Illamasqua Loves... Lucy Gibson Make-up Artist

One of the things that I love about working at Illamasqua is hearing about all the shoots and shows that our artists have worked on. One of the hardest working freelancers I have met is Lucy Gibson. I frequently receive texts from her about who she is working with and where they are working - for instance, recently she has worked on diverse shoots such as the come-back video of Bananarama, Agent Provocateur's latest shoot and a SHOWStudio shoot with Nick Knight amongst many, many others.

So, I thought I would showcase some of Lucy's work right here for you all to see. I took inspiration from the berry lip girl today - I have layered on Medium Pencil in 'Severe' to match my new burgundy coat [I say new; my pregnant friend gave it to me... she can't fit in it anymore, what a shame!] - and Lucy has given me a breakdown of the look below...

"The berry lip girl is wearing Satin Primer (which I use for almost all shoots!) and a little light foundation, with a touch of Cream Blusher in 'Dixie' low on the apples of the cheek for a tomboyish, wind-kissed look. To open the eyes I added Medium Pencil in 'Vow' on the waterline and clear mascara to Alison's fantastic lashes. The lips that go so well with the model's gorgeous fair complexion were made up of a base of Lipstick in 'Poison' finished with a slick of Intense Lipgloss in my favourite shade; 'Repulse'."

"This was a shot from work I regularly do with Nevs model agency and the fantastic photographer Lee Mofo, who's recent clients include Firetrap, FrostFrench and 28twelve. We hold shoot days for the agency at my warehouse studio and often shoot up to 8 girls a day, so it's important to create strong, camera ready looks with minimal time and product. Illamasqua's huge colour pay-off and great range of shades makes my job a lot easier, and needless to say my male flatmates never complain about having a house full of gorgeous models!"

"The dark, smoky eye was created for a Shoreditch clothing label called Blank, shot in the City with the fantastic Odi Caspi. Despite dodging heavy downpours of rain and having to adopt a somewhat guerilla approach to shooting to avoid the hoardes of rather unfriendly security guards, we managed to get some fantastic shots on the day!"

"Our stunning model Ashley had incredible blue eyes with a great fierce stare that I wanted to accentuate, so taking inspiration from the runways of Versace, I created a very dramatic smoky eye. I used Medium Pencil in 'Sophie' as an eyeshadow - drawing it onto the entire lid, waterline and below the eye, then using my fantastic Illamasqua Blending Brush I, II and the Eyeshadow Brush to disperse and blend the colour into a dramatic wing around the eye. I set this with Powder Eye Shadow 'Incubus' then added Powder Eye Shadow in 'Truth' to the brow bone right up to the eyebrow which was filled in with Illamasqua Powder Eyeshadow in 'Boomerang'. To finish I added lashings of Illamasqua Volume Mascara and a touch of Sheer Lipgloss in 'Brilliant' to the inner corners of the eye to give a tarry, rock chick look." [Note: Tarry! Awesome word for the look I think *mentally adds to dictionary*...]

"The skin was created using Satin Primer again, with Cream Foundation buffed into the skin using Blending Brush II (I love using this brush with foundation, it really gets into all the "nooks and crannies" giving the fantastic coverage of our foundation, but with the texture and feel of natural skin). I contoured the cheeks with a darker shade of Cream Foundation (this will differ from person to person, ask one of Illamasqua's fabulous on counter artists to match your skin tone!) before finishing the look with another of my favourite products, Lipstick in 'Submit', pressed into moisturised lips with the finger tip."

On an all day shoot like this, it's important to use longwearing products, especially in the rain, and luckily with Illamasqua's range I don't have to compromise my creativity for durability :)"

Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone! 2010 is finally here and we have some amazing plans for product, distribution and events bubbling at Illamasqua. I will of course keep you all in the loop. We have a very busy few months ahead of us, including an office move - more on that at a later stage!

New Years Eve, to me, is one of those nights where make-up creativity is an absolute staple part of my night. My friends and I normally spend hours choosing a fabulous outfit, killer heels and an extra sparkly make-up look. What is it about Christmas and sparkle!? It just fits!


This was my look for the Big Night. Products I used:

* Rich Liquid Foundation in 140 [dropped 3 foundation shades in 3 months...!]
* Pressed Powder in 005 [for brightening the complexion - this stayed in my bag for the requisite 4am touch up!]
* Powdered Metal in 'Bebhionn' on cheeks, cupids bow and down my arms.

