Released this Fall, Illamasqua Lipstick in Underworld is an iridescent blueberry violet with pink undertones and slight shimmer. Demand for purple lips seems to be growing strong this season and if you are looking to explore something along this line, this shade may be for you.

Retails at £16 for 4g of product, made in Germany.

I felt a little intimidated looking at Underworld for the first time. In my head, I was thinking – how am I going to pull off such a shade? Even when I was taking product shots of this number – I was worried, the colour seems so bright and loud.

But as soon as I swatched it, all those fear went away.

Its semi-sheer quality made it wearable even for those who are colour shy or first takers for violet lips – and I truly enjoy it although I usually prefer opaque lipsticks. I like the freedom of wearing such shades confidently – because it’s not fully opaque, I can get away with it quite easily.

This iridescent shade allows my natural lip colour to show through – say 40% which is pretty decent. Coverage of this shade is also buildable (to a certain extend and you will find out why below). My personally favourite would be 2 thin coats – with this, I get just the right amount of colour on my lips without looking over-the-top.

I don’t own many lipsticks from Illamasqua, namely Atomic, Sangers and Wanton – all three of these are nicely pigmented. I am not sure if all Illamasqua lipsticks are formulated the same way but the first three I have seem to be similar. They are not extremely creamy in the sense that they don’t glide onto the lips smoothly, a little “push” is necessary – and a little lip balm surely helps too.

Having said that, they are not drying on my lips. Well, they are not moisturizing either.

For Underworld, the formula seems to fall short – in terms of texture and the consistency of colour distribution. The product itself seems to be “dryer” and when I try to layer more than 3 coats of colour, it becomes patchy and the colour pulls.

To aid in application, lip balm is required before and after for a smooth and even result.

I love this shade to bits but I wish it comes in a better formula – a formula that is softer, that allows layering and a smoother application. I pulled out a few violet lipsticks to compare – MAC Violetta is a richer and more opaque alternative although the colour is different. MAC Go For It is more blue but has that iridescent quality to it.

Underworld is not a colour to be worn alone – on me at least. I need some form of eye makeup to go along with this shade and definitely a blush – without a blush, I look “dead”. The one and only blush I love pairing Underworld with is Illamasqua Powder Blush in Sin (pictured above).

Have you been exploring purple lips too? If so, which is your favourite shade?

Thank you for looking.