Illamasqua Intense lipglosses are one of my all time favorite lip products. Like most beauty lovers, I'm constantly on the look out for the perfect lipgloss/lipstick that will give my lips that 'wow' look. Put simply, I'm a lipjunkie.
During this time, around a year ago I discovered this product by Illamasqua. marketed as a 'liquid lipstick' that 'create lips that look full and glossy, without feeling sticky'. Intrigued by this, I picked up two colours, a bold red in 'Succubus' and a bright pink in 'Frenzy'.
Pigmentation:
Make no mistake, these lipglosses are exactly what they say - intense. Bear this in mind when choosing the colours, as a silver colour in this formula won't give a sheer silver tint to your lipstick - your lips will literally be silver. Luckily, for the most part, Illamasqua has lip swatches on their websites so you can check how the product will look before purchasing.
As said, these lipglosses are intense and as such the pigment pay off is excellent. I often wear 'Succubus' on its own without red lipstick underneath and find it looks and wears fine. There is no weak colour pay off (at least in the two I have), the colour in the tube is what you get on your lips.
Wear Time:
The wear time on these is more of that of a lipstick than a lipgloss. I found most lipglosses are mostly gone within an hour, but I find these stay put for 6+ hours depending on whether you eat/drink. This is definitely good wear time for a product marketed as a lipgloss.
As for the claim that the lipgloss is glossy without being sticky, I would have to agree. These aren't sticky in the slightest (unless you apply too much). They do offer gloss, however I would say that while they offer more shine that most lipsticks, they aren't as glossy as most lipglosses.
Smell/Taste:
As my lips are right below my nose, it's important for me a product doesn't smell bad if it's going to be so close to nose. Luckily there isn't any smell with these products as far as I can tell. They also have no discernible taste too.
Packaging:
The packaging on these are unlike most lipglosses. Instead of using the traditional doe-foot applicator these come with a hard cap which you squeeze the product out of. Illamasqua often brand themselves as a brand for professional makeup artists and this is clear in the packaging. Traditional lipgloss wands can't be use on clients due to hygiene reasons, whereas these are a lot more hygienic in that the product can be squeeze onto the back of your hand and a lip brush to apply the product to the lips. Of course, if you are only using the product on yourself you can apply directly to yours lips, but as these colours are so intense, any mistakes will be visible.
Another thing to note is that a little of this product goes a long way, you only need a small amount to completely cover your lips.
Availability and Prices:
These are available from Illamasqua for £13.00 (they also ship internationally). In my opinion, considering these have the consistency and feel of a lipstick this is fair price and these are definitely worth the extra bit of cash!
Overall, I highly recommend this lipsticks for anybody who likes the bold lip look, if you are into sheer lips this may not be for you, however, Illamasqua do stock another set of lipglosses which are called 'sheer lipglosses' which may be more suited to you. For the price, these are great value as you only need a small amount and the colour pay-off is excellent.