* Illuminator in 'Halcyon' - a lovely pale champagne/ cream for highlighting cheekbones

* Urban Decay Primer Potion
* Cream Eye Shadow in 'Debauch' with Pure Pigment in 'Involve' layered on top for maximum impact.

* Cream Eye Shadow in 'Hunger' to highlight the brow bone - this is one of my favourite products right now
* Medium Pencil in 'Sophie' - lots of this for full on smokey glamour
* Sheer Lipgloss in 'Torture'

Not sure what I was thinking about with the nails... a bit more suited to Halloween than New Years!

The next morning, all I needed was Simple facial wipes to take off my night of excess and upon surfacing I spent about three hours in the bath with Eve Lom's Rescue Mask on - this is my Holy Grail of face products if I am feeling run down - and REN's Moroccan Rose Bath Oil. Divine...

Ask An Artist: Smoky Eyes and Lips

Saila emailed askanartist@illamasqua.com with the following question: I want to create a smoky eye look for a party using Pure Pigment in 'Involve' with Liquid Metal in 'Phenomena'. What colour should I wear on my lips? I know that a lighter lippie would probably be the best but I don't want to end up looking paler than I already am. Any ideas?

I called the girls on the Debenhams Cardiff counter for their opinion...

"A great way to create a smoky eye with-a-twist is to blend Pure Pigment Involve all over the socket and the crease area of the eye. To enhance this further, apply on top of Cream Eye Shadow in 'Stimulus' - this will create even more drama and intensity! For a multi-dimensional look, blend Pure Pigment in 'Tingle' into the inner corner of the eyes for an extra shimmer shock.
Use the Liquid Metal in Phenomena on the tearline of eyes to really open them up. You could also try using it just in the inner corners instead of Pure Pigment in 'Tingle'.

For a complimentary lip, try using Lipstick in 'Underworld' with Sheer Lipgloss in 'Tantrum' blended over the top - a fabulous plummy look that was all over the Autumn/ Winter catwalks!

Pink Lips!

London Fashion Week heralded the return of the statement Pink Lip. It has been almost impossible to open a magazine and not see plumped up, barbie like lips and if your alter ego is a Barbie doll-esque type, this is the swatch post for you!

Antonio Berardi, House of Holland and Marc Jacobs [at New York Fashion Week] all created beautiful looks with dazzling pink lips.

I absolutely love a pink lip - depending on the shade and your outfit it can be cute, girly, tongue-in-cheek, sophisticated but always, always confidence boosting.

I had a flick through our Intense Lipglosses this morning and thought I would put together a swatch post that demonstrates to you the depth and range we have of pink lips.

So here we go ...

Petulant

I have to start with Petulant, because it is without a doubt my favourite Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss of the moment [I say that because I am so fickle with lipglosses!] The intensity of the pink is very unexpected judging by the lipgloss case - it's definitely a case of trying it on the back of the hand and then picking your jaw off the floor. The photos below are NOT doing it justice - I really suggest getting to a counter and trying this gloss out for the sheer wow factor!

Below is without flash.

Below is my face of the day with Petulant Intense Lipgloss - this picture has made me realise I need to do some serious eye brow grooming! I am also wearing Powder Eye Shadow in 'Geisha' and Medium Pencil in 'Please' [a really lovely navy pencil that I can't get enough of right now] and a touch of Illuminator in 'Fondle' on my cheeks to perk up my desperately-in-need-of-a-facial complexion!



Frenzy

A great, hot pink that is fuschia - the photo below is not doing it justice as it really is hot hot hot! I think it looks great on all skin tones, but I think blondes with blue eyes who do not wear a lot on their eyes or cheeks would absolutely adore the 'pop' that this pink would give them.

Above is without flash, below is with flash


Indulge

Indulge is our most vibrant pink - very cool and very bubblegum. Again, photos not seeming to do much justice - very frustrating! Extremely pigmented [as ever!] this pure neon pink cannot help but get you noticed!

Above is without flash, below is with flash.



Perform

Perform is a very warm red/pink that is as hot as Petulant but reddier. This colour works extremely well on olive and black skin tones and makes a gorgeous glossy flush on the cheeks, too.



Mistress

Mistress is a gorgeous coral toned lipgloss, with a touch of pink. It is universally flattering, as corals tend to be, and I love it for it's blendability - if used quite sheer [or mixed with Sheer Lipgloss in 'Brilliant'] it becomes pinkier, whereas used generously it builds up into an almost neon orange/coral.

