Jill Stuart Ribbon Couture Eyes in 04 Gemmy Cashmere (Spring 2015)

Jill Stuart, in its 10th year, seems to be going through a renewal. So far in 2015, there has been at least one new product for every season (Ribbon Couture Eyes for spring, Forever Juicy Oil Rouge and Stay True Gel Eyeliner for summer and Rouge My Dress for fall). There are also new foundations (Everlasting Silk Powder Foundation Flawless Perfection for spring/summer and Rich Moisture Silk Powder Foundation for fall/winter). Moreover, from mid-August, Jill Stuart counters in Japan will have a new look.

Earlier this year, I decided to go for Ribbon Couture Eyes in 04 Gemmy Cashmere, which is the second eyeshadow palette I got from the brand (after Brilliance Eyes in 04 Gem Amethyst back in 2007).

Jill Stuart Ribbon Couture Eyes (ジルスチュアート　リボンクチュールアイズ/ 吉麗絲朵愛戀蝴蝶結眼彩盤, ¥5000) is the brand’s first series of five-color eyeshadow palettes, and 04 Gemmy Cashmere is one of the five variations released in spring 2015. The five shades in this palette are (from top left):

– ivory, moderately pigmented, with a pearly glow
– honey-toned beige, moderately pigmented, with pearly shimmer
– medium-to-dark brown, moderately pigmented, with pearly shimmer
– orange-toned bronze, moderately pigmented, with pearly shimmer
– (center) off-white yellow, lightly pigmented, sparkly

All the shades have multi-hued light-reflective particles. They are very smooth and creamy and are very easy to blend. The staying power is good.

04 Gemmy Cashmere is the warmest variation of the five from spring 2015. The shades on the top right and the bottom left look similar in the pan, but they do look more than sufficiently different when worn.

There are a couple of things I like about this palette. Firstly, I like the very creamy (almost wet) texture of the powder. Also, it is great that none of the shades is too sparkly. Even the off-white yellow in the middle of the palette, which is supposed to add additional sparkles to the eyes, is not too bling-y. (It works well with the other four shades, which are glowy or softly shimmery and are not particularly sparkly.)

Even though the palette does create a nice gradation and I quite like the honey-toned beige, the shadowing shade (the orange-toned bronze on the bottom left) is slightly too orange for me. (I usually go for a gold-toned bronze.) This is especially the case during the first couple of hours of wear. After the color has settled on the skin more, the orange tone actually becomes slightly less pronounced. This may bother you if you like the orange tone, but it is not a bad thing for me.

I also have other minor issues with this palette. Firstly, as I generally use the darkest shade in an eyeshadow palette to line my eyes (I don’t usually use an eyeliner), I would prefer the medium-to-dark brown in this palette to be a little more intense. Also, I do use the sponge and brush applicators that come with eyeshadow palettes from time to time and I feel that the ones from this palette are fairly scratchy.

Overall, this is still a decently good palette, with great powder texture and pleasing finishes. (The packaging is of course very pretty and princessy. It is ornate but not overly fussy.) It will create a warm-toned girlie look for spring and summer with its honey and orange tones, and I think it is a very Jill Stuart interpretation of warm neutrals.

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