(Loving the lilacs:Lunasol Sheer Contrast Eyes in Lavender Coral)
(under sunlight and minimal artificial lighting)
(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lunasol)
(Lunasol’s Sheer Contrast Eyes)(image from www.kanebo-cosmetics.jp/lunasol)
Lunasol’s eye palettes are probably the brand’s most popular items. (Last year’s @Cosme reader survey reflected this, as the top three eye palettes are all from Lunasol.) Even though Lunasol had been one of my favorite brands, I never tried their eyeshadows. With Sheer Contrast Eyes’ eye-catching lineup, I thought it was time for me to dive in.
(under artificial lighting,where shimmer is a little more visible on camera)
— bottom right: very sheer pale yellow with a subtle gold undertone and plenty of sparkles
— top right: sheer pale pink with intense but fine shimmer
— top left: well-pigmented soft cool lilac with delicate shimmer
— bottom left: semi-matte deep warm violet with sparse shimmer
(All the shimmering particles are multi-colored. The sizes of the particles vary slightly among the four shades.)
The cool lilac is obviously the main shade in this palette. Not only is it one of the most visually beautiful lilac shades I have, it suits me very well. The pale pink is very sheer and mainly goes on as shimmer, but the abundant ultra-fine light-reflective particles and the superbly smooth texture make it both a competent base and a subtle but effective highlighter. (As a highlighter, this shimmery pale pink doesn’t have that harshness that some white or silvery highlighters may have.) The deep warm violet is a good eye-lining shade and isn’t so dark that it can look grey on the skin.
My only very minor issue is with the pale yellow, as the sparkles are a little bit on the big side for my personal liking. But this is not to suggest that it looks glittery or tacky. In fact, if you like high-voltage multi-colored sparkles with a pale-gold base tone, then you might really like this particular shade.
All the shades have a smooth and silky feel and are very easy to apply. They are also satisfactorily long-lasting.
I always tend not to over-layer my eyeshadows and keep the finish relatively sheer. For me, this palette, worn in this way, really stands out, because the subtle shimmer almost creates a unique wet finish. It resembles the surface of the glimmering sea under the sun and echoes so well the ocean theme of this collection.
I also came across a user’s comment on Lunasol’s eye palettes. Obviously from a Lunasol lover, her theory is that the only way to show that we are wearing the stunning Lunasol’s eyeshadows (and not possibly anything else) is to wear them sheer. Only by wearing them sheer can we do justice to the ultimate strength of Lunasol’s eye colors, which is the magical transparency showing through the rich pigments. Wonderfully said!
Even though I have several lilac eye palettes, each one is unique and different and this one is no exception, to say the least. I’ve understood first-hand why Lunasol’s eye palettes are able to draw people into the brand, make the brand more and more coveted, and widen the age range of loyal fans. I will continue to explore the possibilities of this palette and the essence of Lunasol.
Related Posts:
Must-Try Look for Spring 2008
(loving all the variations)
Spring 2008 Makeup Trend Report
(featuring the hot colors of this season)
Loving Japanese Brands: Lunasol
(how things got started…)
Coffret D’Or 3D Lighting Eyes in Purple Variation
(as fantastic as the Lunasol one, but in a very different way)
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post! I can’t wait to try mine (though I think I’ll wait until we’re not in arctic weather). Cheers!
Hi Betsy,
Thank you for reading the post!
I can’t wait to know what you think after you try it! I really hope it will live up to your expectation and that you will like it too.
Thank you for your comment again! :)
Good choice on this palette. I think both Lavender Coral and Blue Coral are nice out of the new shades.
I think most Lunasol’s palettes come with one big sparkles shade. I usually apply that particular shade onto entire eyelid by patting lightly with the finger at the latest stage.
