2015 Spring Eyeshadows

2015 Spring Eyeshadows Releases

before you unearth your stash of pastel eye shadows (if you have any) to accompany spring lip colours, have a look at the spring releases! this is the time of the year when most may experiment with pastel shades.

there're simply TOO MANY makeup and beauty brands out there, i'll try to put together both eastern and western brands in this entry! here are 6 eye shadows that interested me in some way or another.

INTEGRATE rainbow gradient eyes | REVLON photoready eye art | VISEE nudy rich eyes

1. INTEGRATE | rainbow gradient eyes (shantan dress) |1600 yen

a 2015 spring limited release, the pink in the upper left will brighten up any dull eyes, while the three tones in the heart will create a soft gradient effect. use the blue with pearly finish on the center of the lids for more bright and lovely eyes. 

the colours look so soft and almost cotton-candy like! i think this will look great on darker skin as the pastel shades will stand out more!

2. REVLON | photoready eye art lid+line+lash | USD 7-9

the satin cream eye shadows are easily applied by the doe foot applicator, the colour blends easily, adhering closely with your eyes to create a high shine look. on the other end is a glitter which you can apply to line your eyes, or all over your lids with the help of the brush applicator.

i've seen swatches online and the finish of the cream eye shadow is frosty - in some photos they look like liquid gold. seems like the champagne and pink shades will make a good eye shadow base! the glitter looks really versatile too, i can foresee myself using it to line my lids and my lower lid area for the teary eye look! 

3. VISEE | nudy rich eyes (BE-7) | 1400 yen

the new ash beige eye shadow quint can help you create the mixed-blood look that well loved by japanese. the shades will carve out sharper dimensions on your eyes. the base colour (at the top) will brighten your entire eye area to prepare for the 4 gradient colours later. infused with moisturizing ingredients, it'll protect you from dry skin.

from the official website, this palette looks a little like mauve to me - greyish brown with a hint of purple. i don't own any palette like this and it's really enticing me.

MAJOLICA MAJORCA majolook illuminator | YVES SAINT LAURENT palette yeux collector | JILL STUART ribbon couture eyes

4. MAJOLICA MAJORCA | majolook illuminator | 1400 yen

limited release for spring 2015, nude brown palette BE700 and pink pastel jewel PK700 will illuminate your eyes with the luminous eye base (the longest rectangle), while the other 3 powder eye shadow brighten your eyes.

majolica majorca eye shadows are well known for their buttery powders. i don't own any eye shadows from them because their colour tend to be on the light and sheer side. too frosty for my liking.

5. YVES SAINT LAURENT | palette yeux collector (ombres du jour) | USD 60

housed in the luxurious casing decorated with black belt and pink sparkles are 5 powder eye shadows: matte black with pink shimmer in the center, champagne, sheer pink, glossy copper, and nude beige. a versatile palette that can be use for both daily looks and glamorous party looks.

the mixture of nude and statement colours make this palette special in its own way. the nude and copper shade can be use for daily looks, and transition into a night look by adding a dash of black. if you're feeling flirty, use the pink and champagne for highlight!

6. JILL STUART | ribbon couture eyes (hydrangea chiffon) | 5000 yen

a new release this year, ribbon couture eyes comes in 4 permanent shades and 1 limited shade (shown above) for spring 2015. the quint consist of 4 gradation colours, and an additional "ribbon colour" for decorating your eyes. formulated with emollients, the powder has a buttery texture and high blendability.

the colour combination resemble that of majolica majorca quite a bit huh? this cost 3 times as much! but the packaging is always pleasing to look at. 

QUESTION
will you try out any of the spring colours for your eyes?

i'll probably pair them up with my normal palettes so i still get some darker shades on my eyes or i risk looking really puffy eyed. if you have darker skin, pastels will contrast your skin to give you a really bright eye look!



image credit: @cosme official website, jill stuart official website

pupa multi-effect baked eye shadow duo 30

Pupa Multi-Effect Baked Eye Shadow Duo 30

this is another eye shadow that is gifted to me by my girlfriend.
you know she's a keeper when she feeds my addiction without me asking!

i'm not too familiar with pupa then (even now), she just picked this colour for me thinking it'll suit me.
it's a eye shadow duo that comes in two shades of blue.
anything baked has a good colour payoff. this is no exception.

it comes in a clear plastic case, and a dual ended sponge tip applicator.






swatched over powder foundation.

the two swatches on the left are wet swatches, while the two on the right are dry swatches.

the darker shade is a electric blue that has a iridescent/metallic/chrome finish (i can't find the right word to describe it, there is a this sheen when seen at different angles). i see some red micro glitter in it!
the lighter shade is a shimmery wash of light blue, almost a frosted finish but contains a lot of silver micro glitter and shimmer.

both the shades are very soft and pigmented, of course if it is applied wet the colour will be even more solid.
the powder are picked up easily by either a brush or fingers. i seldom use the sponge tip applicators, but when i did use it, it sort of took away that metallic sheen to the darker blue shade.

