A Quick Friday FOTD

I haven't done one of these posts for ages... this is a super quick look inspired by THIS video from the lovely Tanya Burr, or Pixi2woo as she is known better on YouTube...

I'm loving really simple eye makeup looks at the moment - maybe it's something to do with having a fringe, but at the moment I feel like anything too complex just looks too much. I also think having such big eyes also contribures to it looking too much for a day-to-day thing... It's also a lot easier and quicker!

On the eyes I simply used Amber Lights from MAC, blended it out and added black liner, and a lot of mascara. I also used a little MAC brule to blend out the top edge, and add a natural highlight.

Being a warmish brown colour, Amber Lights is very complimentary to blue eyes... I do think the eyeliner is necessary to give some definition, although you could use a brown shade for a softer look - The Prestige intense liners include a dark brown which is great for this type of look.

Easy peasy!

On the skin I used a new foundation I picked up from Max Factor - the Xperience foundation (I use the shade Raw Silk, which is the second lightest). I've only used this a couple of times, so I'm still forming an opinion on it really...

So far, I like the way it applies - it feels like a tinted moisturiser but with coverage. I'd say it gives low to medium coverage. You do need a concealer with it. Once set with powder it lasts pretty well on the skin. I'd say so far I'm liking this as a daytime foundation, but for night-time, I'd want something with more coverage...

For contour I used Illamasqua powder blush in Risk (which appears to have been discontinued), and on the cheeks, this recent purchase from Accessorize Makeup;

This is the shade "Bombshell", and is one of their merged baked blushers, which are great value at £5. They are very pigmented, and although a little powdery feeling on swatching, they apply, blend and last well on the cheeks. The more I try from this line the more I like!

Bombshell is one of those shades which "could be a bronzer or could be a blusher", but its basically great for days when you don't want to agonize (and I use that word with no irony) over your blush shade...

Have you tried much from the Accessorize range? Any recommendations?

Oh, and on lips I have Hollywood Gold from Estee Lauder's Michael Kors collection...

Illamasqua Nail Quills Explained!

Ever since these popped up on the Illamasqua site, I know I'm not the only one who has been intruiged...
Illamasqua have finally shared a bit more info through the magic of YouTube...


Personally I think these are great fun and vampy - they are centainly more interesting than the blinging talons usually on offer in Boots and Superdrug. Obviously you'd need the right occasion too... 

What do you think of them?

Dear Santa...

I've tried to be a good girl all year as usual.

With varying levels of success. As usual. Well, we all have our bad days.

The Mister eventually forgave me for the scenes of carnage after I dyed my hair red. And I've promised to paint over the red patches that are still lingering.

So having said that, I just thought I'd gen you up on a few things I'm currently lusting over. Lets just say I wouldn't be too unhappy should these show up in a certain stocking on a certain 25th December...

Illamasqua has a big place in my heart, and I adore their brushes - I haven't been disappointed with any of them so far. So just the very thought of a Brush Roll from them fills my heart with joy... And then when I saw that the roll is so beautifully decorated with that image of Narcissus. Well. I was in Love. Properly. I've been practicing signing my name with Illamasqua as a surname and everything...

This little beauty will cost £95 when it is available on the Illamasqua site. But I'm Worth it *tosses hair*

Oh and hey Santa, while you are on the Illamasqua site you might wanna pick these up..

Apparently these are called Nail Quills (£35), and I think they are basically a very funky hand made nail tip.

I have no idea where I'd wear these.

Tesco's? Changing the oil in the car? Cleaning out the litter tray?

All I know is they are pretty, different and very collectible looking.

I'd treat them like Gollum would treat a certain gold ring.

My Preccccciouuuuusssss... I wants them!

Ahem.

I also would be very happy to try some of the new polishes from Illamasqua too... Like these which won the Nail Varnish contest...

Of course Christmas is a time for sharing, so the Mister might appreciate you popping these into the old sack as well...

This is from Bravissimo, appropriately is called Cheeky Monkey. I love Bravissimo - its the only shop I can trust to get bra's in my stupid size which don't look like they were made for a 100 year old housekeeper in a victorian novel...

Obviously though, I might get a bit chilly in that so maybe this dress from Dorothy Perkins (£60) which is an online exclusive might help...

