One of my silliest mistakes was skipping the several Kiko stores I came across last year in Italy. I wasn't in the mood for makeup shopping, I guess, and obviously neither was the husband. I knew about Kiko, of course. An Italian brand that offers a MAC-like range of colors and products and an incredible value/cost ratio. But I didn't have to beat myself too much once coming to my senses, because I actually live less than ten minutes away from one of a handful Kiko stores in the US, located at the Garden State Plaza.
just as I don't know why only one store. I'm just thankful to have a quick and easy access to this treasure trove of almost guilt-free pleasures. such as these two eye shadows you see here, Cool Touch Eye Shadow in 08 Ingenious Taupe, and Infinity eye shadow in 241.
Cool Touch is an almost-cream eye shadow, or maybe a cream-to-powder with a texture that reminded me somewhat of the Kevyn Aucoin pigment thing. It comes with an inner plastic lid that keeps it pressed and prevent drying (why can't all cream eye shadows have this extra protection?), and as you can see has a metallic sheen, beautiful pigmentation, and a smooth texture that sets and doesn't move once in place.
Infinity eye Shadow in 241 is probably more taupy than the silver-tinged Ingenious Taupe. It's a super-smooth powder eye shadow of jaw-dropping quality, intense pigment, and a beautiful satin finish. It comes as a refill and I got the case as a GWP. As you can see, the full packaging is also impressive and has a heft to it that looks far more high-end than you'd expect.
All the products I've looked at (and bought) are made in Italy. I had every intention to keep the receipt for the sake of accurate reporting, but have managed to misplace it. I'll update the post with the actual prices when (if?) I find it, but I can tell you that I bought four items that night and paid a bit over $40. Unbelievable.
Bottom Line: Highly impressed (and planning a lot more shopping).
Welcome to the Kiko bandwagon :D it's one of the best things to have happened to us Europeans makeup-wise. A few recommendations: nail polishes are great, cheap, often discounted, and there are dozens of colors. The limited edition products (like that cream eyeshadow) are often great buys that rival high-end brands. And the cream stick eyeshadows are just as good as Laura Mercier or By Terry Ombre Blackstar, for a fraction of the cost. I don't really like their lipsticks, but nobody's perfect and nevertheless Kiko is a wonderful place to indulge in cost-conscious makeup!
ReplyDeleteAs patuxxa said, welcome to the Kiko madness. It is a slippery slope you stand on XD
ReplyDeleteI second all of her recommendations plus some of the lipsticks ranges and the blot papers!
This line looks very interesting! I love the above colors and will have to see if there are any stores in the SF/Bay area!
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