ILIA Makeup Review +Swatches (Green Beauty)

Before I got to try ILIA Beauty, I had never tried out any Green/Organic Makeup brand per say. Or maybe I may have tried some products not knowing they were organic Makeup. Everything changed this year when I got to try some green skincare brands (Grown Alchemist- review here) and I was blown away. My positive experience made me interested in testing out organic makeup and finding out how it worked (or not) on my skin. My major concern in exploring organic makeup was finding my exact shade and pigmented products. Thankfully, there is a good variety to choose from and green brands are making plans to include even more diverse shades. I was super delighted when I had the opportunity to try out a wide range of ILIA makeup products and I am seriously impressed. ILIA Beauty has made me change my initial perception of organic makeup products as they are well pigmented with a lot of choice. ILIA Beauty use certified organic bioactive botanicals that nourish and rejuvenate the skin. Basically, you are enhancing your beauty and still treating your skin well which I think is incredible.
P.S. As usual, this is going to be a super long post with loads of pictures but I hope you enjoy it!!



Overview of the Brand
ILIA Beauty was founded by Sasha Plavsic in 2011 when she launched the first collection of the Tinted Lip Conditioners in Vancouver, Canada. Her aim was to create an organic makeup brand that stands out among other in the sense that it provides high quality while using the best ingredients and I think she absolutely nailed it. I have to say that ILIA beauty really stands out as the brand combines trend pigments and nourishing elements to provide some of the most pigmented annd long lasting products I have tried. Each product is filled up with 85% bioactive organic ingredients. Since 2011, ILIA Beauty has expanded to include other products including lipsticks, foundations, concealers, eye liners, mascaras, etc. You can read more about the story behind ILIA Beauty here.




Packaging
You all know I just have to talk about packaging especially when they look as incredible as these ILIA beauty offerings. I love their packaging so much because it is totally different to any other packaging I have in my stash. Majority of the products are packed in sleek recycled aluminium cases which gives them a classy and almost futuristic look. They are weighted, very durable and easy to clean which I love. It is really gorgeous and I don't even think these pictures do them any justice at all. I totally melted when I saw the white aluminium packaging for the SPF range*insert heart eyed emoji*. All the products have a very satisfying click when you close them which makes them secure and you know there can never be any accidents when you travel with them. I still drool over them each time I pick them out to use. I even dedicated a whole Muji drawer to them so they can all stay together. I wonder if I should film/blog about my updated makeup collection/storage.

ILIA Vivid Foundation in Sandar (F6)* //Link //£36

I thought I might as well start with foundation because I am a foundation junkie. Now, this is the only area where I did not find my shade but I am sure they will be working to expand their range. I believe there are about 6 shades of the Vivid Foundation. The packaging is lovely complete with a pump and it dispenses really beautifully. However, there appears to be a huge jump in terms of colour matching from the 5th shade to the 6th shade. The good news is that if you have much darker skin than I do you would love this 6th shade (Sandar F6). I love that ILIA has gone really dark with this shade and I tried it on my flatmate/friend and it was incredible on her. Guess what I use it for? I am sure you must have guessed right. I use it as a contour and it creates the most natural contour for my face. It has a medium texture (not too thick or too watery) and a really good coverage but again I don't have my exact shade so this is based on me using it as a contour. It blends in so smoothly and last all day. I just find that cream contours (when done properly) look super natural on the skin both in real life and in photos. I am so pleased I was able to find a way to use this because it would have been an absolute shame to waste it. Love it!!