I'd love to team that with some chunky tights, boots and this divine coat, also from Dorothy Perkins (£85)

I'd also be quite keen on waking up on Christmas morning and being able to style my hair with this, to finish of my glam look;

 I'd also love a back up bottle of this;

I was kindly sent a bottle of this by a friend who had it but found it didn't suit her skin, and I ADORE it. I've worn it every day. Is it work appropriate? Frankly, I don't care. I love it too much to be worried about things like that. The Mister likes it too, and it even goes well with my Haus of Gloi stuff...

There are also a few bits and bobs I'd love from Amazon...

I've been obsessed with this film since I saw it on FX a while ago. This is a Swedish film and is one of the best and most subtle yet tense and still bloody vampire films I've ever seen. It was recently given a hollywood makeover and is on cinema's now as "Let Me In" - the remake is not bad, but the original is so beautiful and haunting. Love. So if I could get it on disc I could finally remove it from the Sky+ box...

And I'd love to read this, mostly because I'd love to find out how Old Rusty Rockets managed to snare Katy Perry, and keep his Rocket from exploring other territories...

Ok, so Santa, I know I'm demanding. I don't expect to actually recieve ANY of this - I just fancied having a browse and sharing my dream shopping list. This year realistically the contents of my stocking will more than likely be a new George Foreman Grill with removable plates...

The Mister, who does all our cooking, uses this nearly every day, and I'm the lucky lady who gets to clean it... Those removable plates will make life a lot earlier. So one of these and some handcream? Bobs your Uncle!

What's on your Chrismas Wish List?

Illamasqua Art of Darkness Contest - The Winners!!!

As you know, the contest this time had two entry routes, and hence two ways to win - ie via my blog, or via the MUSE You Tube Channel! So that means there are two winners, each of whom win the entire Art of Darkness collection, as well as a place on MUSE's Catwalk Trends Makeup Bootcamp.


So without further ado, the winner via blog/photographic entry is...

Natalie Grimes from NOTD Blog with her entry "Flora and Fauna"...

Natalie described the inspiration behind this look;

"My character is called Flora and Fauna. As well as the other 13 characters I took inspiration from the environment where the banquet is to take place. I started to think about what sort of creatures could be roaming around an enchanted forest and what sort of life would grow there. I've always loved the idea of an enchanted wood and loved any books that referenced this kind of place when I was a kid so it wasn't hard to let my imagination run wild. Being mythical I could choose anything so didn't strictly stick with just the idea of a forest, I brought in a bit of jungle as well. I was originally going to do two separate makeup looks, one for each character as I had decided to do twins. But then I started to think about different personalities existing in the same body and decided to do half a face to represent each. I liked the idea of them battling inside one body and the darkness and mystery of never knowing quite which one you were talking to...
The twins embody all life in the enchanted forest. Two personalities co-exist in one body. Flora is gentle and sharing, radiating light and calm. But Fauna is wild and unpredictable. She is exotic and alluring, yet dark and possessive. Make sure you know which one you are dealing with or you might just end up being dinner!"

Natalie put so much work and preparation into her look, and created the 3d pieces around the eyes herself using fimo and various other items - Everyone loved the level of preparation and imagination evident in the look - and the appearance of a foot comimng from the right brow also wowed us! Natalie also created an amazing face chart;

Natalie used lots of different techniques including stencilling to create the final look..

So, the all important question is... Why did Alex Box choose this one as a winner?

Alex said "Total innovation of 3D material. So many amazing entries that were evocative of the existing characters, and there was some technically superb entries but I felt that the research and drawings showed her passion for the subject and love for the craft of make-up."

On a personal level, I love it when entries like this storm these contests - I started these contests with Illamasqua because I wanted to encourage people of all backgrounds to try and be creative, and I've always tried to get that across when I get the contests going - Natalie's look more than fulfils that - it is creative quirky and original, and most of all, unexpected - Natalie, we had over 150 entries to this contest. It was our biggest ever and it was the hardest to judge - so a MASSIVE MASSSIVE WELL DONE to you - You really deserve it!

All I need from you now is your full name and address - send it to my email address in the side bar and we can get your prize to you and get your place organised! Well done!!!

See Natalie's original blog post and entry HERE.

The other winner, via You Tube was...

"Oriental Demon" by Krysanthe;

This is a stunning entry, and also a stunning video which really gets across Krysanthe's aims well.

Alex chose this look as a winner because she thought that "The new twist on the geisha format - planes of the face replaced with techno colour - brought a new unisex character to life. I liked that I could see that the character was believable and sensual by adding flesh and mystery to it in the form of narrative through the video."