Above is without flash, below is with flash



Femme

A lovely warm gloss with an even mixture of pink, orange and red tones. I love this because it is a softer way to wear red on your lips if you are not 100% confident to wear red.

I personally think this is a colour that would look amazing on black and olive skin tones due to the warmth of the shade.

Above is without flash, below with flash.

House Of Blue Eyes - Get The Look

The androgynous/ futuristic/ Cleopatra/ Babylon/ Blade Runner-esque make-up was a work of art in itself. Alex Box tells me how she created the look...


Face

Smooth, glowing, glistening skin was the way forward. "As there was so much gold on the eyes, I needed to complement this with sparkling skin." Says Alex, "I mixed a small amount of Powdered Metal in 'Bebhionn' with Cream Foundation for the paler girls and Powdered Metal in 'Thalia' with Cream Foundation for the olive/ darker skins."

The face was heavily contoured with the Powdered Metals - 'Thalia' was used for a golden highlight whilst 'Erzule' was buffed in to cheekbones for an 80s, sculpted look. "These are the most versatile products" explains Alex, "They can be used on the body, face, cheeks... mixed with lipgloss creating a wonderful sparkling lip colour."

Eyes

The eyes were liberally painted with Liquid Metal in 'Solstice'. "We used a template by cutting some tape to mask the areas we didn't want to cover and then painted over this template. We then piled on the Liquid Metal in 'Solstice' with a foundation brush to create a smooth, even base of colour with which to contour on top."

Contouring was done with the Powdered Metals and a mix of Powder Eye Shadow in 'Lestat', 'Wolf' and 'Fallen' to create depth. Illuminator in 'Halcyon' was used to highlight under the brows and down the bridge of the nose and on the cupid's bow to catch the light.

Alex's trademark brow completed the look. "Mix a drop of Sealing Gel into Eyebrow Cake in 'Vehement' and stroke over the natural line of the brows using the Eyebrow Brush. Then go back over it and take the colour above and beyond the natual brow for a real Cleopatra look." Explains Alex, "balance this with the strong eye. We used False Lashes in number 15 on top for the spidery effect, and number 13s below to create a very open, framed eye."

Lips

To soften the effect of the strong eye, the lips were painted with a mixture of clear gloss [try Sheer Lipgloss in 'Brilliant'] and Cream Foundation. Some of the models had extravagant head gear on, and these guys had Liquid Metal in Solstice painted on for a pure molten mouth.

Ask An Artist: Porcelain Doll

The Porcelain Doll look is an iconic image now. We have had several questions as to how to recreate this look at home and so I asked Jon from Selfridges Trafford for his expert advice...

Jon: Start by applying Satin Primer all over the skin with the Foundation Brush to get a smooth, even and glowing finish. Then apply Cream Foundation in 100 or 110, depending on your skin tone and how porcelain you want to go! I find that using the Highlighter Brush to buff this product in gives the most flawless finish. Stipple the foundation over the brows to fade them out to fully replicate this look - the focus is on the lashes, not the brows. [nb: Alex Box likes to use soap and a toothbrush to press the eye shadow hairs against the skin to help them merge away!]

For the cheeks, apply Powder Blusher in 'Chased' under the cheekbones to faintly sculpt and work it up towards the temples, blending in to the hairline.

For the eyes, apply Powder Eye Shadow in 'Vision' all over the lid, then take the Powder Eye Shadow in 'Forgiveness' and apply all over the mobile lid and along the lower lash line. Apply Powder Eye Shadow in 'Wicked' to the inner and outer corners of the eye and along the lower lash line. Line the inner rims with Medium Pencil in 'Hex' for a natural colour that will make the whites of the eyes 'pop' - essential when using red and purple toned eye colours that can make eyes look a little bloodshot.

Take the False Eye Lashes '10' and apply several sets along the lower lash line for added impact. Heavily coat the top lashes with Volume Mascara in 'Harness'.

For the lips, line with Medium Pencil in 'Severe' and apply Sheer Lipgloss in 'Brilliant' for a glossy finish.



To book a lesson with Jon, call the Selfridges Trafford counter on 0161 629 1187

Dystopia Launches On All Counters!

Yesterday saw the launch of the Dystopia collection nationwide across our counters in Selfridges Oxford St, Selfridges Trafford, Debenhams Belfast, Debenhams Glasgow, Debenhams Cardiff and Fenwick Newcastle.