ILIA Vivid Concealer in Ginseng (C4)* //Link //£25
I love using concealers because they can work for various things including hiding under eye circles, darkness, blemishes and highlighting. I was so pleased to see that the Vivid Concealer in Ginseng was a good match for my skin and it's so beautiful. I love to use this under my eye and it is by far the lightest under eye concealer I have used. I believe you can use it anywhere you fancy on your face but it works best for me under my eye. It has a pointed tip which allows you dispense as little product as possible because it has quite a watery texture. I give it a good shake before using it and just apply a little amount directly under my eyes. I blend it in with my fingers or a Real Techniques Setting Brush but I prefer using my fingers. It offers a good light-medium coverage which I prefer because anything heavy tends to crease on me and I avoid them. This is one of the few concealers I have tried that has not creased or sunk into the fine lines under my eyes. You can build it up if you have dark circles but one layer with a light setting powder (Laura Mercier Universal Setting Powder) is enough for me. I have also used it on my dark blemishes but I need a heavier coverage for them which is why I tend to use it mainly for under my eyes. It's really worth trying out if you are looking to try a new concealer that would effortlessly do the job.
P.S. Ignore the name "Ginger" on the picture- the correct name is "Ginseng"!! Will update when I get home.





ILIA  Universal Finishing Powder (Fade Into You)* // Link //£30
If you tend to have a shiny T-zone or you have combination oily skin like me, say hello to your new makeup bag BFF. The ILIA Universal Finishing Powder is a translucent powder that helps take away any shine on the face and it comes in the form of a brush. It has two parts; a brush head which releases the products in an even way and the bottom part (refillable as well) which contains the powder. It just means you can touch up so easily even without the use of a mirror and it saves so much space in my makeup bag. I just grab this and swipe across my T-zone and I am done. I can even do it without a mirror and my face looks perfect. The best part is that the brush can be removed and washed which is so ideal. The brush also feels ultra soft on my skin and it's really pleasant to use. I love this product so much especially now that the weather is getting warmer and my face tends to get shinier than before.





ILIA Illuminator* //Link // £30
The ILIA Beauty Illuminators were actually the first products I tried from the brand and I was super impressed with the formula. They are essentially glow giving products or highlighters which come in a stick form. They remind me of the NARS Multiples in terms of shape but not function. It provides the most natural dewy glow that I have ever tried. The fact that it comes in a cream stick form really helps it look natural. I was so lucky to get two shades- Cosmic Dancer and Sway. I got the Cosmic Dancer first and I remember how excited I was to use it because the swatch looked incredible and it did not disappoint at all. It is a beautiful light golden shade which is the perfect highlight shade for my skin tone. It can be swiped directly from the bullet across the face but I prefer to swipe my finger across the product and apply on my face. I use it on the usual areas I highlight on my face- high points of my cheek bones, brow bone, cupid's bone, etc.





The shade Sway is a beautiful golden bronze shade which is perfect for summer. I love this so much and I tend to use this on highlight areas and tip of my nose. It almost matches my skin tone so it is easy for me to add it to all parts of my face for an all over glow. If you are lighter than me, it would definitely work as a bronzer but a super natural one. Both Sway and Cosmic Dancer are gorgeous and I feel they would work in different ways for a variety of skin tones. One good thing I like about these Illuminators is that they don't look shiny or greasy; they just have an innate glow so I don't feel a need to powder them down. I naturally have combination oily skin and these illuminators work so well for me.



ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner and Exfoliator* //Link // £22
I have to say my favourite products from ILIA Beauty are definitely the lip products starting from the Lip Conditioners down to the Lipsticks. I love the packaging, texture, formula, wear time,-----> I am just so impressed by everything. I got the Lip Conditioner in Arabian Knights and the Lip Exfoliator in Balmy Nights. How cute are their names though?!! Whenever I hear lip conditioner, lip balm or lip tint, I never think it would be pigmented enough for my lips but I was super wrong with these ILIA Lip conditioners. The Lip Conditioner in Arabian Knights is a gorgeous berry shade which combines deep tones of violet and burgundy. I love to apply one layer for day and build it up for a night look. It's really beautiful and would suit many skin tones. It does feel like a Lip Tint but it feels much lighter on the lips and has a better wear time. When it eventually fades, it still leaves a natural tint which I love so much.