You can check out Krysanthe's Channel HERE.

Finally I'd just like to say a massive thank you to EVERYONE who took the time to work on their entries for this contest - as I say there were some truly stunning looks entered, and everyone was really inspired. Judging this was extremely difficult, and none of us envied Alex Box for having to actually make the decision over the winners!

WELL DONE TO BOTH OUR WINNERS!!

Art of Darkness contest

Just a quickie as I have been deluged with emails/comments asking when the results will be announced.

We had over 150 entries via the blog, and are working very very hard to get it judged. Please just bear with us. As soon as I know who the winner is, I will post and let you know!

I know everyone is really excited to find out if they won but given the number of and quality of the entries this time, as well as issues with Alex Boxs schedule it's tricky and we want to make sure we choose the right winner.

Please be assured that myself and everyone at Illamasqua are doing our very best to judge it quickly and fairly!

Thanks xx


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Illamasqua comp

Went to bed last night with an empty email in box and woke up this morning with about thirty email entries for the Illamasqua contest.

Which is fabulous and I'm so amazed at all the effort you've gone to!

Unfortunately though I'm working on a late shift today (as a nurse it's not a given that I get weekends off).

So the upshot is that I won't be able to process your entries til this evening. So don't be alarmed of you don't hear back from me today! I'm truly doing my best to keep on top of things!

Keep those entries coming!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

BBLL 10.10.10

My Lips But Better writes about the MAC Venomous Villains launch party and shares her thoughts about the products.




Check out the duo-chromed awesomnicity (yes that is a word!) that Aijuswhanakno found through Persephone Minerals.




Tammerly at Pink Diva's Beauty Spot gives you the 'gloss' on the 2010 Sydney International Beauty Expo.




Amy Antoinette experiments with Kim Kardashian curls.




Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed gets to pretend she is a real makeup artist with the TEMPTU AIRbrush system!


Kim Porter reviews Dr. Miracle’s Follicle Healer Hydrating Oil, a great product for dry, damaged hair.






With blogger events and launch parties, it's Illamasqua overload at Hellcandy make-up! Check out the photos from the launch party here.






Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Mascara and Yinnie's lashes become BFFs over at Looking Glass Beauty.




Daily Polish professes her love for all things Catrice with the turquoise lacquer, "I Sea You!"




Over at The Glamorous Gleam, Mz. More gives you a sneak peek at the new Sleek MakeUp Bad Girl & Good Girl Palettes, due to be released on October 27th!




Eyelining uses some NYX pigments to demonstrate how bad packaging can ruin a perfectly good product.






Vex in the City shows you how to step up your nail game on the cheap, with the new Instant Nail Effects from Barry M.




Emma swatches the best Orgasm dupe yet for only £3.99 at BirdsDecorateBranches!




Melissa reviews Smell Bent's limited edition Halloween Killer Smellies over at LovelyAndroid.




You need an idea for Halloween? Vesna at Beauty addict blog has one: turn yourself into a Dark Fairy for this year's Halloween!




Love NARS makeup but not the price tag? Lipglossiping signals the "dupe alert" siren when she shows off a serious but affordable dupe for NARS Albatross!




The Pink Sith is less than impressed with the Too Faced Naked Eye Palette, despite it having a few great taupe shadows.




Jellyminx jumps on the naked band wagon and shares a look created using the Urban Decay Naked Palette.




Jolie Laide girl gets to work showing you the best of the Elf Mineral Shadows.




Louise spends a day chatting with Daniel Sandler and getting a whole new look!




The Lip Print discovers a products with a Happy Philosophy; you can share the love too!




theNotice finds a fab product to banish under-eye bags, and it's under $5!




L at Beautifully Addicted To gives a run down on Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanse.





***




Jeweled Thumb is celebrating reaching her 400th post with a giveaway! Enter to win Stila, ELF, BE, Milani Bare To Wear and more!




Enter Phyrra's Beauty for the Earth The Wizard of Oz-Some Giveaway for a collection worth $60!

Illamasqua Art of Darkness - Swatches and Review

Like a lot of other bloggers I was recently invited to attend the Bloggers preview of the new Art of Darkness collection from Illamasqua, but I was unable to attend as I was attending the engagement party of a really good friend. I was pleased then to recieve a parcel from Illamasqua the following week with a few pieces from the collection.

