Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow Swatches

If there's one Kiko product that I would recommend, it's their Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow (£6.90) which is available in over 40 shades. Kiko is an Italian makeup brand that now has stores in the UK, France and Switzerland. Last year, I hauled virtually the entire range as I love how travel-friendly and fuss-free these are to use without the need for fiddling around with brushes or dinky sponge applicators. Just swipe across the lids, quickly blend with one's finger and you're set to go. These hold up reasonably well over the course of a day with primer underneath, although there is some creasing.

Kiko's version is very similar in texture to Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Color and By Terry Ombre Blackstar but at a much more affordable price point. The other two brands do have some unique shades that cannot be duped by Kiko but Kiko's range is so extensive that one is genuinely spoiled for choice. The shades do vary in terms of their smoothness and creaminess with some being more dry and stiff but on the whole, most shades are easy to work with. I placed my order through the Kiko (Switzerland) website, which meant navigating it in German. My order was actually despatched from Italy, which led to the unpleasant surprise of having to pay Swiss customs duties.

The permanent range comes in black packaging with the shade color shown on the end. Occasionally, Kiko releases limited edition shades which usually come in a silver reflective packaging. The Digital Emotion collection for Holiday 2013 included a five shade set. I don't think Kiko has released any new shades since then.

Browns/burgundy




Greens



Beige/Gold/Silver



Purples/pinks



Blues


Grey/dirty taupes



Hope these swatches are helpful. This post has been sitting in my drafts folder since last December and I glad that I finally finished it. For more swatches, you can check out Drivel About Frivol.

Kiko Color Fever Must Have Eyeshadow Palette 02 Elegant Tones Swatches

Last week, during a day trip to Lyon, I chanced across a Kiko store at the Part-Dieu shopping centre. Displayed at the entrance were two new limited edition Color Fever Must Have Eyshadow Palettes in 02 Elegant Tones and 03 Neutral Tones. It looks like the earlier line of Color Fever quads has been discontinued.



The case design is very similar to the earlier Color Fever quads. Made in Italy, the 16 baked eyeshadows have a gently sloping raised surface. At €34.90 (or £34.90 in the UK), the palette isn't as affordable as what one usually expects from Kiko but it's not that bad considering that the quads used to retail at €12.90 each (see them here). It contains 9.6g/0.32oz of product, which is pretty generous.

Shown on the left in the pic below is Color Fever 05 Sensational Cool Shades.

I picked Elegant Tones for the diverse mix of vibrant, smoky and neutral tones. Comprising a mix of Satin and Pearly Eyeshadows, these can be used either dry or wet.

The textures actually vary quite a bit, depending on the individual shade, ranging from satin, pearlish with a soft glimmer, metallic to sparkly glittery.




These felt quite smooth to touch, but if you swatch them dry (as shown in the pic below), you are bound to be disappointed at the sheer payoff.

The eyeshadows perform best when applied with a damp brush to produce a smoother, more intense finish. In the pic below, the shade on the extreme left was applied dry over Too Faced Shadow Insurance while the other four swatches (of the bottom row in the palette) were applied with a damp brush over TFSI. If you cannot be bothered to use a damp brush, Sleek eyeshadow palettes would be a better option for achieving intense payoff with a dry brush.


Pic below shows the top row in the palette.

Second row from the top.

Third row from the top.

When applied with a damp brush, the level of intensity still varies depending on the individual shade. Some shades produce a beautiful opaque finish with just one pass while others require two to three layers for the same effect.

Overall, I like the versatile options offered in this palette but they do require some effort to produce the best effect. Much quicker and fuss-free are Kiko's Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows which give beautiful creamy color with just one pass. I also stocked up on those so I'll do a separate swatch post soon (or you can check out the swatch post by Drivel about Frivol.

List of ingredients.

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow Swatches

Kiko is a budget-friendly Italian brand with stores in the UK. Recently, I placed an order on their website for several of their Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows. These normally retail at £6.90. I was able to get a 20% discount and free shipping for being a new customer. Shipping was very fast. I placed my order on Monday and it arrived at my husband's London address on Thursday, shipped from Milan via UPS with tracking.

Those in the black plastic packaging are from the permanent range while the two in the metal packaging are from the new Colors In The World spring collection. These are all made in Italy.



I was particularly intrigued by #31 Hypnotic Iris, a periwinkle blue with a slight flash of pink.

From the Colors In The World Collection, I also picked the Vivid Eyes Kajal & Eyelinber 03 Festive Indigo/Black (£7.90), which is made in the EU. The Festive Indigo shade is a bit darker and lacks the pink flash of Hypnotic Iris.


These swatches are just one layer each. The Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows have an impressive creamy consistency that glides over the skin without any tugging. They lay down the color with ease and build up quickly to a wonderfully pigmented finish that is more satin rather than shimmery metallic.

The Kajal & Liner are less pigmented than the Stick Eyeshadows, but still have pretty decent payoff.



#18 Midnight Blue is the only one that has tiny pink micro sparkles.

If you visit Italy, Kiko is well worth checking out for its massive product range and affordable prices. In London, there are two stores in Westfield White City and Westfield Stratford.