ILIA Lipstick Review & Swatches (Green Beauty)

I never knew a day would come when one of my favourite lipstick formulas will be a Green beauty brand. It just goes to show how the beauty world is evolving and developing products that suit different people's tastes, preferences and of course, skin tones. I have spoken about ILIA Beauty over here if you are after a full review of the brand and their brand story. Their products have also been featured in quite a few of my monthly favourites and quite regularly on my Instagram. I have to say they photograph so beautifully with the littlest effort. I was lucky to be gifted some more lipsticks and tinted lip conditioners to add to my ever growing collection by the lovey folks over at Mark McDonald Consultancy (MMCL). The other day I was cleaning out and rearranging my Muji drawers (also busy admiring my ILIA collection) and I thought I need to do swatches of my ILIA Lipstick collection for a post.

Packaging
I already mentioned in this post how much I love ILIA Lipstick packaging but I can't start this post without talking about it again. I love the unusual steel-like colour and it really stands out among my other lipsticks. The packaging is also very sturdy and you can tell it's made from very good quality material. None of the inscriptions on the packaging has worn off and I am very impressed with that. The lid also clicks in place so there is no chance of it coming off and smearing your entire handbag or makeup bag. The SPF range (white packaging) looks so ethereal both in real life and photos and I just never want it to get dirty. Thankfully, they are all easy to clean if any makeup smears/stains get on them.

ILIA Lips Range
So ILIA Beauty has quite a few products dedicated to the lips and I am lucky to have tried some products from each line. The Lips range is split into Lip Care, Lip Crayons, Lip Gloss,Tinted Lip Conditioners and Lipsticks. They all have similar packaging (except for the SPF range which is white) but the inscription at the bottom of bullet describes what the product is. The Tinted Lip Conditioners have a clear bottom inscription while the Lipsticks have a coloured inscription at the bottom.





                                                             Lip Care
For Lip Care, I was lucky to try out the Lip Exfoliator in Balmy Night*//£22 and Lip Conditioner in Balmy Rays* //£22 (from the SPF Collection). The Lip Exfoliator as the name suggests is designed to exfoliate the lips by getting rid of any dead skin on the lips revealing soft and smooth lips. It contains volcanic stone powder (super fancy and kinda exotic) which does a spanking job at exfoliating my lips. The fact that it comes in a bullet form makes it so easy to apply directly on my lips as opposed to dipping my fingers into a pot/tub/jar. The second Lip Care product is the Lip Conditioner in Balmy Rays which I always use immediately after exfoliating my lips with the Balmy Nights Lip Exfoliator. It is a clear lip conditioner which just sinks into my lips and makes them soft. It is truly the perfect companion for the Lip Exfoliator and judging from their names, they are definitely made for each other.



                                           Tinted Lip Conditioners
Let me just put it out there that ILIA Beauty Tinted Lip Conditioners are one of the most pigmented formulas I have ever tried. Whenever I see any product labelled as a tinted lip conditioner, I always skip past them because I find that they never show up on my lips (which are slightly dark) or they don't last long on my lips. ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioners have totally changed the game for me.  I often forget that they are tinted lip conditioners as they look and last as long as regular lipsticks. ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioners combine organic ingredients designed to soothe and condition the lips while also being infused with some pigments. I love them because you can increase the intensity of the colour by adding an extra layer and it always remains lightweight on the lips no matter how many layers you add. I am sure you can tell that I am absolutely obsessed with them and I wear them quite a few times during the week.




ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner in These Days* // Link //£22
I had to start off with my current favourite offering from ILIA- These Days Tinted Lip Conditioner. I have worn this almost every day because it is the perfect shade for my lips. It is just incredible for everyday wear especially if you don't want to look too made up. I currently work in a hospital and see quite a good number of patients so I try to look professional and this shade does just that for me. It's so classy and elegant and it permanently lives in my makeup bag for a quick touch up after my lunch break. I would describe it as the perfect nude brown shade with hints of bronze. I can see this suiting a wide range of complexions particularly olive and darker complexions.



ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner in Kokomo* (SPF 15)// Link // £22
I love the packaging of the SPF range and I am so happy I got to try the Tinted Lip Conditioner. The major difference between this Tinted Lip Conditioner and the other ILIA ones is the addition of SPF 15 to it. This means you get that extra protection against the sun and I love it. I hardly ever use sunscreen on my lips although I just recently bought some clear ones from TK Maxx. I use sunscreen all over my face but I tend to forget my lips which is a shame. Anyway, the shade Kokomo is such a beautiful delicate nude pink shade which I can get away with on a work day. I tend to interchange it with These Days during the week.



ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner in Jump* //Link //£22
I honestly cannot believe this is a tinted lip conditioner!! It looks exactly like a lipstick and the pigmentation and lasting power is even better than some lipsticks I have in my collection. Jump is one of the shades that makes me very excited because I love anything purple or pinkish purple. It is a very flattering colour on my lips and I feel this is another universal matching shade that will look gorgeous on a wide range of skin tones from pale to dark (all you have to do is build the intensity as you prefer). I would describe it as a light purple shade with pink undertones. ILIA Beauty describe it as a bright pop of magenta with hints of electric blue undertone and I think it is spot on!! I love this shade for weekends and when I am off to events or outings.



ILIA Tinted Lip Conditioner in Arabian Knights* //Link //£22
This is another ILIA offering I still struggle to believe is a tinted lip conditioner. Seriously, look at that pigmentation and I didn't even bother building up its intensity for this photo. It is described as a special melt of deep tones violet and burgundy which makes it perfect for people who are scared to wear red. This is my go to red lipstick on days when I want to look fancy because it is so easy to wear. It is also very pigmented so I just use a light swipe and I am good to go. It is quite long lasting as well and that's why I reach for it for special occasions as I won't need to touch up frequently.




                                                         ILIA Lipsticks
ILIA Lipsticks are truly one of a kind because the formulation is made from ingredients that are good for the skin (organic as well) and their wide range of shades makes my heart flutter. I know I have said this before but ILIA Beauty has changed the game when it comes to Green Makeup because they are one of the few brands that have gone out of their way to ensure that darker skinned ladies can enjoy their products. That's why they will always have my support!! The Lipsticks have such beautiful pigmentation because they are made from certified organic ingredients and pigments. They are all blended to provide a creamy semi-matte finish which is my favourite finish for lipsticks.



ILIA Lipstick in Perfect Day* //Link //£22
This is also one of my favourite shades and I wear this a lot during the weekends or on Fridays when I don't see so many patients. I don't know who chooses the names for these ILIA lip products but I am totally loving them and they seem to just capture the essence of the actual products. Perfect Day is described as a warm, toned down coral red shade which is perfect both for Spring, Summer and Fall in my opinion. When I first saw the colour from the bullet, I thought there is no way in the world this will suit my complexion. I was super wrong!! It is actually so perfect for my complexion and I wore it for my graduation. The bright colour always uplifts my mood and gives my face a bright look even when I have not made a good effort with the rest of my makeup.



ILIA Lipstick in Strike It Up* //Link //£22
This was one of the newest shades I received and I chose it because it was incredibly similar to Arabian Knights. I would say that Strike It Up is more of a classic red shade than Arabian Knights and of course, it is more pigmented and longer lasting as well. ILIA Beauty describe it as the brand's most classic true red and I couldn't agree more as it totally captures this lipstick. I have not worn this as much as the others because I only got it a few weeks ago. However, I wear it with a neutral face because it is so easily the centre of attraction. I pair it with a nude brown eye look and minimal blush and highlighting unless I will look so dolled up (hehehe). If you are bold and on the hunt for a new red lipstick, Strike It Up is definitely one to check out.



ILIA Lipstick in Ink Pot* //Link //£22
Last but not the least is Ink Pot which is the shade I never thought I would fall in love with until the lovely Zeenat from ILIA Beauty (in Fortnum & Mason) tried it on me. It looked super gorgeous and I kept admiring my lips at every chance I got. It is described as a bold violet shade and that's exactly what it is. I don't think this shade is for the fainthearted but it is truly a beauty to behold. I always apply with the lightest hand because it is very, very pigmented (just like ink as the name suggests). I think this will be my go-to weekend shade when it is Autumn although I still wear it now that it's Summer.


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.


Overall Thoughts
I feel like I have said everything about these ILIA lip products and I really love them. The fact that they are a green beauty brand is an added bonus and it does feel good knowing that you are using wholesome ingredients on your face. I still use other lipsticks in my stash from time to time but I have been reaching more for my ILIA lipsticks because they are very impressive. A massive thanks to MMCL for hooking me up to these amazing lip products!! Have you tried ILIA Lipsticks?
* PR Samples + Gifted PR Samples. Affiliate Links used, read my full disclaimer here.