There are two nail varnishes in the collection - Scarab, a red, and Viridian, a shimmery green. I was sent Viridian, and this is a perfect "Beetle green" - the kind of colour you imagine a beetle to look when it catches the light. I'm probably not selling the shade on that description, but this is a beautiful colour.

Viridian is similar to a racing green, but is shot through with blue. On the nails it looks like this;

When it catches the light, the blue tone really stands out, and in close up, it has a lovely microshimmer...

I am a big fan of the formula and finish of the Illamasqua polishes, but I mostly go for creme finishes, so this is something a bit different for me. To me this is a lovely alternative to harsher statement colours like black, and is unusual so will be noticed. Scarab, the red version looks like it has a similar finish, so it's on my list of purchases. 

I was also sent the new lipgloss from the range - an intense gloss in the shade Hermetic. This shade is described on the website as a "deep, wine red". This is a dark and daring but sumptuous shade, and I really like it. It definitely has impact, and in a way it has a 1920's vibe about it which I love - the 20's are my favourite period for makeup looks!

This darkened plum shade has a gold shimmer to it which can be seen in the swatch below...

It also translates well on the lips...

The other lip product in the collection is a navy blue lipstick (Disciple) - a shade I'd love to be brave enough and attractive enough to wear! I might get one for my kit though!

I was also sent one of the two pigments from the collection - Alluvium. There is also a bronze shade called Ore, which looks like a must have;

Alluvium, is a beautiful metallic blue which contains multicoloured fine shimmer particles - I can see gold, red, purple, green and silver reflects in the product.

The pigment give a subtle result when swatched dry;

But when applied wet or over a primer, the richness of the pigmentation and shimmer really stands out;

There are a few other things I hope to pick up from the collection... namely the liquid metal palette, which contains three new shades;

I am also hoping to get the new powdered metal in Ether, as I love the other powdered metals, and this one looks like a fab gold highlighter...

I've reviewed the new liners from the range in a separate post which you can find HERE.

Will you be picking anything up from the new collection?

Bird Pooh Facial? Yes Please!

I was recently invited to go for a facial at the Beauty Lounge. I basically almost snapped the hand off the person offering - work is a constantly stressful place to be, and my skin was paying the price of that, combined with burning the candle at both ends in a big way.
The Beauty Lounge itself is situated in Kingly Court, a little "blink and you'd miss it" row of shops situated just opposite the new Illamasqua flagship store on Beak Street near Carnaby Street, central London.

Outside the Beauty Lounge has a lovely modern look to it, but step inside and you get the feel you are in a lovely Hollywood Starlet bijou apartment. It's all chaise lounges, comfy chairs and black and white pictures on the wall. Cosy but not cluttered. And not overly clinical feeling like a lot of beauty salons, but still very clean and hygenic. It was nice to see that they had some great nail polish ranges for use in manicures, like Essie, as well as some of the brands us bloggers rave about like the He-Shi tanning range available.

The Beauty Lounge offers a range of treatments, including manicures, massage, facials, and fake tans. They also offer Makeup lessons - the full menu is available on their site HERE.

The facial I was invited for was a 30 minute "Green Peel" treatment using products from Nuz Shugaa's range. A bespoke facial with Nuz herself cost £150. See Nuz's site HERE. The Green Peel, I was informed, was designed to be deeply cleansing but gentle. Perfect for my dry-combo but blemished skin.

The products used were all organic, and  Agnes, the lovely facialist I had did warn me that some of them had an "unusual" scent. They definitely had a natural scent, but I found most of them very pleasant (I'll get to the bird droppings bit soon!). The cleansing gels and exfoliators all had a very fresh scent - nothing unpleasant as far as I was concerned, and they felt lovely and fresh on my skin. I'd liken the scent of some of the cleansers to freshly cut grass or similar, but without the hayfever effects of sneezing and streaming eyes.

The really different thing with this facial was the mask. As it was being applied to me, I commented on the unusual scent. I can't really describe it. Agnes then let me know that this was the infamous "Nightingale Mask". For the uninitiated, that means it contained Nightingale Dropping. Agnes explained that they were dried and purified using UV light, so no bacteria. But the smell is still there.

At this point, you may be wondering why use Nightingale droppings in a face mask? Lemme explain...
Nightingale droppings have been used in japanese beauty treatments for a long time, used primarily by Geisha's for skin lightening and purifying.

