Illamasqua May Queen | Masterclass
Illamasqua is a brand that’s recognised for encouraging self-expression and experimentation with your make up. One of the things I love is how creative the brand is, and although I previously only owned an eyeshadow palette from Illamasqua I’ve always found myself lusting after their products – it’s impossible not to! Recently I got to experience a masterclass to celebrate the launch of their latest Spring collection ‘May Queen’, which takes inspiration from British folk traditions and paganism.
"Hark back to beauty’s folklore, with Illamasqua’s new Spring collection. Beckoning the start of a new season, the May Queen captures the spirit of transformation. Leading the May Day procession away from Winter’s grasp into the rebirth of Spring, her floral crown is the embodiment of hope and prosperity. Use this annual renaissance to excite the imagination. Reincarnate your look."
Illamasqua's Head of Artistry, Nilli, talked us through a stunning cut-creasespotlight eye look based on ‘Occasion Beauty with a Twist’. Nilli began by applying the Hydra Veil primer, which is deeply hydrating and sets up the skin for smooth application; you can also mix this in with your foundation for a dewy glow. For the base, a round buffing brush was used to apply the Skin Base foundation before adding Skin Base brightening concealer under the eyes, this also doubled up as a light eyeshadow base. To add definition to the face, Gel Sculpt in 'Silhouette' was applied to the hollows of the cheeks and blended out.
FOCUS ON: EYES
The focal point of the look was definitely the eyes, a smoked out dark plum with a shimmering spotlight and dash of sky blue; the colours looked surprisingly good together. To begin with a brown pencil liner was used to map out the crease and get an idea of the shaping – this isn’t something I’d ever thought of doing but is a great idea for figuring out your initial placement. The liner was then gently blended out and a matte pink blush was used in the crease before building it up to a deep plum shade (Forgiveness). As an unexpected twist a sky blue eyeshadow (Anja) was added to the inner corner: while the thought of blue eyeshadow sounds pretty daunting it resulted in a beautiful brightening touch. In the centre of the eye, a shimmer eyeshadow was applied to create the spotlight effect before going back in with black eyeshadow to contour slightly. Using a cotton bud and cleanser, Nilli created a disconnected liner effect which finished the eye look off perfectly!
FOCUS ON: CHEEKS & LIPS
The two lipsticks from the new collection, ‘Charge’ and ‘Binary’, were mixed together to create a soft pink/nude colour and applied to the lips. The collection's champagne pink ‘Muse’ pigment was applied in the centre of the lips to create the effect of lipgloss without the hassle. 'Charge' lipstick, a hot pink, was also used as blusher, which is something I haven't done before but the result looked lovely. One of the most gorgeous products from the collection is the ‘Deity’ highlighter, which has a unique golden green shimmer. When applied it creates a holographic finish due to the green undertones, resulting in a iridescent glow. The final look was described as having charred rose vibes which I can definitely see.
After the masterclass we were given the chance to try out the new products. I quickly fell in love with the pure pigment in ‘Muse’, a finely milled light pink powder which looks stunning on eyes/cheeks. I also came away with the semi-matte coral lipstick in ‘Binary’ and pink eye shadow in ‘Ritual’ which I can't wait to experiment with!