Illamasqua Born Again and Make Up Artistry

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The full uncut edit of Illamasqua's latest film ' Born Again', starring BAFTA Winner Vicky McClure.

Film synopsis: Set in the middle of no-where-in-particular and at no specific time, 'Born Again' tells the story of a beautiful young woman on a journey that will define who she will be for the rest of her life.The young woman is at odds with the world - tense and on edge - she chases the sun in the hope she will find peace in its setting. We see it in her vibrantly coloured eyes , and read it on her vividly painted lips -- how this search for her true self has taken her to the edge of reason and sanity and ended in the ultimate act of sacrifice and commitment..

 I think this is beautifully shot and scored..dark and unshamedly epic!  When I first watched it, I really wanted to see what this 'ultimate act of sacrifice and commitment' would be.. I am a huge fan of Illamasqua make up and have managed to put my hands on and tried a couple of their products myself.  Illamasqua, as a brand , promotes itself as make up for your alter ego.  I first heard of it through the Pixiwoos and upon exlporing it, it really struck me as more of an artistic approach to make up..almost theatrical..and thus I was sold!  If you just browse their promotional images on their site/blog you'll find pictures of vampires, gypsy queens, fairies..you get the point! It's all very artistic.. to me at least!

  
  They also seem to really favour the whole androgynous look..  as you can see in the video above.  Still, some people think that they might be alienating a large amount of buyers ,who just think Illamasqua is far too extreme for them. Do you ever get intimidated by brands that seem too..artistic? I guess Illamasqua is trying to bring in a wider audience, though will they achieve that through 'dark' films with suicide themes? What's your take on this?x

Mini ELF Haul

  Hi ya'all!!! As most of you know, a few days ago ELF was having a 50% discount on all of their products making the beauty blogosphere go nuts, and so did I! Still, I tried to exercise some self-control and place an order only on the things that I was sure I wanted to buy. So, I went for these: Pink Passion & Fuchsia Fusion blushes and the popular ELF Powder Brush. Along with them, came also the Essential Shimmer Eyeliner pencil in green, which was a gift from ELF. Hooray!

  Now onto the blushes! Pink Passion is a very bright, matte, cool Barbie-esque pink blush, with blue undertones that reaches neon standards without being tacky! At first, I thought this colour was kind of intimidating, since it looks very bright in the pan. The colour is very pigmented and buildable. You can apply with a light hand for a subtle pink flush on the cheeks, or continue layering for a more evening look! It stays well on for a few hours, if you set with a finishing powder. The packaging is very NARS-esque. Sleek matte black plastic, though it does not come with a brush, just a small mirror! Is it as pigmented or as good as NARS? No...but it costs around 4 euros, and I will give them the credit for not adding talc. They use only silica for a smooth powder application; because of that they are good on oily skin as they will absorb cheek oil while the colour remains.  

  The next one is Fuchsia Fusion. Dupe Alert ladies! This makes a really pretty and very inexpensive dupe for NARS Angelika blush. As with Pink Passion, Fuchsia Fusion is also pigmented and sooo beautiful! It does have glitter but once it is on the face, it is hardly noticeable. It brightens up my face and I really like it! Again the compact is about the same as NARS but it is easier to clean, and doesn't have that sticky feel that the NARS ones have. I also noticed that maybe because of the glitter, the edges of the product in the pan, were a bit crumbed but this is just a minor detail!

Left: Pink Passion  Right: Fuchsia Fusion

  Now about the Powder Brush..lets just start off by saying that this is very comparable to MAC's 187! OK..it is not a duo-fibre brush but the results are pretty much the same for a fraction of the price! I've tried it with liquid foundation/powder/blush/bronzer and it always gives flawless results. This is certainly a multi-purpose brush that will make your life easier..plus it costs 4 euros! You can't really go wrong with that I guess. Quite a few people have mentioned around the blogosphere that its bristles can be uneven but I think that is just luck. Overall, I really like it!

  Finally, the Essential Shimmer Eyeliner pencil. Well, I won't really say much about this. A bit underwhelming and..nothing out of the ordinary that would make this HG material. Just a decent product I guess, which was nice to receive for free! It does have its little sharpener though, which makes it really convenient. 

Shimmer pencil/Fuchsia Fusion/Pink Passion

  That was it!  I am really happy with my mini-haul! Still, the only thing I couldn't get my hands on was the contouring/blush kit as it was sold out. I think this is one of their best-sellers, so it's no surprise it wasn't available. I guess most people were faster placing an order than myself. So, I kind of blame YOU people! Just kidding..haha!  What about you? Did you take advantage of this ELF 50% discount? Are there still any ELF products that remain in your wishlists? Take care everybody!

Estee Lauder Summer Melon Gloss Stick and Portofino Coral

Estee Lauder Summer Melon Pure Colour Gloss Stick is a recent addition to my stash!  It swatches a bit sheer but it is absolutely gorgeous when applied. It’s a lovely shade of subdued coral and subtle gold shimmer. It has been my go-to lippie for the past month or so.

  The Pure Colour Gloss Stick formula is very creamy and light. It’s very much gloss-meets-lipstick in terms of the texture and feel on lips. The colour is semi-opaque and even though it is very glossy, it still lasts two to three hours on the lips and keeps them soft and shiny. Hooray!!! As you can guess, like many Estee Lauder lip products, it does have that sweet fig scent. On my lips, it doesn’t seem to leave a taste but this is quite debatable cause many people seem to really be able to detect both scent and taste, and thus avoid them! I personally looove their scent and every once in a while, I get it out of my handbag for the sole purpose of having a sniff!

  The only criticism I have is regarding how little product they give you–0.08 oz. is rather undersized relative to Estee Lauder’s Lipsticks (0.13 oz.). Though, I don’t really mind cause the quality of the product compensates for the lesser quantity. Finally, another lovely shade I would advise you to have a look at when you visit the Estee Lauder counter is Wild Plum; which as you can guess is a plum-meets-pink colour that I find equally nice to Summer Melon. Yet, the latter would probably be a wiser purchase being a coral…during summertime!

  Portofino Coral is a medium-heavy bold coral with a satin finish. It’s opaque on my lips, and the intensity of the colour does make it seem creamier and heavier than other shades of the same collection.  Even with only one coat the colour does really make a statement…and may I say a bold one!  The coverage is excellent, and oddly enough, it feels quite lightweight despite its pigmentation. I find it more moisturizing than your average lipstick, which makes it comfortable to wear. This is not the balm-meets-lipstick feel of Chanel Rouge Coco Shine or Dior Addict but it comes pretty much close. I get about five to six hours of wear with this shade in particular, because it is so pigmented!  Again this is scented with a lightly sweetened fig. I usually wear this to go out for drinks or so but I have tried it during the day…though I do get a bit self-conscious cause it’s so bold. Does this ever happen to you? Loving a shade but still feel a bit self-conscious to wear it during daytime?

Up: Summer Melon
Down: Portofino Coral