IMHO:
i seldom wear this palette on its own. i usually pair it up with the kate diamond cut palette to create an electric blue eyes. i like that the finish of the dark blue shade, for it shows its true colour as compared to shimmery or glittery shades.
this palette is so versatile as it can be worn dry or wet.
i usually apply the lightest shade on the centre of my lid to make it standout, while using the dark blue shade as an electric blue eyeliner on the outer corner of my eyes.

Etude House Look At My Eyes & Look At My Eyes Cafe

Etude House Look At My Eyes & Look At My Eyes Cafe

i got my gf to pick up some eyeshadows from etude house when she was travelling to korea a while ago (this is part of my haul). i picked out 6 shades from their website excruciatingly as i was struck with the dilemma of choice. with so many shades of pick from, and being spoilt by the ready-to-use japanese eyeshadow palettes, it was hard for me to pick out shades that i think will go along well with each other.

i think i did quite a good job picking out the shades by sticking close to their undertones :D I THINK.

etude house eyeshadows may be a little confusing for those of you who are new to it. there are three product lines in the "look at my eyes" series.

look at my eyes cafe - matte eyeshadows
look at my eyes - metallic/shimmery eyeshadows
look at my eyes jewel - frosty eyeshadows

i got 3 matte shades (look at my eyes cafe), as well as 3 metallic/shimmery shades (look at my eyes)


look at my eyes cafe, from left to right:
BE102 honey milk | BR401 cafe latte | PK004



look at my eyes, from left to right:
BR401 | BR402 | OR205 fever orange


swatched over bare skin.


LOOK AT MY EYES CAFE///////
BE102: an off white (slightly yellowish) shade with matte finish.
BR401: a light brown with some pink to it. matte finish.
PK004: a wine colour with matte finish.

all the matte shades are finely milled and goes on easily (using a brush). with finger, the PK004 appears blotchy.


LOOK AT MY EYES///////
OR205: orange with golden micro shimmer. applying with finger (or wet brush) helps retain most shimmer, whereas a dry brush will get rid of most shimmer, leaving behind a wash of orange. the result is a slightly reflective shimmery finish.
BR401: yellowish golden packed with fine golden shimmer. metallic finish.
BR402: reddish toned brown packed with very find shimmer of the same shade. metallic finish.


both BR401 and BR402 are the softest and applies the smoothest out of all the shades. OR205 is slightly harder in texture and doesn't get picked up as easily as the other two. the metallic finish is most obvious if applied with fingers for all three shadows.


swatched over bare skin, as seen in different angles

you can definitely see the obvious metallic sheen to the two brown shades. they are the most reflective of all, followed by OR205 which have a more shimmery look. the matte shades are obviously matte :P

IMHO:
i haven't mentioned the price yet, they retail for 3500won (each) in korea!!! BEST BUY EVER!?!?
they offer a REALLY HUGE selection of colours. of course, if you're hoping to look for some really exotic shades like peacock turquoise.. you'll have to look at the higher end makeup brands.

the texture of the shades are all wonder to work with, with the exception of the look at my eyes BR401 and BR402 being extraordinarily soft and buttery. all the rest are not bad in my opinion.

but using the orange shade may be a little tricky though, depending on the finish you want. for a light wash of colour, a dry brush is best. but if you want the shimmer, stick to your finger or a slightly damp brush.

MAKEUP LOOK


look at my eyes cafe BE102 over entire lid, BR401 on outer half of lid.
inner half of lower lid is dusted with the shimmery champagne shade from the lavshuca melting eyes palette.


catrice made to stay highlighting pen over entire lid, look at my eyes OR205 on outer corner and outer half of lower lash line.

can't wait to make more looks with the eyeshadows!

etude house sweet recipe cupcake eyes br402 chocochip sweet mint

Etude House Sweet Recipe Eyes BR402 Chocochip Sweet Mint

korean brands are well known for their adorable packaging. this eyeshadow duo comes in a tin case that resembles a cupcake.


it contains two wearable shades and is easy to use.










swatched over powder foundation

the lighter shade is a shimmery blue shade, the colour payoff isn't great (don't expect it to appear blue on your skin). it took me two swipes to get the intensity in the swatch. however, when used on the centre of the lids, it is able to impart a good amount of metallic shimmer for some additional dimensions. very shimmery when viewed from the side!

the darker shade is a brown with red undertone, and it has a shimmery finish (gold micro shimmer) when applied on the eyes, giving it a slightly reflective look. pigmentation wise, i'd say it's okay, it can be built up.

both shades are prone to hardening over time, and a good scrubbing (with an old toothbrush) does a good job in reviving its colour intensity.

