Top 5 | Best Products from Illamasqua (2021)

Illamasqua was a brand that called out to the atypical and the artistic, and had secured an underground, irreverent space in the makeup world. However, since they were acquired by the Hut Group, they took a turn into the more wearable and the mainstream, which made Illamasqua loose a lot of its identity (and, I suspect, cult following) which is a shame. Still, that doesn’t mean that they stopped doing what they did well. Yes, the colour ranges are getting more basic (just look at the blushes) but there are still some OGs that were great then and are great now – and guess what, some of the newer releases are pretty good too.

Power Eye Shadow (singles)

Illamasqua was making bright colourful mattes back at a time where less than a handful of brands would dare to do them – and they were doing them well. More than ten years later, some of their original shades are still part of the permanent line, and they still pack a punch. Here I have two that I think were available with the first launch, Can Can (a matte, deep lilac) and Sadist (a bright royal blue) and they’re amazing. Surprisingly easy to blend, not at all patchy, and most of all – hyper pigmented. They’re huge too, 2 grams each.

If I had to choose just one… Sadist is iconic.

Powder Blush

Hugh, be still my heart. Illamasqua star product in my opinion. I know everybody gets dazzled by their cream blushes, and I can attest to the quality of them because I used to own one and it was fabulous, but powder blush is my drug of choice. And Illamasqua’s powder blushes are in a league of their own. Blendable, long lasting and insanely pigmented. They’ve now discontinued some cult favourites and their most unique colours (Thrust, Panic, Lover) but there are two that I have that I find are just amazing, and still available: Hussy (a matte medium pink-coral) and Katie (a matte, very light neutral pink). Each blush is 4,5 grams.

Hussy is the most universally flattering, but if you have to get only one… I say Katie. It’s the only really light, pale pink blush that I’ve ever tried that doesn’t darken as soon as you apply it. There’s nothing else like it on the market. If you only leave with one thing from this post, leave with Katie.

Iconic Chrome Pigment Paint

These eyeshadows come in a pot and they are a hybrid between a cream and a crumbly powder. They’re very metallic, the shades have an interesting depth and complexity to them, and they apply better with a finger. They’re great as one and done eyeshadow – a quick swipe on the eyelids, a bit of mascara and boom, you have a complete eye look. A lazy person’s favourite. I have the shades Mesmerising (a very warm, almost orange leaning bronze) and Captivating (a light pearly pink that shifts lavender). Each pot contains 5 grams.

Captivating is my favourite. It has the most interesting shift and it’s the longest lasting – never creases, even with no primer underneath, while Mesmerising does so after about 9 hours.

Hydra Veil Primer

Now this is probably one of Illamasqua’s better know products. This primer is a funny consistency – it’s literally like gelatin, but when you start to spread it on your skin it turns into a much more fluid, watery consistency, like a lightweight serum. It’s great at keeping the skin looking and feeling hydrated and works well with any foundation I’ve tried it with. It’s a dry skin person’s wet dream come true (and yes, I meant it with the innuendo).

Let me just mention, this product feels like it belongs to a luxury brand. The packaging is bulky, yes, but that’s kind of the point of bougie makeup, being obnoxiously extra, right? This comes in a pot that is dignified enough to hold a 300€ face cream that does nothing for you except let other people know you’re rich (I’m thinking La Mer realm here): when you screw off the black lid, there is another white one with a tiny spatula attached in a very secure way so you won’t loose it, and that second white lid is attached to the pot with a hinge so you won’t loose it either. Best jar packaging I’ve ever seen. Other brands, take note. This holds 30 ml, the regular amount of a full sized primer.

Loaded Lip Polish

You know what, I love lipsticks, lipsticks are my jam, and Illamasqua’s are good, but the lipglosses are BOMB. Probably because they’re more like a lipstick in liquid form with a high shine than a traditional gloss. Illamasqua has always done some uber pigmented lipglosses (remember the Intense Lipglosses?) and I’m happy they didn’t stray from that, because fully opaque losses are not easy to find. And even though the opaqueness and lack of stickiness makes this feel more like a lipstick, the shine reminds you that it is, at most, a hybrid. Because the shine is super glossy – it actually has that vinyl effect, perfect for your every dominatrix needs.

The mini sizes have 1,5ml and a full size contains 5ml. I only have one colour, of their Loaded Lip Polishes, Vogue, but wouldn’t mind getting more. Which is something I never say about lipglosses.

To this day, Illamasqua has a lot more hits than misses. I’ll likely won’t be disappointed if you try it.

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6 Comments

  1. These products look so amazingly pigmented! This is a makeup brand I never got round to trying. I must admit that I’m not very adventurous with makeup and I usually go for very natural-looking makeup looks. Illamasqua probably fits more into the artistic, creative and dramatic makeup, so I guess that’s the reason I don’t own any products from this cult brand.

    1. Their products do appeal to the more artistic and boisterous side of people, but their line has become more demure over the years. It’s solid brand, if you ever feel inclined to try any of their products.

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