Etude House Prism In Eyes (New Eyeshadow)

New eyeshadow but not really?

Etude House is introducing a new line of eyeshadows - aptly named the Prism In Eyes. They are designed to sparkle in a wide range of enchanting colours hidden in light. Get ready for fascinating glimmer and vivid colours.

This type of cream to powder, high intensity metallic eyeshadow isn't exactly new - Kiko released their Water Eyeshadow years ago. Catrice had the Liquid Metal Eyeshadow a few years back too. I'm sure there are other products just like these, but those 2 are what I heard of.

ETUDE HOUSE | PRISM IN EYES | 1.8G | 9800 WON

It's not available on their global site yet, so here are some details about the eyeshadow, translated from the official website:

1. Prism colour captures light from all angles with its glitter and colour pigments.
2. The innovative Prisma Shine texture reproduces colour and shimmer gorgeously.
3. The HD finish makes the eyeshadow glide on smoothly, adhering tightly to your skin to give you long lasting wear.
4. Prisma Shine has a special texture thanks to its manufacturing process. Unlike powder eyeshadows which are pressed dry, the Prisma Shine starts off as a moist gel dough. Powder, colour pigments, and pearl pigments are then added into the mix. It's then poured into molds, and left to set in a warm chamber.

Here are the swatches!


An overview of all 15 shades. Coded them for easy reference.

The colour selection consists of browns and pinks. Most of them are either yellowish or reddish, with the exception of PP502, which appears a little less yellow compared to the rest. Boy, are those pinkish/reddish shades lovely. URGH!!! (that's the sound of me trying to stop myself from buying beautiful but unnecessary things)


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From the official swatches, the product appears to apply thinly and evenly. Most of them have a pearly sheen to it instead of a frosty/metallic finish (save for BR406, crystal sugar). The pigmentation is that but not that outstanding, to be honest. The promo pictures got my expectations too high - I was expecting more shimmer and metallics.

What can I say? To each their own! Some people like subtle sheen like that. I think the only reason why one person who already has a lot of eyeshadows would want to buy this is if they want to be able to quickly apply eyeshadows with their finger evenly. A creamy product has that advantage over powder eyeshadows.

The eyeshadow can be applied with fingers, or with an eyeshadow brush. Nothing else is mentioned about using it wet or dry, so I think it's really up to you to explore how you want to play around with the product. If it's anything like the Kiko Water Eyeshadow, then do expect amazing colour payoff when used wet. In fact, I think the pearly sheen of the Prism In Eyes will complement the frosty/metallic finish of the Water Eyeshadow!

Also comes with a case where you can store trios.


This entry is clearly a case of "I got sucked into the beautiful reddish shades".

I'll update the links once it's available on the global site!

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New Etude House Play Color Eyes

You know what time it is when you see wine shades.

It's fall, and wine/burgundy shades are in trend again! Etude House recently released an eyeshadow palette that satisfies that need for even more wine coloured eye shadows.

They're currently having an 30% off online promotion (from 16 August to 31 August). Instead of the usual price of US$26.40, you can get it for US$19.80 now! Click here to get it from their online store! I am aware I should have posted this 10 days ago.. Anyway, let's take a look at the palette.

PLAY COLOR EYES WINE PARTY | US$26.40

The palette consist of 10 shades: 4 existing shades from their Look At My Eyes series, and 6 brand new shades. There is a good mix of matte, satin, and shimmer.

Names of individual shades. Click to enlarge!

At a glance, you can see this palette is reddish toned (Duh! It's called Wine Party for a reason!). The browns also have a slight reddish hue to it, as opposed to a more yellowish brown. In between we have 3 reddish shades. At the bottom we have a purple shade. In the midst of the darker shades we have 2 golden sparkly shades.

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Here they are swatched on the eye individually.

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I put together the swatches and the palette into one single image. Perhaps this is easier to compare the shades' intensity as compared to what you see in the palette.

Etude House's formula has always been smooth (based on my limited experience with a few of their Look At My Eyes single eye shadows), but you can see from this official swatch that they tend to be on the sheerer side. The colour looks even, so that's a plus. I actually quite like that they apply sheer, because it makes it easier to create the soft edges that should blend seamlessly into the rest of your skin.