IMHO:
i think this eyeshadow duo follows korean cosmetic's natural look motto.
the colour adds just a wash of colour, but abundant shimmery and shine to give it that translucent make up look, i'm not gonna lie, i like this effect sometimes when i want to go light with my make up.
i believe the "no make up make up look" can be easily achieved with this eyeshadow.

MAKEUP LOOK


brown on the upper lid, and blue on the inner corner of the lower lid.


blue on the centre of the lid, and brown on both sides of the lid.

kate diamond cut eyes bk-1

Kate Diamond Cut Eyes BK-1

as you can see i'm starting to feel a little more brisky and adventurous with my colour choice after dabbling with make up after some time.
i think i can rock this blue palette! (keyword: i think)
this palette come with 4 colours, but i think it's actually 3 in reality, since the diamond shade on the top left is a mere wash of shimmer and glitter. there is next to no colour to them.

as usual, the packaging is the sleek black plastic case and it is embossed on the inside to make the eyeshadow appear to be grooved. it comes with a dual end sponge chip, one side is slimmer than the other to allow for more precise eye lining with the darkest shade.

a look at the website tells me that kate is probably phasing this out soon as well. i didn't know time flew by so quickly. the diamond cut eyes were introduced in spring of 2009, that's a good 5 years from then, when mika nakashima was still the spokesperson (i prefer her to the new one btw).



the "diamond" shades were the only one that has embossing on it, it has worn out a little over the years.





swatched over foundation powder.

(bottom right, bottom left, top right, gold diamond, silver diamond)
the diamond shades has a harder consistency, making it slightly harder to pick up the powder with a brush or finger. the other shades are butter smooth and soft.

from left to right,
the darkest shade is a blackish blue with silver micro shimmer. a very gorgeous shade!
the medium shade is a slightly greyish blue, with a slight pearly and shimmery finish to it.
the lightest shade is a frosted light blue, perfect for highlighting the inner corners of the eyes and brow bones.
the gold and silver contains glitter of the respective colours. it appears golden and silver in the swatch, but upon blending out only the glitters remains while the "base colour" disappears.

IMHO:
i admit i bought this palette because it looked really good on mika nakashima in the ads :X
in reality this palette is a little hard to rock as it's not a very common day time colour.
i usually wear this when i party, which serves that purpose very well because i love how the shimmer in the darkest shade brings out the contrast in the colours. ok, let's just say i'm a fan of "understated glam", i like dark bling!
also, the diamond shades adds that mysterious shine to my eyes whenever the lights flashes and hit my eyes. i can already imagine guys seeing my diamond shimmery eyes when they are high in their world, everything seems dreamy and ethereal.
even though i don't wear this palette that often, but i love it whenever i have the chance to wear this. i can't remember a time when i didn't use this palette when i hit the club. hahaha this is officially my club eye shadow palette!!!

i got this for HKD$115 in hongkong sasa.

MAKEUP LOOK

Lavshuca Melting Eyes BR

Lavushuca Melting Eyes BR

i hope this is the last palette that is being discontinued.
i don't mean to show you something that you can't get anymore!

before lavshuca underwent a brand renewal, they used to be princess-y and elegant (unlike their currently brand image, which is a more lively and playful kind of girly-ness).
can i say i actually prefer the older packaging and brand image?

this palette comes with 4 shades, this is a brown palette, moreover the finish is vastly different from kate's gradical eyes palette.
hahaha you know what, even if they are very similar, i'd find some excuses to justify me owning this palette :P
my girlfriend bought this for me when she was in japan 4 years ago, it was a seasonal special that came with a stick eye base.








swatched over foundation powder.

(top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)

lightest shade: light golden shade with a frosty and shimmery finish, loaded with gold micro shimmer and glitter. highly reflective!
medium light shade: a gold shade with a shimmery finish, with micro shimmer.
medium dark shade: a copper shade with red undertone, shimmery finish with no glitter.
dark shade: a blackish brown shade that has a satin finish, with minimal gold shimmer.

