The Kiko Milano Velvet Mat Lipstick (top), Shade Fusion Trio Blush (middle) and Dazzling Highlighter (bottom).
Have you ever discovered a beauty brand by accident, or through a friend’s recommendation, and then fell so much in love with it that you wished you could have everything in store? That’s what happened to Kiko Milano and me.
Kiko Milano is a beauty brand that originates from Italy, proving that not only is this European country the home of fashion, it is also one for beauty. I’ve only seen their outlets here and there the past few times I had been in France, and each time, the stores were all filled to the brim with shoppers. The crowds were the main reason I never stepped into any of their stores, but now that I’ve discovered their products and brand vision, I haven’t looked back.
Kiko Milano serves to create top-notch beauty products using the best ingredients they can find, and leaving out anything that isn’t up to their standards in terms of safety. The brand is cruelty-free and their quality products deliver great colour payoff. The best part is that they are oh-so-affordable.
The very first products I bought from them are featured in today’s entry: the Velvet Mat Lipstick in shade 613 Pink Carnation, Dazzling Highlighter in shade 04 Bright Rose and Shade Fusion Trio Blush in shade 04 Peach Rose- in that order. The lipstick first caught my eye because it was a matte range and the colour seemed very wearable. I tried one using my finger and my lips didn’t immediately feel tingly (I have eczema), so I added it in my imaginary basket.
Next, I saw the Dazzling Highlighter and swiped it on the back of my wrist. There were two shades – one more yellow and one more pink. Since I am already yellow-skinned, being the Asian that I am, I tried the pink one. One of the salesgirls came over to introduce the product to me and I couldn’t help but exclaim, in all the terrible French that I could muster, “C’est joli!” She got quite excited too – because, I mean, the highlighter really is super pretty – and started telling me how I could use it. Dang! In my basket it went.
I wanted to stop there. But while I was queueing, I saw the Trio Blushes along the aisle. They were only €8.90 each, so how could I resist them? I took one without even trying it on, partly because I didn’t want to leave the queue too far off and risk having to rejoin it at the back. I kind of regret now not having taken another shade while I had the chance.
After using these gorgeous things, here’re my very short reviews on them:
Kiko Milano Velvet Mat Lipstick
The Kiko Milano Velvet Mat Lipstick and Shade Fusion Trio Blush (review below).
This lipstick has great colour payoff. Not only is it pigmented and true to shade (i.e. the colour on your lips is super similar to, if not the same as, how it looks like in the packaging). Although it is a satin matte lip product, it doesn’t dry my lips out. However, I do use a lip balm beneath this, as I do with all my other lip products. I also love the rose gold shade of the tube. The price? €6.90.
Kiko Milano Shade Fusion Trio Blush
This blush delivers just the right amount to your skin. When used with an angled brush, it accentuates the cheeks with a natural flush finish. I use all three shades in the blush together, taking care to apply the part of the brush that holds the lightest shade on the top of my cheeks, and the part that holds the darkest shade at the bottom of my cheeks. As a guide, the middle part of your brush (which coincides with the middle shade of the blush) should be applied to the area on your cheeks where you want most of the colour to appear. If you use a bronzer on the hollows of your cheeks, this blush makes blending easy peasy.
Kiko Milano Dazzling Highlighter
The Kiko Milano Dazzling Highlighter looks just like a jumbo crayon.
The Kiko Milano Dazzling Highlighter in 04 Bright Rose.
This highlighter is so shimmery and so easy to use. It works just like a crayon, so you can say it’s fool-proof to use. Simply apply it on where you want some added glow, such as your cheekbones, T-zone, Cupid’s bow, collarbones or chin. Then, blend it out using your fingertips. I am in love with this so much because not only is it so pretty, it also only sets you back by a mere €4.80.
If you ever make a trip to Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Austria, the UK and Switzerland, do look out for them. You can check out their French website here.
Beauty’s on a budget today,
Roxanne