"There is certainly no absolute standard of beauty. That precisely is what makes its pursuit so interesting." -John Kenneth Galbraith
In September of 2008 a line of cosmetics called Illamasqua was launched in Selfridges, London. I personally have been dying to get my hands on it for the past few months, any line that earned itself the nickname "The British MAC" in less than a year had to be something extraordinary. Not to mention the fact that everytime I saw a promotional photo for the wonder brand, I literally got a headrush (yes, I have a severe makeup addiction) and yearned to paint faces with the rich beautiful colors in the collections. Speaking of the collections, they have a unique marketing approach, Illamasqua breaks down the brand into 4 "stories" in which you are to find your "alter ego". Omg...I LOVE IT!!
The 4 Stories are:
1)1920’s Berlin
2)Noir
3)Fantasy and Romance
4)Sirens (limited edition)
Another fabulous aspect of the company is that like MAC, they pay special attention to professional MUAs, giving them a generous 40% discount. MUA's like myself are lovin that. That being said...here is the approximate price range, $21 for a single eyeshadow, $18.50 for a lipgloss and around $29.50 for a foundation, so slightly more than MAC, but not as much as say Chanel or Christian Dior.
At the store in Selfridges the counter was equipped with laptops so when you go in for a makeover/application you could google any look you fancied for a recreation. That's ultra cool, no word on if that will be available in the US but I would think that would be a great new feature that american women would enjoy. Also included in the makeover/application is a dvd for you to take home to recreate the look yourself, and the price of the makeover/application is redeemable against products. So fabulous...that being said...
I am pleased to announce with much joy and anticipation that...THE BRITISH ARE COMING!! Yes, Illamasqua will be available stateside very soon. The line has been picked up by Sephora and will be in stores by the end of the month, however it is already available on Sephora's online forum. There will only be a few products from the line that won't pass US guidelines and will not be able to be sold however the bulk of the line will be available to you shortly.
Here are a few of Illamasqua's looks for those not familiar:
I love the sleek and simple yet elegant packaging...
Kisses Bitches...
Glamour Whore...xoxo
