When it comes to eyeshadow, I’m a big magpie. The result of collecting makeup over the years is an absolute abundance of shimmery and glittery eyeshadows. Now that I’m older and more experienced in makeup, I definitely value matte shadows more than I once did. They’re absolute essentials when it comes to blending shades together and defining the crease. To complete my collection I went on a hunt for some nice matte shadows and found the Clarins Ombre Eyeshadows.
Although Clarins is one of those good old luxury brands, I rarely hear anyone talk about their makeup (the popular lip perfectors not included). Strange, since the Clarins Ombre Cream-To-Powder Eyeshadows are very pretty on the eyes with their classy (rose) gold lids. They certainly drew the attention of this millennial! The fact that there is a sticker on the bottom showing the shade that is inside is very handy. I store them bottom-up in my single shadow drawer, so it’s very easy to pick the colour I’m looking for instantly.
I purchased 3 of the Clarins Ombre Matte Cream-To-Powder Eyeshadows; 02 Nude Pink, 04 Rosewood and 06 Earth. All neutrals, so I can get the most use out of them. 02 Nude Pink is very close to my skin tone, so I like to use this shade to blend out the outer edges of a smokey eye and get rid of any leftover harsh lines. 04 Rosewood is one I like to use in my crease and 06 Earth I like to use as an eyeliner. Powders work the best when you aim for a soft line and Earth is just the perfect brown shade for that purpose.
Later on I also purchased the Clarins Ombre Iridescent Cream-To-Powder eyeshadow in 01 Aquatic Rose which I think was part of a limited edition summer collection. You can recognize each finish by their lids. The mattes have a gold lid, while the Iridescent colours have a rose gold lid. Although I wasn’t meant to buy Aquatic Rose, I’m still very happy with this colour and have been using it a lot during Summer.
So what’s up with the Cream-To-Powder thing you ask? Well, I wouldn’t exactly describe their texture as a ‘cream’, however when you press the powder onto your hand, you can definitely feel how incredibly soft it really is. The pigment is also very nice; easy to build and blend, which makes these a good option for both beginners and more advanced makeup fanatics. You can use a base underneath like the Clarins Instant Light Eye Perfecting Base to make them look more intense, but I just wear them on their own. They’re pretty long-lasting too, so I don’t really feel like I need to use a base underneath.
Overall, I think these are great purchase. Perhaps a tad too expensive, but still great makeup staples. I would love to see Clarins throw some shimmers and mattes of this quality into a palette.
Clarins Ombre Matte/ Iridescent Cream-To-Powder Eyeshadow – € 24 / £ 19
Disclaimer: Products were purchased.