Beauty: the KIKO focus

KIKO is fast becoming one of my favourite beauty brands. Although I now rely heavily on high-end (bloggers, I blame you) KIKO ticks all my expectations and I actually see it as the superior side of cosmetics because of its impressive standard.

There's not a product I've come across that I haven't loved; the diverse range is super affordable and excellent quality whilst providing a variety of colours and effects to suit everyone individually. It's a cutting edge collection of makeup that does wonders to my complexion and truthfully, I've already found some holy grail products within KIKO that I can see myself depending on for a long while!

Having a KIKO store within a ten minute bus ride away is pretty dangerous for the bank balance, I may have gotten a little spendy in there recently and there's still so much I want to buy (including that dreamy contour duo from their new Rebel Romantic edition). As well as repurchasing some old favourites, I ventured into the world of shadows, polishes and face enhancers and thought I could create a post based around the basic summary of what's to offer at KIKO. So, without further ado, I'll quit the admiration centered rambling and crack on...

FACE | unfortunately I don't think KIKO sell the Masterpiece bronzer anymore but I still thought it deserved a mention! If you are keen to learn how to contour but can't quite grasp it, this is the product you need. The compact combination of light to dark shades is so beneficial for creating the desired look. From subtle, to bold, it's so easy to build up to produce those chiseled angular cheekbones. There's still plenty of other options of course, the Silk Pearl Illuminating Bronzer looks very similar and just as pretty. The range of Soft Touch blushes are a new addition to my makeup bag, there's so much choice to cater for all skin tones and seasonal changes. I opted for shade 102 'Natural Pink' a fine balance between a nude and a rose; perfect for reforming those naturally flushed cheeks in the A/W. I've talked a lot about the Radiant Touch Creamy Stick Highlighter and the instant hype I felt has never gone away. The shade 100 Gold is a stunning light shimmer to radiate and highlight the upper cheekbone. It adds that glowing finish to your features, smoothing out and setting the shape of your face proportion. The Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush is an extremely similar match; just in the form of a brighter, yet still gentle, intentional top up of colour. I love the idea of being in control of how much product you want to apply and the beautiful texture of the blush ensures that. As a pop of pink is my go to shade for a complete composition, Natural Rose is what I went for. You can even match up the sticks with the powder blushes for a full on combo!

EYES | it's safe to say I love a good mix up of eyeshadows. There can never be one shade that is the same as another, they may be on the edge of idential but there'll always be something distinctive that draws me to it. I don't go wild with experimentation when it comes to the eyes and KIKO is the place to be for those sort of neutral, delicate colours. The Infinity Eyeshadow's are super cheap but super lovely (and a pretty decent size!). They come in a range of matte, satin and ultra-pearly finishes and supply a whopping 96 shades to meet everyone's preferences. The shades I picked (which was a hard decision indeed) were 201 Sparkling Silk, 236 Pearly Champagne and 238 Mat Light Taupe. The first two I had in mind for purely highlighting the corners of my eyes but I've actually discovered they're pigmented enough to use alone for a lightweight finish. The Mat Light Taupe is the ideal versatile base cover and is perfectly blendable and buildable along with having a soft, velvety consistency. As I increase my collection, I'm definitely considering purchasing a KIKO palette to hoard my shadows more professionally! Another gorgeous united eyeshadow is the Colour Sphere Duo Mat & Pearly Eyeshadow which is a set of two shades, a standard matte and then a glimmering effect; the idea of the pair together is a great one and I really like it. I have shade 208 and overlapping the two means the light is contrasting and can go from an everyday look to a dazzling one depending on how you want to multiply it.

NAILS (and others) | as well as a huge range of eyeshadows, KIKO also have a huge range of nail polishes and there're different types. I find the pure colour Nail Lacquer so long lasting, I can paint my nails and it be chip resistance for a good few days. Not only that, the application is smooth, the brush is just the right thickness, and it doesn't go on patchy (which is something I always dread with cheap nail varnish). I only own two shades but am certainly planning on extending that. I have 319 Light Dove and Tea Rose, which are a couple of seriously wearable shades that take me through day to day and are such a quick pick me up when I fancy treating my nails to some well needed colour; whether that be a cool toned grey or a warm toned rosy pink. The KIKO Natural Concealer is a one off product I tested but one which I was pleasantly pleased with. Despite it's small size, a little does go a long way and the coverage is fabulous; especially for those dark circles and problematic areas. It's not cakey nor noticeable when blended and sinks into the skin with a simple purifying action. Plus, the choice of 7 divergent shades means there's something to suit everybody (I had 03 medium for when I was tanned *silent sob* but I think usually I would reach for the natural).

LIPS | if I had to pick a section of KIKO that I'd gladly entirely yearn for, it would be their lipsticks and lip liners. I possess 4 styles of lipsticks; Velvet Mat in shade 613 Pink Carnation and 608 Apple Red, Luscious Cream in 500 Shell Rose and Smart Lipstick in 915 Mauve, and I just can't stop myself from going back for more! The Smart lipsticks are so handy, their rich and nourishing texture make for a pair of silky lips. For a small tube, it's ridiculously powerful. The tints are bountiful, transferring a real striking amount of colour with a buttery finish, and the edging of the lipstick makes it easy to apply with no risk of smudging way further from your lip line (which I tend to do a lot). The Luscious Cream is just that; a delightfully creamy and intense lipstick which goes on smoothly and carefully with that gliding - I can run my fingers across my lips feeling. Shell Rose is such a gorgeous colour and really brings out the natural lip. It's not heavy, maintains moisture, and revitalizes the whole appearance. The Velvet Mat has to be my favourite of the bunch. The hues are sublime, such a mellow pigmentation which defines your lips entirely. Some designed matte lipsticks can be clingy and drying but this one is the complete opposite, it provides an opaque satin sheen and weightless finish. Not to mention, I adore the fancy, gold packaging! 

The KIKO lip liners are bound to impress because I think they're both acceptable for using as a pre-lipstick outline and to cover the entire lip with colour without that haunting smearing. The Smart Lip Lip Pencils are smooth enough to use as an entire base and both appear and feel as though you are wearing a lipstick due to its feathery finish. I have the shades 703 Rosewood, a lovely nude, and 706 Classic Red, the only red which balances between light and dark and is the perfect meet in the middle shade. The Precision Lip Pencils are more of a liner to precisely trace the structure of the lips (although I guess they can be used the same as above) and what a grand job they do. The outlined colour of the lip liner brings out the shine in the topped up lipstick. I have shade 302 Natural Pink (anyone would think I like natural) which is the most beautiful dark nude. It's going to be a real compliment on my freshly updated Autumn lipstick collection.

With the wide availability, KIKO makes it easy to become addicted to their ever so engaging collections. Next on my list is a foundation and then I think I've tried a bit of everything! 

Do you own any KIKO merch?

Bridie x