Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss, Once… Collection

Illamasqua Exquisite opener

 

The Once… capsule collection recently released from British cult-fave brand Illamasqua (find my previous review here), also includes 2 Sheer Lip Glosses and I have Exquisite to show you today – a milky pink hue (the other is Opulent, a ‘rainbow beige’ shade). Perfectly in line with the faded romance theme of this entire collection, this pink shade – a traditionally girlie hue – is made modern and edgy by the contrast of [still soft] tones that it holds. Confused yet? Read on …

 

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Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss, Once… Collection

 

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Illamasqua | Once… Collection

 

Illamasqua Exquisite boxed

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss

 

Illamasqua Exquisite ingredients

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss, ingredients

 

Illamasqua Exquisite label

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss

 

Illamasqua Exquisite

Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss (US $24.00) | Described as ‘pink oyster’, Exquisite is an interesting mix of delicate petal pink and pearly hues filled with an ultra-fine pink shimmer (non-gritty) – all in a formula that is at once sheer AND somewhat opaque. Can be easily worn alone or layered over any other lip colour, making this a very versatile shade.

I’m not sure how Illamasqua managed to pull off all these contradictory factors, but it might be due to the underlying milky tone which appears to add good coverage to what would otherwise be considered a very light shade. The texture leans on the thicker side, but is non-sticky in feel and there’s a fruity-berry scent that I detect upon opening – which seems to disappear rather quickly (or perhaps I just stop smelling it), while any initial settling into lip lines smooths itself out within a few minutes of wearing. The brush is a little longer than I’m used to and I wasn’t all that keen on it at first, but after playing with this gloss for a while now, I’ve come to appreciate how easily it picks up the product from the tube, while the density and flexibility of the bristles makes application quick and effortless. Lasting power (not including eating/drinking) is pretty good, averaging about 3-4 hours before any significant fading, and even once the majority of shine wears away, your lips are still left with a light veil of colour – more of a sheen, really – and feel nicely hydrated overall.

Going through my collection of pale pink glosses, I was surprised to find that Exquisite has no match; the closest I own, is #191 Songe (LE) from the CHANEL Fall 2014 Collection – which bears the same shimmer, but is definitely more sheer and with a light grey base, and #542 AMC Lip Gloss from Inglot (now discontinued) which has a similar pink flash, but without the shimmer and milky factor (see comparison swatches at the end of the post).

 

Illamasqua Exquisite macro

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss

 

Illamasqua Exquisite 2

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss

 

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Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss

 

Illamasqua Exquisite brush

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss

 

Illamasqua Exquisite brush 2

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss

 

Illamasqua Exquisite swatch arm

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss

 

Illamasqua Exquisite swatch blurred

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss, blurred to show the shimmer

 

Illamasqua Exquisite swatch

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss

 

Illamasqua Exquisite swatch 2

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss, alternate view/lighting

 

Illamasqua Exquisite and comparisons

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss, CHANEL #191 Songe (limited edition, Fall 2014) & Inglot #542 AMC Lip Gloss (discontinued)

 

Illamasqua Exquisite and comparisons 2

Illamasqua | Exquisite Sheer Lip Gloss, CHANEL #191 Songe (limited edition, Fall 2014) & Inglot #542 AMC Lip Gloss (discontinued) – alternate lighting

 

I make it no secret that I love pale lip hues and even though I tend to lean towards beige-y neutrals, I find myself attracted to pale pink shades as well; finding one that won’t clash with my colouring, however, is a whole other matter and thankfully, Exquisite seems to fit that bill perfectly. Neither too warm nor cool leaning, this is a shade that will work on everyone.

I’m so sad to hear that Illamasqua is phasing out their North American retail outlets, because this is a brand that deserves to be fully explored in person – and it feels like it only arrived on Canadian shores just yesterday. Still, they do offer international shipping (which I’ve heard from fellow bloggers, is quite good) and decent sales every so often (who doesn’t love a beauty sale?). You know what this means, right? Yup … travel plans!

Available now, find more information:

 

Illamasqua Exquisite closer

*Disclosure: Press sample provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

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