For Lunasol’s product, I think Eyelid Base is also good.
hello!
i’m so in love with this pallete! the bottom left which has semi-matte deep warm violet with sparse shimmer is just so beautiful!
but won’t be able to try it out since lunasol is not available here >_< sigh~~ oh, have you seen MJ’s new eye pallete and lip colour? seems pretty but the colours are more or less just like the other palletes, a bit of a let down I would say. i was expecting brighter and bolder colours in their palletes :P and keep up with your reviews! always a good read for me! :D regards,
心。葵
I’m really intrigued by these products. Where can one buy Lunasol in the U.S.? Is it available here at all?
Hi CC,
Thank you for reading this post.
I also think Lavender Coral and Blue Coral are my two favorites from the range.
Indeed, I have come across comments and reviews saying that one of the shades in most Lunasol eye palettes is mainly sparkles. The pale yellow one in this palette is perhaps too sparkling for daytime for me, but it is nonetheless a very pretty shade.
I have also heard good things about the eye base. This is something I will definitely test out when I am at the counter next time!
Thank you very much for posting your comment again! :)
Hi 心。葵,
I think Lunasol is available in Kuala Lumpur, as you probably know… Or is it not available in Malaysia anymore?
I have indeed seen Majolica Majorca’s spring 2008 collection. I think I am with you on this. The shades look fairly nice but they don’t particularly excite me very much. But I will still look forward to their next collection.
Thank you for stopping by my blog again! Hope to hear from you again soon! :)
Hi Toya,
It is great to hear from you again!
Lunasol is owned by Kanebo and is currently available in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. It has been quite a successful Kanebo high-end brand for a number of years, but at the moment it is not sold in the US.
One on-line shop where you can purchase items from Lunasol (and from other Japanese brands) is Ichibankao (ichibankao.com). The seller is based in Japan and ships internationally. I have shopped from the site for a couple of times, and the service has been really good.
I shall leave you to browse the site then..:) Do let me know if you’d like to know anything else.
Thank you again for stopping by my blog! Keep up the great work with your blog! :)
hello~
really? lunasol is available??? hm… haven’t seen it’s counter yet~ or maybe haven’t been doing much “physical” shopping lately, did more of it online :P
anyway, will keep a look out for it, but I doubt the price is affordable enough for me to get it >_< but I think to be able to see and test the colour in real life is really really nice! regards,
心。葵
Yay! Thank you, PJ – I am running right off to browse that site.
I love your blog! It’s so great to hear about beauty lines that I’ve never discovered before.
Hugs!
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!! This is lovely! When u mentioned this in ur past post, I was already so excited to wait for ur review and now that its here, I’m absolutely grateful that I haven’t spend a ton on MAC’s Fafi! I did spend quite a lot but if this post didn’t come in time, I may have gotten even more stuff and overbudget the month! I love purple themed shadows because I feel that they look really sophisticated, young (but not kiddish) or mature! Pinks and greens (especially the pastels) tend to make me look my age, which is something I try to avoid because people start to yak a lot when they realise I’m 19 but am already spending so much on cosmetics.
Which one do u prefer though? The purple or the coral blue one?
Oh! I love lunasol eye colors, they are just so beautiful!
Hi 心。葵,
Yes, I was just checking on-line and it seems that Lunasol was launched in Isetan at Lot 10 in Kuala Lumpur (from http://www.mywomenstuff.com).
It was launched last year so I’d imagine it is still there! :)
If you get to see it, have great fun testing out all the colors! I am sure you will enjoy that, and do let me know what you like from the brand.
Thank you for leaving your comment again! :)
Hi Toya,
Thank you for your kind words. I enjoy reading your blog too!
Enjoy browsing the site!
You can probably see some Lunasol items on eBay as well.
Thank you for dropping by again! :)
Hi Cosine,
Like you, I like lilac eyeshadows. Warm lilacs and cool ones give different looks, and I enjoy playing with all the variations. (But I think cool lilacs suit me better.)
Purple shades can indeed look quite sophisticated. But they can still look clean and refreshing at the same time.