The second product is the Lip Exfoliator in Balmy Rays which is a must-have if you frequently have dry or chapped lips and you can never pull off a matte lip without prior planning. It is essentially a lip scrub in a lipstick form and I am totally loving lip scrubs in this form. It makes it so easy to apply without having to dip your fingers in a tub. At first, I thought it contained brown sugar granules but it was tiny granules of volcanic stone powder!! It seriously does an amazing job at smoothing out my lips. I just swipe it across my upper and lower lips and use my fingers to massage my lips and am done. It's a super fast process and has allowed me wear matte lipsticks with ease without thinking about it. I usually follow up with the Lip Conditioner in Balmy Ray which just seals the deal.






ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner* and Lip Conditioner* with SPF 15 //Link // £22
If you were wondering what the difference between the regular packaging and the white one, it's the addition of SPF 15. I love the new SPF range because it is beautiful of course and it contains SPF 15 which makes it perfect for this weather. I was lucky to get two products from this range- Tinted Lip Conditioner in Kokomo and Lip Conditioner in Balmy Rays. I love reaching for the Tinted Lip Conditioner in Kokomo for a simple everyday look. It's a very feminine nude pink shade which is perfect for everyday wear to work, school, etc. It also has a beautiful formula and texture and glides on so easily across my lips (and very forgiving on dry/chapped lips). I thought I would have to reapply more than a few times but I only have to reapply once during the day. I particularly love that it does not sit heavy on my lips and that's why I regularly reach for it. The Lip Conditioner in Balmy Rays is what I use immediately after the Lip Exfoliator in Balmy Nights. It is one of the smoothest lip conditioners I have tried and it really keeps my lips soft and ready to take on any texture of lipstick.

 ILIA Lipstick in Ink Pot* //Link // £22
I just have to introduce you to the Lipstick I fell instantly in love with -Ink Pot. I usually don't go for dark purple shades or deep berry shades because I thought they did not suit me. I also think they make me look mean (it's all in my head, I know). However, all this changed when the lovely sales consultant (Zeenat) at the ILIA Counter in Fortnum & Mason tested out Ink Pot on me. I was completely stunned at how it changed up my look and I just kept checking myself out in the mirror. I know it's not the usual Spring/Summer shade but I just love it so much. It is incredibly pigmented as you can see from the bullet. I know the colour is a little scary from the bullet but it transforms to a wearable shade once it is applied on the lips. I would describe it as a Deep Purple or Violet Shade. It would definitely be perfect for Autumn/Winter. It has a creamy semi-matte finish and the lasting power is super impressive. I just can't fault it at all!!





ILIA Lip Gloss in White Rabbit* // Link // £20
You all know I am not a huge fan of Lip Gloss because many of them tend to be too sticky and they also sit heavy on the lips. Well, you can imagine the surprise on my face when I tested out this ILIA Lip Gloss in White Rabbit and it was the opposite of what I thought it would be. First off, it's not a typical lip gloss. It has an ultra light formula that you don't  feel on your lips. It applies smoothly with its doe foot applicator and is complete;y non-sticky. Yes, non sticky at all which means you can smack your lips as you wish and no hair is getting caught on your lips. It adds a gold shimmer to the lips which means you can wear it on its own (or to the beach) or pair with another lip product to add some extra oopmh. I really like it and the doe foot applicator is also easy to clean especially after I have used it on top of another lip product. In the above picture, I paired it with the ILIA Lip Conditioner in Arabian Knights and they are a dream team.

ILIA Mascara in Night Fall*// Link //£22
I was really curious to try the ILIA Mascara in Night Fall mainly because it looked different to other mascaras in my stash. First off, ILIA has four shades of mascaras in their range including Night Fall (black), Asphalt Jungle (grey), Shadow of Doubt (ash brown) and Macao (Coppery brown). I really like the size of the mascara as it's not the typical long mascara; it's more of a medium size (more travel friendly). It also has a lovely curved and flexible wand. On its own, it does not do much for my lashes. My lashes are generally super short and curved so I need a mascara that lengthens, gives volume and holds a curl. With the ILIA mascara, it gave my lashes a little lift but not much volume. However, when I paired it with By Terry Mascara Terrybly Growth Booster*, it seemed to come alive. I feel it would work well if your lashes are already long but you want something to add a slight lift  to them.



