After Petah’s Illamasqua adventure in London, the three shades from the Naked Strangers Collection landed on my doorstep, ready for swatching.
I started with Monogamous.
Illamasqua describes this as “creamy flesh pink.”
But against my skin it looks more like a peachy beige.
The finish is matte.
But it’s not a chalky matte – it’s smooth, creamy and almost rubbery.
I used two coats.
This is Faithful.
Faithful just stole my heart.
It became my instant favorite.
Illamasqua describes this as “coppered metal.”
It’s a warm delicious shimmery coppery caramel color.
I love it so much.
I love how complex this shade is.
The formula was perfect – but what else can you expect from Illamasqua?
I used two coats.
And this is Swinger.
Crazy, blingy swinger.
Illamasqua describes this as “a glistening platinum gold.”
That’s what it is – a complex pale champagne gold foil that can look silver and even has a greenish tinge depending on the light.
It’s pretty and sparkly.
Some people say it’s like Chanel Diwali (I’ll compare when I get my bottle) and it also reminds me a little of Chanel Kaleidoscope even though the finish is different.
I used two coats.
And hot on the heels of Naked Strangers comes a sneak peek of another gorgeous Illamasqua collection – Generation Q.
For three years now, Illamasqua has been pushing boundaries, encouraging individuality, creativity, self=expression and non-conformity. These are some of the many things I love about this brand – its heart, its strong principles and how it makes a difference and constantly challenges our concept of beauty.
The brand recently held a search called “Beauty Before Age.” The casting call, which was open to people of all ages, was a success. And now we finally get to see who were picked for Illamasqua’s Generation Q campaign, which aims to break the prejudice of age.
Today I am happy to show you the first two Generation Q models.
Meet Evelyn, who was first spotted at Illamasqua’s Selfridges Exchange Counter in Manchester, UK.
Seventy-two years old and absolutely gorgeous, the Dorset-born Evelyn has always loved makeup. She said, “I get such pleasure every day from just putting my face on, and even more so now – thank you, Illamasqua!”
She added, “It was a complete honour to have my make-up done by Alex Box. Very exciting! Alex is so wonderfully warm and approachable and deft with those brushes! I left my ‘Alex’ face on for 3 days whilst I attempted to follow her lines!”
Evelyn says she was nervous at the shoot but the presence of her daughter Kate and the Illamasqua team helped her relax. “I loved every moment. I have always been an advocate of using real women for these campaigns and never imagined it would happen. Hooray for real younger and real older women who give the real picture of how we can be transformed as opposed to model girls and actresses, who are the faces of most trading brands.”
Generation Q’s second model is Mairi, a 39-year-old freelance make-up artist from Edinburgh Scotland.
Mairi, who used to work and snowboard in the French Alps, was surprised when she won. “I was in total shock, I thought it was a joke! I was absolutely delighted to find out I’d won the Illamasqua make-up too!”
Mairi said, “I think it’s a great idea to use real people for your campaigns, it’s raw and exciting, because age doesn’t matter – it’s how you feel on the inside that does, if you are confident about you look, it shows.”
And now, here’s a peek at the Generation Q collection, Illamasqua’s declaration that “beauty is inclusive and not exclusive.” This is Illamasqua’s way of telling the world that beauty is ageless, without limits and restrictions.
Generation Q is for everyone. As Illamasqua founder Julian Kynaston said, “Illamasqua customers will not be told what to do and when to do it.”
The Naked Strangers Collection is now available. The Generation Q collection launches on September 6. Visit Illamasqua.com and follow the brand on Twitter.
