Illamasqua is not a brand I have much experience of, which is a shame as they have such lovely
products that so many I trust use religiously and are forever recommending.
I was really missing out as Illamasqua is such a creative brand and their ad campaign images
are the sort that never leave your mind...in a good way of course!
With that in mind I placed an order and one of the first products I clicked on is the Naked Rose
blush which is from the Naked Stranger Collection (could you imagine if I used props for this post...eek).


"Uncover the Naked Strangers collection; a place where alter egos are laid bare and naked flesh is a source of unashamed inspiration. In this delicate tipping point between intimacy and pleasurable detachment, we revel in the unknown; exploring the distance between pure Monogamous, gilded Faithful and uninhibited Swinger. Exposed nude tones, adorned with rich licks of gold, leave you gasping for more.
Don’t restrain yourself. Unless, of course, you enjoy it."


The great thing about Illamasqua is that their packaging although black in colour like so many other brands
due to it's quirky shape it is instantly recognizable and pretty funky if I do say so myself.
It's light, a good size, fairly sturdy and easy to grip and hold my only slight niggle is that it does feel
and look slightly cheap due to the glossy plastic finish but truthfully how many of us really buy anything
based on the packaging alone?


Within the Naked Stranger collection there is two blush shades Naked Rose and Zygomatic (cream product)
but with my skin being a little fussy at the moment I decided that Naked Rose was the better bet
due to it being a matte powder product but Zygomatic is on my wish list!
Naked Rose is described as a neutral beige pink and I hate to be that guy butttttt it's really not neutral
it's more of a dusky blue based pink which is cool in tone and light in colour.
It reminds me a little of Mac's Mocha blush but a little more blue based,
as with all Illamasqua products the pigmentation is phenomenal so this shade will show up on all skin tones 
and really only boil down to wither you feel this particular colour is suited to you or not.


As mentioned Naked Rose is a matte blush which is finely milled, soft in texture so it picks up
really well on a brush and blends like a dream yet firm enough to withstand general wear and tear.
It is also extremely light on the skin despite providing high colour pay off.
At the moment I am really enjoying matte formulated blushes as they don't highlight my enlarged pores
and seem to work rather well with my oily skin, you can also use matte formulas to contour!
I find this formula to wear around 8/9 hours on my oily skin before signs of wear appear.
As some may know I am a huge MAC and NARS fan when it comes to blushes
but I do feel that Illamasqua may have pipped them to the post as I can not recommend their blushes enough,
even if there is slightly less product!

What are your thoughts on Illamasqua blushes, did you buy anything from the Naked Stranger collection?

Illamasqua Naked Rose Blush 4.5g/£16.50 via Illamasqua - link