Illamasqua Magenta Muse Collection Part 3: Precision Ink and Powder Blusher Swatches and Review

Here's the second to the last installment of the Illamasqua Magenta Muse series. But first of all, check out the previous entries: Illamasqua Magenta Muse Part 2: Lipstick and Sheer Lipgloss Swatches, and Illamasqua Magenta Muse Collection Part 1: Cream Pigment, Pure Pigment and Liquid Metal Swatches and Review.

This time, we are focusing on the Precision Inks and Powder Blushers.

Precision Ink:

Top: Glister
Bottom: Abyss


Glister


Glister




Abyss


Abyss


Abyss

I am in love with these babies. I am one for precise, crisp lines, so I love liquid liners more than my pencil ones. I always like smooth, defined lines and the felt tip of the Precision Inks makes it so easy to achieve this. It dries within seconds and does not budge after that. Very long-wearing and just beautiful. These are liners with the felt tip that I always love. I've fallen in love with these kinds of felt tips when I started using Almay liquid liners in 2004, and from then on, I've always been comfortable using these kinds of applicators. Yes, it's been almost seven years and this is still my favorite kind of tip for liquid liner. That's why I was over the moon with excitement when I saw that Illamasqua's Precision Inks have the exact same tip that I've loved over the years. And yes, the name speaks for itself. If you want truly precise lines, this is for you.

When I saw Glister, I felt weird about the unusual color. I thought, "how the heck am I going to use this shade?". It is described as an opalescent nude, and in the swatches above, you'd see that it would look absolutely gorgeous as a lipgloss, don't you think? However, the promo image shows how nice it looks over dark or bright shadows, just to give your peepers a refreshed, awake look:



It looks like the perfect contrast to a dark or even colored eye look (like the one above).

Abyss is my go-to black.  It creates very precise, crisp lines.

SRP: $27.50

The Shades Of U Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars


Powder Blushers:


Hussy, Excite




Hussy


Hussy




Excite


Excite



These blushes (or "blushers") are very pigmented and matte. They remind me of the matte blushes of Rock & Republic because they are uber-pigmented and are saturated with color. I really suggest using a light hand with these blushers. A stippling or duo-fiber brush would also work great to apply just a hint of color on the cheeks for a lit-from-within look. These blushes remind me of summer because they are pink and coral. Hussy is a bright petal pink and Excite is a vibrant coral, and this last one reminds me of Immoral from Rock and Republic. Very pretty, vibrant, long-lasting colors. The only downside I can think of is that matte blushes are not very easy to blend, so always use a bronzer or kabuki brush to smooth the edges and buff the color in to avoid the clownish look to your cheeks.

SRP: $24

The Shades Of U Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Magenta Muse collection is available June 14, 2011 in the U.S. at select Sephora Stores and Sephora.com

Note: Media samples were provided by PR for consideration. All opinions are completely mine.