For fall 2012, Sofina Aube Couture released four new (limited-edition) variations of Designing Impression Eyes in limited-edition cases. I was instantly attracted to the combination of lilac and dark blue in 561 Purple as well as the design of the case. With good experiences with Designing Impression Eyes in 553 Purple, I decided to go for this palette.
The five shades in this palette are (from the lightest to the darkest and then the shade at the bottom):
– off-white golden peach, softly pigmented, pearly with soft shimmer
– light lilac, softly-to-moderately pigmented, highly shimmery with sparkles
– medium-to-dark navy blue, moderately-to-well pigmented, subtly glowy with a hint of shimmer
– black, moderately-to-well pigmented, velvety with sparkles
– pale cream peach (cream-to-powder consistency), moderately pigmented, pearly and softly glowy
All shades have multi-hued light-reflective particles. (The shimmery particles in the navy blue are predominantly blue-toned.) They all have a good staying power.
For Aube Couture’s suggested color placement for each shade, please see my post on 553 Purple.
Generally, this palette is more shimmery and sparkly than 553 Purple. The lilac in 561 is very noticeably more sparkly than the lilac in 553. The black in 561 has sparkles, while the plum black in 553 is predominantly pearly and glowy. The off-white golden peach in 561 is also slightly more shimmery than the off-white pink in 553.
The fresh light lilac brightens up the eyelids, and I like the fact that I can see a hint of violet when the navy blue is layered on top of the lilac. I also like how the pale cream peach brightens up the lower-lashline areas.
Compared with the off-white pink in 553 Purple, which I have to be quite light-handed with, the off-white golden peach in this palette doesn’t go overly glowy or frosty and I don’t need to be so careful with it. (However, I marginally prefer the finish of the off-white pink when it is applied very light-handedly.)
The colors are on the whole easy to apply, but I have slight issues with the lilac and the black. Although the lilac generally has a good staying power throughout the day like the other shades in this palette, there is often some sparkle fallout during the application. As for the black, even though it is fairly pigment-rich, its texture is slightly on the dry side and a bit of layering is required to achieve a good depth of color.
I love the case of the palette. It is ornate and princessy without being over the top. Like the usual Designing Impression Eyes palette case, it feels nicely substantial.
I tend to wear the navy blue and the black close to the upper lashlines. The overall look is fresh and bouncy, and I think it actually looks more spring-like than autumnal. (On the other hand, 553 Purple, from fall 2011, has a more autumnal look.) While I do like the dimensional shimmer and sparkles as well as the combination of lilac and navy blue in this palette, I prefer the colors (particularly the tone-on-tone lilac, plum purple, and plum black) and the overall powder texture of 553 Purple.
Related posts:
Fall 2012 Makeup Trend Spotlight: Purple & Green
Aube Couture Holiday 2012 Makeup Collection
Aube Couture Summer 2012 Makeup Collection
(featuring another limited-edition case design of Designing Impression Eyes)
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