If you want really intense colour out of this palette, you could either use a eye primer before hand, or try using a damp brush so it picks up more pigments? Layering should help too!

I notice that the shimmer in the "not-matte" shades are rather refined. Instead of having chunky glitter or a strong frosty sheen (which sometimes looks metallic), it looks as if it's a very thin veil of golden silk - spun by the mythical gold silkworm - layered over the colours. Some people like it subtle, and maybe I'm one of them! This is the kind of shimmer that gives off a faux glossy effect, without having to smear clear lip gloss over your eyes for that wet look. It also adds a lot of dimension naturally, accentuating the natural contours of your eyes (as opposed to using a matte white shade to make certain parts of your eyes stand out).

Ending Note
This looks like a pretty great palette. If I can wear makeup right now, and if I don't already have so many eyeshadow palettes, I might get my hands on this. I don't know what's up with me, suddenly I'm really into the subtle sparkles.

Given that it's currently on offer till 31st August, it's quite a good deal at US$19.80.

Image credits: Etude House

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ETUDE HOUSE PLAY COLOR EYES CHERRY BLOSSOM

It's cherry blossom season, on your eyelids!

What a gorgeous day it is! Finding out Etude House is releasing an eyeshadow palette that's pink! It's so new it's not even on the global site yet It just went live on the global site today.

They're having a launching special from 5th April to 12th April, instead of the original price of US $26.40, it's now going for US $18.48! It even comes with a jelly lip patch as a free gift if you order it before the promotion ends!

ETUDE HOUSE | PLAY COLOR EYES CHERRY BLOSSOM | USD 26.40

A new palette containing 10 lovely shades that's cherry blossom themed, each containing 0.8g of product (according to the korean site). The colour ranges from romantic pinks to wearable browns to easily create pinkish eye looks. The eyeshadows are soft and silky for easy application.

This actually looks like an expanded version of their 2016 Christmas collection, My Little Nut Fantastic Color Eyes eyeshadow palette in the shade Lucky Red Little Nut. Except the latter is geared towards a more reddish tone, hence the burgundy, while the former stays pink and light.

ETUDE HOUSE | FANTASTIC COLOR EYES (LUCKY RED LITTLE NUT) | 14000 WON

Right? They do have some semblance to each other!



The names of the different shades are in Korean that's too complicated for me to translate, so I left it as is (you can visit the global site as they have translated them into english!). The colours chosen for this palette has a good mix of matte, shimmer, and pearly shades. The overall colour scheme is light and fresh, in line with the cherry blossom theme.


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I've did some photoshop magic to stitch together this franken-swatch photo. The swatches are taken from their official site. The swatches looks even and smooth!

As you can see there are a few matte shades (2nd-4th from bottom) that are wonderful for creating gentle depth, and shimmery shades for added dimension. Two metallic shades that appear almost frosty (5th and 6th from top).

This swatch merely gives you an idea of the colours. Below is a swatch on the eyelids for better idea of how they actually look when blended out.


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They don't look as pigmented on the lids, probably because they applied it with a brush instead. Overall the shades looks like a gentle wash of colour that can be easily blended into the skin to create that soft look. Nothing too over the top for this cherry blossom inspired palette, afterall, cherry blossoms are pretty in their soft pinks, are they not?

Ending note:
This is a beautiful palette if you want soft and romantic eyes. I believe it's meant for creating diffused look, hence don't expect it to be super pigmented. Subtlety has it's perks. Of course, if you want the colours to be more vibrant, an eye primer might probably do the trick!

I'll admit my heart got swayed for a split second, suddenly desiring this new found beautiful object! Then I recall I already have a pink eyeshadow palette that I haven't been able to use for a long time.... 

My money get to live another day.

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5 DRUGSTORE NEUTRAL EYESHADOW PALETTE

A Case Of The Very Necessary Neutral eyeshadow.

Ever since Urban Decay released their first ever Naked palette, its popularity rippled across the entire beauty industry and the effects can still be felt years later. Now, almost every brand has their own rendition of the perfect neutral eyeshadow palette, ranging from cool to warm tones.

The reason why the Naked palette is so successful can be attributed to the versatility and wearability of neutral eyeshadows. They give you that oomph you need to go from naturally beautiful to gorgeous, and is suitable for both work and play. What's not to love about it?

