Illamasqua Concealer

RRP: £13
# of shades available: at least 9

--What does the promo say?--

"The Illamasqua woman knows how to conceal.  Cover blemishes and problem areas to create beautiful skin that feels smooth and looks flawless. Tested under the harsh lights of film sets, Illamasqua Concealer is guaranteed to keep your secrets and let you take centre stage."

--Packaging--

The small square compact, made of black plastic, has a good-sized mirror and is easy to open when you need it, and keeps securely closed when you don't. Largely unadorned except for the word 'Illamasqua' in small lettering on the side of the compact. The curves in the square add something unique to the product, and is common to the Illamasqua line, helping to give the brand its own identity. Nice.

--Application--

The Illamasqua website recommends the use of a small blending brush for this product, but you can of course just get straight in with your fingers if you choose.

--Appearance--

I took a punt on a now-defunct shade, 220, which was, if I recall correctly, on sale online. I had heard good things about Illamasqua and wanted to try the product. However, as a result of this slightly devil-may-care gamble, the shade is totally wrong for me, its yellow undertones totally contradicting my pink and white complexion. It therefore would not be suitable for me to wear on its own as the patches of yellow across my face are very obvious, even though it looks OK once I've applied foundation and powder over the top. I accept that my own stinginess is to blame for this. There are other reasons, though, why the overall appearance of the product on my face is not good - see below for more.

--Scent--

Nothing discernible; perhaps a surprise given that it contains carnauba, candelilla and and bees waxes.

--Texture and consistency--

Not easy to blend, though probably easier if, unlike me, you actually choose the right shade and use a blending brush as recommended. The formula also seems to 'split' a little in the compact, with small droplets of an oily yellow substance having formed at the corners of mine. This, however, does not seem to affect how well it works on the face, and is probably to be expected given the use of natural waxes.

--Coverage--

Not as good as I had been expecting, and the other main reason why I found that the appearance of this product did not come up to standard. Several layers are required both before and after foundation to get a result you're anything like being happy with.

--Value for money--

Even though Illamasqua certainly does have shades that are more appropriate for me (such as 115 and 130), I'm not sure I would try this product again even with the correct shade in hand, due to the shoddy coverage that I experienced while using this product. I was surprised and disappointed, since as well as its range of colours, Illamasqua is famed for the level of its coverage. For my £13, I'll stick with my beloved Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette (which costs roughly the same in US$ if bought online) to get the effect I want.

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