Kiko Life in Rio collection review

Kiko have become one of my favourite high street makeup brands. Originally hailing from Milan, they've recently opened more stores in the UK and I love their limited edition collections that get launched every few months. For spring/summer, they've created the Life In Rio collection*. A mixture of bright colours and carnival inspired products, I think this will be a bit hit.

L-R Bronzer, pink side of blusher, all of blusher swirled together

My favourite item from the collection has to be the dual ended creamy eye shadow sticks. These feature two complementary eye shadows in crayon format, that can be applied straight from the pencil and then blended out with a brush. These are really long lasting and don't crease, as they dry to a powder finish. The beige/brown combination is my favourite and I've been wearing this all week. There are also a lot of brighter combinations for the more adventurous, but I'm staying firmly in my comfort zone with these neutrals! 6 shade combinations, £9.90 each.

Also for the eyes are the Tropical liquid liners. These are long-lasting, highly pigmented liquid liners that come in a choice of 6 shades. I was sent a bright turquoise and a purple to try out and these really do have a bold colour pop to them. I normally stick to black liner, however I've been using the turquoise shade as a little highlight over my black to add a splash of colour without looking too bold. £7.90 each.

The Sun Lovers baked blushers from the collection have also caught my eye. These are almost like a bronzer/blusher combination as they feature a darker side on the left, and then a brighter, more shimmery blusher on the right. You can wear all three colours blended together, or use them almost like two separate products to create a custom finish. The blusher is quite shimmery, so do be careful when applying, but it looks lovely dusted over cheeks with just a hint of the darker shade blended with it. 4 shades to choose from, £14.90 each. 

There's also an Essential Baked Bronzer as part of the collection. This is a really large palette and could easily be worn dusted over shoulders for a hint of colour as well as the face. The shade is quite dark, so not great for me, however, would look lovely on someone with a medium/dark skin tone. £16.90

For the nails, there's a range of 10 Sun Show nail laquers, which are all shot through with an intense shimmer and reflect in the sunlight. I love this blue shade (Tropical Blue)) as it's a bit different from the usual summer nail polish options, and it makes me think of sipping cocktails by the beach somewhere hot and sunny!  £5.90 each. 

The Exotic Shine Lipsticks are a nice addition to the collection, but don't necessarily feel that 'summery' to me. The coral shade I tested out is definitely a winner, and the formula is creamy and non-drying and wears pretty well. I think I was expecting something slightly more glossy, however these are almost semi-matte, so if you prefer a high-shine finish, pop a slick of gloss on over the top. There are 6 shades to choose from and cost £8.50 each.

Last, up is the double ended face brush. I'm never keen on giving brush reviews before I've used them a lot in case they start shedding after a few washes, but initial impressions for this one are good. There's a foundation brush at one end and a slanted contour/blusher brush at the other end. Both feature super soft bristles and blend makeup nicely. £16.90

All in all, I think this is another great collection from Kiko. What do you like the look of from the Life In Rio collection?