IMHO:
i used to compare this to the gradical eyes palette a lot.
the gradical eyes have a more satin finish and less shimmer, which the melting eyes palette has a lot more shimmer to it.
i like this palette for its neutral brown darkest shade as it allows me to use it as an eye liner. the kate palette has too much red tone to the darkest shade, and its finish is a little more satin/metallic than the darkest shade from the melting eyes palette.
i also like the shimmer when i feel like looking a little more pixie like :) as it is high reflective, it allows me to highlight my lower lids just the way i like!
say yes to pixie dust!

MAKEUP LOOK


LOOK 1


LOOK 1


LOOK 2


AMO IMSPIRED LOOK click on image to see the tutorial!

kate dual blend eyes bk-2

Kate Dual Blend Eyes BK-2

this is hands down the most buttery eye shadow i've ever used. i am so addicted to kate's eye shadow, for a few years their eye shadows were all that i used. i simply love their formula, their price, their colour, their packaging.. hahaha see! i told you i am biased.

this palette contains only 2 shades, a light colour and a deep colour. you can create a third colour by mixing the two, hence the funky placement of the shades.

it comes with a sponge applicator to help pack on the colour. the transparent window has diamonds embossed onto it. i am not joking when i say their packaging is beautiful! it's these little details that win my heart, because it makes this palette such a pleasing thing to my eyes even if i'm not wearing it.






swatched over foundation powder.

both the shades are extremely soft and smooth. i have never felt anything softer than these!
they apply like a dream and blends as though friction does not exist on earth.

the deep color is a dark blue/grey with silver micro shimmers.
the light colour is a frosted grey shade, rather similar in texture and finish with the lightest shade in the kate diamond cut eyes palette. it has no glitter or shimmer, but a rather foil/metallic finish.

IMHO:
while these blend out amazingly, they do smudge due to that particular reason. it's safer to wear this over primer if you have oily lids. other than that, i don't think i have anything to complain about this palette.
personally i don't blend the two colours in the palette to get a third shade. i do the blending on my eyes itself.
i just love how crazy pigmented this palette is, by far the most pigmented kate palette!

i also wear this palette to the club :P

maybelline hyperdiamond eye shadow pk-1

Maybelline Hyperdiamond Eye Shadow PK-1


the reds and the pinks are a class of colours that i shy away from in the past,
but over the years i managed to find out what are the shades of pinks that i can carry off without looking like i just cried for hours (haha!).

i tried my best to resist the urge to get this palette,
because one, i have to many eye shadow palette to last me for at least the next 3 years even if i were to wear them daily,
and two, how often can i wear a pink eye shadow without looking too odd?

apparently, my resistance is futile when i saw the palette go on sale.
POOF, my self restraint went out of the window just like that.

this palette comes with 4 shades, plus one colourless glittery shade that adds nothing but glitter and shimmer.
can i call it diamond dust? it sounds so much cooler :P

it comes with a dual sided chip applicator, one is chubbier than the other for packing on the colours while the other is for lining the eyes. the plastic case is embossed, when viewed from the side it resembles cuts on a jewel.







swatched over foundation powder, tried to pick up as much product as i can with my fingers.

going from lightest to darkest, and the diamond dust being the last:
the lightest shade is a pale pink with a pearly finish,
the medium shade is a peach with a pearly finish too,
the dark shade is a hot pink with some micro glitter in it, it's more pigmented than the previous 2 shades,
the liner colour is a dark purple (with red undertone) with some silver glitter,
the diamond dust is packed with shimmer and glitter. with a light hand, it adds glitter only, but when applied heavily, there can be a metallic finish to it.

the powders aren't exactly buttery, but it's pretty easy to be picked up. perhaps it would be easier to use the sponge tip applicator, but that's not my favourite. over time, the eyeshadow do harden, so i'd have to scrap it (with an old toothbrush) a little to get the product running freely again :D

IMHO:
i find myself reaching for this palette way more often than i expected myself to.
turns out, the best way to pull off a pink eye shadow (for me) is to apply the pink only on the out corner of the eye as a pop of colour.
the colours on this palette is very wearable, especially the two lighter shades which helps to brighten up the entire eye area.
this palette is pretty versatile in my eyes, as you can do a day look with the first three shades, and switch it up to a night look with the addition of the liner shade (using it as a shadow instead).

MAKEUP LOOK


LOOK 1


LOOK 2


LOOK 3


LOOK 3


LOOK 3 you can recreate this look with this tutorial! this come with a video (it's in chinese but.. i have english subtitles!)


LOOK 3 with cat eyes eyeliner


if you prefer cat eyes, this is how you can rock this palette too! tutorial is over there. there's also a video along with this!

it's basically the same technique that i've used since it works the best for me,
and i think it's a good way for beginners to start adding more colours into their eyes without over doing it!