The droppings contain a natural enzyme called guanine which apparently accounts for these properties. The nightingale's leavings are apparently better than other bird doo doo, as the nightingale has a short intestine, so their droppings contain more guanine, than the leavings of the average wood pigeon, for example.

Anyway... enough of the bird poop talk, lets have another nice picture of the salon...

Ahh, thats better...

On with the facial. The mask itself just felt like a fairly pleasant mask with a gel consistency - not too tight or uncomfortable, a little tingly but more in a freshening way than an irritating or drying way. While the mask was doing it's thing, I was on the recieving end of a hand and arm massage. I was finally relaxing... It takes me a long time to relax...

After the mask was removed, Agnes gave me a facial massage.

I have to say actually, that facial massage was A. May. Zing. Somehow firm and thorough but also relaxing at the same time. I'd love to know how to do that. I give myself basic face massages when I use cleansing oils or balms, but this was something else. When Agnes was working around my eyes, I could literally feel the tension melting away. Fabulous.

After the facial oil was removed, a light moisturiser was then applied and I was left to relax for a few minutes before I realised that I was at risk of falling asleep as I felt so relaxed. So I dragged myself off the table and went downstairs, and stumbled back into busy central London, but feeling so so much better.

So how did the facial work out for my skin? Very well as it happens - I definitely noticed a "post facial glow" which lasted all that day. Over the next few days I also noticed that my blemished areas were improved, and my skin tone looked more uniform. Obviously one treatment is not going to turn me from drab to fab, but I definitely saw benefits, and I'd definitely repeat the facial again in the future, nightingale pooh and all. Just make sure I get that massage...

Obviously - if you don't want the special mask, other masks are available!

Disclaimer - I was a guest of the Beauty Lounge and did not pay for this treatment. I was under no obligation, financial or otherwise to write this review, and my reviews as always are honest and based on my own experiences.

Illamasqua Contest.... The Mystery Guest!

I'm thrilled to be able to announce a fantastic contest in association with Illamasqua and Muse makeup academy.

I left a little clue in the teaser post yesterday and a couple of you did guess what the aim of this contest is going to be...

For the Art Of Darkness collection, Alex Box created a cast of 13 characters for a dark faerie banquet... We want you to create a 14th guest for this feast. Let your imagination run wild, and tell us all about the character you have created, and the inspiration behind the look...

For example, one of my favourite characters created  by Alex Box for the AoD collection is Androgyny - "Elusive, ethereal and unforgettable, the beauty of androgyny transcends the limitations of gender. This is a being for whom labels do not apply. Androgyny assumes whatever role takes its fancy and refuses to conform"

So create your own 14th character and tell us about them!

NB - Your creation is a makeup creation - you do NOT have to create a costume etc. You can if you want to, but the makeup is the thing we will be judging, not the costume etc.

For this contest there will be two ways to enter - you can either enter via a blog post/ email here at MizzWorthy, or you can enter by creating a video which is a maximum of five minutes long and leaving this as a response to the video on the MUSE youtube channel... For full details of how to enter, see the T&C's below.

As always, the winners will be chosen by the fabulous Alex Box!
The prizes for this contest are the biggest and best yet - there will be a blog/email entry winner and a video entry winner.

Each winner will recieve the entire Art of Darkness collection from Illamasqua (value approx £350).

Each winner will also recieve a place on MUSE's "Catwalk Trends Makeup Bootcamp";

"An introduction to the hottest looks currently seen on the catwalk. A weekend of fun."


This course has a value of £295 - From Dior to Prada, you' ve seen the trends, now learn the Make Up! This short, intensive 2 DAY course pushes the boundaries. Master the hottest looks currently seen on the catwalk."

(Dates: Sat 6th & Sun 7th November 2010, Sat 4th & Sun 5th February 2011, Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd April 2011)

To find out more about this, and all the other courses which MUSE run, check out their website HERE.

MUSE's YouTube Channel can be found HERE, and you can also say hello to them on facebook HERE.

The MUSE youtube video to which you can leave responses is going live on their channel at 18.00 (UK time) tonight (16.09.10)

This is, I'm sure you will agree, a fantastic prize, and well worth winning.

Entries via blog post/email can be made in the usual manner to me - either leave a comment below, or email me your entry.

As usual, you MUST be a follower to the Blog, if you are entering via MizzWorthy, and you MUST Subscribe to the MUSE YT channel if you are entering via video!

