Illamasqua - Getting to Know the Brand and a Makeover Experience!

Hi lovelies!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! I want to share my recent experience getting an Illamasqua makeover with all of you. I will warn you all in advance that it is fairly lengthy, as I want to share the entire experience fully, and also explain a little about the brand, if you are new to it.

Some time ago I was walking through Myer and saw a poster advertising a complimentary transformation (read: makeover) at the Illamasqua counter. Now, I've always wanted to try Illamasqua makeup as it looks theatrical, fun, daring and inspiring, but somehow had never gotten around to it, so I decided it was a great opportunity to book in for a trial session to get to know the brand a little better! I also made an appointment for my friend, R, as it's always more fun to have company when doing these things!

The Illamasqua product bar.

Murals at the Illamasqua counter in Myer Melbourne.

Our appointments were made for Friday night (the 31st of August), at the Illamasqua counter at Myer Melbourne. We presented ourselves bright and early at the counter, and were immediately greeted with a friendly smile from the staff, who promptly whisked us off to sit at separate counters. I was already impressed looking at the makeup the girls had on; they were on a black/white theme and had done two completely different looks, which I was already itching to try at home!

Rebecca's stunning eye makeup.

Tiarah's wearable, black and white eye look.

I had the lovely Tiarah doing my makeup, while my friend had Rebecca as her makeup artist. Tiarah asked me a few questions on what sort of transformation I was after, and I essentially gave her free rein to do anything she desired. I wanted bold makeup, but my only request was not to do anything too theatrical, as we were planning on doing drinks afterwards (so I wanted to be presentable enough for a bar). I also chose green to complement my mustard coloured coat (nothing worse than having your makeup clashing with your clothing, lovelies)!

Rebecca putting makeup on R.

Captured a quick selfie during my
makeover - as you do.

She began by working on my eyes, layering Illuminator over my lids as a base, before pressing on four powder shadows (she used Burst, Fame, Pivot and Obsidian to contour). After blending them all together beautifully, she applied a little of the pure pigment in Furore to the inner corners for extra effect, before dabbing on some precision ink eyeliner in Abyss and finishing with Masquara in Raven. After completing my eyes, she primed my face by adding Matt Primer, before using Skinbase foundation in #14 which she set with powder foundation in #215 for a flawless look. She then added a little blusher in Morale, a gorgeous purple. I've actually never used a purple blush but it was so very flattering! The look was finished using a sheer purple lipgloss called Tantrum,  to match my cheeks.

The products Tiarah used on me.

Me with my lovely makeup artist, Tiarah.

Posing with Tiarah (left) and Rebecca (right).

Selfie of the finished look.

R showing off her gorgeous makeup - look at her beautiful brows!

Close up of my eyes, can't wait to give it a try at home!

Selfie of the finished look.

She even gave me a beautifully written out card at the end, with a list of all the products used so I could come in and purchase them at my leisure. At no point did I feel pressured to buy anything, which was lovely given that the makeover was completely complimentary! As a matter of fact, they were both so lovely, it actually compels me to go back soon to purchase more products!

The front of the card, love the caption!

The list of products used during my makeover.
(Doesn't she have gorgeous writing?)

Tiarah did a beautiful job with my makeup and I was really very impressed by the service we received. Once she found out I was a beauty blogger and had a lot of interest in the brand, she was a fountain of information, telling me that Illamasqua was founded by the same man who created GHD, Julian Kynaston, 3 years ago in the UK. In the interim period, it has spread across the world and is now widely available in most countries (it's carried exclusively by Myer in Australia).

If you aren't aware, Illamasqua was the first company to ever begin petitioning for lower cosmetic prices in Australia, with their campaign to lower its Australian prices in order to better match their UK prices (you can sign the petition here). This was such a successful campaign that Illamasqua announced last week that they would be dropping their Australian prices significantly (think of margins between 25-40%, depending on products), as of the 1st of September, 2012. Yes, you read that right, they have significantly dropped prices as of YESTERDAY!

I think it is an exemplary step for a company to take, particularly when they have only been trading in Australia for approximately 2.5 years, and I think the best way to throw our support behind them is by purchasing their products in-store and proving that Australian consumers are supportive of such a momentous movement. With the drop in pricing, it mirrors their UK prices and it's truly the first time a company has made it more worthwhile for us Australian consumers to purchase in-store instead of from overseas (be it online, through duty free stores or while visiting other countries)!

If you've been thinking that Illamasqua only do theatrical or dramatic makeup, let me assure you that they also have lots of nude, soft makeup! I'd suggest going in and asking to try some makeup out, just explain what kind of look you're after and I'm sure the girls would be happy to make a recommendation.

Unfortunately, with the change in pricing, Illamasqua won't be offering complimentary makeovers any longer, but they will be pricing it at a very affordable $45, fully redeemable on product. You actually won't find any luxury beauty counter offering makeovers at that rate any longer, so it's an excellent chance to try some new products and having a new look to show off as well! While I hadn't tried the products before this makeover, I have spoken to quite a few Illamasqua staff before and they always seem friendly and approachable, so I would suggest going in, telling them what look you're after and booking in for a makeover to trial the products before buying. If you aren't close to a Myer store, never fear as you can purchase their products from the Myer website with free shipping (click here to browse the selection). You can also visit the Illamasqua Facebook page for more information.

I'm sorry for the lengthy post but I had a wonderful experience at the counter, as did my friend, and also learnt a lot about the brand. It always makes a world of difference when you get excellent customer service, as it truly inspires you to be loyal to a brand. I'm so impressed that I will definitely be visiting again to make some purchases. Top of my list is the Masquara (it made my lashes look amazing even without curling), a blush, some of their nail polishes and a lipstick.

And that, lovelies, is my experience at the Illamasqua counter! If you're in Melbourne and have access to Myer, I heartily recommend calling the counter and making an appointment to see Tiarah or Rebecca.

R and I in the middle, posing with Rebecca (right) and Tiarah (left). 

I hope you enjoyed my (rather long) post, thank you for for sticking with me to the end! Will you now be inspired to try (and buy) their makeup? If you already own some of their products, what would you recommend I add to my wishlist?

Much love,
MM.
x