Illamasqua Intense Lip Gloss

During my England Week last spting, we looked at one version of the Illamasqua Lip Gloss.  Their lip glosses are divided into two formulas and finishes, Sheer and Intense.  I have the Sheer Lip Gloss in my collection now, after ruling the Intense Lip Gloss out as slightly too intense.  The Sheer Lip Gloss has color payoff that is really rare in the lip gloss market and the Intense has an even more pigmented finish.  This initally wasn't a product for me but since I have been the queen of pink lip glosses this spring, I want to relook at the product and the shades and see if I can change my mind on this product.

"Come out of the shadows with high-shine, colour-rich Illamasqua Intense Lip Gloss in a wide range of bold colours.  Create lips that look full and glossy, without feeling sticky.  Draw attention to your lips, and to you", states the Illamasqua website for the description of this product.  The finish and color payoff of this product is much more than most people even expect from lip gloss, this product looks as though a full pigment lipstick was applied and then a matching lip gloss was applied on top.  This lip gloss is unique in that this one product provides the look of using two (from all other makeup lines).

The shades available in this product...

- Hermetic - deep wine red
- Indulge - bright hot pink
- Perform - bright blood red
- Move - deep purple
- Mistress - bright coral orange
- Temper - bright tangerine orange
- Gender - brigth sky blue
- Fume - deep rose red
- Frenzy - hot fuschia pink
- Follow - bright red pink
- Fierce - bright blue purple
- Femme - bright coral pink
- Drag - bright flame orange (available in the EU only)
- Besotted - rich scarlet red
- Absorb - creamy biscuit nude
- Torrid - lime green
- Galactic - molten shimmering pewter
- Repulse - pure black
- Petulant - hot magenta pink
- Embroil - neutral sand
- Rage - pure white
- Succubus - blood red

Looking at these shades, I do need to remind myself that Illamasqua was designed to be nighttime makeup and that I shouldn't be expected to pull any of these shades off in the daytime.  Actually though, I don't expect that I could pull any of these shades at any time of the day or night. I have to begin by ruling out any of the black, blue, pewter, or green shades.  These are not my style and I could never pull them off.  Many of these shades are listed as " hot" or "bright", which also will end up being too much for my skin.  That pretty much leaves a few shades that I could even consider pulling off.  I would like to try the deeper red shades, especially Succubus and Hermetic.  I would also like to try Embroil and Absorb, both of which are lighter nudes that might be the easier to pull off. 

I really wish that Illamasqua was in all the Sephora stores, with shades this intense I really would much prefer to try these shades out before I order them in case I get something that I really can't pull off.  I love that a company has finally offered a lip gloss that is as pigmented as lipstick with the fantastic shine of a gloss.

photo courtesy of Illamasqua