Illamasqua Metamorph Collection

If Illamasqua ever asked me to curate a collection for them (never going to happen, but still) then it wouldn’t be too far from the Metamorph line, which is the most beautiful celebration of nature that encourages you to embrace beauty in its most natural form by utilising products such as the earth-toned Vital palette to enhance eyes, the Beyond Powders to create dewy, glowy skin, the Brow Build to shape and define brows, then the finishing touches of the Masquara Gain for lashes and a couple of neutral shades Nail Veils.  I could not be more into this collection – it is pretty much the definition of what I love about make-up and Illamasqua have created a stunning edit of products that really will enhance natural beauty with just a smudge here or a stroke there – totally love it!

Starting off with the biggest surprise of the collection which is the Masquara Gain – a thick, full-bodied brush with a “Goldilocks” formula that’s not too thick or thin, just right.  I’m extremely hard to please with mascara and whenever there’s a raved about wand on the market I usually struggle to see what all the fuss is about, but my goodness this mascara is good! Think big, fat, long lashes with just a few strokes, and don’t be put off by the big brush as it’s easy to angle to get into the smaller lashes without leaving a mess.  The formula is lovely, buildable and flexible meaning you can actually achieve quite a natural finish, if you like, but if you prefer a clean but built-up finish (my personal favourite) then this can do that too.  The Masquara Gain is £20 and worth every penny.

The Nail Veils come in two shades as part of this collection; Bamboo (peach) and Breathe (pink) and the finish is translucent, which I wasn’t expecting, although on reflection it works perfectly with the theme of the Metamorph collection since big, strong pops of colour would jar with the overall vibe of the other products.

If you prefer a fully opaque finish then it can be done over 3-4 coats, but if you just want a natural hit of enhancing colour, 1-2 coats is fine.  Both colours are equally pretty and flattering, but being a lover of all things pink, my heart leans slightly more towards the baby pink Breathe.  The Nail Veils are £14.50 each.

The final product, which in my mind is what the collection is all built around, is the Vital Palette, a quad of four everyday matte shades that are kind of like contour shades that will, when used either individually or together, will enhance (that word again!) rather than make a statement – these are the colours you need if you like a polished look that doesn’t scream “check out my make-up!” Starting from top left and moving clockwise, the shades are Bubbles – a pale beige, Envision – a mid brown, Drop – deep brown and Trace – a cool grey that is just the most inspired inclusion in a quad like this as it allows you to sculpt and define the other shades without going in with a heavy black.

I’ve gone pretty classic with my use of the shades in the look above, starting with Envision all over the lid and under the lower lash line, then Drop to add depth on the outer edges, Bubbles on the inner corners for light and Trace came in last to help add some shadow along the crease.  I then finished with black liner on the upper lash line and kohl on the inner, lower rim as these colours go so well with liner.  Of course the mascara is Masquara Gain and I used a single coat in this look.

I’ve included the above picture as I think it gives you a good look at the mascara; during my pregnancy my lashes went to pits and have never really recovered, but I don’t think you can tell when I’m wearing that mascara! I’m sure you can tell that I really love the Metamorph collection and I especially love the fact that it’s quite different from their usual releases, yet still in keeping with the Illamsqua vibe; every product in this collection can be teamed with something brighter or bolder, thus making the whole range more accessible to those of us who would struggle to pull off an overtly bold look on eyes, lips and face.  If you just buy one thing, go for the palette.  Or the mascara…

*PR Samples