Here, I featured 5 eyeshadow palettes that are leaning on the warm and pink side that won't break your bank. You're welcome! I've already featured a tonne of Makeup Revolution eyeshadow palettes that're also very affordable in my previous post (part 1 and part 2), so I've left them out of this entry.

All of these brands are from USA, but Maybelline and Loreal are available in Singapore hence the prices are in SGD. I'm pretty sure if you are bent on getting the other 3 palettes, you can find them somewhere online.

5 affordable neutral eyeshadow palettes

e.l.f. | NEED IT NUDE EYESHADOW PALETTE | USD10

10 silky smooth warm neutral shades for your everyday look. Complete with matte and shimmery shades for definition and a little bit of glam.

Swatches via e.l.f. cosmetics pinterest

Swatches via e.l.f. cosmetics pinterest

BH COSMETICS | NUDE ROSE 12 COLOUR EYESHADOW PALETTE | USD14

A mixture of satin, matte and shimmery shades, formulated to be soft and blendable. Brownie points for the beautiful tin packaging!

Swatched via bh cosmetics instagram.

NYX | ULTIMATE SHADOW PALETTE (WARM NEUTRALS) | USD18

16 reddish brown shades in matte and shimmery finishes! They also have another palette aptly named "cool neutrals" featuring more purplish shades.

You can see swatches at kiddykatdoesmakeup.com and simplyswatches.com.


MAYBELLINE | THE NUDE EYESHADOW PALETTE | SGD26.90

12 matte and shimmery neutral eyeshadows. By neutral I mean it leans more on the yellowish brown side. It's said to be rather powdery and not very pigmented, but I believe a primer would solve that problem.



Swatches via beautzy.com.

LOREAL | LA PALETTE NUDE (BEIGE) | SGD29.90

10 golden beige eyeshadows (matte and shimmery) with a supposedly better formulation than the Maybelline nudge eyeshadow palette. This also comes in a rose gold variation named ROSE. Both looks beautiful to me!

See swatches at reallyree.com.

Ending note:
I know I probably missed out a lot of other affordable brands, but these are just the ones that I happen to know of. There are simple TOO MANY BRANDS out there! If you know of any other awesome and wallet friendly products, do let me know! I would love to learn about them!

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HIGH END MAKEUP DUPES WITH MAKEUP REVOLUTION PART 1

You don't always need to sacrifice money for quality.

Makeup Revolution was introduced to me by a dear friend of mine a while ago. She's all about how awesome their eyeshadow palettes are (she owns probably 8 or 9, if I remember correctly). When I finally got a chance to try them out when I was back in Hong Kong last November, I snapped up a palette for myself even though I don't need anymore eyeshadow.

I just couldn't resist it - the quality at that price point is just too good to ignore! Not buying it would result in more regret than if I were to buy it. So after rationalizing my purchase, I paid for the ICONIC 3 palette, which is a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked3 palette.

In fact, the entire Redemption Iconic series is a dupe for the Naked series! I've put them together for better comparison, prices included! You're welcome!

URBAN DECAY NAKED VS MAKEUP REVOLUTION REDEMPTION ICONIC 1

URBAN DECAY NAKED2 VS MAKEUP REVOLUTION REDEMPTION ICONIC 2

URBAN DECAY NAKED3 VS MAKEUP REVOLUTION REDEMPTION ICONIC 3

URBAN DECAY NAKED SMOKY VS MAKEUP REVOLUTION ICONIC SMOKEY (12USD)
Note: This palette is not available on the US site, so I've referenced the price in British Pounds. But I just found out it's available on ulta!!! So I've linked it there ;)

Will they offer the exact experience as the higher end counterpart? I can't guarantee that, and I don't think so in my honest opinion. 

I've only tried the Naked testers in the Sephora stores, and may I say their formula is a lot more buttery, and gets picked up by my finger a lot easier. My Makeup Revolution palette works fine for most of the shades, expect for a few that might harden over time and requires some effort to pick up a decent amount of pigments.

But if you were to standardize their quality to their price, I dare say they are on par with each other. Probably, the Makeup Revolution Palette might even come in on top! 

