Illamasqua & MAC newbies

Meet the new additions to my Illamasqua and MAC family.

For our 2 year wedding anniversary amongst other gifts my husband decided to feed my makeup addiction and bought me two things I'd been lusting after for ages - Illamasqua blush in Hussy, and MAC lipstick in Up The Amp.

Illamasqua Blush Hussy

Just like it's peachier sister blush Lover, Hussy is an extremely pigmented, finelly milled matte blush. It's a gorgeous warm pink that instantly brightens the complexion, giving a really healthy look.

It comes in the standard Illamasqua packaging, i.e. square with the sides caved in. I know some people don't like the packaging, but I love it. To me the packaging just epitomises the 1920s glamour that this brand channels oh so well.


M.A.C. Lipstick Up The Amp

I was torn between this and Girl About Town, but in the end I decided that I needed a darker purple lipstick, especially since the weather is cooling down here and the muted colour would look perfect on those grey days which we'll no doubt be having soon. Plus when we went shopping I was wearing a hat in almost the same colour (see pic at end of this post), and the lipstick matched it perfectly.

The formula of the lipstick is amplified, which is quickly becoming my favourite formula, as I love its gorgeous pigmentation and longevity. The colour itself is surprisingly wearable for a purple, although you'd need to wear warmer toned blush otherwise this could make you a bit dull and grey.

The photo below was taken straight after we got home from the shops. I quickly powdered my cheeks to get rid of whatever blush I had on before, brushed on Hussy and put a swipe of Up The Amp on my lips.

I've used flash in all the pics, as by the time we got home from the shops it was dark and I couldn't get a decent pic without a flash. When the weather clears up a bit I will do some proper swatches in natural light as well.

Have you tried either of these products? What do you think of Illamasqua blushes?