Over the years, my relationship with eyeshadow has ebbed and flowed. I would say it reached its height in college, particularly during study abroad when we would go full glam with our makeup before heading out in Madrid from sunset to sunrise (oh, the memories of cheap wine and gin and Coca-Cola). When I would arrive home, despite my constant experimenting with different brands, my eyeshadow never survived the evening. How I wish that Ilia’s Liquid Powder Eye Tint would have existed back then because this has become the one product that seems to last.
As you can see, I own it in multiple colors because I love it oh so much. Here’s why this product is amazing:
It comes in both matte and chromatic options - I have both and typically use the former for day and the latter for evening
It’s super easy to apply with your finger or a brush - I personally prefer a brush
It doesn’t smudge or rub away during wear
It’s easy to layer
Ilia is a true pioneer in the clean beauty brand space and sold by specific companies that carefully screen their products before selling - including Credo and The Detox Market. A fun fact is that Ilia’s founder, Sasha, collaborated with Sephora to write the mega-company’s clean beauty brand guidelines
I’m fair skinned with blue eyes and I typically go for colors that are a bit more neutral. I’ve included my favorites below. Note that on Ilia’s website, they do a thoughtful job of showcasing the colors on various skin tones.
Cork (Matte) - this is my everyday, barely-there neutral color
Glaze - Warm Champagne Pearl (Chromatic) - this color acts as a highlighter
Mythic - Rose Gold Pearl (Chromatic)
Sheen - Copper Bronze Pearl (Chromatic) - for going out on the town; pairs well with gold jewelry
About the Founder
My research into Sasha Plavsic was some of my favorite to date, as I appreciate the way in which her path to founding Ilia in 2011 was meandering - yet she always followed her heart and let curiosity lead. She has lived no less than 8 lives prior to Ilia. I found her to be quite self aware, having learned when to defer strategic decisions to those with deep experience. My interpretation is that she really listens to her team and the market - especially during the pandemic when marketing and buying patterns shifted substantially. She and her Ilia team have organically built a loyal following that seamlessly caters to a wide array of ages and skin tones. Her brand imagery very clearly reflects this positioning more than any other clean brand I follow.
After taking an aptitude test as a child, Sasha decided to pursue graphic design in college, but quickly found that being at university didn’t quite fit. After leaving early, without consciously realizing it, she made an ahead-of-the-curve decision in 1999 and entered a 10-month intensive multimedia program that focused on web design and Adobe. She found employment in a classic corporate job too boring, so she decided to return to school, this time in London for graphic design.
While abroad, she blossomed in creative ways. Her school was a feeder for the prestigious London College of Art, so there was a culture of free thinking and her classmates had diverse, global backgrounds. She has specifically called out how much she loved the new-to-her design aesthetic of her Scandinavian peers. I personally can see some of this influence in Ilia’s brand.
After school, she joined a branding firm and discovered that she had a passion for rebranding businesses - from law firms to eyewear retailers - balancing the heritage of a company with the emerging desire for modern-day relevance was a fun creative and intellectual challenge. After a stint at Urban Decay, she decided to move home to Vancouver and take some time off to reflect upon different entrepreneurial opportunities.
While home, her mom inspired her to explore clean beauty after she learned that her lipsticks were filled with unnecessary metals. She quickly realized that there was significant white space for clean products and embarked on the path of creating 6 buildable and nourishing lip balms that ultimately got picked up by major high-end retailer Colette in France (closed in 2017), giving her a global platform, and many local US boutiques.
One of my favorite fun facts about the name Ilia is that it was her great-grandfather’s. He was a shoe designer at the turn of the 20th century in Belgrade and prided himself on his quality and craftsmanship. Sasha also loved the name because it sounds feminine in English, but it’s masculine in Slavic.
To learn more about her journey, listen to Second Life podcast with Hillary Kerr.
Images | 1 | @b.g.mckay, styled by me | 2 - 6 | Ilia | 7 | Coco Eco Magazine | 8 | @b.g.mckay
Note: I do not get paid for nor make money off of this post. All opinions are my own.