Illamasqua for Summer- The Body Electrics Collection

Let’s see what our amazing friends over the Atlantic had up their sleeves for summer, shall we? The Illamasqua summer range has been out in the UK (and elsewhere) for quite some time, but has just recently launched at Sephora. I have previously introduced you to the lineup, but let’s take another look at some new favorites.

This bronzer/highlighting duo in Glint and Burnish was actually an addition to the line that came out with last year’s Sirens collection. Nevertheless, it is an amazing year-round staple that bronzes, sculpts, and highlights the plans of my visage to perfection. The perfect-for-my-complexion powder shades are soft, smooth, and blend like butter.

Beauty Heroes- Illamasqua Pigment in Furore

It's a dark dangerous world out there, full of sinister beauty products that don't do what they say they will. Luring you in with false promises of beauty and simplicity, use of aforementioned products almost always go terribly wrong.

They want to make you look like this:

In an effort save the faces of millions of innocents, the League Against Bad Makeup has banded together in this difficult time to declare a state of emergency. They have chosen their leaders, the beacons of light that will save us all from the horror of hard to use products, and shades that are falsely labeled as universally flattering.

Our first hero is one of my personal favorites, Illamasqua Pigment in Furore.

Beautiful Inspiration- Illamasqua Body Electrics Has Launched

For those who haven't received the memo yet, Illamasqua has just launched a brand new makeup collection  for summer that is exquisitely delicious, fiercely fresh, extremely exciting. Never one to go with convention, the iconic UK brand has created a lineup for both face and body that is inspired by the fluidity and beauty of the human body in motion.

I have already told you about the product lineup, so let us take just a moment to appreciate the stunning images from this collection. Created by creative director Alex Box, these looks and images impart a sense of otherworldly beauty. A little bit alien, and a great deal

Illamasqua Body Electrics- The Official Launch Info

I hope I whet your appetite for all of the Illamasqua summer goodness heading our way very soon. On that note, I wanted to share the official details for all the items in the collection- which launches on the Illamasqua website this Friday.

Illamasqua Body Electrics Sneak Peek!

Ladies and gents, yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a very special event with one of my absolute favorite cosmetic brands- Illamasqua. The event was all about Body Electrics, the much anticipated summer collection launching this Friday online, and coming very soon to our own Sephora shops.

Welcoming Spring with Pastels- Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Caress

In case you haven't gotten the memo, rocking milky pastel nails has become cuter than marshmallow Peeps this spring. A departure from the bright shades we will be seeing for summer, these cool pastels give chickie here a run for his money.

Let's talk about Illamasqua's pastel varnishes, shall we? A quadruple varnish threat to our wallets, Illamasqua has created a lineup of gorgeous opaque shades of milky cream goodness. The one that I have received to spotlight for you is Caress, and here it is:

Illamasqua Body Electrics Collection- Sneak Peek Details!

This just in, courtesy of the amazing Illamasqua blog: details for the fabulous spring launch

"Due for a mid April launch across all counters in the UK - and May in the US - Body Electrics celebrates the body in motion, enhances your individual contours and is an explosion of electrifying energy. Again, we have new product textures and some otherwordly shades and unique finishes."

For more on the collection, make sure to read Alex's fab interview with Warren du Preez and Nick Thornton- the photo duo behind the campaign, by hopping on over to the Illamasqua blog. 

I know I am doing the happy makeup dance, but tell me now- who else is excited?!

Contest Alert- Create the Next Hot Nail Varnish Shade for Illamasqua!

Illamasqua lovers rejoice, for there is a new competition on the beauty block.

Illamasqua's Global Nail Varnish Competition - Fall 2010


Illamasqua, the edgiest, nighttime makeup brand, is looking for the next hot Nail Varnish color, and beginning on February 21, 2010, it could be created by you! Submit a description of your dream color and what inspired it, along with an image or photograph, and you could have your shade created by Illamasqua. The winning shade will be sold as an exclusive on Illamasqua.com, and through UK-based Selfridges department stores and Selfridges.com, beginning in October of 2010 (although, you'll get your hand on it before anyone else!).