I had a quick catch-up with some of our artists on counter to see whether the buzz that I have seen on the internet has translated on to the counters!

First, I called Cardiff where I spoke to the lovely Chetna. "We only have four pairs of the False Eye Lashes 21 left!" She tells me, "The customers have been absolutely loving the dark and dangerous feeling of the Collection. We have received lots of pre-orders and spent most of our day yesterday calling all our customers back to let them know the Collection had arrived."

Any tips? "I have been playing with the products constantly and have found that mixing a drop of Sealing Gel with the Intense Lipgloss 'Galactic' creates a gorgeous, shimmering glossy eye liner." Great tip. Unfortunately I have yellow and brown eyes today, so I couldn't demonstrate, but will definitely swatch this look one day soon!

The artists at Fenwick in Newcastle said that same thing "It's absolutely flying!" Leena excitedly tells me, "I am just loving it all - especially the Pure Pigment in 'Android' - I have never seen a product fly off the shelves so quickly. I am currently rocking a look of Nail Varnish in 'Velocity' with Pure Pigment in 'Static' scattered over the top for an irridescent effect, followed by a coat of glossy Top Coat. I have had so many compliments - it looks awesome". I love our artists, they are always exploring outside the box with how to use our products.

A great tip also comes courtesy of Krystle at Selfridges Trafford. Sharon, the account manager at Selfridges, tells me, "Krystle has been mixing the Intense Lipgloss in 'Galactic' with just about everything! Her favourite mix is with Intense Lipgloss in 'Petulant'." Intrigued, I followed up on this and absolutely LOVE the results. I was not expecting the pinky/grape colour or the finish - I think it would go a bit murky in truth! But I am loving this and it is making me love 'Galactic' more and more as the days go on! I was, like many I think, a little sceptical on its versatility but I was so wrong - this is not just a professional product as you can see it turns solid glosses shimmery and is very buildable, for a subtle silver gleam or full-on knock out Silver glitter lips. I am going to keep an eye on the fashion mags and their photoshoots - I think this could be big.

I also spoke with Sian in Glasgow whose favourite tip is "to start with Lipstick in 'Avenge' all over the lip and mix in Sheer Lipgloss in 'Explode' into the inner third of the lip. Add a pop of interest with Intense Lipgloss in 'Galactic'." See my version below!


Belfast have also been seeing some great interest from customers - "The new Pure Pigment in 'Android'. Wow. It has been absolutely flying!" Explains Nykkol, account manager. "I have been using the Liquid Metal in 'Phenomena' all over the eye lid and smudging in this Pure Pigment to create a dramatic smoky eye."

How about Selfridges Oxford St? I spoke to Francesco - "I had a lady come in this morning and buy the whole range." He says, "Everything is so beautiful - I am using Cream Eye Shadow in 'Wail', a muted, soft grey and then then Pure Pigment in 'Android' for a smoky effect with Pure Pigment in 'Static' in the inner corners. Perfect." So what are the best sellers in London? "The Nail Varnish in 'Obsess' and Intense Lipgloss in 'Galactic' are the standouts at the moment."

I have also been doing a little bit of experimentation myself - I took home the Sheer Lipgloss in 'Explode' to have a play around with it and discovered that when I put it on top of Box Lipstick, this look came out. This is so me - a red lip with a real edge. It also flashes bluey in some lighting and pinky in others.



To purchase Dystopia online, follow this link.

LOTD: Ascend and Torture

Different look for me today; tawny lip. I used Medium Pencil in 'Ascend' and Sheer Lipgloss in 'Torture' - what do you think? I am so used to wearing either a bit of clear lipgloss or a full on red or pink matt look that I am not sure about this!

Let The Swatching Recommence!

Today I went and bought a replacement camera after the sad demise of the last one, so I have a lot of swatch requests to catch up on!

We also have an update on the website swatches - we are working on it. I have asked several people for their feedback [leave a comment below if you have any ideas] on how we can improve it and we are currently in discussions on this topic.

I am looking for a berry coloured lipgloss - please help!

'Berry' has always been a questionable colour shade for me - similar to 'nude' or 'taupe' - it depends on what you define as berry, so I hope that the below helps.

Below is Intense Lipgloss in 'Fierce' - as you can see this is a bold, quite bright purple-plum shade that I think would look great on both porcelain and black skin tones. As you can see, it covers all elements of natural lip colour and replaces it with a very bold purple.


