YSL currently features four eyeshadow palette ranges: Ombres Duolumières (since 2007), Ombres 5 Lumières (since 2008), Pure Chromatics (since 2011) and the recently launched Couture Palette. Among the four, Pure Chromatics has the most shimmery finish, and today I am reviewing Pure Chromatics in 6.
Pure Chromatics (£39) was released in summer 2011, and 6 was among the launch lineup at the time. The four shades in this palette are (clockwise from top left):
– medium olive green, moderately pigmented, pearly with soft shimmer
– light warm yellow gold, lightly-to-moderately pigmented, shimmery
– dark aubergine, well-pigmented, velvety with fine low-key shimmer
– light warm pink, moderately pigmented, shimmery
All the shades have multi-hued light-reflective particles. They all have a good staying power.
For me, the medium olive green is one of the more wearable greens I have come across. Warm greens suit me more than cool ones, and this shade has enough warmth for me without too much yellow tone. (It is warmer than it looks in the photos.) It has a good amount of color saturation but it also has a translucent quality. I also like its pearly and softly shimmery finish, which creates extra dimension for the eyes.
The pink goes on noticeably warmer as the shade’s cool mauve tone seen in the pan doesn’t show up as much on the eyes. I think this is because the shade has a warm peach/red undertone. It also has a taupe/brown undertone (particularly when layered), which creates subtle depth but takes away the clarity of the pinkness. While I like the shimmery finish, the shade, with its undertones, can unfortunately make my eyes look a little irritated.
The light warm yellow gold is the sheerest shade in the palette. Its shimmery finish is appealing, and its warmth goes well with the olive green. The dark aubergine is an intense shade that lines the eyes well. I like the fact that the eyelining shade in this palette is not a dark green or a dark brown. Even though I personally think a dark violet would be even better, the dark aubergine certainly adds variety and versatility to this color combination.
All the Pure Chromatics palettes can be used wet or dry. The sponge applicator is for applying the eyeshadows dry, and the silicone applicator is for using them wet.
This eyeshadow palette is one of the few ones from western brands that feature similar color saturation, finish and translucency to those often seen in eyeshadows from Japanese brands. As someone that generally prefers eyeshadows from Japanese brands, I think it is great to see a range like Pure Chromatics in the western market. However, a couple of elements in this palette do perhaps indicate the need for adjustments.
(The product featured in this article is provided by YSL.)
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