KIKO Milano, Bergamo's Answer to the Color Counter

KIKO Milano was founded in Bergamo, Italy in 1997 by Antonio and Stefano Percassi. Stefano is credited with creating it, following an idea from his father. I like knowing that, because it explains the brand's tone: makeup that is quick, colorful and easy to try, not something you approach with a lot of ceremony. In April 2024 the Percassi family agreed to sell a majority stake to a new owner, and they kept a significant share, so the story is still a family one at heart.

Start with the face. The Unlimited Foundation is the base I would test first, and the Universal Stick Concealer is the easy one to throw in a bag for touching up under the eyes. The Unlimited Blush and the Flawless Fusion Bronzer Powder do the color work, and I would use the bronzer lightly, in a loose number three across the forehead, cheeks and jaw, rather than a stripe.

For the eyes, New Maxi Mod Mascara is an intense black volume mascara with a mini brush, and the Dazzling Daydream Eyeshadow Palette is the playful part of the collection. I like a palette like that best when I ignore the rules: one shimmer on the lid, one matte in the crease, done in three minutes. Mascara goes on last, wiggled at the roots, and I stop at two coats so the lashes stay separate. That is the whole eye look, and it holds up on a rushed morning. Keep the bronzer and blush in the same warm family and the face looks finished with almost no effort.

Lips are where the brand really lets loose, and if you only try one category, this is the one. The range covers every finish you could want, and the color choices are bolder than most.

3D Hydra Lipgloss is a 3D-effect moisturising gloss, and it is the one I would start with if you want shine that looks like glass. Unlimited Double Touch is the one I would pick for a color that has to last through a long dinner, and it works in two steps: a liquid lipstick first, then a gloss over the top once the color has dried for a minute. Kissable Lip Volume Plumping Lip Balm is the one for dry days, a balm with a plumping angle. Gossamer Emotion Creamy Lipstick is the comfortable, creamy option, the lipstick I would give to someone who thinks they hate lipstick. I went deeper on a related idea in KIKO Milano 3D Hydra Lipgloss: Shades and Lip Oils I Would Pick.

Then there is the Creamy Colour Comfort Lip Liner, which I think is the underrated hero here. A liner in the right shade fills the lips, so you can wear it alone, and it stops other products from creeping out at the corners.

Try a liner all over the mouth, a lipstick pressed in on top, and a dot of gloss at the center. It takes a minute and looks like you spent longer. If the color is very bright, tap it on with a fingertip first, then build it slowly until it looks like your own lips on a good day.

No brand does every lip product best, so here are some of the ones from other names that I like beside the KIKO Milano stack. The main difference is in how much shine, stickiness and color each one brings.

Fenty Beauty's Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Gloss Luminizer is the shine that flatters every skin tone, glossy in one swipe. Huda Beauty's Faux Filler is a shiny, non-sticky gloss, so your hair does not get stuck to your mouth in the wind. Tower 28 Beauty's ShineOn Lip Jelly is a hydrating, non-sticky lip oil, light enough to wear all day. Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Lip Oil Stick is the tidy version of an oil in a stick.

Yves Saint Laurent's Candy Glaze is a lip gloss stick, which gives you the shine without a wand and without the mess in a handbag. Gisou's Honey Infused Hydrating Lip Oil is the softest of the group, the honey infused one I put on before bed and at my desk.

What I would skip: layering a thick gloss over a matte, drying lip color, or pairing a rich oil with a long-wear lipstick and expecting both to behave. Choose one job per layer. Let the color set for a moment, add gloss only in the center, and blot at the edges with a tissue.

If you are new to the brand, I would shop it in three steps. Begin with one thing you will use every day, such as the concealer stick or a balm. Add one thing that makes you smile, a bold lipstick or a palette. Then wait a couple of weeks before buying anything else.

Swatch in daylight, on the inside of your wrist and then on your lips, because the shade in a picture is rarely what you get. Keep one gloss in your bag and one at home. Take everything off at night, and give your lips a break with a plain balm once a week. Makeup this colorful is meant to be played with, and that is exactly what a brand from Bergamo has been asking of us since 1997.