I couldn’t go to Italy and just walk by about eight Kiko stores now, could I?! I’d heard great things about the brand, loved the lipstick I bought a few months back, and had quite a long wishlist.
In the end I was very well restrained, with two separate ‘hauls’ coming to less than €25 euros in total. Could I have spent more? Hell yes, but I tried to only pick up items I knew I would get a lot of wear out. W firmly told me more lipsticks were unnecessary (I have to agree), and I’m wary about new foundations which did limit my spending. I’m sure my overdraft let out a sigh of relief!
My first haul was in a store very close to the Vatican (on the main road leading from the metro stop). I went in just to have a browse really, and came out with a highlighter and two lip liners.
The Mosaic Highlighter was on my original wish list, but I couldn’t find this anywhere so I assume (sob) it has been discontinued. I’d dearly love to try it though! This one is probably the most pigmented highlighter I’ve used, you definitely need a light hand! I reckon it will be a touch too golden (there is a white shade) once my tan has finally faded – but I have plenty of ‘pale’ highlighters so this doesn’t bother me.
The lip liners are perfection. I’ve tried a few and the only ones I’ve liked before these are from Max Factor. These are creamy but stay put, and are available in LOADS of colours. I picked up two of the more neutral colours, one leaning more brown, the other pink. I just wish I had grabbed a red one – I arrived back to find mine had dried out?!
The second haul was in Venice and the result of dragging W round half a dozen stores to find somewhere that had the right combination of palettes and eyeshadows in stock. I realize I could have split the buying but I didn’t want to add more card charges to my account (RBS isn’t exactly wonderful when traveling abroad!). I picked up a quad instead of my original plan of a triplet, and grabbed 3 matte shadows and 1 shimmery. The mattes are crazily pigments and smooth for the price, the shimmery nothing less than what I would expect (and a pretty good dupe for a certain cranberry shade…). It’s annoyingly bulky, but at around £9 total for a custom palette I can’t complain!
My little shopping sprees haven’t definitely got me interested in what Kiko has to offer, and I’m sure I’ll be nipping into their London store over the summer – I’m really intrigued by some of their blushers, and also their brushes!
Have you tried anything from Kiko? What would you recommend?