Lately, nude and neutral seem to be used synonymously. Leave it to Illamasqua to come up with a neutral palette that is anything but nude! The Illamasqua Neutrals eyeshadow palette (Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism - Spring 2012 collection) is more befitting of Cleopatra than the girl next door.
The colors in the Illamasqua Neutrals palette are neutral, but of the dramatic sort. The stark white and black alongside the rich gold and chocolate become a striking combination when worn. I can't help but recall the scorched earth tones found in the cooled lava beds I saw in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. If you looked closely, there were golden, rusty, and iridescent tones mixed in with the coal black. Volcanic rocks really come fascinating shapes, sizes, and textures!
Illamasqua has actually named the four colors in the quad, clockwise from the top left (Stealth, Vintage, Obisidan, Wolf). Stealth is soft off white, Vintage is a metallic old gold, Obsidian is a matte black, and Wolf is a matte chocolate brown. The colors are quite neutral, but striking. When I wear this, I typically apply the white as a sheer base and highlight, the gold as a lid color, the chocolate as a crease color, and the obsidian as a smoked in liner. The texture of the shadows is really beautiful, pigmented, and smooth.
I love the Illamasqua Neutrals eyeshadow palette and I normally don't wear gold or chocolate. The colors run fairly neutral, with a hint of old gold warmth. It's perfect for my warmer summer skin as it fades into fall. I continue to be impressed by both the vision and execution of Illamasqua products. While the ad campaigns may be wild, the products I've tried thus far are of great quality and well nuanced color. Thanks for reading! Have you tried the Illamasqua Neutrals palette? What are your favorite items from Illamasqua? What is your current summer eyeshadow palette?
Love, Dovey.
