Eyes by Kiko

After my previous post about my Kiko holiday haul, I decided it was only fair to actually review some of the things I’d bought! I know it seems a little crappy of me to feature and review products that aren’t easily available in Ireland, but there’s always time to send somebody you know off on their holidays with a wishlist, or create your own Kiko wishlist just in case you end up taking a little break somewhere soon. 

The Longeyes Plus Active Mascara (€7.90) was a bit of an impulse buy. I threw it into my basket and forgot about it, until my jaw dropped at the till and I did a mental run-down of what exactly I’d just spent a considerable chunk of money on.

First of all, I like the packaging. It’s slick and no-frills, which is just perfect for a mascara. The brush is quite inflexible, which took a little getting used to but it’s no dealbreaker either. It’s not the easiest brush to use in terms of getting to every last little lash, so a little precision is needed.
Now that the formula is drying out a little, it’s not as clumpy anymore and I can apply the mascara with ease. What I love is that the formula is very black, which really emphasises my eyes. This mascara promises to promote lash growth by a whole 58% after 28 days of use – whether this actually happens or not is actually rather irrelevant to me. And to be honest I don’t care, once my lashes look longer while I’m actually wearing the mascara. And they do, quite significantly. My sister commented on the length of my lashes the first time I wore this, so I’ll take that as a good sign. The only thing that lets this mascara down is it’s smudge-ability – after a few hours, I’ve got black streaks on my brow bone. Hopefully this won’t be an issue as the weather gets colder, but it’s still not ideal. 

Overall, I’m happy to use the Longeyes Plus Active Mascara for everyday, but it’s definitely not your man for really long days in hot weather! The Irish high street definitely offers more durable alternatives for a similar price.

As I mentioned before, the Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows (€6.90) are something of a dupe for the highly-coveted By Terry Ombre Blackstar eyeshadow sticks. My budget doesn’t stretch to anything By Terry, so the Kiko offerings were definitely coming home with me!


I bought the shades 05 Rosy Brown and 07 Golden Beige, both of which are heavy in the shimmer stakes. I swatched one of the matte shades and it was pretty chalky, so I decided to go full-disco-ball instead. Rosy Brown is a little warmer in real life than the photograph suggests, but it is a dead ringer for the Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock, and Golden Beige definitely has a hint of Blond Opal about it. Even if that weren’t the case, I love the shades I’ve chosen; especially Rosy Brown as it really complements my brown eyes. 
The formula is pretty creamy on application, and sets rather quickly so I try to blend them as soon as I apply them to get rid of any harsh lines. Rosy Brown tends to build up a little more smoothly than Golden Beige, but the pigmentation is great in both. They also mesh nicely with powder eyeshadows, which is great as I can incorporate them into any look I want. Golden Beige looks lovely as a subtle wash of colour for a pared-back look, and Rosy Brown really goes well with paler pinks, as well as looking great on its own for an easy daytime eye.
The lasting power of these little crayons is insane. Seriously. They do crease the tiniest amount during the course of the day, but they last for hours. I swatched them, then took three or four dips in the pool, and the swatches barely budged. Colour me impressed!

The Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows are more than worth their price tag, and I will definitely be getting lots of wear out of them during long days at college over the next year. If you can pick up a few, I 100% recommend them!

Have you tried anything from Kiko before?

Em X