Illamasqua definitely proved amazing after trying quite a few of their products! A few products were more standout than others, but on the overall the brand is worth checking out if you’re willing to splurge on some cosmetics.

I would recommend their lipsticks and blushers if you’re just going for the best items, while the rest are mostly just nice to have.

To see how they wear in a more animated environment feel free to watch my Illamasqua Review and Tutorial!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Keep reading for swatches, and lip swatches!

Tremble blush is a gorgeous baby pink color with intense pigmentation. If you have a darker complexion and you’re used to light blushes just not showing up, there should be absolutely no problem with Illamasqua. Blushes like Nars’ Orgasm never show up on me nor did MAC’s Pink Swoon and I was going to resign myself to much brighter colored cheeks for life – but no more! You can tell the quality of pigmentation of a blush just by trying one of the lighter shades, and Tremble did not disappoint in any way. It’s very smooth in texture and has absolutely no glitter, but this is a good thing! With light reflected on these blushes it just looks very natural and light.

Panic is almost blindlingly bright in the pot and coincidentally looks like an orange-based red. While this isn’t your everyday blush (or it could be if you so choose), it actually comes on the cheeks looking more like a purple/magenta-based red. With one tap into the blush with your brush you should be ready to see the color packed on. This blush is no joke, and I’d recommend a stipple brush like MAC’s 187 or 188. The quality is astounding. Again, just so smooth and applies like a dream.

Panic, Tremble; excuse the very layered look of Tremble. As it’s light had to pack it on for the photo

Preen powder shadow was by far the most disappointing item out of the bunch. First, the eyeshadow is matte, which makes it more versatile and appropriate for anyone of all ages. The color pay-off, though, was poor. The first time I used this shadow I literally had to apply 6 layers to get it to look like the color in the pan, and that was with a primer. The second time I figured the shadow needed something to adhere to so I used a primer and a similar-colored base underneath. The color stuck! There was absolutely no fall out when I used a base, luckily. The shadow is very smooth, but I just can’t see it being worth $20 when you need so many other products to get it to work. Few people want to sit there and apply so many products or else apply so many layers. I’m not sure if the quality amongst the shadows vary, but I’ll likely be returning this item.

Preen eyeshadow

Rouse sheer lipgloss, Indulge intense lipgloss

Rouse sheer lipgloss is just as the name implies – very sheer. I can see the hint of color the gloss brings to my lips but it’s nothing dramatic. I did pick the lightest shade of pink gloss available and this could be why the color is so sheer. Illamasqua does have brighter colors and I’m very open to giving some of those a try! The glosses have a wonderful smell to them, too, but have no taste. If you’re looking for a high-shine inobtrusive gloss this will be right up your alley. The color selection is pretty good for a new brand as well. The sheer gloss, as it’s a typical gloss in texture is a bit sticky, but nothing uncomfortable.

Indulge intense lipgloss is more of a matte or satin finish stain than anything. The intense glosses aren’t very glossy despite the name, but are extremely pigmented for sure! A light layer can be applied if you don’t want so neon or bright a color, and then a thicker layer of the gloss for the full-on color. The selection of colors is a bit more limited. Honestly, this feels like putting on a very creamy version of a lipstick more than anything. If your lips are not fully exfoliated this might settle into fine lines. The intense glosses also have that same fruity amazing smell. The intense glosses aren’t sticky in the least!

Rouse sheer lipgloss, Indulge intense lipgloss

Rouse sheer l/g

Indulge intense l/g

Howl lipstick is a creamy matte deep true red lipstick. It feels like a dream to wear like it just becomes your own lip color. It’s not heavy at all and just sinks into your lips. In the photos they look a little orange-based but in person it just looks very true red, at least on me. Illamasqua lipsticks are amazing, that’s for sure! For a matte lipstick, it doesn’t really settle into fine lines, but since there’s no shine or gloss, doesn’t hide them either. As for the smell it very much reminds me of the lipsticks my mother used to wear, and your mother used to wear. It’s the most classic lipstick smell ever – and I really recommend the lipsticks! Howl is my new lip love!

Howl l/s, Rouse l/g

Glint & Burnish Bronzing Duo looks very shimmery in the pan which can be off-putting but honestly the little shimmery bits come on the face very smoothly and evenly to create a reflection when the light hits it, but in the prettiest way. That being said, the light side, called Glint, is a bit too subtle for my taste. It’s almost impossible to tell where it’s being placed on the skin except for the fact that if you put too much it will start looking powdery (and as my skin is dry) accentuate dryness. The contouring side, though, is pretty dark if applied fluffy and dense brush like the 109. Don’t be afraid to pack on the dark side, though, if you use a less dense brush! This item is really just very nice to have, but not by any means the best contouring duo I’ve seen.

Glint, Burnish

Fern and Unnatural nail polish are both so amazing! Neither are streaky and apply evenly. I’d say it takes about a coat and a half to get full nail coverage – that’s how great these are! Fern is really a vibrant sky blue color that’s very pretty for the spring and summer months. Unnatural is a very dark, deep burgundy red running a little brown. The bottles are very simple, but get the job done. While I can’t say they’re amazingly better than brands like China Glaze or OPI for the money, these are a high-end treat actually worthwhile.

