Yearly Haul: Kiko purchases of 2016

I've purchased many Kiko Milani products in 2016! Continue reading to learn of my purchases! :D

Since boycotting companies that sell to China (where animal testing is mandatory) I have had absolutely no issue in finding purse friendly, cruelty free brands, including Kiko Milani! I would describe Kiko as your cruelty free answer to MAC Cosmetics. I cannot fault the quality of some of MAC's products and I owned a lot of their lipsticks in all sorts of finishes - the pigment was hard to find in other brands. However, many companies have stepped up to the mark as far as pigmentation and longevity is concerned.

The Italian company was founded in 1997 by 'Percassi' and made it's mark here in the UK, opening stores nationwide, including my home town! Upon visiting the shop, I was astounded at some of the prices, surely this means a compromise in quality? Not the case here. I swatched (nearly) the entire store, amazed at the colour payoff of the lipsticks, eyeshadows and base products. I was also pleased to see Kiko have their own line of skincare products - a little more pricey than their cosmetics, mind. 

Since 2015 I've purchased a lot of Kiko cosmetics as they're very affordable. MOST products I've been satisfied with but one; a powder foundation (Weightless Perfection) that seemed to hit the pan much sooner than I'd have liked. It hasn't put me off, no brand has an entire range of complete perfection and here are all the cosmetics from the line I've purchased in 2016.

Powder Eyeshadows

From left to right: Water Eyeshadow 230, Smart Color 08, 2x High Pigment, 37 and 83. 

Honestly, if you'd travelled back in time a year ago and told me I'd bought eyeshadows I'd have probably laughed at you. I never cared much for adding colour on my eyes aside highlighting the inner corners! These particular shadows have allowed me to explore my creativity regarding the art of makeup! These Kiko shadows are to die for - they're absolutely fantastic, there's a huge colour range, they're all long lasting and can be used as multipurpose products, e.g highlighting and face art! The water eyeshadows are the luxury shadows of Kiko - they can be used wet or dry and have an insane metallic, shimmery colour pay off. These are intense and a must have for makeup artists, in my opinion. If you're new to eyeshadows, I recommend purchasing a few Smart Colors - at £2.50 a pop, you've not got much to lose! I tend to go for shimmery colours but I do like a natural mauve matte tone for a natural day to day finish.

Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick

I swatched many eyeshadow sticks in the Kiko store and was instantly drawn to 05, a shimmery coffee brown shade. It's intense pigment and I find the longevity to live up to its claims. You can choose from a range of colours, retailing at £6.90 each, some shades discounted!

Nail Varnish

I'm rubbish with my nails. They're decent enough, long and fairly strong, yet I struggle to make time for pampering them. I purchased these with an incentive to use them monthly. The Kiko Nail Lacquer (£3.90) is a dark brown toned vamp red - think Jeffree Star's Unicorn Blood as a polish! The SMART (£2.50) fast dry DOES what it says - this is a more natural mauve 'Kylie Nude Lip' sort of tone. The White Look base coat (£4.90) was an impulse buy so I cannot speak for the 'whitening' results but it works well as a base for clear nails or pre-colour.

Mascara and Lip Plumper

I like to have 2 mascaras at hand - not to be used separately for different occasions, just to simply have a back up. I find mascara is the first makeup item to 'run out' hence my need to have a spare. I much prefer this Kiko Milani mascara to the other brand I own. From looking at the image, you may be thinking: 'Oh no, it's Younique all over again.' THIS fiber (£9.90) mascara (however, differs. You only need ONE tube of product and its applicator to apply the product. I do not wear false eyelashes so this is a great alternative to those who crave 'questionable' lashes! The Instant Volume Gloss (£1.90)was an impulse buy - I was curious to test it's lip enhancing abilities. I tried the product NOT expecting any results but it DOES soften my lips well for a gloss product - an ideal top coat for lipsticks or to wear on 'no makeup, makeup' days!

Comment below if you love Kiko Cosmetics! Going cruelty free has never been better right? :) I have already made a few more cheeky purchases since Christmas, so watch this space for some detailed Kiko cosmetic reviews!

Thanks for reading! :D

Shez

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