Korean eyeshadows aren’t exactly known for their intense pigments. I wouldn’t say they are inferior in quality compared to Western makeup, but a difference in cultural preferences is a more likely factor. Korean eyeshadow looks are more than often a light wash of colour with a ton of shimmer rather than the pigmented smokey eyes we’re used to. There are however exceptions to that rule that showcase that South-Korea is indeed very capable of producing eyeshadows that pack a punch if they want them to. 3CE (or 3 Concept Eyes) by Stylenanda is one of those brands. Loved by teens and millennial alike, this mid-range brand has recently been acquired by L’Oréal and is ready to take the world by storm. Today I’ll be reviewing one of the star products from the Mood Recipe line, the 3CE Multi Eye Color Palette in #Overtake.
One glance at this palette tells you everything about why I fell for it, right? The pretty dusty pink case in the soft rubber plastic material, the gorgeous 3 x 3 lay-out and the overall colour scheme are simply magnificent. I just love looking and touching this palette to the extent that it’s weird. This is just one of those palettes I love to keep on display as it embodies my love for millennial pink. Overtake brings you a nice selection of warm rosey brown tones that are super on trend right now and are perfect for Autumn.
The selection of shades and different finishes (2 mattes, 1 satin, 2 shimmers, 2 glitters and 2 mattes with specks of glitter) offers the possibility of creating a variety of warm looks. I don’t love all finishes equally, the mattes with scattered glitter (shade 5 and 9) is just not my cup of tea, at least not as a standalone shadow, but they work when used with the other colours in the palette. Even the mattes in this palette – not the easiest formula to create – don’t let me down. They’re definitely not the world’s most pigmented shadows, but they do have a decent amount of pigment in them and you can build the colours to make them look more intense as shown below.
Although the 3CE Multi Eye Color Palette looks very pink in both the promotional photos and mine, once applied on my fair skin I noticed the tones looked a lot more orange. Luckily, it’s something I can still work with on my fair skin. If Urban Decay’s Naked Heat was too orange for you, this one might actually be a good alternative if you like the colour scheme. The powders will have some kickback when you swirl your brush around in the pan, but I find the fallout is rather limited. The highest risk comes with the glittery shadows but it can be easily reduced when working with an eyelid primer. A little Fix+ also works miracles.
Overall I can say this is one of the palettes I’ve truly been enjoying the last couple of months. Warm eyeshadow palettes are still quite new to me and the quality of this Korean one definitely got me craving for more. One remark however is that I think $40 for a palette like this is quite steep, considering you pay $27 for a Huda Beauty Obsessions palette. I was able to get this on sale at $28, which I think is a fair price.
Will this be my favourite palette of the year? Only a couple of weeks left for the big reveal of my make-up must haves of 2018! Either way, I’m definitely looking forward to try more stuff from 3CE in the coming year!
3CE Mood Recipe Multi Eye Color Palette #Overtake $ 40
Available at Stylenanda
Disclaimer: Product was purchased