Bottom line: if you're a makeup junkie who is into experimenting with many colours, then the wallet friend dupes are a good bargain for you. C'mon, you can get 7.7 Makeup Revolution palettes for the price of 1 Urban Decay palette.

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Top 5 Brown/Nude Eyeshadows

According to 300 Japanese office ladies.

japanese magazine VoCE recently published their TOP 5 brown eyeshadows, according to a vote by 300 office ladies.
why them you ask? because brown eye shadow can enhance your eyes subtly without it being too loud for the work place!

there's a range of eyeshadow from the different price category. let's see why they love these so much, starting with the first.

1ST // LUNASOL | SKIN MODELLING EYES 02 | 5000 YEN

"creates three dimensional eyes with just the right amount of pearl. works great for work and the after hours."

2ND // KATE | FORMING EDGE EYES BR-3 | 1400 YEN

"it's affordable, and the instructions are easy to understand." check my previous post for the entire selection of colours.

3RD // MAQUILLAGE | TRUE EYE SHADOW BE323 | 3500 YEN

"the colours are beautiful, especially the eye liner shade that helps to define the eyes"

4TH // CHANEL | LES 4 OMBRE 226 | 6900 YEN

"the package is glamourous, and the colours can easily create an elegant and natural gradient."

5TH // DIOR | 5 COULEUR 746 | 7600 yen

"good colour pay off, the palette can transform your day look to night look easily."

EDITOR'S THOUGHT//
lunasol has been a crowd favourite ever since their skin modelling eyes was released 9 years ago. i heard that their powder is super powdery smooth while the colour is pigmented yet natural looking. the price tag is hefty though (although chanel and christian dior's eye shadow made lunasol relatively more affordable simply by price comparison). someday.. i'll get to try it! someday..! a girl can dream!

images and poll via voce

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NEW KATE EYESHADOW: FORMING EDGE EYES

Almond eyes are trending right now in Japan?

it's about time to explore other eye shapes, i suppose! rounded eyes have been in vogue for way too long in japan, so i'm glad the korean wave finally hit some sense into the beauty industry to start trends that actually enhances what we have instead of making us lust for something we don't have.

asian eyes are usually long and slender, it's the exact shape most caucasian makeup style goes after: the almond shaped eyes.

while you don't need this exact eye shadow palette to create the effect, this is KATE's way of recognizing and promoting a trend that i approve of!

introducing the FORMING EDGE EYES, available in 8 colour variations.

FORMING EDGE EYES | 1400 YEN

the eye shadow palette trio consist of a highlight shade, a medium shade, and a dark colour.
the shape of the pan is similar to the shape of how you'll apply the eyeshadow.

application instructions.

they recommend applying A first, followed by C, and lastly B to add definition to the eyes.
the palette comes with a sponge tip applicator, which is a pity because i think a brush will work much better with the blending.

before and after.

the eye shadow looks rather frosty, especially the highlight and medium shade.

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swatches of the different colours

EDITOR'S NOTE

looking at the swatches, i notice the eye shadow is mostly frosty, which reminds me of their BROWN EDGE EYES. the only difference in this new palette lacks the nose shading powder the latter has. 

KATE is known to rehash their products, so this is definitely not a must if you already own some of their older eye shadow palettes. however, it's a good addition if you feel like experimenting with japanese eye shadows because for the price, KATE's products will amaze you. i can vouch for the smoothness and buttery-ness of their eye shadows.

KATE has a good selection of browns. if browns are too boring for you, check out GN-1, deep khaki. it's an uncommon shade among the western beauty brands! i'll personally stay away from BU-1 because frosty blue just don't float my boat.

all images belong to KATE.

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ETUDE HOUSE NEW PRODUCT: MONKEY WISH EYES

Sizzling hot new products for 2016!

as 2016 is the year of the monkey, etude house has released 10 limited eye shadows aptly called MONKEY WISH EYES to chime in the festivity!



from the swatches, there is a mixture of mattes, shimmery (jewel), and frosted finish. and isn't the monkey embossing cute!?

click on image to enlarge!

BE108 is a gold pearl colour

BR413 is a brown colour with gold pearlescence

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BR419 is a dark brown colour

OR214 is a grapefruit colour

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PK014 is a reflective pink colour (jewel)

PK013 is a glowing pink colour (jewel)

click on image to enlarge!