The rules:

• The contest is open globally from Feb 21, 2010 through March 14, 2010
•  In 50 words or less, submit a description of your dream color and what inspired it - pictures are encouraged, whether a photograph, swatch, material etc... - to Illamasqua
•  You can submit only ONE entry
•  Entries can be submitted three ways:
•  via email: competition@illamasqua.com
•   via blog post: email the link to competition@illamasqua.com
•  via mail: 
•  COMPETITION c/o Illamasqua 
•  6-8 Anwell St 
•  London EC1R 1UQ

One winner will be selected and notified by 5th May. A prestigious panel of beauty trend makers, including Illamasqua Artistic Director and Legendary Make-up Artist Alex Box, Internationally acclaimed Nail Artist Sophy Robson and the Youtube sensations Pixiwoo will be heading up the judging panel!

Good luck lacquer lovers!

Illamasqua Spring 2010- Pastel Nails are In!

This just in, and courtesy of the fabulous Illamasqua Official Blog. Before we get an official look into what those delightful geniuses in the UK have in store for us in the coming months, we get a sneak peek that starts with pastel nail varnishes!

Here are the shades, in all their glory. Images are courtesy of the Illamasqua blog.

Blow

Caress

 

Nudge

 

Wink

 

These gorgeous colors have me craving some marshmallows for some reason. The varnishes will be available late February, so definitely keep your eyes peeled. Meanwhile, tell me- how do you feel about pastel nails?

Giveaway Time- Krasey Beauty's One Year Bloggiversary Giveaway!!

*Please note that I am trying to work out the entry form kinks. Bear with me folks.

It is with a lot of excitement that I bring to you all news of an amazing giveaway. On February 4th, 2009, I settled into my own little corner of the interwebs, creating a spot where I can share my passion with all of you.

Now, nearly a year later, I want to give back to all of you. I have put together an amazing prize pack, full of lots of amazing products from some of my favorite brands. All of the products are full sized and fabulous, totalling at almost $1,000! Here is what is included:

Zoya Reverie Polish Pack and a Zoya Color Lock System

Luminess Airbrush Foundation System

Make-up Designory Gift Set incl. eyeshadow quad, mascara, lip pencil, eye pencil, cheek color and lip glaze

St Tropez Bronzing Powder and Bronzing Rocks

MAC lipstick in Bubbles, Dazzleglass in Smile, Eyeshadow in Slip Pink

Illamasqua Lipgloss in Soul, Liquid Metal in Solstice

Living Proof Frizz Set of Curly and Straight Styling Creams

Crazy Libellule and the Poppies set of 3 Crazy Sticks

Jan Marini Skincare Set including Marini Lash, SPF 30 Daily Face Protectant, and Age Intervention Mask

I encourage you all to enter, and to tell all your friends too! Contest is open to international readers as well! All you have to do is enter via the widget at the bottom of this post. In addition to the single entry you can get there, you can gain additional entries by doing the following:

1. Become a new fan of Krasey Beauty on Facebook

2. Become a new subscriber to Krasey Beauty Emails

3. Become a new follower of Krasey Beauty on Twitter

4. Post a link to this contest on your blog

If you do any of the aforementioned, I ask that you leave one comment on this post, telling me what you did to gain the additional entry(ies).

The contest ends on February 3rd, the day before my official bloggiversary. I will officially announce the winner on February 4th, which makes the one year mark. Good luck everyone, and thank you for being such great readers.



*All of these wonderful products, except for MAC, were provided for the giveaway by the brands.

My Illamasqua Prize Goodies- Swatches

This post is a long overdue one. Wayyyyy back in September, I entered and won Mizz Worthy's Illamasqua Heroes and Villains contest. Literally jumping up and down with excitement, I promptly picked out 3 gorgeous shades of eyeshadow for my prize.

Well, I actually took these swatch pictures a few days after receiving them, but am just now getting around to posting them. So, without further adieu, here are Anja (Sky Blue), Can Can (Lavender Pink), and Intense (deep, inky navy).

