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Getting to Know Kiko Make Up Milano: Affordable, COLORful Italian Cosmetics

October 12th, 2010 by Karen 134 Comments

kiko make up milano

Not gonna lie, but shopping at Kiko Make Up Milano was hella stressful.

I checked out one of the big Italian brand’s freestanding stores in Milan last month, and it was PACKED! Wall-to-wall teenagers, makeup and Japanese tourists, except for one short, brown beauty blogger and a really clueless American dude who zigzagged into the store, held up a shopping list on his phone and bellowed to no one in particular, “I need to bring all this home to my girlfriend or she’s gonna kill me.” HA HA! Seriously, I couldn’t make this sh*z up.

kiko make up milano k in front of store

There wasn’t a lot of room in the store to move around because every square inch was covered with makeup (stimulus overload!). Enhancing the effect, they blasted loud techno music, so it was kinda like being in da club, or a makeup hybrid of Forever 21/Claire’s/Abercrombie and Fitch.

But the store was hopping for a reason. COLOR! It’s everywhere at Kiko, and the line is HUGE! They must have thousands of different products, everything from makeup to skin care to nail polishes, and even stuff for dudes. Better still, their products are all fairly affordable at 2-20€ apiece (about $2.50-$30).

In the short time I was there, I looked closely at some of their eyeshadows, lipsticks and polishes, and from what I saw/tried, the line compares to some of our upscale drugstore brands like Sonia Kashuk here in the US.

Which means it’s good.

Here are some overview shots of their eyeshadows and nail polishes. As you can see, the selection’s HUGE!

kiko make up milano nail lacquer all

kiko make up milano nail lacquer yellow

kiko milano nail lacquer red

kiko make up milano palettes

kiko make up milano price list

kiko make up milano bright new eyeshadow

kiko milano eyeshadow display

kiko cosmetics makeup eyeshadow single

kiko cosmetics makeup eyeshadow pans three blue

kiko milano baked shadow display

kiko cosmetics makeup baked shadows duo

kiko cosmetics makeup backed shadows blue green

I didn’t have much room in my luggage to bring home very much, but a few things did make it home with me, you know, for further research. 🙂

kiko make up milano volumeyes mascara boxes
From left: Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 10 (7 euros), Volumeyes Mascara (4 euros), Sparkle Touch Nail Lacquer (4 euros) and Double Glam Eyeliner in 05 (7 euros)

kiko make up milano product photos
From top to bottom: Sparkle Touch Nail Lacquer, Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 10, Double Glam Eyeliner in 05 and Volumeyes Mascara

kiko make up milano volumeyes mascara wand
From left: Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 10, Double Glam Eyeliner in 05 and Volumeyes Mascara, Volumeyes Mascara
and Sparkle Touch Nail Lacquer

kiko make up milano long lasting stick eyeshadow 10 closeup
Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 10

kiko make up miano double glam eyeliner 05 green closeup
The green side of Double Glam Eyeliner in 05

kiko make up milano double glam eyeliner 05 purple closeup
The purple side of Double Glam Eyeliner in 05

kiko make up milano swatches
Swatches from left: Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 10, Volumeyes Mascara, green side of Double Glam Eyeliner in 05 purple side of Double Glam Eyeliner in 05

kiko make up millano nail lacquer sparkle touch bottle closeup
Sparkle Touch Nail Lacquer

kiko make up millano nail lacquer sparkle touch swatches
Swatch of Sparkle Touch Nail Lacquer

Some notes on the products:

Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 10: My favorite of the bunch. Not only is it unbelievably soft and blendable, but the color’s shockingly bright yet still lasts hours before fading or creasing (it’s also somewhat waterproof, although I can’t tell if it’s classified as such). This gets an “A” for Awesome from me.

Volumeyes Mascara: Maybe not the best thickening mascara I’ve ever tried, but it separates and lengthens lashes well. Applying it atop an extra layer of a separate mascara should give it more oomph!

Double Glam Eyeliner in 05: This dual-ended pencil liner is like Kiko’s version Urban Decay’s 24/7 liners. It applies smoothly, with tons of color, and stays put once dry.

Sparkle Touch Nail Lacquer: Frak me! I should’ve checked this bottle for “freshness” at the store, because when I opened it back at home, I saw that it had clearly been used. The rim was crusty and covered in the gunk. YUCK! The polish itself is just a’ight — thick, but that may be due to the fact that it was probably sitting in someone’s bathroom for months before they decided to return it. Grr…

As far as I’ve been able to tell, the line’s currently only available at Kiko stores or through their website, kikocosmetics.com. Sadly for us and at least for now, they only ship to addresses in Italy. Hopefully that changes soon, and I suspect it will.

They do have an English version of their website, but it’s just to tease international visitors (no online purchases).

Have you ever heard of (or tried) Kiko Make Up Milano before?

A dizzying experience at the pool

The weirdest thing happened to me at the pool yesterday! And, no, thankfully it doesn’t involve public nudity or mysterious things floating in the water.

I’d spent about 10 minutes just kinda floating and doing a slow, lazy freestyle stroke back and forth in the water. Then, when I got out of the pool I swooned and almost fell to my knees. I got hit by a sudden dizzy, nauseous spell, unlike anything that’s ever happened to me before. I’ve always felt pretty comfortable in the water, so I’m not sure if the swimming had anything to do with it.

Has anything like this ever happened to you after swimming? I wonder what it could be…

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Getting to Know Kiko Make Up Milano: Affordable, COLORful Italian Cosmetics / Originally published October 12th, 2010

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Comments

  1. Vonnie says

    October 12th, 2010 at 1:31 pm

    i’ve never heard of them but it sounds awesome!! the colors are amazing and I am loving the swatches….your story of being in the store is hilarious, especially the dude who was yelling about getting it for his gf, i can just imagine that it was like a scene on a wall street trading floor! Hahahaha
    Vonnie recently posted … Ill Have What Shes Got

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:54 pm

      Hi Vonnie,

      It kinda felt that way! I felt sorry for the guy, LOL! The poor thing looked really confused.

      Reply
  2. Dana says

    October 12th, 2010 at 1:38 pm

    I haven’t tried anything from the Kiko line but it makes me wish I’d known something about it when I was in Milan a few years ago!

    And I’ve experienced something like that getting out of the pool and at the time it seemed to be heat/dehydration related. I started my day laying out by the pool with a friend earlier this summer and sweated up a bit – feeling fine – but as soon as I got into the water I started to feel really lightheaded and gross. I got right back out, drank TONS of water and had some light food to rehydrate and fuel. I ultimately felt better but I’m infinitely more careful now about how I’ve prepared myself before spending time outside.
    Dana recently posted … Teaser Tuesdays 10-12

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:53 pm

      Hi Dana,

      How long were you in Milan? Did you like it? I thought it was a really nice city!

      Reply
  3. Anna says

    October 12th, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    Hi Karen! Indeed, Kiko is one of the most-loved brands in Italy right now, in the past 2/3 years they’ve been opening stores everywhere and putting out loads of new and improved stuff with pretty packaging at really affordable prices. Of course, not everything is great but there are a lot of little gems to be found. I particularly love their new Double Glam pencils, the blushers & bronzers, lip balms and most of the powder eyeshadows. Cream eyeshadows and concealers are not my fave, however! Glad you enjoyed the experience anyway, despite the crappy nail varnish 🙂 xx

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:52 pm

      Hi Anna,

      Thanks for all these great recs. If I ever go back I’ll have to take a closer look at the blushes!

      Reply
  4. Kajal Couture says

    October 12th, 2010 at 1:53 pm

    I haven’t heard of them, but I love that they have tons of color in their product line! =) Now that I moved to the grey East Coast, I appreciate color more and more!

    Take care Karen….perhaps you were dehydrated or close to having aunty flo visit? That sometimes makes me dizzy.
    Kajal Couture recently posted … New Look

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:52 pm

      Hi Kajal Couture,

      I think dehydration played a part… it’s been really hot, and I haven’t been drinking enough water. 🙁

      Anywho, how are you liking the east coast?

      Reply
  5. beautylogicblog says

    October 12th, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    oh wow that eyeshadow, and eyeliner are both beautiful. I love it!
    beautylogicblog recently posted … Bring Out Your Sexy With Lancome French Touch Lipstick in Cherry Kiki &amp New Giveaway

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:51 pm

      Hi Beautyblogicblog,

      I think you’d get a kick out their textures… both are very smooth!

      Reply
  6. Amber says

    October 12th, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    Sounds like it could have been a vasovagal reaction. It can happen seemingly out of nowhere — I once had one while I was sitting on the couch. I had just had a full day of work, had gone to spinning class, and had come home and showered — I felt fine one second, then the next I was pouring buckets of sweat and trying to stay conscious long enough to text my husband to hurry home. My blood pressure was low when he got home, but I was fine. It hasn’t happened again.

    I hope you’re feeling okay since!
    Amber recently posted … Smile now

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:50 pm

      Hi Amber,

      Okay, time for me to do some googling (I can’t believe that’s now a verb). I’m feeling better now, but it took a few hours and several glasses of ginger ale.

      Reply
    • knownever says

      October 12th, 2010 at 4:19 pm

      I second that amateur diagnosis. The reaction can happen for a variety of seemingly random/mundane reasons.

      Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 5:51 pm

      Hey y’all,

      Here’s a link that explains what a vasovagal reaction is, just in case you’re curious:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_response

      Reply
  7. Sophie says

    October 12th, 2010 at 2:31 pm

    I bought a lipstick from Kiko when I went to Sicily , my friend told me its a dupe for macs angel lipstick so i had to get it!!! It was only 2 euros and I don’t know what angel looks like since we don’t have it in Malta but this lipstick is awesome and one of my favourites . Its numbered 96 (just for future reference) doesn’t have a named unfortunately. And I swear the packaging is similar to mac 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:48 pm

      Hi Sophie,

      I didn’t make it to the lip products, but I’ll keep that color in mind if I ever get to go back!

      Reply
  8. Tiffany says

    October 12th, 2010 at 3:06 pm

    Ooh that double ended eyeliner looks awesome!

    I have had that happen before, but not due to swimming. I think the problem was that my blood pressure was low. Hope you’re feeling better now!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:44 pm

      Hi Tiffany,

      I’m feeling much better, thanks! I’m starting to think it might be a number of things… maybe a combination of vertigo, not eating enough beforehand, a little bit of heat exhaustion/dehydration.

      But onto more fun things. I wanna hear all about your camera! Have you tried exploring any of the manual modes yet?

      Reply
      • Tiffany says

        October 12th, 2010 at 4:01 pm

        Yah I’ve stayed away from the intelligent auto mode! I’ve played with the macro and trying to use the aperture priority mode to try to get pics with a short depth of field. I love pics that have really blurred backgrounds so that’s what I’m trying to learn to do first!

        Reply
        • Karen says

          October 12th, 2010 at 4:11 pm

          Good for you for trying out the different functions. Aperture priority is one of my favorite modes to shoot in to get that effect (it’s called bokeh).

          You can also cheat it by putting your subject a good distance away from the background. 🙂

          Reply
          • Tiffany says

            October 12th, 2010 at 4:53 pm

            Ooh, good to know – I’ve never even heard of that term before!

          • Karen says

            October 12th, 2010 at 5:49 pm

            LOL, it’s a fancy term for “blurred background.”

            So, does your camera allow you to switch out lenses?

          • Tiffany says

            October 12th, 2010 at 5:58 pm

            It’s good to know terminology! Yah, I can switch out lenses. I have my eye on a 20mm pancake lens because it looks great for travel, but I don’t know much about the different lenses. Except that they are expensive! What’s your fave type of lens?

          • Karen says

            October 12th, 2010 at 6:27 pm

            My fave is the Canon Nifty Fifty. I use it ALL THE TIME!

            It’s flexible, light, zippy and is fabulous for bokeh:

            http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-Camera-Lens/dp/B00007E7JU

          • Tiffany says

            October 13th, 2010 at 7:14 am

            my camera uses the micro 4/3 lenses. so I would think I would want one that (like your canon lens) has a really low f/ number? the pancake lens I was looking at is f/1.7. I wonder if that would be good for bokeh?

          • Karen says

            October 13th, 2010 at 8:23 am

            Yeah, 1.7 should do some nice bokeh. 🙂

            Here’s a site you might like:

            http://www.borrowlenses.com/

            They rent lenses… how cool is that?

          • Tiffany says

            October 13th, 2010 at 8:28 am

            oh wow, that is cool! I had heard that some camera shops will let you rent out lenses. what a great idea!

          • Karen says

            October 13th, 2010 at 8:33 am

            Isn’t that awesome? Lenses are so expensive, and it sucks to buy one you don’t like.

  9. DonnaN says

    October 12th, 2010 at 3:14 pm

    Karen, you TEASE!! Between Fred Farrugia and now Kiko….I’m salivating to get my mitts on some and can’t! UGHHHH!!!!

    I’ve experienced something similar after swimming in the ocean……I ended up in the ER with water plugged in my inner ear. That’s what throws off your equalibrium and makes you nauseous and light-headed. Hope that helps you……

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:43 pm

      Hi Donna,

      I wonder if that’s what’s going on. Maybe I need to get my ear looked at, sigh…

      As for the makeup, I’m gonna keep my fingers crossed and hope that these brands cross over to our shores soon!

      Anywho, how’s your day going? Anything new to report?

      Reply
      • DonnaN says

        October 13th, 2010 at 2:59 am

        Nothing new here…..the next month is pretty quiet until 11/9, which is the day of the BIG ultrasound……we’ll hopefully find out if we’ve got a boy or a new fan of MAKEUP AND BEAUTY !! Can you tell, I’m hoping for a girl ……….

        Reply
      • Karen says

        October 13th, 2010 at 8:21 am

        How exciting! 🙂 Either way, I can’t wait for you to get that baby into some cute outfits! Kids clothes have gotten exponentially cooler over the last few years.

        Reply
  10. Lucia says

    October 12th, 2010 at 3:18 pm

    Yes, that happens to me every time I step out from a pool….and I used to be a swimmer, go figure. When I was a teenager after every single training session I would ven get out of the pool with this annoying headache that faded away within an hour. I am in my 30’s now and I only get dizzy after doing laps in the swimming pool.

    I love the nailpolish!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:41 pm

      Hi Lucia,

      Interesting. I was trying to do “laps” (in a lame out-of-shape kind of way). Do you find that the dizziness goes away? Or is it always there?

      Reply
      • Lucia says

        October 12th, 2010 at 9:35 pm

        Yes, the dizziness should go away after 5-10 min. I am kind of used to that. Probably you should get check if this is the only time you have experienced. My vagus also gets stimulated very randomly so I guess I am a sensitive person???..don’t know. I used to go to physical therapy for cranio-sacral releases (one hand in my belly, the other in my back while in my back), and they always had to stop half way in because I will get extremely nauseous…

        Reply
        • Karen says

          October 13th, 2010 at 8:19 am

          Hmm. Mine stuck around for a few hours. I’m thinking it might be an inner ear thing…

          Anywho, I’m so glad we’re halfway through the week! Got any plans yet for the weekend?

          Reply
  11. Alex says

    October 12th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

    It sounds like you might have had a little bout of Vertigo. It’s an inner ear thing and can happen whenever you change positions (such as sitting to standing) quickly. I don’t know a lot about it, but a couple of women in my pilates class have issues with it and I don’t think it’s uncommon. I’m glad your feeling better though 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:38 pm

      Hi Alex,

      Oh, that might be it. I had something similar happen a few weeks earlier, but I just chalked it up to being jet-lagged and tired.

      How long have you been doing pilates? I’ve heard it’s fantastic for the abs. I’ve seen classes where they use that machine thing-a-ma-bobber… looks hard, but fun!

      Reply
  12. Rae says

    October 12th, 2010 at 3:51 pm

    Wow! The liner and shadow stick look FAB. I hope they’re available in Canada/the US soon ^^

    2nd what Alex said about vertigo, but it also could have been a temperature thing — I know when I get out of a pool that’s a little too cold or a little too warm (aka any hot tub, waah!) my head feels like it’s splitting open and my stomach wants to crawl up out of my throat. Bleh!

    Hope you’re back to 100% health now 😉
    Rae recently posted … LArtisan Parfumeur Poivre Piquant- better than the real thing

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 3:58 pm

      Hi Rae,

      Come to think of it the pool was a touch cold. Usually it’s not an issue for me (once I get moving everything’s fine), but maybe it was just too much for my body to handle.

      Anyway, I really do hope a few of these groovy Italian lines head over to our side of the ocean!

      Hope you’re having a lovely Tuesday.

      Reply
  13. Dani says

    October 12th, 2010 at 4:14 pm

    Hi Karen

    My dad is a regular swimmer and he gets those symptoms often if he has water in is inner ear. Hopefully that helps 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 5:47 pm

      Hi Dani,

      Thanks for letting me know! I might call the doc to get it checked out if it happens again.

      How’s your day been? Good, I hope!

      Reply
  14. Trisha says

    October 12th, 2010 at 4:41 pm

    Oh man. I don’t know how you didn’t walk away with a shopping bag full of eye shadow. That’s what I would have done. If I was rich and somehow made it to Milan.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 5:47 pm

      Hi Trisha,

      It was hard to not go nuts, but already knew my bag was gonna be stuffed to limit!

      Reply
  15. Nina says

    October 12th, 2010 at 4:46 pm

    oh wow — affordable color. me likey A LOT!!!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 5:46 pm

      Hi Nina,

      Me too! It sounds like they’re expanding across Europe. Hopefully that means they’ll be in the US soon!!

      Reply
      • Nina says

        October 13th, 2010 at 6:53 am

        I hope so too! 🙂 Cant wait for that!

        Reply
      • Karen says

        October 13th, 2010 at 8:18 am

        I would have to mentally prepare myself to shop there, though. The amount of product made it VERY overwhelming.

        Reply
  16. Marie says

    October 12th, 2010 at 4:54 pm

    Ah! Funny you should talk about Kiko Cosmetics now. I discovered the brand by pure chance a few days ago as I walked past a store that opened that very day (in a french mall). It was sooo packed that I couldn’t stay. Anyway, your swatches and reviews are very helpful. Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 5:45 pm

      Hi Marie,

      Lucky you! You’ll have to let me know if you find any other goodies of note.

      Oh, and when you go back, be sure to play with the Stick Eyeshadows! They’re really very good.

      Reply
      • Marie says

        October 13th, 2010 at 4:30 am

        Hi!

        Actually, I found the store when I was visiting my sister. It seems Kiko opened their first two french stores in early october a little outside of Paris. But sure thing, when I’ll go visit her again, I’ll definitely check out the Stick eyeshadows! And if I find something of interest, I’ll let you know. 🙂

        Reply
        • Karen says

          October 13th, 2010 at 8:17 am

          Cool! 🙂 What’s your sis doing in Paris? Is she a student?

          Reply
          • Marie says

            October 13th, 2010 at 8:28 am

            She’s working in Disneyland Paris. ^^

          • Karen says

            October 13th, 2010 at 8:31 am

            WOW!!! Okay, so I love Disneyland and think that’s the coolest thing ever!

  17. Misshold says

    October 12th, 2010 at 5:21 pm

    Maybe you are pregnant 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:16 am

      LOL… Tabs would probably be thrilled to have a sibling!

      Reply
  18. Kelley says

    October 12th, 2010 at 5:35 pm

    OMG *droolll* i cud spent a whole week in there and still not get enough! and its reasonable too! OMG *makeupoverloadfaintss*
    Kelley recently posted … Aisha 2010

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 12th, 2010 at 5:44 pm

      Hi Kelley,

      There’s a TON of stuff to look at. I didn’t even make it to the lipsticks and glosses…

      Reply
  19. marisol says

    October 12th, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    I felt so overwhelmed when I first walked into the Boots flagship store in London. It was beauty overload for sure. That’s why i had to go back two more times. 🙂

    Since you were floating on your back, maybe you got up too quickly and it messed with your inner ear.
    marisol recently posted … Monday Weigh In – Week 3

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:15 am

      LOL! I never made it to that store when I was in London a few years ago… if I ever go back it’s on my list!!

      Reply
  20. amy says

    October 12th, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    Oh la la makeup galore! I love the turquoise eyeliner and eyeshadow pencil you picked.
    amy recently posted … Beauty of the Day NARS Vintage Nail Lacquer 2010 Midnight Express and Full Metal Jacket

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:14 am

      Both of those are so bright but I love ’em!

      Reply
  21. kali says

    October 12th, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    Yay!! So excited that you reviewed Kiko because I bought tons of stuff from them when I was there. I remember being overwhelmed by the selection but did score a few GREAT products. The majority of my purchase though was “high end drugstore” like you described. I do wish they had one here in the U.S. though because the products are really affordable.. even with the euro/USD conversion.

    The Double Glam eyeliners look like MAC Pearlglides!! I want!

    I hope you’re feeling better from the pool -it sounds like Vertigo but that usually lasts longer.. I think? Or maybe you were dehydrated?! Well hope everything’s better!! =)

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:13 am

      Hi Kali,

      Yeah, I’m feeling better, thanks!

      And yes… the Double Glams are very similar to the MAC Pearlglides. The MAC ones are smoother, but these are pretty nice too!

      Reply
  22. Paris B says

    October 12th, 2010 at 6:53 pm

    Why is it Rome was devoid of anything resembling makeup stores?! I saw (and came home) with nothing! These look cute and pretty affordable all things considered. As for your dizzy experience at the pool, might it be due to a drop in blood sugar levels? It happens to me sometimes when I’m exercising on an empty stomach – a sweet or sugary drink usually helps immediately.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:12 am

      Really? I always assumed Rome would have more stuff!

      Reply
  23. steph b says

    October 12th, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    Kiko was the name of my cat so of course I love this line! Or maybe it is the amazing range of color that calls to me.

    I have had a swooning after swimming incident, but it was after going in the Dead Sea. I was so amazed by it, I stayed far too long. With that much salt you get dehydrated. It was a crazy hot day so I probably went in a bit dehydrated.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:12 am

      I would love to swim in the Dead Sea some day. How was the water? Was it clear? Warm? I’m salivating at the thought of it…

      Anyway, I love that this line and your kitteh share the same name. 🙂

      Reply
      • steph b says

        October 13th, 2010 at 10:52 am

        Going in the Dead Sea was a dream come true for a water nerd like me. It was so cool. They told us to wear flip flops in because the bottom can scrape your feet but as soon as you took your first step they floated off you. You could just lift your feet and float vertically.

        The water was clear — almost blindingly bright because instead of sandy bottom there is salt and there is pretty much nothing living in it to cloud it. It was also bathwater warm because it was August and close to 100 degrees.

        Reply
  24. Christy says

    October 12th, 2010 at 10:01 pm

    So much color!

    Perhaps you were dehydrated or hypoglycemic? I know it happens to be me when I workout too hard or if I haven’t eaten much all day. Or perhaps something else? 😉
    Christy recently posted … FOTD- MAC Venomous Villains Cruella De Vil Darkly My Dear

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:10 am

      LOL… I think I was dehydrated!

      Reply
  25. leo says

    October 12th, 2010 at 10:49 pm

    Hi Karen, I love swimming and had some dizzy spells – usually when I overdo it and/or hadn’t anything for breakfast (I swim late in the morning), so probably you don’t have to worry if it happened only once. When I get out of the water I always try to relax a bit before doing anything else – once I was collapsing in the shower!
    And don’t worry for the “used” NP, either: here in Italy once makeup is sold, it’s sold: no returns. Your bottle was probably used as a tester on site by some frenzied teenager (it happens quite often and gets the sales girls mad!!)
    Kiko stores are always a chaos – the best time to visit is during school hours! ;). But many of their products have a good price/quality ratio and they often have promo sales, so it’s always a tempting stop when shopping…

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:10 am

      Hi Leo,

      I’ll try relaxing before I get out of the water next time. 🙂

      Are you a Kiko nail polish kinda girl?

      Reply
      • leo says

        October 13th, 2010 at 9:31 am

        I was, before discovering The Mighty Internet!! 😉
        Kiko was the first, in Italy, to offer “unusual” colours. Now I do buy Kiko polish from time to time – I must have about 20 of theirs – and stock up clear and neutrals for frankening when they are on sale.
        The quality isn’t bad, when used with a good base and top coat!

        Reply
  26. Magi says

    October 13th, 2010 at 12:25 am

    KIKO has arrived in Germany a while ago. Very nice value for the price I think.

    I also have the double glam eyeliner. The emerald side is a MAC Undercurrent dupe. Not only the color but also the ingredients (I compared them in a video / on my blog). OK, MAC is going to re-promoted the popular shade, but it’s still the better deal. Unfortunately my caps don’t stay on the pencil so I expect them to dry out. What a pitty.

    I recommend their slim lipsticks from the collections. They have a great texture and last quite long for a glossy lipstick.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:08 am

      Hi Magi,

      Thanks for the lipstick recs! I didn’t have time to take a close look at the lip products but it’s nice to know there’s some good stuff there.

      Reply
  27. Eleonora says

    October 13th, 2010 at 12:40 am

    KIKO has great products, doesn’t it?!
    I love their nail polishes. They have a huge range of colors, colors that maybe you can’t find anywhere else. And the eye productsare fabulous. I have a ColorSphere eyeshadow, the dark-blue sparkle one and it’s amazing. I’m planning to get more (stick eyeshadow is a priority LOL) as soon as I can.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:07 am

      Hi Eleonora,

      You gotta snag a few Stick Eyeshadows, for sure!!

      Reply
  28. tina says

    October 13th, 2010 at 1:38 am

    I just been to kiko 4 days ago!
    I only bought the nailpolish 220.
    I love it! I also have the gold and grey one.
    Last year in Milano I bought the duo eyeshadow, thats on the left on your picture!
    For my friends birthday i bought her a taupe eyeshadow and a mascara 🙂 My mother bought the dubble eyeliner. But in blue.
    I have to say that I realy love kiko, and I wish that I could buy it here in Holland.
    But Im lucky in a way….the kiko shop in germany is only a one hour drive 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:06 am

      Hi Tina,

      That’s cool! Now you have an excuse to go to Germany to stock up on some lovely makeup. 🙂

      Reply
  29. miki says

    October 13th, 2010 at 1:52 am

    hi karen!
    i’m glad you liked the products, they’re quite popular here and we all love them as well 🙂 so sorry to hear about the used nail polish! must have been some nice customer eh =_= it happened to me too, some people still don’t know what testers are made for.
    anyways, i don’t wanna spam or anything, but i have lots of products and i did post about them on my blog, with pictures and stuff. maybe it will be useful for next time, who knows 🙂
    thanks for the lovely post!

    xo
    miki recently posted … Pupa 1

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:05 am

      Hi Miki,

      Nice to meet another Kiko fan!

      Reply
    • Emma says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:55 am

      Miki, have you used their face cleaning / moisturising products and foundations? What do you think if you have? emma

      Reply
      • miki says

        October 13th, 2010 at 4:21 pm

        hey emma 🙂
        i’ve used their eye cream, pretty thick but i find it very moisturising and it seemed to me that my skin looked a lot better after a while. i also have 3 of their foundations (omg this is gonna be a LONG reply haha):

        – skin evolution: my fave! it’s creamy, gives light to medium coverage (at least on me, i don’t use a lot). i sometimes use a primer so it goes on smoother. my colour is 01, it’s for fair skin. maybe the smallest amount of yellow in it would make it perfect, but it’s ok 😀
        has spf12, there are 12 shades and they say it’s ok for all skin types (i have combination to oily skin in some areas)

        – ultra durable: wrong colour (01) because i could not test it at the store (i didn’t have one where i live at that time), too yellow. this one has spf20 and is meant to be for very dry or combination skin types. you get to choose among 8 shades here, instead of 12. only need a small amount, goes on smoothly…same old story 😀 it’s also no transfer, which in my opinion isn’t true about any foundations lol
        good coverage too!

        these 2 i need to set with powder.

        – all day mat: 6 shades, again wrong colour but this one is too pink lol so yeah, i’m gonna test them at the store now that i have one here! good thing is they’re cheap and i can mix the colours 😉 spf10 and it’s very liquidy. the packaging is different as you can see but don’t worry, there’s a pump 😀 great for combo to oily skin, it really does make them look matte. love that.

        that’s it, i haven’t used any cleaning products yet but i’ve heard some are very good. i have the hand wipes and i love them! they smell sooooo good *_*
        hope this helped 😀
        miki recently posted … Pupa 1

        Reply
        • Emma says

          October 14th, 2010 at 7:50 am

          Thanks Miki, that’s very informative. I appreciate it!

          Reply
          • miki says

            October 14th, 2010 at 8:15 am

            you’re very welcome ^^
            miki recently posted … Collistar – Avant Gard- Collezione Autunno Inverno 2010

  30. kirsty says

    October 13th, 2010 at 3:57 am

    This is all very impressive! LOL at the guy! Ooh, looks like they have a store in Malaga, I might have to get my friend to check it out when she visits home in a few weeks! 🙂

    I’m no doctor, so I won’t try to diagnose you, but I hope you’re feeling better! I’ve had an upset stomach recently which has led to dehydration so I’m suffering similar things. Gonna try and head into town in a bit to buy some ‘rehydration sachets’ to see if they help

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:04 am

      I wanted to give the poor dude a hug! He looked really confused!

      Hopefully your friend can hook you up with some Stick Shadows. 🙂

      Reply
  31. Mariachiara says

    October 13th, 2010 at 5:16 am

    Well it’s impossible that you bought a polish that someone returned it because here in Italy we can’t return anything after buying it lol! Maybe someone tried it thinking it was the tester!
    And also you went in the most known kiko store, because it is so central!
    You missed some treasure out here, but maybe it’s a good excuse to came back here!

    Sorry for your experience at the pool!

    Reply
    • Ida says

      October 13th, 2010 at 7:46 am

      Yes, Kiko cosmetics are very good, especially the stick eyeshadows (I have many) and the lip products. Furthermore, they are cheap! 😉 Glad to hear that you’re better now.. every now and then I need something sweet because the level of glucose in my blood goes down and I feel dizzy..
      Ciao Karen xoxo

      Reply
      • Karen says

        October 13th, 2010 at 8:03 am

        Hi Ida,

        The Stick Eyeshadows are GREAT! What is your fave color?

        Reply
        • Ida says

          October 15th, 2010 at 12:18 am

          I have number 4 that is a chocolate brown, number 17 that is a midnight blue and number 18 that is a gray with silver sparkles and my favourite one is the grey one ’cause it suits perfectly with my greyish eyes! ciao karen xoxo

          Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:03 am

      Hmm. I’m guessing someone got excited about the bottle and decided to do an on-the-spot mani!

      Hopefully I’ll come back soon! Milan rocks.

      Reply
  32. claudia says

    October 13th, 2010 at 5:30 am

    hi! i’m from italy! we have a lot of kiko stores in our country…they have beautiful things and the eyeshadows are awsome and of a good quality!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:02 am

      Hi Claudia,

      Nice to meet you! I never realized so many lovely Italian ladies hit up the site. 🙂

      Reply
  33. Martina says

    October 13th, 2010 at 5:53 am

    i am italian and i just go to kiko EVERY TIME i go for a walk on the city center! i have many many of their eyeshadows…

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:01 am

      Hi Martina,

      Cool! Do you have their powder shadows? I wish I picked up a pan…

      Reply
      • Martina says

        October 13th, 2010 at 8:56 am

        eheh i have sooo many… the flat ones and the “sphere” ones… i think they changed the formula recently, cause the first ones that i picked up weren’t very pigmented, expecially the sphere eyeshadows… but now they are gorgeous! colorful, very pigmented!

        Reply
  34. Kim says

    October 13th, 2010 at 6:04 am

    I think I would have been paralyzed with sensory overload if I’d walked into that store! 🙂 I’m so bummed for you about the polish. I was very excited when I saw it!

    I’m glad you’re feeling better. I get dizzy spells a lot when I stand up (low blood pressure), but I tend to agree that it may have been a combination of empty stomach, slight dehydration and the smell of chlorine for you. If it was inner ear related (vertigo), you’d be getting it a lot. Although, I did initially wonder the same thing as Misshold. 😉 Oh, and I’m not a doctor, I just play one in the blog comments. hee hee!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      October 13th, 2010 at 8:00 am

      LOL! “Dr. Kim is in!”

      The store was WAY stimulating. Every inch of it was covered in product!

      Reply
  35. tina says

    October 13th, 2010 at 8:04 am

    Im italian to!
    But I live in holland 🙂

    Reply
  36. Emma says

    October 13th, 2010 at 8:52 am

    I love the look of those products. I checked out the website and I’m really keen to try the face care as I need a new regime as everything that I use has been discontinued! I hope my Mum will go to Italy, Spain or Germany (where the website says they’re sold) when she’s in Athens next year. I also love the eye and nail colours!

    Reply
  37. Ru says

    October 13th, 2010 at 11:01 am

    Ooh girl you did good. I love those liners, and those spherical eyeshadows looked cool 🙂

    Reply
  38. Stacey says

    October 13th, 2010 at 11:34 am

    Aww…why aren’t they in the US?? This line looks nice. That stick eyeshadow in 10 is sooo pretty! I love the eyeliners too! Thx for the post 🙂
    Stacey recently posted … MAC Venoumous Villians Collection- Mini Haul w- swatches

    Reply
  39. Tina says

    October 13th, 2010 at 2:25 pm

    i went to kiko in venice and loved it! i swear the prices were cheaper there though :S like i bought that nail varnish and it was 1.90 euros for me and the long wear eyeshadow stick which i also bought the same as you! was 4.90 i believe… and i also bought the gold eyeshadow cream and the black nail varnish and a lipstick. 🙂

    Reply
    • miki says

      October 13th, 2010 at 4:31 pm

      those were offers 😀
      they sell nail colours for half the price from time to time and always have sale items! right now there’s mascaras for half their price ^_^
      if you’re gonna buy any, please check out these 3: luxurious, ultratech (NOT the waterproof one because it’s a pain to get off your lashes), top coat concentrate. that’s my top 3.
      also the long lasting stick e/s were on sale. i don’t know why they only did this for 4-5 colours though. i bet they could become the new mac shadesticks 😛 there, i said that 😀
      miki recently posted … Pupa 1

      Reply
  40. Megan says

    October 13th, 2010 at 3:23 pm

    What a neat store! We need a store like this in the U.S., and I’m not talking about the drugstore! 🙂

    Reply
  41. Apple Diva says

    October 13th, 2010 at 3:36 pm

    I have heard of Kiko, but I have never used, but I do love me some Nouba though!!!

    Reply
  42. Stavroula Plag says

    October 13th, 2010 at 7:45 pm

    I’ve heard of this brand before, but I didn’t know they had sooooo many products!!! The pictures are heaven, thank you so much for posting them!! 🙂
    Stavroula Plag recently posted … Got a blog Add it HERE!

    Reply
  43. Amee says

    October 13th, 2010 at 8:01 pm

    Awww!!! i liked the stick eye shadow a lot and the double eye pencil also… y the hell all these stores are not there in India ya 🙁 🙁 🙁
    Amee recently posted … EOTD on Grey Day

    Reply
  44. Tasha says

    October 13th, 2010 at 10:24 pm

    Kiko Is my dog’s name… i would totally love to get my hands on this.. a trip to italy perhaps… 😀

    Reply
  45. Emma says

    October 14th, 2010 at 7:55 am

    I propose starting a campaign to the company to get them to do international shipping (or even better open stores in the countries that they’re yet to enter).

    On the english version of the site there’s a contact us page. I went on there, chose company info and sent them an email, citing this website, saying what a good reputation they have and asking if they’re going to offer international shipping sometime. Maybe if enough of us do that they’ll take us seriously and we’ll be able to get Kiko in countries outside of Europe 🙂

    Emma x

    Reply
    • miki says

      October 14th, 2010 at 8:19 am

      they’re going to open 3 stores in france soon and i believe there are a few in germany and spain too. so…i guess you guys just need to let them know! 😀

      we have a facebook fan page here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/KIKO-COSMETICS-Fanpage/37162040735

      and here’s the official page: http://www.facebook.com/KIKO.MAKEUP.MILANO?v=wall

      hope this helped 😉
      miki recently posted … Collistar – Avant Gard- Collezione Autunno Inverno 2010

      Reply
  46. Vonvon says

    October 15th, 2010 at 6:57 am

    Love your haul form KIKO. The green eyeshadow stick and the Double Glam Eyeliner are gorgeous! The shades are so bright, and some of my favorites too…purple and green!
    Vonvon recently posted … Maybelline Volum Express Cat Eyes Mascara Waterproof – By The Intrepid Beauty

    Reply
  47. Beatrice says

    October 15th, 2010 at 7:34 am

    I’m Italian and I have tons of products from Kiko, so I’ll tell you a thing or two about it =) First of all, the Long Lasting Stick eyeshadow is meant to be waterproof and it really stays on forever! Other than that, the nailpolish you picked up was on display? Because rude people keep on using them even when they are not tester (I don’t think you bought the tester itself, because they take away the price from them). I always ask for a nailpolish bottle who was in the drawers under the counter.
    Anyway, I love Kiko colours, if you have the opportunity buy their powder eyeshadows, they are highly pigmented and last for several hours (like, 6 hours without a primer?)

    Reply
    • smashinbeauty says

      September 5th, 2011 at 12:59 am

      where can I buy it online?

      Reply
  48. Brooke Roberts says

    October 22nd, 2010 at 5:03 am

    I love Kiko makeup!! i brought a bunch of products on our way through Berlin – we found the store purely by fluke! i brought an amazing luminous purple long lasting eyeshadow – and today my dog ATE it. i am so devastated – it was my most prized piece of makeup in my kit – and i cant find a shopping online option anywhere 🙁 can anyone help me? does anyone know any possible way to purchase the brand online – anywhere?