This is a swatch of Intense Lipgloss in 'Move' - one of my favourites. In the photo below it looks a little bluer than it truly is. Again, I think this is a shade that is most impactful on either very porcelain skin or more olive skin tones.


The next photo is with a flash on as I think it does Sheer Lipgloss in 'Tantrum' the best justice - it really enhances the slight shimmer aspect of the gloss and is a very fresh purple/ pink with plenty of pigment for a sheer lipgloss! I also find this is very buildable, and looks lovely over bright pinks to 'tone them down' a little, or if you just want to add a bit of sparkle.

It remind me of Boysenberry butter [see below]!

The last berry I wanted to show you is Lipstick in 'Resist'. I know this isn't a Lipgloss, but it's my favourite lip colour at the moment and a really great transitional colour - by that I mean it looks bright and fresh with a Summer tan but also has that wine/ berry undertone that would make it really great for Autumn.

Sephora Q&A

As promised, here is a Q&A about the Sephora launch, based on questions that I have received through this blog, facebook, Youtube and from the general information line. I've drafted in Kate, Katie and Jennifer [our International Account Director] to help with answering all your queries...

Will Illamasqua be available on Sephora.com?

Jennifer: Yes! All 200+ products that will be available in store will also be available to purchase online through Sephora.com and through their telephone service.

Will Illamasqua be available in my local Sephora?

Alex: We will let you know nearer the time - at the moment we have confirmed several cities including San Francisco, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Hollywood and Atlanta.

Which Nail Varnishes will Sephora be stocking?

Katie: Almost all! We know how much you are all loving the Nail Varnishes, so it was a big priority of ours to stock as many of these fabulous colours as possible - twenty four in total, including the legendary Phallic, revered Baptiste and kooky cool Milf!

I'm hearing reports that Illamasqua will be launching at 5 Times Square on the 30th July yet I'm also hearing it's the 31st - I want to come to the launch!

Jennifer: Our products will be available to buy in 5 Times Square from the 30th July - but this a Thursday and everybody knows that launch parties are always better on Friday nights and so that is the 'official' launch date! Don't forget, it's the Sephora Flagship launch too, so there will be plenty going on. If you can get down, do! I will be there with a couple of the London artists so come and say hi!

Will you be coming to Canada anytime soon?

Kate: The plan was always to roll out to the USA and then consider the rest of the world. As it stands, there are no plans to bring Illamasqua to Canada, but then things have been happening so quickly that you could never rule it out!

Will Sephora.com be shipping to Canada?

Alex: This is a decision for Sephora and not Illamasqua. We ship to Canada on our online shop at www.illamasqua.com/store however it is best to contact Sephora directly about where they will be shipping too, sorry.

What will the prices be like?

Jennifer: The prices will be similar to the UK - approximately $20 a Powder Eye Shadow, $24 for a Pure Pigment and $19 for a Sheer or Intense Lipgloss.

Will you be stocking the more daring colours of the Illamasqua range, for example Repulse, Torrid or Gender Intense Lipgloss?

Katie: As much as we would have liked to, we couldn't stock the entire range. After weeks of umm-ing and ahh-ing, we came up with a SKU list that we feel reflects the brands ethos and values as unique, individual and daring but also inkeeping with the philosophy of Sephora.

Will the Sirens collection be available?

Alex: Only in New York, as by the time the rest of our roll out begins, it will be time for our Autumn Winter collection! We will be incorporating some of the Sirens collection into our core range, though, so you will all be able to try out Liquid Metal in Solstice and Enrapture [as if you haven't already!] as well as one of the Bronzing Duos and the Nail Varnishes in Lament [my favourite!] and Muse.

Powdered Metal Play Time!

The lovely Daniel has popped in to the Office today. He is one half of our training team [the other being the lovely Adam, both based in Selfridges Oxford Street] and is in to discuss the latest addition to the Sirens collection - the Powdered Metals -and how we can communicate it with the rest of our teams across the UK and Ireland!

This is always a really creative exercise; we want to be able to demonstrate the versatility of the product and a number of ways it can be used. As you all no doubt know by now, our ethos at Illamasqua is a strong belief that make-up application should be about free artistic license and creativity, so we are experimenting with ways to use the Powdered Metals. As I wrote below, they were born out of a necessity for a body product but it's great to be able to have a product that can be used in multiple ways.

