Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious Review, Photos and Swatches

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Illamasqua is sadly leaving Canada behind. All of their counters at The Bay stores are closing, and clearance prices are in effect. While it's sad news that Canadians won't be able to shop Illamasqua products in person anymore, clearance sale prices make me happy. I picked up a few products from The Bay's online store. Reviews for Illamasqua nail lacquers Vice and Viridium are coming soon!

This post is on Illamasqua's Salacious lipstick. Illamasqua retails regularly for £18.50.

From the Illamasqua website:

Let your lips speak volumes. Indulge in colour-intense lipstick with a highly pigmented formula, available in a choice of flawless finishes, from creamy matte to iridescent finishes. Illamasqua Lipstick glides on smoothly and doesn't give up without a fight for the perfect all-night pout. A must have for professional make-up artists, and those who want to make a statement.

Net wt. 4g/0.14 oz.

Salacious is one of their matte lipsticks, described as a matte raspberry-red. 

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Packaging detail

Illamasqua packaging is one of the stand-out features of the brand. It's innovative, and unique. The Illamasqua lipstick packaging is rectangular with rounded corners, and sleek, shiny black plastic. It feels nice in your hands. Solid and easy to hold onto.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Illamasqua lipsticks are lightly vanilla-scented. I noticed that the lipstick had beading happening on it and wondered if it had maybe gone bad, but that I tend to discover by a change in scent. This lipstick does not smell off, nor is the texture grainy or rough in any way. I definitely wouldn't review an expired lipstick, regardless of how pretty it was.

And yes, Salacious is very, very pretty.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious
Swatched on NW15 skintone

It's also very, very dry. Illamasqua's matte lipsticks are very, very dry as I understand it, as are most matte lipsticks. Salacious, however was by far the driest lipstick I have ever encountered. 

I know that the best way for me to wear a matte lipstick is to exfoliate my lips well and apply a rich lip balm in advance. I had done so this time, but still found it really challenging to apply Salacious. It dragged along my skin, and did not fill in some of the lines in my lips on first pass. When I went over it with a second swipe, it started to roll a little, picking up some of what was underneath. I found it challenging to get a good lip line as well. You can see that in the photo below, as well as how the formula enhanced the lines in my lips. 

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

Salacious felt very drying after about an hour or two, but it did not budge all day. I did have to pat a little lip balm over it to make myself more comfortable, which altered the appearance of it. It did soften the texture though, softening the appearance of the lines in my lips. 

Illamasqua Lipstick in Salacious

The colour of Salacious though is gorgeous. It's not quite a full red since it's got a bit of pink to it. I wish it were an easier lipstick to wear but I will persevere with lots of lip balm and a lip brush for applying! 

Grade: C+