Illamasqua Kontrol Lipstick

After a whole year of fantasising about this lipstick and never being able to get it, Kontrol is finally mine! :') Every time I've gone to buy it was always conveniently out of stock, not available, the only thing left being testers. Now the quest for this lipstick is finally over!

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Illamasqua Thrust Blush

On Illamasqua's official site, this blush is described as a magenta. When I saw it in store, the thing that drew me to it was the hint of purple within colour, it's almost a bright violet berry in my opinion. Though pretty scary looking in the pan, it can show up as either subtle pink colour on the cheeks or a bright magenta. I would say this blush would be more cool toned, but I am sure it could work for both undertones easily. This product would also be exceptional for darker skin tones! Warning: can look clownish if applied too heavily. I guess that is a rule with all blush, but the pigmentation in Illamasqua blushes is phenomenal!

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Illamasqua Apocalips Lipstick

As promised, I present to you another Illamasqua related post, this time on the lipstick 'Apocalips'. If you saw my lost post on Illamasqua, I mentioned them to be quite an avant-garde brand of make-up. Apocalips definitely doesn't disappoint. It is a new colour from the Human Fundamentalism collection, and it's TEAL. It's completely true to it's colour, it's not an off green or a sky blue, it is a perfectly true teal with a matte finish. 

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Illamasqua Katie Blush

As promised, here is my first (of many) Illamasqua posts. If you haven't heard of this make-up brand, I strongly recommend taking a look at their website. They are definitely for the brave, I've been caught wearing their Discliple lipstick (a matte navy blue) in public and received many a awkward stare. This is truly a brand you have to be confident in wearing and one you have to like venturing into a more adventures style. Despite this, they do cater for more natural looks, such as this product..

This is a blush called Katie.

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MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC15

This is my current foundation, which replaced my Revlon Colourstay, the foundation I've used since  I began wearing make-up, which is unbelievable! I purchased the lightest shade at the mac counter, I'm impressed by Mac's colour range, though they aren't as all-encompassing as Illamasqua's skin range. The shade I have is NC15, which has yellow undertones. I think I would personally be more suited to an NW foundation, and as I think this product is good enough to buy again, I'll put up a review of both the NW and NC to compare at some point!

Remember when you're at a makeup counter, you know yourself and your skin better than anyone, so if you think something doesn't look right, make sure you tell them! Another tip, the lights that are used at make-up counters will illuminate your face brilliantly, which will make your foundation look gorgeous of course, but always test the product away from light before you buy to check the colour match!

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NARS Blush 'Orgasm'

NARS ORGASM BLUSH

To mark my first make-up related post, I thought I'd give you a review on the most raved about blush on the beauty market. It is a staple in my make-up bag and their most profound product, I present to you... NARS Orgasm Blush!

NARS Orgasm is a peachy pink colour with highlights of gold shimmer. It is the most universally flattering shade I own.  It makes cheeks blush a perfect colour, and is very easy to build up to a deeper colour for a more dramatic look. Honestly,  I do not know how I went so long without this. It can be applied sheerly for a hint of colour, but with a few strokes it most definitely builds up. Generally, I apply this with a MAC 116 brush, which is my go to for most powder products.. buuuuut I've been using a Kabuki brush I recently bought from The Body Shop (will review!) which applies just as well.

The thing I've found with NARS is that the colours can look terrifying in the pan (read: Taj Mahal, an intense bright orange), but as soon as their applied to skin, they blend seamlessly. In saying that, the products are still extremely pigmented so applying with a light hand is necessary and less is definitely more. Potentially, they could all be natural, it is just a matter of pressure.

BEWARE: Although beautiful and clean upon purchase, the black rubber packaging slowly, but surely, attracts every ounce of dust, powder and make-up that falls on it. Though you can simply remove this with an eraser (seems to be the only method that works for me - and I've tried 'em all), I can't stand when my make-up is the slightest bit dirty. In my opinion, it's the price you pay for such a damn good product. If you haven't got this you should seriously investigate. Go to your local MECCA and get one of the make-up artists to apply it on you. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

Price: $62.00

Where to buy: MECCA Cosmetica

Permanent/LE: Permanent

Rating: A solid 10/10. You can't go wrong with this blush. Ever.