mini haul! MAC kiss me quick & Illamsqua foundation

Mini Haul!

The really hard thing about working in Soho, London is that it is just FULL of amazing makeup stores.  This makes lunch time extremely exciting but also extremely expensive - somehow today ended up with a mini makeup haul!

I treated my self to a lip pencil which I have heard raved about so much in the blogosphere - MAC pro longwear lip pencil in Kiss me Quick (link).  I also thought I would try out Illamasqua's Skin Base foundation (link) which not only is apparently undetectable in HD but also has a great range of shades especially for more European and Asian skintones.

Illamasqua skin base retails at £27.00 and Mac lip pencil at £14.00

I'm really looking forward to using this Mac lip pencil and Illamasqua foundation as I feel like they're the perfect pieces of makeup to add glamour to an occasion.  I've heard the mac pro long wear lip pencil looks great used over the whole look as it stays put all night without budging after a glass of wine.  Its throbbing red colour is simply delicious and really is asking for kiss.

As for the Illamsqua foundation, I'm really looking forward to trying out its high quality finish which I've heard leaves an absolutely perfect finish.  All in all, I am definitely looking forward to painting the town red with these too devilishly gorgeous makeup products!

Illamasqua nail polish in Hemlock

Morning Ladies, 

So here's a review on my first ever Illamasqua nail polish Hemlock (link here) in a 'pale opal green irridescant'! Available for £14.50 at www.illamasqua.com

Colour 7/10

I chose the shade Hemlock as I was really drawn by it's almost indescribable colour! They describe it as pale opal green iridescent, however for me I'd say it's more of a sheer/ semi sheer polish in a mother of pearl shade - there's almost a pink beige base with flashes of yellow / pink / green tones which shine through in different lights.  It is a nice colour, but perhaps not my favorite, I'd have preferred it to have been just with green or pink tones as together I'm not sure they go perfectly.

Application 10/10- 

A dream.  This polish beats a lot of other high end polishes for its beautiful consistency and ease to apply.  There are no brush strokes and I love how it hasn't got that gloopy texture. It also dries quickly between strokes.  I hope the others in the range are just as good!

Staying power 10/10

I had absolutely no chips for 5 days, and got away with the polish for 9 with just minor chips at the end.  And that's after cleaning the over without gloves as well.  Amazing!!!!

Over all, Hemlock is  a beautiful nail polish in a fairly neutral shade that will go with most outfits because of its various tones and it's semi-sheer quality.  It also has great staying power without chipping for at least 5 days.  The only thing is, there are too many colours running through this polish for me, but that's just a matter of personal taste.  But, in terms of application and staying power, as far as polishes go, I would definitely recommend it above most others. 

Have you guys tried any of the Illamasqua nail polishes, what do you think of them??