It’s no secret that Lush has taken the world by storm these past couple of months what with the store opening new locations, making their much sought-after products easier to obtain. Lush is known for their amazing soaps and bath bombs (which you just plomp right in and it does amazing things to your bath water), and as of late they’re popularizing their hair products. Personally, I’m a big fan of their “Honey I Washed The Kids” and recently tried a few of their bath bombs (in which I had my very first legit bath!) and Lush has won me over.

The Lush Big Hair Affair, a limited edition kit, introduces us to one of every type of Lush hair product (except the Henna dye bars), in mini-size. It’s a pretty good deal to get you started with their products so you can decide for yourself what you like and are willing to repurchase. Each kit comes with:

1 Bottle of H’suan Wen Hua Hair Moisturizer
2 Solid Shampoo Bars
1 Jungle Solid Conditioner
1 Liquid Shampoo
1 Liquid Conditioner
1 Styling Gel

I shall now review the products that I have already tried, or otherwise speak my piece regarding my initial thoughts regarding my selection of products from this kit.

H’suan Wen Hua Hair Moisturizer – There is no choice to be made, this item is automatically included in the kit. This moisturizer is a leave-in pre-treatment for the hair used prior to shampooing. The smell is quite unique, some say it smells like salad dressing – I’ll leave the final verdict to you. I used this product early this morning and left it on, as instructed, for about 30 minutes (suggested time is 20-30), and it definitely smelled like I had product in my hair but I didn’t personally find it offensive. I even had to run a quick errand and while the smell was definitely present I didn’t feel too overly self-conscious.

The bad thing about this product is that it’s $16.45 for 7.9 oz but you may have to use half of that in one go, or for really long/thick hair, the entire jar. The sample bottle (instead of a jar) is only 1.7 oz … meaning to get the full effect you may want to use it all. The product does not spread very well which is why the large amount is needed. I focused primarly on my roots and at the top of my head where I get noticeable frizziness.

I then went into the shower to wash off the moisturizer and wow! my hair immediately felt extremely soft. This product is primarly for dry hair and/or curly hair – curly hair is naturally dry and always in need of moisture, so this product was something I was really looking forward to trying. I’d say, despite the price, it’s a pretty good product. I can’t yet say if the effects are long-lasting because it’s only been a day.

Solid Shampoo – The options for the solid shampoo are pretty extensive and probably too comprehensive for this post. The solid shampoos that I ended up getting was the Karma Komba, a best-seller from Lush, and Trichomania Shampoo. I had never heard of a solid shampoo prior to purchasing this kit and so if you haven’t either, don’t fret. The process for getting these to work is simple; first, wet your hair like you normally would, and then you can either wet the shampoo bar and lather it up in your hand or you can swipe it down the length of your hair three times (once per section of hair) and finally, lather. While I haven’t used the Solid Shampoos yet I think I’ll be lathering it in my hands and then spreading that throughout my hair as that’s what I do with liquid shampoo.

The Karma Komba claims to deep clean and detangle hair. It’s a circular shampoo that smells of natural oils. It is neither pleasing or displeasing to me, but it doesn’t catch my attention. The sample size is 15 g whereas the original shampoo is 1.9 oz for $9.25, the standard price for all their round solid shampoos. I haven’t yet tried this but I’m pretty excited to give it a go because girls with curls know the frustration of tangles!

The Trichomania solid shampoo is made of creamed coconut and is said to moisturize dry, curly hair. I’m also pretty excited about the concept of this one because it’s right up my hair’s alley. The sample size is a long small chunk that I almost can’t believe is also 15 g (if the Karma Komba is also 15 g you’ll get what I mean when you see both). The full size is a bit more expensive at $9.75, but for 3.5 oz, and like the sample size, is an odd shape.

Jungle Solid Conditioner – This item also comes with the kit without further option, but Jungle is one of their best-selling so it’s nothing to get worked up over. The sample kit’s bit is also 15 g and it smells somewhat like sweet avocado from what I can tell, and looking at the ingredients points to why. The conditioner also claims to detangle hair (which any good conditioner should do!) but also to leave straight hair shiny and curly hair bouncy. It seems very multi-purpose and sure makes a lot of claims. I’m looking forward to using this on my hair to see if it’s really all it’s cracked out to be! The regular size comes in a cylindrical shape weighing 3.5 oz for $9.95.

Liquid Shampoo – The options here are limited to Big (30 g sample) or Curly Wurly (20 g) – I spot a bit of discrimination toward the curly haired gals! While I chose Big, I also got an even smaller (free) sample of Curly Wurly to try as well. If you imagined their liquid shampoos to be like your regular shampoos, think again.Whichever one you choose, choose wisely because you get 10% off your next purchase of the full size version of the liquid shampoo of your choice.

