I thought I would feature some of my favourite Illamasqua lipsticks (the list is growing). One thing I hate about some lipstick reviews is that the reviewer will only show an extreme close-up of the lip colour on their lips and/or a swatch on their wrist. This makes it difficult to get an accurate sense of how a colour will wear on your particular lips and how that colour will interact with the rest of your face. Therefore, I have provided both close shots of my lips and my entire face while wearing the lipstick. I am not wearing lip liner with any of the lipsticks. For reference, I am a 15 in Skin Base/Rich Liquid 240+325/NW 43/ NC 45+50. There will also be a follow-up post featuring Illamasqua lip glosses soon.

Most Illamasqua lipsticks are creamy, richly pigmented matte colours. However, there are a few pearlized and shimmery, slightly sheer ones. My favourites are the creamy, matte ones. These tend to last longer, and require less pressure on application. One swipe is pretty much all you need for full-on colour. Make sure to exfoliate your lips, because Illamasqua’s matte lipsticks have a tendency to show up any flakiness you may have.

On to the swatches!

Brink: “warm, peachy pink”. It’s definitely more peachy than pink on my two-toned lips. I find this particular lipstick to be slightly chalkier once applied. It definitely looks better with clear gloss or balm. That’s my personal preference.

Box: “deep scarlet red, matte”. This lipstick is named after Alex Box, who is known for her inimitable scarlet pout. She also bestows all Illamasqua products with their names. Umm, how much do I love this colour? Let me count the ways. It is my perfect red, but looks slightly berry coloured on me. Box adds instant allure and drama to my face. I love the texture of this colour as well. When it fades, it doesn’t leave you with just an embarrassing red ring around your mouth.

Climax: “dusty rose pink”. This is a my-lips-but-better shade for me. However, I have to wear a lip liner (not in this photo) on my top lip because it’s naturally darker. I throw this colour on when I want to look “sweet”. I know, cheesy-right?

Diablo: “dark, wine red. matte”. On the website, the shade looks nothing like it does in person. It looks more purple on the website. In reality, it doesn’t look like much in the tube, but it is absolutely gorgeous when applied. I can’t believe I gave this colour the side-eye for so long. I grabbed it one day when I was in a rush. What a discovery! It will be perfect for fall. I find this colour very long-wearing, and more moist (blech) than some of the other shades.

Salacious: “Matte, raspberry red”. Also a sleeper hit. It looks more red in the tube than it actually is on application. On me, it’s more raspberry than red.

Resist: “deep rose pink, matte”. I have already proclaimed my love for this shade in my Desert Island Lips post. If I could only keep one lipstick, it would be this one. It’s universally flattering, whether you are pale or deep ebony. The only down side is that it dries my lips out slightly so I have to dab a bit of lip balm on top if I want to keep it more matte.

As a bonus, you can find a swatch of Currupt  here.

Do you own any of these or other Illamasqua lipsticks? What are your favourites? Ask me questions about any other colours not featured .