Kevyn Aucoin The Eyeshadow Duo in 211 Pink Shell/Deep Taupe - review and swatches

/
0 Comments

I have three Kevyn Aucion products left to review: this little duo in 211 and two others in 202 and 213.

This Pink Shell/Deep Taupe combination was the first of the three that I bought and it's the one I've used the most since it's daytime appropriate and goes with just about any look. I'll review it now and then concentrate on testing the other two some more so I can review those in the near future and compare the quality of each.


The packaging is beautifully luxe and screams fancy. Just what you'd expect from a high-end brand.

I love the gold boxes and I've kept mine so I can display them on my makeup shelves. The compact itself isn't my favourite in style but it does look good and it's functional: the gold bar at the base presses in and there's a mirror in the lid of each product.

Each Kevyn Aucoin product I own also comes with a little velvet dust case - a nice touch.


Kevyn Aucoin claims/product details:
  • Luminous and sophisticated colour combinations elevate your look from subtle and demure to full on glamour
  • Two complementary shades in our signature gold push-latch compact
  • New formula features micronised powder pigments and pearls for a smooth application
  • Sixteen different duos to suit all looks
  • Highly blendable and virtually foolproof
  • To use: apply shadow with a damp brush for intensified colour
  • RRP $50 AUD approx for 4.8g (see eg Beautybay), but do shop around: I bought mine for around $35 each from memory during separate promotions


There's the compact in direct sunlight above and I've swatched the colours below (also direct sunlight):


 Applied without a primer on the left and with one on the right (natural light):


Same shot, indirect sunlight:


One more for good measure:


Wearing Pink Shell as a base colour and Deep Taupe on the outer edges and lightly dusted along and above the crease; wearing a separate shadow as a highlighter shade (indoors):


Same application, shot taken in indirect sunlight (outdoors):


And in natural light:


Last one, shot taken outdoors:


Verdict

I absolutely love the formula of Kevyn Aucoin's eyeshadows and this little duo is no exception.

Duo 211 Pink Shell/Deep Taupe is on the cooler side so it's unlike any other duos I own because I normally gravitate towards warmer shades. Happily it's not too cool though (it crosses into neutral territory in some lights) - otherwise I wouldn't wear it as much as I do.

Pink Shell is a fairly standard colour that you could find just about anywhere, but Deep Taupe is pretty special and there's something complex about it that really appeals. I'm sure dupes exist but I haven't seen any that are this rich and such a great balance between brown and grey - so yes it's cool but it's more on the neutral side of the spectrum and it goes with just about any look.

This duo is one you could easily wear on its own, but I do usually add a highlighter shade to go with it since I like brightening up the lashline and inner corners with a bit of sheen. It's a great duo for everyday wear and you can also build the colours for a night look if you want.

Good matte shadows can be harder to find than good shimmers, and the formula of Kevyn Aucoin's mattes is up there with the best of them. If you prefer full-on pigment these mightn't be for you because they're on the sheer side, but that's one of the things I love about them. 

Having said this, the two matte duos I own are more pigmented than the two matte singles I have, so you may prefer these over the singles if you like more pigment - but even then you'd be better off applying them wet if you want heaps of impact.

The formula itself is beautifully creamy and silky, and it almost applies and blends itself so it's one of those shadows that doesn't require a lot of work - my favourite kind! The texture also feels better than other high-end mattes I own because it's so finely milled and smooth.

This duo also lasts well throughout the day, whether with or without a primer. I'd recommend using a primer because that always helps with intensity and therefore means you don't need to build the colour too much (which can add texture and look less natural, because powder starts to look visible pretty quickly). 

It also just looks high quality when applied. Often you can't tell between low quality and high quality powders once they're on your face, but I certainly can with this. It almost looks ethereal and seems to lift the eye area without the use of shimmer or sheen. A rare thing, in my experience.

I've given the two singles I own HG tags but I won't with these duos because I find the singles a little more versatile: I often use them as blending colours and to fix up any patchiness when I've applied shadows from other brands, because they're so sheer and can be used in so many different ways.

In sum, this is a fantastic product and I think it meets all its claims. It won't be for everyone because the pigment isn't huge, but I love that about it and it's a product I would buy again.


You may also like

No comments:

littlewhitetruths. Powered by Blogger.