Big claims something similar to what its name implies, and that’s volumize fine hair and add shine. I don’t have fine hair and I don’t have thick hair either, I’m just right in between so this shampoo is, first of all, not particularly suited for my hair type. I tried this product once already, right after the hair moisturizer, and immediately I felt my hair go from extremely soft to sort of dry. I could literally feel my hair thickening, or getting a bit harder, rather. The shampoo has bits of sea salt in it, but none of it got stuck in my hair my any means. The sea salt plus the lemon-lime mixture in it dried out my hair, I think. After my shower my hair felt very straw-like and stringy, but thicker. It’s somewhat difficult to explain, but I had never seen my hair have that sort of texture. I’m already not really a fan of this product, but a lot of people like it. I think if you have very fine, straight hair, this might be the product for you. I think it also did give my hair more volume, but curly haired girls likely don’t look for that as the mass of curls is already voluminous enough! I do have to say though that my scalp feels pretty clean not as oily as it normally is by end of the day. The regular size is 11.6 oz for $21.35 and don’t forget you get 10% off!

Curly Wurly is specifically for curly hair, made without any preservatives!, with its key ingredients being coconut and vanilla. I’m not really fond of the smell at all despite all the amazing ingredients. I have not yet given this product a try on my hair, but I already know for a fact that this shampoo is a lot thicker, messier, and doesn’t lather quite as much as you’d hope. It’s also quite possible that the coconut chunks can get stuck in your hair if you use too much! However, don’t let all this deter you from trying it out (I know I will tomorrow!) because this product is said to soften and relax curls, and add shine as well! This product is a lot gentler on the hair based on the ingredients so I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for the best come tomorrow! The full size costs $19.50 for 7.8 oz, and if you choose this in your kit you also get the 10% off!

Liquid Conditioner – The choices here are again limited to two – American Cream and Veganese conditioners. Both come in 15 ml jars. I chose American Cream but also got a small sample of Veganese, and so far I’ve only tried the former. The full size of American Cream and Veganese come in 3.3 oz, 8.4 oz, or 16.9 oz bottles, costing $8.75, $17.45, and $26.65, respectively. You may also want to choose wisely on this front as you next full size purchase is also 10% off!

American Cream looks like your standard white conditioner with no extra particles floating around in it. It’s not really a liquid conditioner so much as a cream, again, sort of like regular conditioners. It smells somewhat like vanilla, but not quite so strongly as all that. The product does contain vanilla and honey and it claims to add shine, take on tangles, and remove frizz. I absolutely definitely noticed that I had hardly any tangles when combing my hair after my shower! I’m not quite sure about shine, but I also had less frizz than normal and today was a very muggy day in which I had to venture out in the fog – which is quite disastrous to the hair. I really enjoyed using this product and I’m really looking forward to using it again tomorrow with a different shampoo.

Veganese is a completely vegan product that smells strongly of lemon, but in a very wonderful way. The product looks a little bubbly, but it’s very thin and liquidy. Veganese is recommended for fine hair, which I do not have, and it claims to soften and add shine. If this product is similar to Big, I’m thinking people with dry/curly hair should not give it a whirl but I’ll be trying it out regardless. The conditioner might be too light for some, so just be aware!

Styling Gel – There are three options for styling gel: King of Mods, Goth Juice, and Big Tease for soft to moderate to strong hold. Each sample container comes with 10 g of product, plenty for quite a few uses! The full size all contain 3.5 oz but with prices varying from $16.45, $15.65, and $16.35 (soft, moderate, strong). None of their styling gels are best sellers, but I do appreciate the variety of holds!

I snatched Goth Juice simply because it’s purple, and that’s my favorite color! The smell is very interesting… it smells like what you would think gel should smell like plus what hairspray should smell like, all it one. It’s sort of like a mixture of stereotypical gel and stereotypical spray – the smells, that is. I do have to say that the smell of this will linger on your hair all day, but I sort of liked it. It defintely held my hair together all day long, but unfortunately it also gave me a a bad case of crunchies. Though, I think this may have been a mistake on my behalf because I simply scrunched this onto my hair and I’m thinking now that I should have combed it through for even application. Since my hair was a weird texture from Big, I’m thinking I’m going to give this another whirl tomorrow after trying a different combination of products!

OVERALL, my hair was completely changed today, for the better or worse, I don’t know! Big really did change the texture of my hair to something thicker and yet stiffer, too. I wasn’t pleased. Though, my hair was amazingly easy to comb through and I attribute that to the pre-treatment and the conditioner. My hair honestly felt very bouncy all day long…! I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that before. As soon as my hair dried (at which point I was looking to the styling gel to start doing its thing), I realized my hair was crunchy… but only some strands! These were probably the strands with which my hands applied the most product to, so tomorrow I’ll definitely apply it more evenly and see what happens! I think I’m really impressed with all of Lush’s hair care products whether or not I liked the effect because it means they actually have the potency to do something noticeably different to my hair! I’m really looking forward to trying out some other combinations with the remaining products and finding out what works best for my hair.

Let me know if you’ve ever had any awesome (or bad!) Lush experiences. (: