Review: Bikor Makeup – Kyoto Highlighter, Morocco Eyeshadow Quads no. 1 Palace Royal and no. 4

I have a ‘new’ makeup brand to introduce to you beauty bees, Bikor Makeup. I was so excited to find this brand, because there isn’t to many higher end, professional Polish makeup brands (besides maybe the well known Inglot makeup). For those of you who don’t know or who haven’t been following my blog for a while, my background is Polish, so I love keeping up to do with what is happening in the Motherland 🙂 Not only does the aesthetic of the brand appeal to me, but so does their ethos, which is all about translating beauty to others using your own history and creativity. The range of the brand also surprised me, because I know the brand started out in 1992 with a bronzing powder called Egyptische Erde (which I do believe translates from German into English as Egyptian Land) which is still available, however their line now carries single eyeshadows, eyeshadow quads, a pressed powder highlighter, powder foundation, blushes and brushes (so it’s quite large), Bikor have been receiving great reviews in the Polish bloggasphere since their products reformulation and expansion, so I was itching to try some of their products. Luckily their website can be viewed in both Polish and English and they ship worldwide. The products have been reformulated and are made in Italy, so I was expecting great quality (plus, when a brand is founded by a makeup artists such as Bikor is, I assume that makeup artists want to create products which perform superbly and push the boundaries of innovation).

I decided to start with purchasing the Kyoto powder highlighter because I love highlighters and I love Kyoto (so that was an obvious and easy choice lol) plus two eyeshadow quads. Their eyeshadow quads look amazing and I love that they offer so many bright colours. It was soooo hard settling on just two eyeshadow quads (the quads are called Morocco Eyeshadows), but I did eventually choose no. 1 Palace Royal and no. 4 Marry Me.

All the product I have so far are packaged in a matte black, plastic compact. The matte black elevates the packaging so it doesn’t feel cheap. All of the powders are also scented with this sweet vanilla caramel scent (a little bit like MAC lipsticks) which I am in love with! It’s not something which is needed, but I think it adds a nice touch. Once the powders have been app[lied to your face, you can’t detect the scent at all, so it is rather the compact perhaps, more so than the powders.

Above: Kyoto Highlighter

All of the powders, whether it is the highlighter or the eyeshadows are so so soft. I think this is also because the formulations contain skin loving oils and vitamins. This gives them that almost ‘creamy’ feel to the touch. The Kyoto Highlighter contains very fine shimmer, which leans towards very light pink and pearl tones, This is one of those ‘sophisticated’ highlighters, which isn’t garish and is hard to over-do.

Play of Light & Shadows – Unparalleled selection of components and it’s structure created based on the formula with the highest degree of micronization, enable the KYOTO highlighter to condition the skin, not only optically evening it out but also imparting a beaming and luminous look to it. Care – The unique formula of the KYOTO highligher includes emollients which actively condition the skin and are used in creams. Vitamins A and E softens and smooths the epidermis, increases the elasticity and connective tissue, preventing dehydration. Supports cellular renewal, has the ability to neutralise free radicals, thus protecting against oxidation and damage to collagen and elastin fibers responsible for skin springiness. It slows down the ageing process of the complexion by creating a natural antiradical shield. Sweetbrier Oil characterised by intense properties that help condition and regenerate the skin. The component has its application in sensitive and irritated skin care, possessing highly soothing and calming effects. It is extremely effective in the fight against skin that is dehydrated or devoid of color. Lecithin normalises metabolic processes of the epidermal cells and increases it’s overall degree of hydration. Coconut Oil provides vitamins and minerals . It is an unmatched component with natural antioxidants delivering potent nutrition, regardless of thermal fluctuations. It softens the skin, restoring its elasticity. Lanolin by moisturising the skin in an indirect manner, it forms an occlusive layer that prevents excessive water evaporation. It perceptibly smooths the epidermis, rebuilding the lipid barrier. Does not contain parabens, hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested. 

It’s difficult to confirm the skincare benefits of makeup products, but hey, if they do something, even in a very small percentage then that’s better than nothing! I’d rather they try! I can’t say that the highlighter moisturisers my skin, but as I mentioned, it’s so uber soft to the touch, and it doesn’t highlight any dry patches on my skin which is a bonus. It doesn’t accentuate pores and because of it’s texture is blends beautifully on the skin, so it almost looks like it has blended itself out for you (you can’t pick up any harsh lines), maybe ‘airbrushed’ is the right description!

Above: Swatch of Kyoto Highlighter

It’s difficult to pick up all of the tones of the highlighter on camera, but as it’s a traditional pearly shade (pearl and pink particles), so it should suit most skin tones. I packed on the highlighter in the photo below and not only does it still not look over the top, but it just makes my skin look diffused – as if perfections have been blurred away and I have a glow from within!

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this highlighter and at $52 US dollars, I think it’s an adequate price.  Perfect for everyday but also for evenings out where you still want to look sophisticated 😉

Now to the Morocco eyeshadow palettes! Both palettes comes with two matte eyeshadows and two shimmery/stain eyeshadows. I love that both the no. 1 Palace Royal (the purple toned palette) and no.4 Marry Me (the more neutral toned palette) come with mattes, as mattes will ground any shimmery shades and make them look more sophisticated. I do prefer matte eyeshadows for everyday looks over shimmery shades (that’s just my personal preference) but sometimes you do want that added drama and sparkle.

The Face of Color – The very high level of pigmentation, the color combinations and the unique silky texture of MOROCCO eyeshadows offer a virtually unlimited spectrum of eye makeup possibilities. They may vary from ‘nude’ effect natural, matte, or satin, to smokey eyes – expressive and metallic. Moreover, the eyeshadows also include components that condition the skin of your eyelids. Thanks to out original micronization process and near creamy texture, each layer adheres to the eyelids to prevent crumbling and deposition of eyeshadows in the eyelid crease. The unique formula of MOROCCO eyeshadows enables you to use it dry or wet, making it a great substitute for an eyeliner. The wet application extends the longevity of the eyeshadows. Keep in mind that the applicator (brush) should be only slightly moistened. In both cases apply the base (OSLO compact powder) under the eyeshadow first. The idea here it to allow combining different eyeshades to create new colours. Does not contain parabens, hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested. 

The eyeshadows just as the highlighter (if not more so) are buttery soft. The pigmentation of all the shades, especially the mattes is phenomenal. The mattes are as creamy as Urban Decay matte eyeshadows (which I rate highly and enjoy using) but I think they are even more pigmented. I have no trouble blending the matte eyeshadows.

Above: Morocco Eyeshadow Palette in No. 4 Marry Me

Marry Me could be your everyday makeup kind of palette if you are into neutrals, but want a little colour to lift your complexion. The individual shades in the palette don’t have names from what I can tell. The top left hand shade is a pearly satin white. It has some transparency to it, but I think that’s to stop it from becoming a frosty white. The shimmer in the eyeshadow is very fine and understated. These white shade is my kind of highlighter eyeshadow – not over the top. The gold metallic eyeshadow on the top right of the palette, is soooo super creamy its almost like a dream 😛 It’s a light cool toned gold. The brown shade in the palette on the bottom left, is a dark cool brown. totally matte and yet very workable and blends out like a dream. The pink shade on the bottom right hand side is really interesting, because on my skin at least, it applies as a medium toned pink, looking almost like a salmon pink. It isn’t a pastel or wishy-washy pink. It’s also totally matte and very pigmented.

Swatches from the Morocco eyeshadow palette in no. 4 Marry Me

Palace Royal is a purple toned palette, also containing two matte eyeshadows and two super shimmery eye shadow shades.

Above: Morocco Eyeshadow Palette in No. 1 Palace Royal

The top left shadow is a totally white matte shade, with a hint of pink to it. I think the pink warms it up slightly, and makes it a little less stark looking. It’s a good base eyeshadow and blends out very easily, thanks to it’s light tone. The top right hand eyeshadow on the other hand is a very dark eggplant purple. It almost looks like a dark navy in the pan, but it’s definitely purple. It’s maybe not as soft and buttery as the mattes in the Marry Me palette, but I think that’s because purples are more difficult pigments to work with (alway rebelling lol). It’s still lovely though. The bottom left eyeshadow is probably the most stunning shade in the palette. It’s quite  light violet metallic purple. Worn all over the eyelid, this colour would give you the most stunning bold purple eye look! It’s again, maybe not as soft as the gold metallic shade found in Marry Me, but it’s still decently pigmented and layers wonderfully. I’ll also note that the swatched below don’t capture the gorgeousness of this violet shade – it’s a lot more true to pan in person. The bottom right had shade is also a metallic, but more of a silver – maybe with a teeny tiny hint of warmness? It’s difficult to tell, but it’s super soft and shiny!

Swatches from the Morocco eyeshadow palette in no. 1 Palace Royal

Each Morocco eyeshadow palette retails for $54 USD. I’m so happy with the quality of my Bikor makeup buys. Not only is the quality of the products great, but their customer service is top notch as well. Bikor ship worldwide, but when I went through the checkout process and picked Australia as my shipping destination, no shipping methods came up for me to choose from. I emailed Bikor and they replied to my query super quickly. I arranged to pay for the order via Paypal and the whole transaction went through smoothly. When you spend over $200 USD (or 150 euros or 120 GBP) you receive complimentary shipping. Shipping is via courier, so my order arrived in a matter of days, which amazed me (one day the order was showing as being in Poland and the next it was at my door).

I’m already thinking about what my next purchase might be – I’d love to try the all matte quad, no. 5 Bed & Breakfast and no. 3 Rainforest (a palette of greens), no. 7 Summer Break (blues) or perhaps no. 10 Wonderland (bright metallic glitters). The website is really well layed out and looks super professional, so have a browse and let me know what products appeal to you then most! Hopefully some of you beauties will be tempted to try a few of their goodies 🙂

Until next time!

Beauty Bee~

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