Illamasqua Excite Powder Blush and Sonnet Lipstick Swatches

Illamasqua Powder Blush in Excite ($23)

Excite looks scary in the pan, but it applies quite well.

This blush is extremely pigmented, so apply it with a light hand and blend it out.

Sonnet is a gorgeous blush. Don't let the color in the pan scare you. Applied with a light hand, it can work its way into your daily makeup. You will not look like a carrot, I promise. The blush is actually a little less orange and more pink than I had anticipated. That isn't to say Sonnet isn't orange. It is a bright, bold orange blush. It is very well pigmented, so apply very lightly and blend away. Just a graze of this product will give you more color than your regular blusher.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Sonnet

Sonnet is a pale, nude peach.

Swatches beautifully, but pretty unforgiving on the lips.

Sonnet will emphasize lines and dryness.

Illamasqua Sonnet Lipstick topped with Lancome Juicy Tubes in Touched by Light

I am normally a big fan of Illamasqua lipsticks, but this shade did not work for my unkempt lips. It has a matte finish and reminds me of Revlon's nude attitude, except Sonnet is peachier, less orange, and applies smoother. Although this lipstick is not for me, I have seen it look very good on others, like on Sophia from Makeup Blogette.

Illamasqua is a UK company and sold in the US exclusively at select Sephora locations and on Sephora.com. You can visit the Illamasqua website to locate stores in your country or to make an online order.

Disclaimer: This post contains product(s) sent to me for testing or reviewing consideration. I am neither paid nor compensated for my opinion. My priority is always to my readers and I express only my honest opinion in every post.