GR707 is a khaki colour (jewel)

BK802 is a silver pearl colour (jewel)

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PP508 is a light purple colour

BE109 is a silver beige colour

the MONKEY WISH EYES is 4000 korean won each, and it's not available on their global site.

all information and images adapted from etude house.

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2015 Spring Eyeshadows

2015 Spring Eyeshadows Releases

before you unearth your stash of pastel eye shadows (if you have any) to accompany spring lip colours, have a look at the spring releases! this is the time of the year when most may experiment with pastel shades.

there're simply TOO MANY makeup and beauty brands out there, i'll try to put together both eastern and western brands in this entry! here are 6 eye shadows that interested me in some way or another.

INTEGRATE rainbow gradient eyes | REVLON photoready eye art | VISEE nudy rich eyes

1. INTEGRATE | rainbow gradient eyes (shantan dress) |1600 yen

a 2015 spring limited release, the pink in the upper left will brighten up any dull eyes, while the three tones in the heart will create a soft gradient effect. use the blue with pearly finish on the center of the lids for more bright and lovely eyes. 

the colours look so soft and almost cotton-candy like! i think this will look great on darker skin as the pastel shades will stand out more!

2. REVLON | photoready eye art lid+line+lash | USD 7-9

the satin cream eye shadows are easily applied by the doe foot applicator, the colour blends easily, adhering closely with your eyes to create a high shine look. on the other end is a glitter which you can apply to line your eyes, or all over your lids with the help of the brush applicator.

i've seen swatches online and the finish of the cream eye shadow is frosty - in some photos they look like liquid gold. seems like the champagne and pink shades will make a good eye shadow base! the glitter looks really versatile too, i can foresee myself using it to line my lids and my lower lid area for the teary eye look! 

3. VISEE | nudy rich eyes (BE-7) | 1400 yen

the new ash beige eye shadow quint can help you create the mixed-blood look that well loved by japanese. the shades will carve out sharper dimensions on your eyes. the base colour (at the top) will brighten your entire eye area to prepare for the 4 gradient colours later. infused with moisturizing ingredients, it'll protect you from dry skin.

from the official website, this palette looks a little like mauve to me - greyish brown with a hint of purple. i don't own any palette like this and it's really enticing me.

MAJOLICA MAJORCA majolook illuminator | YVES SAINT LAURENT palette yeux collector | JILL STUART ribbon couture eyes

4. MAJOLICA MAJORCA | majolook illuminator | 1400 yen

limited release for spring 2015, nude brown palette BE700 and pink pastel jewel PK700 will illuminate your eyes with the luminous eye base (the longest rectangle), while the other 3 powder eye shadow brighten your eyes.

majolica majorca eye shadows are well known for their buttery powders. i don't own any eye shadows from them because their colour tend to be on the light and sheer side. too frosty for my liking.

5. YVES SAINT LAURENT | palette yeux collector (ombres du jour) | USD 60

housed in the luxurious casing decorated with black belt and pink sparkles are 5 powder eye shadows: matte black with pink shimmer in the center, champagne, sheer pink, glossy copper, and nude beige. a versatile palette that can be use for both daily looks and glamorous party looks.

the mixture of nude and statement colours make this palette special in its own way. the nude and copper shade can be use for daily looks, and transition into a night look by adding a dash of black. if you're feeling flirty, use the pink and champagne for highlight!

6. JILL STUART | ribbon couture eyes (hydrangea chiffon) | 5000 yen

a new release this year, ribbon couture eyes comes in 4 permanent shades and 1 limited shade (shown above) for spring 2015. the quint consist of 4 gradation colours, and an additional "ribbon colour" for decorating your eyes. formulated with emollients, the powder has a buttery texture and high blendability.

the colour combination resemble that of majolica majorca quite a bit huh? this cost 3 times as much! but the packaging is always pleasing to look at. 

QUESTION
will you try out any of the spring colours for your eyes?

i'll probably pair them up with my normal palettes so i still get some darker shades on my eyes or i risk looking really puffy eyed. if you have darker skin, pastels will contrast your skin to give you a really bright eye look!



image credit: @cosme official website, jill stuart official website

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