Holiday Beauty Gift Guide- Make Up For Ever and Illamasqua

Of course I had to pair my two favorites in one post. It wouldn't be the holidays without showing some love to both Make Up For Ever and Illamasqua

Make Up For Ever

Best of Make Up For Ever Kit

Illamasqua and The Sophie Foundation

For those of you who haven't heard of Sophie Lancaster, allow me to take a moment to bring her story to your attention. The video below was made in the memory of one courageous young lady whose life was ended abruptly due to hatred and prejudice. Please watch the video, and support this noble cause.



In August 2007, Sophie Lancaster was kicked to death, simply for dressing differently. Two years on, and in tribute to the outgoing, bubbly girl who was denied the chance to live life her way, cult new British make-up brand Illamasqua has commissioned a short film by award-winning French director, Fursy Teyssier.


Produced by creative agency Propaganda, in association with iconic British band, Portishead, Dark Angel is a beautifully haunting rendition of Sophie's story.


The aim of the film is to raise awareness of The Sophie Lancaster Foundation and generate £500,000 to help educate young people about tolerance. Since Sophie's death, we've been working with behavioural experts Huthwaite International, to put together an interactive youth workshop that does just that.


But this essential education programme can only be delivered with your help.


Please, please show your support watch the film and make a donation.


Were hoping to reach over 1,000,000 hits, so forward the link and help us spread the message. If you have your own website, blog, Facebook, MySpace or You Tube page, or a Twitter profile, please display a link to the film. For added impact, download a specially designed web banner at www.illamasqua.com/sophie/ now.


As well as being available to view online, the film will also be running for a week on MTV from 26th November Sophie's birthday.


Stand up for Sophie act now and buy an Illamasqua Sophie pencil, wristband or make a donation.


Together, well help stamp out prejudice, hatred and intolerance everywhere.

An All New Illamasqua Website

Just when I thought I couldn't love Illamasqua any more than I already do, they go and create an absolutely revolutionary new website.

Here are the highlights!

An innovative section chock full of youtube video tutorials and reviews

A super fun gallery that brings you inside the world of Illamasqua via photo and film

A New Layout

Swatches! Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the updates, visitors now have the ability to see crisp, clean swatches of nearly every product. Those who have swatched know what a hassle it can sometimes be, but the Illamasqua team took the guesswork out of purchasing

I am beyond beyond beyond impressed with the changes to the site. Have a visit, and tell me what you think.

Illamasqua!

Illamasqua Turns One Today

As some are aware, today is Illamasqua's One Year birthday.

ILLAMASQUA IS ONEE TODAY!

"The past 12 months have flown by and what a year it's been. We've launched seven UK counters, with an eagerly anticipated eighth opening shortly in Birmingham. Plus we've taken the States by storm and are now retailing in over 28 Sephora stores across the US. Not to mention all the fantastic fashion shows and music events we've been involved with. Make-up for your alter ego is definitely on the world's radar!"

To celebrate, Illamasqua is launching a line of limited edition lashes.

LIMITED EDITION BIRTHDAY LASH 

ES

"Presenting our utterly fabulous, unmistakably Illamasqua limited edition Birthday Lashes - specially designed to celebrate our big day. Available in Opulence (vintage gold diamanté and Decadence (antique silver diamanté), they're the perfect party accessories and are exclusively available at our UK and ROI counters and online for a limited time only. So get your hands on these collectors' items while you can!"

I want to wish Illamasqua the happiest of birthdays. Congratulations on a brilliant first year, and many, many more.

Usher Your Way into Fall with Illamasqua

Speaking of Illamasqua for fall, just because you can't physically pick up Dystopia on our shores, does not mean you can't still get your Illamasqua fix. Sephora has an amazing array of their permanent products, many of which can be used to achieve an amazing fall look. The Illamasqua love parade must go on forever, so here are some of my must haves for fall:

Glamour gone Twisted with the Illamasqua Dystopia Collection

Dystopia is the opposite of Utopia. It is what you get when in your quest for perfection, you create a perfect chaos. Everything just goes terribly wrong, and you get something that is dark, twisted, cruel, sinister, and yet, eerily beautiful, all at once.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that I am a HUGE fan of everything Illamasqua. The newest fall collection, Dystopia, has me positively giddy with excitement as I ponder all of it's intense incarnations and endless possibilities. Taking the edgy feel of strong metallics, sharp angles, and lots of smoke, Illamasqua added key pops of neon color to create something twisted, unexpected, and beautiful.

