Showing posts with label Illamasqua. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illamasqua. Show all posts

Sunday, 5 February 2012

Day out at IMATS London 2012

Braved the sub-zero temperature in London this morning to attend IMATS at Alexandra Palace. My husband's eyebrows leapt to the ceiling when I told him last night that the plan was to wake up at 6am so that we could be there at 8.30am. He accompanied me there to make sure that I didn't get lost as we had to take three different buses to get to the venue, and then made the one hour journey home while I took my time exploring the trade show. On the third bus, I spotted Charlotte of Lipglossiping, but was too shy to say hello, to my regret!

It was my first time ever at an IMATS show, so I was looking very much forward to it after having read so much about the previous shows around the world. Upon arriving around the opening time of 8.30am, I was able to pick up my entry bracelet very quickly.

The event was held inside a large, airy hall. There was usually plenty of room to move around without feeling congested.

The MAC stand before the crowds descended.

Inglot had one of the largest booths.

Illamasqua was probably the most crowded booth, even more so than MAC.




Sleek did not have any new i-Divine palettes on offer, which was a bit of a disappointment for me.

At Make-up Atelier Paris, I was actually standing next to Gossmakeupartist but didn't manage to work up the courage to say hello. He is the only makeup artist that I watch regularly on Youtube, and it was just surreal seeing him in real life.

Bdellium Tools

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

Make Up For Ever

Hakuhodo brushes, where I splurged the most. After playing with the Hakuhodo brushes, the brushes by other brands just felt so much less plush and soft in comparison.





Crown Brushes

Royal & Langnickel brushes.


Velour lashes made of 100% mink. These were retailing between £10-£20 for a pair that can be re-used up to 20 times.

It was great fun walking around watching the various makeup demonstrations, which ranged from incredibly intricate body paint done by air brushing to special effects makeup of the monster variety.








All in all, it was a splendid experience. My only regret is that I was too shy to say hello to Gossmakeupartist and also Charlotte of Lipglossiping. Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Saturday, 19 February 2011

Illamasqua Flagship Store

After visiting Pixi, my next destination was the Illamasqua flagship store on Beak Street, which was just a short walk away.

With the brand motto of "make-up for your alter ego", Illamasqua has quickly become a cult favourite and beloved by beauty bloggers for its well-designed products and rainbow of dramatic vivid shades inspired by the dark and illicit 1920s club scene. It's a bit like MAC before MAC became part of the Estee Lauder empire, but with a much bolder alternative vision.

The store is also a school that offers a variety of makeup courses. In London, Illamasqua also has a counter at Selfridges but I much prefer shopping at the Beak Street store as the sales pressure on the Selfridges beauty floor is intense with the SAs of various counters looking virtually ready to pounce. The service at the Illamasqua store was simply excellent without any pressure.


The Powder Blushers.

Powder Eye Shadows






The Art of Darkness collection for Autumn/Winter 2010.

Some of the makeup on sale.


A preview flyer of the next collection, Toxic Nature, which will be debuting in mid-March. All You Desire has swatches of a bright orange nailpolish from the collection.

I came home with the Powder Blushes in Thrust and Lover. Both are purchases for friends so I won't be reviewing these. Illamasqua.com does ship internationally so it's actually quite accessible even if you don't live in the UK or US.