For full list of terms annd conditions and full details of how to enter please carefully read "the  rules" below - we hav tried to anticipate all questions below...

THE RULES

• To launch the Art of Darkness collection Alex Box created an amazing set of 13 characters for a faerie banquet. The aim of this contest is to create a final 14th character. Let your imagination run wild and play in the shadows to create your own guest for this very special banquet
• Illamasqua has joined forces with myself and the fabulous LONDON MUSE, THE school of make up, to provide two spectacular prizes which reflect the challenge posed! There will be two ways to enter the contest - via blog/email here on MizzWorthy, or by Video by leaving a response to the LONDON MUSE video announcing the competition (http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLondonMuse).
• There will be two winners, each will win the entire Art of Darkness Collection (value £350) and a place on LONDON MUSE' s popular weekend course on the Latest Catwalk Make Up Trends (Value £295).
• To enter in the form of a photograph/blog entry simply leave a comment below with a link to your post, or email me if you would prefer to enter by email or you want to enter but do not have a blog. Your entry must include a description of your character, the inspiration behind it and finally the look you have created. Any additional info such as how you created the look, products used etc can also be included. Please do not photoshop your entries.
• To enter by submitting a video, you must leave a video response to the LONDON MUSE youtube competition video (http://www.youtube.com/user/TheLondonMuse), which must be a maximum of five minutes long. The video can either be presented as a make up tutorial or, as with blog/email entries, you can choose to tell us about your character, how you created it and show us the final look. Again, you can include further information if you would like to.
• The contest will run for one month from Thursday 16th September to Midnight (UK time) Sunday 17th October 2010. This is the final deadline, and due to the nature of this contest, cannot be extended.
• Entries via the blog will be acknowledged by return comment or email. If you do not receive an acknowledgment then please email me to ensure that I have received the entry.
• The winner will be announced by Wednesday 27th October 2010
• Entries by Video will be acknowledged by LONDON MUSE by email if, after submitting the youtube video, participants will email competitions@londonmuse.co.uk to notify of their youtube video upload.
• You may use products/media from any range and brand to create your look. Products do not have to be purchased from Illamasqua.
• Blog entrants must be followers of the blog, and likewise video entrants must be subscribed to the LONDON MUSE channel (thelondonmuse) on youtube. Given the effort and planning that goes into these contests, as well as the prizes on offer, this is a reasonable request and it also helps entrants to be able to find out about who has won easily.
• Your entry MUST be an ORIGINAL COMPLETE LOOK of YOUR OWN CREATION - Past contests have seen entries in the form of a close up of an eye, or which appear to be taken from a student portfolio. Such entries will not be accepted as the prizes on offer this time are very desirable. This is a further reason for entrants being required to provide us with some supporting information about the character that they have created.
• Finalists will be announced as soon as possible after the deadline. The blog/email entries will be judged by myself and Alex Cummins who works for Illamasqua, while the Video finalists will be selected by Nicci Jackson and Antonia Confalone from LONDON MUSE.
• Alex Box will then make a final decision and select one winner from the blog/email entries and one winner from the video entries. Each winner will receive the entire Art of Darkness Collection (value approx £350) as well as a place on LONDON MUSE' s Latest Catwalk Trends make up course (value £295).
• NB - The prize does NOT include accommodation or travel to the location of LONDON MUSE school in central London. The winner must cover their accommodation/travel costs to and from the location of the school.
• The contest is open internationally, and you may enter as many times as you like, each entry will be judged as an individual entry. You may enter the blog/email side, the video side, or both.
• Judges decision is final.
• The prize will not be transferable to another person. No part of a prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize.
• Entries will, as always be judged on the creativity and inspiration behind th look you create as well as the ability shown with makeup - we want to encourage people of all levels and backgrounds to enter! The contest is meant to be fun!

The New Illamasqua Contest Is Coming...

...And this time it is going to be bigger and better than ever before. This time there will be two prizes, with a value of approx £650, and which will give any aspiring makeup artist a help along the way...

The contest will be launching TOMORROW at 6pm UK time, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, here's a teaser....

Obviously, a shot from the new Art of Darkness collection... but what's missing from this picture?

I am so excited about  this one!

Illamasqua Light Liquid Foundation.

