Michael Kors Make-Up Swatches

Sound the ‘wait is over’ klaxon. The Michael Kors Make-up Collection has launched with us at Escentual, and it’s every bit as luxurious as you’d hope for from the King of casual glamour.

Resplendent with bronzers and trend-led colour for the lips and nails, it’s a compact but well-edited collection that really kits the spot in terms of eye candy and pleasure of use.

The collection is split into the three different personalities that comprise the Michael Kors woman: Sporty, a nude palette that’s more casual; Sexy, a confident and fiery selection of brights; and Glam, a sumptuous showcase of richer, darker hues. While there’s nothing to stop you mixing and matching, I quite like that the range has been thoughtfully structured in this way – it’s a foolproof way to create a complete look.

Take a look at the initial offerings below and let me know your thoughts in the comment box below…

The statement piece of the collection is the Michael Kors Bronze Powder. I mean, just look at the gold, the embossed logo, the rivets… it’s an instant classic! As bronzers go, it’s pretty big and weighty – yes, it’s not the most portable product in the world, but I’ll be attempting to stuff it into my make-up bag all the same.

Given the size of the palette, I was expecting there to be a little flat kabuki brush tucked in beside the powder. Instead, there’s something even better: almost every square inch is taken up by glorious Michael Kors bronzer. You’re getting a really hefty 21g here, which is almost double the amount of its direct comparisons. Inside you’ll also find a panoramic mirror (which could actually double as a travel mirror it’s so large).

The Bronze Powder is available in three shades: ‘Sporty’ Glow, a natural-looking golden hue with fine golden shimmer; ‘Sexy’ Flush, rosy beige with a frosted finish; and ‘Glam’ Beam, molten amber with a frosted finish. All three are long-wearing, easy to work with and very fine in texture. You can be a little more generous with the application of Glow thanks to its understated finish, but use a lighter hand with Flush and Beam as they are more pigmented. The frosty, almost metallic finish of Flush and Beam also make them brilliant highlighters (if used with a more flexible blush).

The Bronzing Powder Brush is the perfect companion to the bronzer palettes. The chunky handle is what grabs your attention first, a sophisticated cube that matches the gold-and-rivets of the bronzer’s packaging very nicely indeed. Despite its shape, it’s actually really comfortable to hold. In fact, it offers you more grip to really buff product into the skin for a polished finish.

The rounded square shape that the handle gives the brush head works well for precision (it’s a cheekbone hugger), and the bristles are baby fine, soft and luxurious. If you’re in the market for a good kabuki, this is a really solid, lovely brush to use.

The lip section of the Michael Kors make-up range is the most populated with both lipstick and lipgloss covered. The Michael Kors Lip Luster is the glossy entry, offering a translucent wash of colour, scent and ultra shine in a single sweep.

The Lip Luster gloss is available in three shades: ‘Sporty’ Muse, a peachy nude with fine iridescent sparkle; ‘Sexy’ Siren, hot fuchsia with chunkier iridescent sparkle; and ‘Glam’ Icon, a slinky Bordeaux plum.

The formula of this is really very nice. It’s a modern take on a classic: slick and glossy, yet comfortable when worn and easy to apply. The traditional doe foot applicator is quite small, which is great for those who have thinner lips or require more precision. Like all of the Michael Kors makeup, the gloss is scented with an aspect of his signature fragrance line – this time, zesty mandarin.

The shades are shiny and impactful, with a comfortable, non-tacky feel. Siren is a particular favourite of mine – it’s pigmented finish actually rivals some of the lipsticks in the collection. Muse is more muted, with just a hint of warm nude and lots of iridescent pink sparkle. Icon is quite sheer, offering more a wearable ‘bitten’ look that alludes to vampy glamour.

At the other end of the lip spectrum is the Michael Kors Lip Lacquer, a shea butter based lipstick which places its emphasis on softness and sheen as opposed to ultra pigmentation. We have some more winning packaging here: sleek and golden with the logo embossed on the lipstick bullet (which I always quite like).

The shade selection is nice and diverse for such a compact collection. Each one has a medium to sheer finish which wears away evenly and make lips feel really soft.

From left, we have: ‘Sporty’ Diva a sandy nude with golden microshimmer; ‘Sexy’ Bombshell, a vibrant fuchsia pink with microshimmer; and ‘Glam’ Dame, a deep plum with pink microshimmer.

The Michael Kors Nail Lacquer collection presents another diverse shade selection. Each Kors personality has two colours to represent it: ‘Sporty’ has Hint and Gossip, ‘Sexy’ has Scandal and Sensation (not pictured), and ‘Glam’ has Envy and Desire. The Nail Lacquer is a generous 10ml and self-levels for a smooth, glossy finish.

Michael Kors Nail Lacquer in Hint is a cool creamy nude which is opaque in two coats. It’s just warm enough to prevent mannequin hands, and looks really sophisticated.

Michael Kors Nail Lacquer in Gossip is a pure, shiny white. For a fully opaque finish this one will need three applications, and make sure you use a top coat – white nails look amazing when they’re perfect, but chips and dents can make the look appear messy.

Michael Kors Nail Lacquer in Scandal is a vibrant fuchsia with microshimmer. This is the most dimensional of the colours, with a very subtle metallic finish that catches the light prettily.

Michael Kors Nail Lacquer in Envy is a deep violet creme. This one, along with Gossip, is probably my favourite. There’s something so satisfying about a good creme formula in an arresting shade.

Michael Kors Nail Lacquer in Desire is a reddened ebony brown. Black-but-not-black nail colours are really big this winter, and this is the darkest one I’ve come across. Opaque in two coats, it gives a really polished finish that lasts superbly.

So, there we have it – what do you think of the Michael Kors beauty offering? Let me know in the comments below!