Illamasqua Art of Darkness Blogger Event

Having just recieved an invitation to the blogger event for Illamasqua's Spring/Summer collection Toxic Nature and realised that I never actually blogged about the event I went to for Art of Darkness.

... The event was back in October. I am posting about it now. I SUCK! I am basically the worst blogger ever! Why they would invite me to another one is completely beyond me! This review is pretty damn pointless now, seeing as the collection has been out for over 4 months, but they invited me so I will  post about it dammit!

(I'm not including many swatches because I basically own the entire collection and my photos from the day are pretty rubbish, so I will swatch/review products later on.)

The event was also the opening of  their new Flagship Store, which is really lovely. The decor is all in black and silvers with neon signs and lots of smashed mirrors. It's punky and pretty and classy all at the same time. There are also large mannequins with designs on them personally painted by Alex Box. The actual products are spread out nicely so there shouldn't be too much cramming in if people want to look at the same thing. And there are price lists out, which I love (even if I wasn't so shy I'm sure I'd find asking for prices distressing, I always think if you ask the price and then don't buy something people will think you can't afford it. Or maybe I'm just paranoid?)

We were left some time to wander around, chat to each other and check out the collection for a while. When we walked in we were given an envelope with our names on (though i don't know what that was for as mine was empty) and were offered a delicious cocktail (no idea what it was but it was sour and lemony and lovely!). Then we were called into a talk, which was in a back room, through a little curtain. This is where the makeup school (god i wish i could afford to go!) takes place. We were spoken to about the collection, the theme of it and what was new with the formulas and so on, then shown a short film that went along with the concept photos. And then again allowed to just roam as we wanted to as Alex Box created a look on a model in front of everyone. As the event wound up we were given goody bags including 2 items from the new collection, a cd with the video on, press releases and a booklet featuring all the looks created for the collection and product list.

The actual products released included a new powdered metal colour - Ether, a new lipstick colour - Disciple, a new intense lipgloss colour - Hermetic, 3 new liquid metal colours (and a new 4 colour palette of them) - Resolute, Superior and Stoic, 2 new Pure pigment colours - Ore and Alluvium, new false eyelashes, 2 new nail polish colours - Scarab and Viridian and a whole new product the Precision Ink liquid which comes in the colours Abyss and Alchemy. At the event I got Scarab and Ore in my goody bag and have since bought/been given as presents Alluvium, Hermetic, the 4 colour liquid metal palette, Abyss, Alchemy, Disciple, Alluvium. So you can see I really liked this collection! Reviews and swatches to come later :)

So here are some photos from the day:

 

smashed mirrors with little dummy hands holding the product

 

Mannequin

 

Mmm giant bowls of pigment.  

 

Golden platter of new products. Check out the lovely beetle packaging!

 

False Eyelashes

 

Scarab Nailpolish

Viridian Nail Polish

This was also my first look at their Competition winning nail polishes (They asked people to describe their perfect polish and then made 3 winners) here they are:

  

Raindrops  

 

Eclipse

 

Shrapnel

 

Alex Box and Alex Cummins during the talk

 

Pretty ladies! 

  

Alex Box working on a model

And the finished result:

Now as for the Toxic Nature event, I really don't know what to do. In a way I really, really want to go. Obviously I want to check out the collection. Illamasqua are one of my favourite brands and  from the one photo I've seen, the collection appears to be right up my street. The Art of Darkness event was really wonderfully organised and so interesting. And also I really would love to meet some other bloggers, especially anyone who actually reads my blog, it would be so great to get feedback from someone in 'real' life. And I like people.

However I was so awkward and freaked out by the last event that I just don't know if I can cope with another one. I'm just not up to social situations like this. I've actually been invited to a couple of other events from various brands, but they've all fallen on dates I cannot make anyway so I haven't had the same quandry.

Please don't think this is anything to do with Illamasqua, or the event. It was really great, all the staff and bloggers I talked to were absolutely lovely. Alex made me feel so welcome and treated me like a real friend, lots of people working came up and asked if I was alright, anything I needed etc and Alex Box actually complimented my outfit (I think! Now I'm paranoid that my mind has made this up!). But, as you probably know if you've read my blog for a while, my mind is wonky (I've got social phobia/social anxiety disorder). I panic about what people are thinking about me, fear talking to people, crowds freak me out etc. So an event filled with people I don't know is stressful. Also there was actually only one person, there who I knew from their blog (That was Sarah from The London Beauty Review who was an absolute doll to me, even though I was quite probably a quaking moron mumbling nonsense).

But there's actually a special 'intimate event' thing where there will only be 4 people at a time invited, so that might be better.

Anyone reading this going? Anyone have any thoughts on my dilemma?