Sometimes I feel bad for talking about and featuring ColourPop so often on my blog and on YouTube. Then I remember that they are such great quality products at such awesome prices and that I HAVE to talk about them so you guys know how great they really are and try them for yourselves!
Today we are taking a look at one of ColourPop's many pressed powder eyeshadow palettes. Don't worry, by the time you're reading this they will probably come out with about 5 new palettes. (That's another story.) But this palette is quite the beauty! When I picked this palette out, I wasn't 100% confident that I would get too much use out of it. It has actually become one of my go-to palettes! I would pick up palettes when they're doing some sort of promotion. I picked two palettes up during a 40% off palette sale, so I saved a few bucks. This palette is called the Element of Surprise. It is a 12 pan, pressed powder eyeshadow palette with pinks, golds, purples, oranges, reds, and browns. It's regular retail price is $16.00.
If you don't like hearing about product packaging, that's ok just move on to the pictures of the pretties inside! After going to college for graphic design though, I have an even greater appreciation for all things about design. Typography, colors, package textures, logos, etc. I am totally in love with this color combo! It gives me LisaFrank vibes almost, but with a tamed down color scheme. I love having such a bright colorful palette in my hand. It just makes me instantly happy, before I even open it!
One of the things I wish they would have done differently on their packaging is to put the names of the shadows underneath each on instead of on the back of the palette. I get confused trying to figure out which shade is called what. I know that the most recent palettes they have come out with do have the names inside the palette, so I might just go ahead and label these myself just to make it easier for me.
I also wish they would have made the actual palette part a neutral color. The vibrant purple makes the eyeshadows look a little different than how they actually apply to the lid. I think it would have been a better design choice to go with the light pink color that they already have in their design to make sure that the eyeshadows are truer to their actual color.
Shades (L-r, Top-bottom): Feels, Late Night, Silk Street, Rayon,
Go With The Flow, Subdue, Opulent, Labyrinth,
Blank Canvas, Sea Stars, Details, Peace of Mind.
Let's talk about this color range. This is such a surprisingly easy way to incorporate color into my every day looks. I also think that this shade range will transition easily through the seasons. There's a great mix of mattes, satins, metallics, and duo chromes. All of which are necessary for most eyeshadow looks. I would say there are 5 matte shades in this palette. ColourPop includes Details, the matte brown with pink glitter in it, as a matte shade, but since the glitter does show up a little bit I count that as a glitter or shimmer shade. Opulent and Peace of Mind are satins. Feels and Late Night are metallic shades. And Rayon and Subdue are metallic duo chrome. I think that they chose the perfect shades as mattes and metallics. You have some deep burgundy/purple shades to deepen up your looks and the perfect matte crease and transition shades. The bright colors are perfect to pop on the lid or even in the inner corner or as a liner. I just really enjoy the versatility that this palette has, even though it looks a little bit intimidating at first.
Direct Sunlight. Shades (L-r): Feels, Late Night, Silk Street, Rayon, Go With The Flow, Subdue, Opulent, Labyrinth, Blank Canvas, Sea Stars, Details, Peace of Mind.
I have to say that I am very impressed with the quality of ColourPop's pressed powder shadows. They have managed to create a really beautiful formula for each finish. The mattes blend easily without being too chalky or patchy. Silk Street is the only matte shade that might need a little more effort to blend. The shimmers and satins are beautifully pigmented and can be built up to a nice intensity. And although Rayon is more of a pressed pigment shadow, a little chunkier than desired, it applies easily with the warmth of your fingertip or a damp flat shader brush. It looks absolutely gorgeous too with it's terra-cotta red base and blue-green-purple duochrome. These were all finger swatched with dry, clean fingers, built up to opacity.
The following three detailed swatches are outside under direct sunlight.
The following three detailed swatches are outside under indirect sunlight.
Here are a few photos from a look I created using this palette. Go With the Flow & Labyrinth all over the lid space, Labyrinth & Sea Stars in the crease, Rayon on the lid, Blank Canvas in the outer V, Subdue with a little bit of Feels on the inner corner and Feels on the brow bone.
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