I have a few key pieces from the collection so far, and am waiting on the quads to be available to snatch up the rest. Here is a selective review:

Intense Gloss in Galactic

Not for the faint of heart, Galactic is an intense (and I mean intense) metallic silver gloss that packs one heck of a punch. On close inspection, the gloss has a superfine silver glitter particle that gives it such an intense, metallic shine. This literally looks like you poured molten silver on your lips! While it may be too gothic for some, I highly recommend giving it a chance on top of your favorite red lipstick. The end result is both unexpected, and beautiful.

Sheer Gloss in Explode

Explode is one of the milder pieces in the collection, designed to add versatility to your lip arsenal. To me the name conjures up images of a brilliant star, bursting in the sky. Explode a stunning icy pink with a strong lavender tone to it, and on close inspection you can really appreciate the lavender pearl. Beautiful on its own, Explode is also perfect for adding life to a pale lip, or toning down a bright lip. This has literally become my new favorite lipgloss.

Pigment in Android

Android is a complex blend of black, blue, and silver that morphs depending on how much you apply, and what you wear with it. My first experience with Illamasqua pigments have me craving more. Android applies smoothly, blends beautiful, and adds instant dimension to any smoky eyed looks. The glitter is superfine, and the pigment itself has no grit or chunk.

Nail Varnish in Velocity- Another first for me, this nail varnish is a beautiful shade of dirty lavender. Wear is exceptional, and the color is nothing short of beautiful.

Some more swatches:

With flash:
Without flash:
Dystopia is one collection that is not to be missed. While you can't get it stateside at Sephora, it is available on Illamasqua.com. Hurry, because this is one collection that I could see easily selling out.

Contest News & a Vote for Me

First and foremost...

I won Mizz Worthy's Illamasqua Contest!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you how honored I am, that my superhero entry earned me the win in Jen's fabulous superhero and villains contest. Congratulations to everyone who entered, because all of your submissions were stellar.

Here is the winning entry, Starchild:


Now, on to the second item of business, hehe

I was recently nominated and subsequently made a finalist in the Hyper Luxe Media Network Hot 100 for favorite beauty blogs. If you could take the time and vote, I would really really appreciate it! It will only take a second, so please vote for me here: Vote!

Love is... The Illamasqua Sirens Limited Edition Palette

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you could almost taste it? Watched it being shamelessly paraded in front of your very eyes (you shameless tease, you), only to find your grubby, eyeliner-stained hands grievously bereft? Woe would fall upon you, and woe was most certainly upon me in this particular instance.

Okay, so it seems that my writing has developed a slight flair for the dramatic, but I assure you that I am being 100% sincere about my desire towards acquisition of said item. What is it you may ask? Well, said mystery item would happen to be the Illamasqua Limited Edition Sirens Palette. How to acquire this item of beauty was elusive; being that a. it was only available at Selfridge's in the UK and b. it sold out almost immediately, I resigned myself to the fact that I would just have to live without the beauty of this palette in my life.

Fast forward to present day, when I receive an email from Illamasqua informing me that it was my last chance to purchase the Sirens eyeshadow quad (something ridiculously high on my lemming list), and... the Sirens LE Palette! Surely it was a sign from above, that this palette was meant to be mine after all. I promptly whipped out my card and purchased said palette in question. I then engaged in the celebratory palette acquisition dance, which looks something like the cabbage patch, but snazzier.

You didn't think I would leave you without pictures, did you? Here it is, the Sirens LE palette.

Swatches! Natural Sunlight:
L-R, Top to Bottom: Fate, Spellbound, Luminescence, Morn, Demonic, Gasp
Lover, Unrequited
Fable, Resist, Brink, Melt
Solstice, Enrapture



With flash
Beautiful, isn't it? You can get yours by hopping on over to the site here. If you need some color advice, I am the one cuddling with the palette in the corner. ;)