When Illamasqua first launched, their foundations were one of the first things I purchased, being the total foundation junkie that I am. I actually purchased the cream version first of all, and I love that, so I went back for more. The rich liquid foundation is a real stand by for nights out, and for days when I don't want my makeup to budge an inch. I also love it for bad skin days - The rich liquid gives absolutely the fullest coverage I have ever seen from a liquid foundation, and I have even used it in place of a concealer when needed. It's a versatile product too, and can be mixed with a moisturiser or a lighter foundation for a lighter look. 

Their light foundation on the other hand has always left me feeling a little undecided. I loved the look it gave, however I hated the fact that it separated like a demon. I could have shaken the bottle til kingdom come, and sometimes separation would still occur. It was like an unreliable boyfriend, always leaving me wanting more, but also feeling like there was so much more potential there...

So Illamasqua were also obviously aware of this problem, and they decided to reformulate the product. I've had this for a good couple of months now, and I have been using it regularly.

So as well as a reformulation, the colours in the range have also been reviewed, and this now comes in various shades, with neutral, pink and golden undertones. This is no bad thing - some of the older shades had a slight grey tinge to them, and in my opinion the new shades are a little bit easier to choose from. The online swatches are very good too, obviously I would always recommend going to a counter for a foundation match if you can, but the website has images of people wearing the foundation so you can select the skintone most similar to yours.

I was sent the shade 135, which is designed for light skin with golden undertones.

As you can see, the design of the bottle has not changed. Its handy to be able to see the colour through the bottle as well, especially if you are using these in a makeup kit, and need to mix shades. Product is dispensed through a nozzle, so it's hygienic too.

The shade range itself seems pretty comprehensive to me - darker shades are covered as well as lighter shades, which is always good to see - there are not many ranges that do this. The shade I was sent for reviewing suits my skintone very well, but I'm pretty sure that there are a couple of others in the range too that I could use to good effect - I'd describe my skintone as neutral but the golden tone in 135 works well on me, and I'd expect 133 (light neutral), or even 140 (medium golden) to work on my skin if I was tanned.

The real acid test though, is whether the old separation issue has been resolved...

I'm pleased to say - and offer the photographic evidence above, that it has! The foundation looks the same now as it did on the day it arrived, there has been no change in consistency, and I haven't had to shake it up for hours on end before I use it. In fact I don't have to shake it full stop.

The foundation offers a fairly light coverage - its great if you have fairly decent skin that just needs a little bit of evening out, although I do use this when I have breakouts, and just supplement with concealer - I don't really like the feel of a full coverage on my skin when I have blemishes - I sometimes just feel like heavy foundations look fine on but feel like they are clogging my skin up even more when it is already upset... does that make sense to anyone else apart from me?

So how does this look on the skin? I think as with most foundations, this will vary according to your skin type - on oilier skins, this will look dewier, and on drier skins it will look more satin or matte.  I personally have dry-combination skin at the moment (it seems to change at different times of year!), and this gives a satin effect on my skin, ie neither matte nor dewy, but very natural looking...

Above - skin before. I've even bravely showed a little blemish here too so you can see how much blemish coverage this offers...

Above - the skin after application.

For some reason, my skin looks a different colour in the two pictures. I think the light might have changed in between taking the first and second pics, because the foundation did not change the colour of my skin! Crazy ass camera - nothing to do with my skills, or lack of on the photography front I'm sure *looks embarassed*.

The important thing to look at though, is the coverage and look of the foundation - its a foundation you can still "see the skin" through, so looks very natural, but it also does a good job of unifying the skintone.  As I have already mentioned, It has given me a satin finish.

This foundation lasts well on my skin too - I do set with powder in the centre of the face, as I do with all foundations, and this lasts throughout the working day for me. This has actually become a foundation I reach for pretty regularly, for everyday use - I don't like to look too heavily made up for work, but there are days when my skin looks dog rough, and this gives me a bit of pep, without looking like I have a full face of makeup on... But basically if you are looking for a full coverage look, this may not be for you!

Because the foundation is SPF free, it photographs well, but obviously you'd need to apply your SPF separately to protect the skin from the sun...

Verdict - great if you don't need a lot of coverage, evens out the skin tone and offers light coverage. May work better for less oily skin types.

Disclaimer - this product was sent by Illamasqua for review purposes. I am not paid for my review, and neither am I obliged to say positive or negative things about products sent to me for this purpose. My reviews are always honest, and based on my own experiences with a product. Please consider your own needs and skin type before purchasing. As always I would always encourage you to read as many reviews of this product on other sites as possible.