ILIA Pure Eyeliner in Shadow Play* // Link //£20
May I introduce you to my new eyeliner BFF?. I always avoid using any eye liner around my waterline because my eyes are sensitive and I wear contacts. The only other eyeliner I tried and loved was the NARS Larger than Life Eyeliner but that was before this ILIA Pure Eyeliner completely stole my heart. First off, there are a good number of shades to choose from but I love the shade Shadow Play. It is a beautiful Iron Grey shade that looks super flattering on my eyes. I find that proper black eyeliners on the waterline are better at night and sometimes look too severe for everyday wear (especially to work). With Shadow Play, I can wear it day and night and it looks perfect. It glides on so smoothly with one application, no tears or irritation whatsoever. It is just perfect and it has quickly become my favourite eyeliner (for my waterline). It has an in-built sharpener so you don't have to worry about the tip ever being blunt. It is also enriched with the healing oils of Avocado and Castor Seed to moisturise and protect the delicate eye area. It's an absolute winner in my books.





ILIA Silken Shadow Stick* // Link //£23
I am a huge fan of eyeshadow sticks because they are so easy to use and I have built a good collection. Of course, I was happy to add the ILIA Silken Shadow Stick in Age of Consent to my collection. It is an ash brown shade which also looks like a Taupe shade. It's a lovely everyday colour and looks flattering against my dark brown eyes. It's perfect for everyday wear and I just use it as a one wash all over shade across my lids. It applies smoothlys and I blend it out with my finger or a brush. I have worn it on its own and under a powder eyeshadow and I had impressive results on both occasions. If you are always on the go and you need something quick, long lasting and easy to blend (even on the Tube), this is an amazing choice


Cost
I do have to say ILIA products are not the cheapest out there but they are a luxury beauty brand who use the highest quality ingredients in their products. It's not the same as regular makeup and you can tell when you use it because your skin is so much better for it. One time I tried using everything organic (skincare and makeup -except foundation) for a short period of time and my skin looked amazing. It was the best it had been in a while and it just shows that the quality of ingredients makes a massive difference to the skin. While I can't say I would totally make the switch to only organic beauty products right now, I know it''s something I am willing to explore in the future.

Where to buy
Depending on where you live, you can purchase ILIA beauty from various retailers. If you live in the States or Canada, you can purchase these products directly from the ILIA website (you can also purchase from there if you live in the UK). In the UK, ILIA Beauty has a counter in Fortnum & Mason and Fenwick Bond Street. You can also purchase online from Net-a-Porter, Naturisimo (free delivery on ILIA) and Being Content. I prefer to go into store so I can do swatches and all the consultants are so lovely and helpful. I went to the one in Fortnum & Mason and the sales consultant/makeup artist Zeenat was amazing and so helpful. She applied Ink Pot on my lips which made me instantly fall in love.


Overall Thoughts
What can I say? I am absolutely blown away by the entire range and I feel incredibly lucky to try out so many products from the range. A massive thanks to the Mark McDonald Consultancy (MMCL) for gifting me these gorgeous products. I would definitely recommend checking out ILIA beauty because their products are really good and I have not had any issues with them. My skin feels amazing any time I use them and breakouts have never occurred. If you are looking to switch to Organic Skincare, ILIA is definitely one to check out. I loved majority of the products I tried but the Lip Products are simply divine. I hope you enjoyed this post and are having a lovely weekend, See you in my next post. Have you tried ILIA Beauty?
*Gifted PR Samples + Affiliate Links, read my full disclaimer here