Limited edition collections launch all the time. But there are a few that strike you so much that you cannot pass them up.
The Fall-Winter 2014 ‘Daring Game’ collection by Kiko struck a chord with me. I have been intrigued by playing cards decorations and paraphernalia as long as can remember, to the point that I have been seriously considering getting a related tattoo on my wrist.But before I digress even more, let me present to you the glorious contents…
The collection comes with an array of products, ranging from eyeshadows and eye pencils to makeup brushes and nail polishes. Out of the wide selection of items I was able to get a few that seemed more appealing to me.
Starting with the most expensive item of the bunch, I picked out “Golden Game Sculpting Bronzer” , a bronzer and highlighter palette duo, in the shade “Precious Sienna”.
The reason I chose this over “Radiant Honey” (the other sculpting duo of the collection) is the coolness in tone, which makes it ideal for contouring the face. The palette has the distinctive Spades Decor, that is embossed in the powder itself.
The compact includes two shades of matte cool-toned bronzer and a sparkly champagney highlighting powder, that frankly is nothing but potent. The payoff of the highlighting shade is poor, and swatched comes off more glittery than luminescent. The bronzer side is actually decent and can create beautiful shadows on the face. It retails for 15,90 €.
Next stop is the “Top Pairs Blush”, a powder blush in two shades (matte and pearl finish). The compact is decorated with a pink Diamond shape, which of course can be seen inside as well.
I got mine in the shade “Raspberry Rose and Peach”, two shades that are very flattering on almost any skintone.
The color payoff of the blush is good, and the shades are beautiful. Definitely an item that I was impressed with. The blush duo retails for 14,90 €.
Up next, the most disappointing of the bunch. I had really high hopes for this item, but in my opinion it failed to deliver. The beautiful “Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette” with the gorgeous packaging and the oh-so-pretty red Heart emblem.
Followning the vibe of fall/winter I decided to get the “Elegant Ebony” quad, out of the 3 available, to achieve a mauvy, cool toned eye look.
From the get-go, swatching the shadows let me down. With the exception of the shimmery eyeshadow, the rest lack the needed pigmentation. Looking back, this is the item I would probably leave out if I were to order the collection again. It’s a shame though, because the color selection is gorgeous and this palette could have been my go-to for fall. It retails for 14,90 €.
Last but not least, I threw in an “Ace of Diamond Lipstick” in the shade “Refined Burgundy”. It is described as a “demi-matte lipstick” and I have to say that you shouldn’t expect something like that from this lipstick.
Even though there is no shimmer, when applied, leaves a beautiful sheen on the lips. It feels very comfortable and moisturizing, but it should be noted that it is not opaque by any means. The name is bit misleading, to be honest. It is more of a plum than burgundy.Retail price for it is 7,90 €.
All in all, I am not disappointed. The packaging itself makes it worth the trouble…for me at least.
You can view the whole collection online at www.kikocosmetics.com