Both Blue Coral and Lavender Coral are very nice. But I think I prefer Lavender Coral, simply because I slightly prefer purples to blues when it comes to eyeshadows. I do really like blues as well, but purples are slightly more wearable for me…
Thank you for posting your thoughts! :)
Hi Alice,
I am definitely loving this palette. It is both so pleasing to look at and wonderful to wear…
Thank you for stopping by my blog! :)
Hi PJ,
It’s my first time visiting your blog and I love it~ :>
I’m from Hong Kong and I LOVE Japanese cosmetics too. My favourite brand is Jill Stuart.
After reading this post I can’t wait running to the Lunasol counter to buy one for myself. I want to get a more earth tone palette so maybe I’ll check out 01 Coral coral. Will let you know my feelings after trying. :>
Wish u all the best in 2008.
Hi Heidydy,
Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed it!
Do have a look at both Coral Coral and Beige Coral to see which neutral one suits you better. I think some people think Coral Coral is a bit on the orange side, but I shall leave you to investigate more! :)
Hope you will find one that really suits you. Do let me know what you think!
Jill Stuart is one of my favorite brands too. Have you heard that it will be launched in Taiwan in April? Perhaps it will be slightly more convenient for you to get Jill Stuart’s items!
Hope you’ve been having a good 2008, and look forward to hearing from you again! :)
Oh yes I should also try Beige Coral too. :p I went to one of the Dept Stores near my office last night but couldn’t find Lunasol. Their counter should be in another area.
Yes I heard that Jill Stuart will open a branch in Taiwan. I’m sooooooo jealous you know. So unfair~ But I’m lucky enough my cousin lives in Taiwan and maybe she can get it for me. ha~~ Jill will have a new handheld mirror out very soon and it looks fantastic~ Have you seen the pic in their website?
Hi Heidydy,
Good to hear from you again!
Hopefully your cousin will be able to get some Jill Stuart goodies from you! (The new counter should supposedly be in Taipei, but perhaps there will be a couple of others in other cities.)
I did see the Jill Stuart hand mirror. It looks nice. Very princessy!
Let me know if you find Lunasol and what you think about the palettes!
Thank you for stopping by again! :)
Hi PJ,
I was deciding among the LUNASOL palettes ’cause I have been hearing so many rave comments. I am looking for a palette that can create soft, feminine look without looking too “done up”. I am scared to try purple eyeshadow especially this palette, which such an intense dark purple. Would you recommend this palette to me? I prefer pink tone, or light purple..
Do you think Lavender Coral would be more mature looking because of the purple? I am debating between a pink/brown toned (red variation in the new fall 2008) and this one. Or Coral Coral.
Thank you for reading my question!
Hi Tammy,
Overall, I think I would describe Lavender Coral as elegant rather than mature. The medium lilac looks fresh when worn and it doesn’t look too overdone. I can wear this palette both for day and night. As for the dark purple, I tend to wear it very close to my upper lashline as an eyeliner. I think, on me, it looks softer than a black or a dark-brown (or dark-grey) eyeliner.
But if you are really concerned about the shades and want to go for something similar and softer, Coffret D’Or’s 3D Lighting Eyes in Purple Variation should be a good choice (if you haven’t tried it). (The link to my review is under My Current Makeup Favorites on the sidebar.) The light lilac in the palette is much softer than the medium lilac in Lavender Coral.
I think Coral Coral would be a good choice as well if you want to go for light pink and beige-brown tones. Personally, if I want to purchase another Sheer Contrast Eyes palette, it will probably be this one.
Thank you very much for your question. I hope my answer helps a little. Do keep me posted if you have any other question! :)
Hi PJ,
Thanks a lot for your reply!! Certainly helps me a lot… I’m now eyeing the LUNASOL xmas collection as well.. but it’s LE, not that I have time to really think about it… haha. Anyways, your so very helpful! simply love this blog!
Tammy
Hi Tammy,
You are very welcome. I am glad I can help out a bit. :)
If you are interested in Lunasol’s holiday 2008 set, Betsy at Autumn Masquerade will post a full review of the set later on. (A preview post is already up.) You can find the link to her blog in my “Loving These Sites” list.
Thank you for stopping by again! :)