Kiko: The Haul (feat. & Other Stories)

Hi fellow nomads,

You may or may not have heard of Kiko, an Italian make up brand which has recently landed in London. Its new Regent St store opened at the end of 2013 which was the first physical location to open in the UK. I've popped in a couple of times since then and, having heard great things about the brand and products, I really wanted to like it. I promise I tried, but it was quite busy and, to be honest, I felt quite uninspired. I even went in with a friend of mine who has shopped Kiko in Italy and loved it there, and we still both came out a little nonplussed. 

However, we both returned to give it another try at the weekend and we had a breakthrough. It all started when I made a major discovery. More on that later (oh the suspense - however will you manage) but it's safe to say I finally got what all the fuss was about and fell in love a little bit. In fact, I seem to have so much to say about Kiko that I'm going to break this into a mini series. First I will tell you what I bought, then I will do a mini review of my products, and then I'll tell you my Top Tips for Shopping Kiko.

So, what did I buy?

First I was drawn in by the vast array of nail polish shades. I'm always on the look out for great new green shades to add to my ever-growing collection (I think I have a problem) and I found this beauty. It is shade number 246 and the shade name isn't printed on the bottle but according to the website it's called Olive Drab. This is a beautiful dusty green shade which I can't wait to get on my nails. It was a very reasonable £3.90 when I bought it, but is now just £2.50 on the website. Bargain!

Next I gravitated towards the massive display of Infinity eyeshadows. Kiko have their own make-your-own-palette system just like Mac or Inglot. There's probably a shade for everyone here, and they mix the very wearable with the more unusual. I eventually settled on the 4 shades above: 239, 240, 268 and 270. Again, going to the website for names (bit annoying) I find that 239 is called mat grey taupe and is a cool toned browny taupe colour, which is indeed matte. 240 is mat dark taupe and is a darker brown, also matte. 268  is also known as mimetic green mat and is a mid toned green shade, again matte. Finally, 270 is pearly fern green and is a dark green shade with a pearl finish.

All the eyeshadows were priced at £5.90 each for 2g of product. The empty palette was £4.90.

Here's a sneak peek of what they look like in the pan:

And this ring from & Other Stories (almost next door on Regent St) wanted to come and join the party so here it is. I picked this beautiful ring up in the sale, just £6 reduced from £12. Such a bargain and I'm completely in love with it. It's so unusual!

Excuse the awkward hand. Angles, what can I say.

So if you'd like to find out what I thought of the eyeshadows, check back tomorrow for a more detailed review and swatches. If you're interested in the nail polish, come back on Wednesday for the same. And the details of my exciting discovery will be coming on Thursday, if you can manage to hold on that long...

Catch you then,

-Rachel