Illamasqua Fable Lipstick Review, Photos and Swatches!

Illamasqua Fable Lipstick

Illamasqua Fable Lipstick ($22) is described as a matte, bubble gum pink on the Sephora website, and a bright, rose pink on the Illamasqua website. It's for sure bright, in a pastel sort of way. It has a warm undertone, as it leans slightly coral rather than purple or blue. I can't really call it a bubble-gum pink, because in my opinion, a bubblegum pink would be like a bright, neutral or slightly cool pink. Fable is more of a bright, pastel flamingo pink or salmon pink.

Anyway, Fable is a shade I knew I would love because I seem to have a fascination with warm pinks that have a hint of peach or coral. They just seem to suit me the best, especially when I'm sporting a tan.

I'm a big fan of Illamasqua's lipsticks, even though I've only owned one prior; Illamasqua Obey, which is one of my favorites. All of the shades are packed with pigment in one swipe. In fact, most of Illamasqua's products have amazing pigmentation, which makes me so sad it's so hard to find in the US! I want to do some swatching! *sigh*

The only bad thing I can say about this lipstick, which is usually the case with light colored matte lipsticks, is that it can accentuate any dryness present on your lips. To avoid having shriveled lips, apply a generous layer of lip balm prior to application of the lipstick. If you're not a fan of the matte finish, pop a little lip gloss on top!

I personally like a little shine, as I just don't care for a matte finish in a lipstick - unless it's a bright red, orange or deeper shade. So usually, I'll apply a sheer lipgloss on top.

It's crazy pigmented like mentioned earlier, so one swipe is all you need for touch-ups!

(Image Credit: Karlasugar)

Karla's swatches are always amazing, so I thought I'd toss in this image. It's a really good representation of the color in daylight. Indoors, it's slightly deeper.

From left to right: Illamasqua Fable Lipstick, Illamasqua Obey Lipstick and Nars Bolero Matte Lip Pencil. Fable is like a pink version of Obey. Bolero looks like the combination of the two shades. All are very similar on the lips.

Like I already mentioned, I'm not too crazy about it alone on my lips, but I love the way it looks with a sheer pink lipgloss over top. I've been pairing it mostly with one of my favorite glosses; Chanel Mica Glossimer.

What do you think of Illamasqua's lipsticks? Do you have any favorites?