    Thank you 🙁

    Reply
    • miki says

      October 22nd, 2010 at 6:35 am

      hey brooke 🙂
      they only ship to italy right now :/ so sorry :/
      there are a few stores in germany and spain at the moment. 3 new stores will be opening in france soon. but no international shipping…YET 🙂
      miki recently posted … Collistar – Avant Gard- Collezione Autunno Inverno 2010

      Reply
  49. Aida says

    October 23rd, 2010 at 12:20 am

    Yes, there are stores in Madrid (Spain) and it is becoming quite popular here as the prices are so good. There are some products that are interesting, others not so much, the quality of the product depends a lot. We do not have the option of online shipping (like we don´t have it here with MAC) but I suggest trying before buying with this brand as there some differences in quality that you only notice at the store swatching the products.
    And yes, the colour offer is a bit too much, but that is part of its success

    Reply
  50. Renata Nemcova says

    March 26th, 2011 at 7:29 am

    Hi, can you tell me where in Europe (besides Italy) I can buy this brand? I live in Czech Republic travelling occasionally around Europe.. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Spectrum Personae says

      March 26th, 2011 at 8:11 am

      hey renata 🙂
      they just opened new stores in spain, france and portugal. and germany too i guess?
      just go to the website and take a look to see where the stores are located 🙂
      also…if anybody gets the chance to buy some stuff, they recently came out with a new LE nail polish collection 😀 i got most of the colours, sooo pretty 🙂 maybe not unique, but good quality and cheap 😛
      thanks again karen for this post! i like to come back and check it out from time to time lol

      xx
      miki
      Spectrum Personae recently posted … NOTD – Magenta all the way!

      Reply
  51. lamya says

    March 29th, 2011 at 2:55 am

    Hi I went to milan two weeks ago for my husbands birthday and I brought quite a lot of make up from kiko I absouloutley love it! Can I not order it from london?? I’m dissapointed there aren’t any stores over here 🙁

    Reply
    • Spectrum Personae says

      March 29th, 2011 at 6:55 am

      nope :/ at least not yet. they’re opening stores here and there but still need some time :/

      Reply
  52. Jacqueline says

    April 30th, 2011 at 6:58 pm

    Hello! I was wondering if there’s anyway to get it here, from the website or any sites online that will ship it to the US? I just returned from Italy and I bought a few products but now I want more and I can’t seem to figure out how or where to purchase it. Any advice?!

    Reply
  53. Char says

    September 19th, 2011 at 10:27 pm

    hi…..just returned from Firenze with a bunch of stuff from the Kiko store……wish I’d known we can’t get it here……I probably would have bought twice as much………hope they see the tremendous market they’d have in the US!!!

    Reply
  54. mariana begum says

    November 18th, 2011 at 4:59 am

    hiya,

    i brought some kiko products and its amazing! for the right price aswel. the precision eyeliner, well lets just say that i wish i got there earlier.

    will be going there back soon.

    Reply
  55. LivvyC says

    December 24th, 2011 at 2:05 am

    I visited the Kiko shop in Parma – italy and bought a few items for friends etc. The staff were really friendly and helpful and it is great make up and VERY cheap. following my trip from Parma my make up bag was stolen which contained all my Kiko make up but then recently discovered they have opened a Kiko shop in Westfield London. the prices are slightly higher in this branch but it’s worth it. I highly recommend this make up if you like to experiment with different colours or if you like to use cheaper make up for day-to-day use.

    Reply
  56. Fil Vandertuin says

    October 25th, 2012 at 11:07 pm

    I have just come back from Italy and had been into the shop and bought some makeup there. I absolutely love it! I live in Australia and definitely would have bought more if I’d realised how much I was going to like it and the fact that I can’t purchase on line. 🙁 I think I may be able to but some things through ebay, but it’s just not the same! and the range is nowhere near what you can buy in store.

    Reply
  57. Barb Amoroso says

    November 9th, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    I just returned from my vacation in Italy. I went to the Kiko store in Florence (actually had to go back a second time to buy more!)and fell in love with the makeup and skincare products I purchased. Now I only wish that they sold online, or better yet, opened some stores in the US!

    Reply
  58. Sandra says

    December 3rd, 2012 at 12:52 am

    Loved the Kiko brand, but very disappointed that it can’t be purchased on line and shipped to Australia! How about opening a store, or 2, or 3, maybe more, here in Sydney, australia? 🙂 I’m sure it would do very well

    Reply
  59. Jess says

    May 7th, 2013 at 9:10 am

    I was in Italy a few days ago and I saw this shop. It wasn’t as packed with people, maybe because I was in a less densely populated place. Anyway, I bought a few pieces and I love them! I got 6 pieces for just €32 and I love every single piece! I should have got more as we don’t have this in local drug stores here in Ireland! When I go back to Italy, I will definitely be purchasing some more from Kiko! So worth it, and excellent quality, I find that my skin also suits this brand better than my MAC as MAC’s ingredients gave my skin an allergic reaction.

    Reply
  60. Tam says

    February 28th, 2015 at 10:40 pm

    Urgh! I live in Australia and cannot get Kiko!!! I wish they’d come out here! Those swatches look amazing!

    From a medical perspective (I’m a doctor), it sounds like you had a vasovagal event – typical symptoms include dizziness, feeling like you’re going to faint, sweatiness, going pale and nausea. Probably due to a combination of being a bit dehydrated then going from a flat to a standing position. When you suddenly change posture, the blood that was evenly distributed throughout your body pools in the feet, thus dropping your blood pressure. When your brain is inadequately perfused, you get the above symptoms. Tricks to avoid it in the future include sitting on the edge of the pool for a couple of minutes to allow your blood volume to distribute before standing (and also keeping well hydrated).

    Reply
  61. alison williams says

    June 19th, 2015 at 5:45 am

    I know this reply is 5 years late and I dont know if anyone is still out there ! but I have just found KIKO website and it was on sale so I saved even more money. The prices were amazing and all the colours awesome and I love that I can build my own colour palettes. havent had the product’s yet but if they live up to the reviews I will be a very happy and regular customer

    Reply

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Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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