Fall. Smoky eyes. They go hand-in-hand.
Look at those colors in the palette to the right. They scream Fall, too, don't they?
That palette is from L'Oreal, and it's going to cost you about six bucks.
But it it worth it? Keep reading to see my review.
What it is:
"Beautifully coordinated shadows that let you easily create the perfect smoky eye effect for your eye color." I tried Forest Smokes, which has a mossy green-tinged brown, an olive, a yellow gold, and a warm champagne.
Packaging:
It's standard drugstore packaging. The palette is hinged, the case black with a clear window on the top.
The shades are embossed with numbers that are supposed to guide you with color placement. There's a sticker on the back of the palette telling you how/where to place the shades.
The darkest shade (#1 -in this case the deep olive) goes along the lashline, the next darkest (#2 -here, the green-brown) on the lid. To highlight, the second lightest color (#3 - gold in this palette) is placed on the brow bone. Finally, the lightest shade (#4 - the champagne) goes on the inner eye, around the tearduct. You can also watch a video demo here.
Application:
I love a soft, creamy eyeshadow. This isn't quite soft and creamy, but it's not scratchy or dry, either. It goes on fairly smoothly. The brown-green is not so easy to work with, though. It's patchy. I'd suggest placing it on top of other shades to deepen the colors rather than using it on its own. The lighter two shades glide on and blend well; the olive works well dry but is even better when wet.
Performance:
I got all-day wear when I used this wet over no primer. I get equal wear over any of my primers. It only manages about four hours dry with no primer before fading and creasing, but you know what? Most shadows don't go much further than that. Overall: impressive.
Comments:
You know I'm a brand snob. That used to be because the pricier brands had more oomph. Better products. More color payoff. They were softer, smoother, and just... better. If L'Oreal keeps putting out good products like this, I'm going to have to change my ways or my rationale!
The look shown on this review is with the shadows applied wet, because I wanted to show off the color pay-off. It's pretty great, and the gold foils nicely. I also wanted to apply it in a way that isn't "prescribed" because I think that's pretty limiting. I placed the darker shadow (#1) all over the lid. The crease was deepened with the mossy shade (#2), using a fluffy brush. Then, I deepened the outside corner of the lid with the olive (#1) using a wet brush. I sculpted that area a bit, for fun, bringing it out into a cat eye shape towards the temple. Then I took the gold (#3) and, with a dampened brush, patted it on the inner half of the lid. I used the lightest shade (#4) to highlight both the brow bone and the tearduct.
Who should try it:
Anyone who appreciates a good deal, wants to craft a nice smoky eye, is looking for smoldering Fall shades, or who prefers a product that steps them through application.
Who should skip it:
Brand snobs or those afraid to find out that drugstore brands have great products.
This product was furnished for consideration by the manufacturer or a representative thereof. Please read our review policy on our About tab for more information.
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