It is hard for me to believe that this is the first Clarins eyeshadow that I have everused but it is true. In over 1000 blog posts and nearly 30 years of buying and wearing makeup, I have always gone to clarins for skincare. First time for everything, right?
The shades
If you asked me to name this palette Lovely Rose is not what would come to my mind. A light pink, a coral, a dusty rose and purple combo is an interesting shade selection – especially for Clarins. Like Pat McGrath’s La Vie En Rose palette, there seems to be a trend for ‘rose’ palettes that contain a deep purple. Roses come in a huge variety of colours naturally but purple is not one of them. No doubt there is a horticultural genius somewhere who has created a purple rose. No doubt is it beautiful but it is not a natural rose shade. If they had included a red or cranberry tone, that would have truly made it a rose palette in my opinion. I do like this shade selection however, and it will be no surprise to you that the purple is my favourite shade.
The texture
All four shades in the palette are satins. After wearing this palette for over a week I’m still not sure how I feel about it. A matte shadow is always a good thing in a palette but the reality is that none of this shades are a crease or transition colour for me and I have my beloved Viseart matte shades if I really want to create that look. The formula of these satins means that they are easy to blend out and I have used the three deepest shades in the crease blended out and it worked. What does that means? Well, I don’t really miss not having a matte shade… but I still kinda want one.
The formula is wet dry. The swatches photographed are dried, I found that wetting the brush slightly deepend the shade but did not do much for the longevity of the shadows on the lid. The wet/dry feature is not really a feature in my opinion.
The packaging
This gold palette with the red label on the bottom is giving me luxe makeup vibes and I am all for that. It gives the right amount of purse factor without being obvious about the brand. Grown up chic. The velveteen pouchette is a gorgeous vibrant red and the palette is lightweight and easy to open Inside the palette the double ended sponge applicator lets it down. A mini brush or no brush at all would be better in my opinion.
Final thoughts
This is a pretty palette and the colourway is up my street. However, I love pigmented eyeshadows. Look at my top five eyeshadow brand post. Each and every brand is known for their pigmentation. Washes of colour are great for those days where the focus is really on the lips, or if I am doing my makeup on public transport but it is not my preference. If you are less of an eyeshadow fiend than I am, I think you will really enjoy this palette. If like me. Drama on the eyes is one of your favourite looks this palette is probably not for you.
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