I love that KIKO is so innovative with its new releases and Generation Next is one of my favourites to date. This beautifully packaged, contemporary collection rivals more expensive competitors and the texture and finish of the products are so impressive… think well pigmented and feather light on the skin, with great lasting power.
If you saw these spilling out of someone’s make-up bag would you think this was a budget range? I definitely wouldn’t - the packaging is beautiful, right down to the clasp mechanisms and built-in eyeliner sharpeners. Even the boxes add an element of luxe, brightly coloured and cut at quirky angles.
SWATCHES
Swatches from left: Masterpiece Bronzer, Crystal Eyeliner in Reflect Burgundy + Technological Brown, Cool-Touch Eye shadow in Ingeneous Taupe, Glassy Lipgloss in Essential Rose and Frosted Look Lipstick in Stylish Peony.
MASTERPIECE BRONZER
Masterpiece Bronzer is the most striking looking of this bunch and I think the soft apricot shade will work well on light to medium toned skins (make sure you check out the swoony Guerlain-esque mosaic blush and highlighter). The layout makes it fairly easy to concentrate on one or two shades from the palette and I’ve also used these as crease colours on my eyes.
CRYSTAL EYELINER | GLASSY LIPGLOSS | FROSTED LOOK LIPSTICK
The Crystal Eyeliners are my top pick for their smooth texture, great pigmentation and really impressive lasting power (closest I’ve tried to NARS Larger than Life). Technological Brown is a very shimmery copper with glitter particles and Reflect Burgundy, a dark plum-brown metallic. I’ve been using the deeper shade on my upper lash line and the lighter below… these don’t budge ALL day and are still immaculate when I remove them at bedtime. You have a little bit of time to soften them before they set, but not a lot. LOVE.
I’m a big fan of KIKO lip products and stocked up when I was in Italy last year. These two are great additions: Glassy Lipgloss in Essential Rose has a really light texture on the lips and looks lovely over a nude liner. Don’t be put off by the name of ‘Frosted Look’ Lipstick in Stylish Peony - the finish is satin, verging on matte and unusually for these chubby pencils, the bullet is really nicely shaped for precise application.
COOL TOUCH EYESHADOW
Cool Touch Eyeshadow in Ingeneous Taupe is the most innovative of the collection, with a velvety cream to powder texture. The formula is actually water-based and reminds me of really silky pressed pigments. It can be applied sheer with a fluffy brush or intensely with a finger or flat brush (sidenote: KIKO eye brushes are fantastic). The transparent inner lid preserves its freshness and the outer lid includes a little mirror. NB when first opened, there is a tiny plastic disc over the colour which just flips out if you turn it upside down… just to save you poking at it with a screwdriver, knife et all like I did, oops!
I’m wearing all of the products except the lipgloss in the pic above… sorry that the lighting isn’t great - you can see why in this Instagram pic!
KIKO Generation Next, from £7.50, is available now at kikocosmetics.co.uk or in KIKO shops.