'Erzule' looks gorgeous on olive and black tones, but also if you want an intense, temporary shot of bronzing - above is a pic of my arm to demonstrate - bottom arm doesn't have anything on and the top arm has 'Erzule' on - as you can see its quite a nice difference - and because the undertone is brown, and not red, there is no likelihood of looking orange! Always a worry with us pale skins! See below for a pic of 'Erzule' on Crispian - sorry again Cris!

I currently have 'Bebhionn' in my hair - it makes it a slightly pinky/ gold colour with a shot of subtle shimmer - the below photograph isn't picking it up as I had hoped - that would look amazing in the sunshine we have been enjoying here in London.

Daniel has remarked how 'Thalia' looks like a warmer version of the Pure Pigment 'Furore', which is my second favourite pigment [after 'Involve, of course!] and Kate has been experimenting by mixing it with Sheer Lipgloss in 'Brilliant' - it looks a bit like 'Utopia' Lipstick.

Above is 'Thalia' photographed with flash...

And above without flash...

These products can be used on both face and body and I'm sure our resident experimental Selfridges Oxford Street artist Amanda will be swiping it over her nails, too!

If you want to get on the waiting list for this product, just call your local counter or apply online - this feature will be added soon!

A Swatch Request!

I got an email yesterday from an American customer who was having problems differentiating between certain colours on the website, so I took the liberty of swatching them all below! I've put in a couple of product descriptions too, that I hope help...

Illuminator

Below is 'Halcyon' on the left and 'Odyssey' on the right - Halcyon is a pale gold, beautiful on warm skin tones and Odyssey is a pale silver suitable for cooler skintones. Beautiful swiped over collabones too for a hint of glimmer. I have been asked the difference between our Liquid Metals and Illuminators and the answer is that Illuminators were created for more subtle highlighting and colour. Liquid Metals are more intense and creamier in consistency.

Pure Pigment

On the left is 'Furore' and on the right is 'Tingle'. Yesterday we recieved our first complete sales data from all our counters and the top selling product in Cardiff was Pure Pigment in 'Furore'. This shade is a gorgeous champagne colour that I believe is one of the most versatile and universally flattering colours we have in the entire collection. LOVE! 'Tingle' is a pale cream/ white colour with a silver undertone. Looks lovely on cool skin tones.

... and some swatches below [with Shimmer Cream in 'Eternal' on left...]


Lip Products

On the top row we have 'Obey', one of my favourite Lipsticks that have in our extensive collection - it's a nude/ pink colour that interestingly seems to look nuder on some people and pinker on others! Again, it looks good on all skin tones. 'Maneater' is our second best-selling red Lipstick [after Box, of course!] and is a very blue red. 'Nubile' is one of our shimmer based Lipsticks and is a lovely baby pink with tiny silver flecks.

Below this, we have a line of glosses! 'Rouse' is a baby pink Sheer Lipgloss that looks fabulous on top of reds and nudes to 'pink them up' a bit. 'Fierce' is exactly that; a very intense purple Intense Lipgloss that completely wipes out your natural lip colour, so if you are wary of wearing purple gloss because it starts to go a bit pinky as it fades, no need to worry with this one! It looks especially gorgeous on fair skin with dark hair, in my opinion. Lastly we have 'Embroil' - a difficult colour to pull off as it is a greyish nude. However, it still has a fan club judging by internet sales!


Below are two more Intense lipglosses - 'Absorb' is a slightly warmer shade than 'Lucid' but they are both glossy nudes that completely take away any of your normal lip colour and replace it with a real nude hue.

Below those are two Powder Blushers - 'Nymph' is a bright bluey pink and 'Hussy' is a warmer slightly apricot pink. These are both intense but don't come out this bright if you use them with caution! They are also ultra blendable and easy to build up for exactly the right amount of intensity for your look.

Last, but not least, are the requested Nail Varnish swatches - obviously these look different on a black background, but I thought it made quite an interesting swatch. On the far left is Baptiste, which was our best selling colour in the Winter months. It's a glow-from-within type Nail Varnish. If you want to see some great and telling reviews of this product on an actual nail click here.

In the middle is 'Phallic', which is similar to 'Baptiste' in that it has a variety of colourful shimmers in and is a wonderful deep blue - the more coats you add the darker it gets but it never loses that wonderful shimmer. Click here for a review on this product. 'Collide' is on the right and dries to quite a matt finish. It's completely neon in colour and has a wonderful consistency. There are many swatches of this product on the internet, but click here for one of my favourites.