshadows were, sadly, quite problematic for me, but that's usually the case with matte purples and yellows so it wasn't entirely unexpected. Hype and Inception might perform better when applied over an opaque white base (such as NYX White Eyeshadow Base), but I was not able to get them to work for me on their own over my usual eye primers (Too Faced Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion). If you're looking for an easier to use matte purple or yellow eyeshadow, you may have better luck with MAC Chrome Yellow and Make Up For Ever #92.

The color of the lipstick was bright and gorgeous, but the dry formula was uncomfortable to apply and wear. This is eliminated by using lip balm before or after application, but the balm takes away the nice matte finish of the lipstick and also reduces wear time.

Also, on an Illamasqua-related note, how would you like to star in Illamasqua's next ad campaign? I love the concept, as it's something I strongly believe in. Take a look:

As I'm sure you know... we like to break rules, which is why are now breaking the unspoken prejudice of age with a revolutionary casting call!

We are looking for beauty without limits – age limits, beauty has no sell-by date. That’s why our new campaign will feature people of all ages... Our professional products and brand ethos are transcendent of age; anyone can self-express, be empowered and feel beautiful with bold make-up, so if you’re someone who never lets age define you, or you know someone who fits that description we want to encourage you to nominate your mothers, aunts, grandmothers or any strong person in your life to be part of our next campaign in a glamorous beauty shoot celebrating all ages and diversities.

As well as individuals, we are looking for pairs – from mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, nieces, nephews, aunties, uncles, grandmothers and grandsons. The combinations are endless!

Nominate yourself or someone else at www.illamasqua.com/beauty-before-age before May 15th 2012, and if chosen you and/or that person would need to be available to attend an open casting mid-May 2012 and be part of the shoot taking place in London on Wednesday May 23rd and Thursday May 24th 2012 - competition is open internationally!

In return, all those featured in the campaign receive £500 cash, a new Illamasqua make-up kit worth £500 and a framed photo of yourself like you've never looked before! Ready to stand up for beauty that defies age limits?

“Why should it be the case that you hit 40 and morph into a dull, boring version of your original self? Bombarded by products to hide your age rather than celebrate your experience and vitality." - Joseph Corrė –Illamasqua Joint MD

“From day one we said that Illamasqua could never be defined by social demographics, age or sex, but simply by a mindset. Our customers come to us to seek out permission or gain confidence to wear make-up louder and prouder.” -Julian Kynaston - Illamasqua Founder and Joint MD

“Lauren Bacall said ‘think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that’ I agree. What makes one person unique from another is in their soul and what is projected through their eyes, their wisdom, life story, experience, individuality and presence.” - Alex Box - Illamasqua Creative Director

For full details on the Human Fundamentalism Collection or the Beauty Before Age competition, visit illamasqua.com.

(This was sent for review.)

Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism Collection Spring/Summer 2012 Swatches and Review

Another gorgeous release from Illamasqua. But, can we expect any less from them? I'm sure you've seen all the images by now, but this one was one of my favorites:


I love the white-painted brows and the white eyeliner, the hair, the lipstick and nails, the gloves and especially the lizard bracelet.

Plus, something about the hairstyle and the facial expressions makes me think Frau Schneider:


Aaaanyway, I have a couple of the items from the collection to review:

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Nomad, Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Stance, Illamasqua Precision Ink in Scribe, Illamasqua Sealing Gel and Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Burst.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Nomad. This is a lovely light green/turquoise creme. Illamasqua calls it Jade and I definitely agree with that description. It is intense- not a faded/bland looking pastel. The closest thing I can think of to compare it to would be MAC Peppermint Patti. Really beautiful color.


Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Stance. This one is described as "bright fuchsia violet gloss" and that's also spot-on. It makes me think of every neon purple nail polish I have (think Essie Perky Purple), but it doesn't look identical when I hold the bottles together. This polish also seems to have a bit of a jelly finish- more opaque (less visible nail line) than most jellies, but still has a squishy look.

Illamasqua Precision Ink Eyeliner in Scribe

Precision Ink is a waterproof liquid liner formula. It goes on smooth and dries stretchy, doesn't run or smudge but peels off like latex with hot water. The applicator is a tapered sponge tip, firm but with enough give to conform to the curves of the eyelid. The color is an opaque white creme.

Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in Burst

Burst is a matte blue-green/teal. It's slightly darker on my skin than it appears in the pan, but it has a nice flash of color without looking too bright or getting muddy when blended.

Precision Ink in Scribe - Powder Eyeshadow in Burst


Illamasqua Sealing Gel

The Sealing Gel is a really handy product. It's a clear fluid that you can use with any powder product (like eyeshadow or loose pigment) to turn it into a water-resistant eyeliner. Mix a drop or two of this with an eyeshadow using a liner brush and it creates a creamy-textured eyeliner. It's better than using water because it has a stickier texture that keeps the shadow from flaking after it's applied. It does come in a very small bottle, but each box comes with two bottles.

What I liked:

• Polish colors are awesome.
• Polish formula is equally awesome.
  
• Shadow has good pigmentation.
• Scribe is probably the best white eyeliner I've tried.
• Sealing Gel is extremely useful.
• Awesome images and makeup artistry, as always.
• This collection also includes a teal lipstick that I have to have!

What I didn't like:

• Dry time on the polishes is slower than I'd like (when using three coats like I have on in these photos).
• The shadow didn't blend as easily/smoothly as I'd like. This is most likely due to the matte formula and it being such a heavily pigmented color.
• Scribe is the brightest and most opaque white liner I've used, but it still needs two or more coats to get the color even and completely opaque.
• Even though you get two bottles of sealing gel per box, it's still such a small amount of product. Each bottle is only 6ml/0.2 oz.
  

It's a very nice-looking collection and all the items I tried had great quality, so I'm happy with it. Illamasqua polishes in particular are always some of the nicest to apply and these didn't disappoint me. My favorite part of every Illamasqua collection is always the amazing art they create using the products, and I love this one almost as much as I loved Toxic Nature. You can see all the different images here, and I'd recommend taking a look if you haven't already!

The Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism Collection is available now at Illamasqua or Sephora.

(This was sent for review.)