HSN sent me a $10 off coupon for no reason at all, but I'm not one to ignore free money, so I used it to pick up a Shiseido eyeshadow trio after having heard nothing but raves. (Oddly, though, now all the Shiseido stuff is gone from their website! How peculiar.) I chose Pink Sands, because I don't have enough neutralish palettes, I guess? I wanted something I would get a lot of wear out of, anyways.
Pink Sands includes three shades: a medium pink, a silvery taupe, and a peachy nude. They are all somewhat shimmery, though the peach less so than the others, and they have interesting degrees of complexity.
They swatch nicely, but I've found they work better patted on with minimal blending, as they're quite easily sheered out. The texture is divine, though––they're not quite as soft as the chinchillas, but out of my shadows, they're certainly tops. I've played around with different placements, since pink can be a hard color to wear, but I find it actually looks very pretty and delicate, no matter what I do. It's certainly a subtle palette, but sometimes you just want something soft and pretty, and on those days, Pink Sands is great.
Look 1: Taupe on inner half of lid, pink on outer half of lid, peach on browbone
Look 2: Peach on inner half of lid and browbone, taupe on outer half of lid, pink in crease (not as well blended as one would like)
Look 3: Peach on inner half of lid and browbone, pink on outer half of lid, taupe in crease
Look 3 is my favorite, since it has the best definition, but they're all easy breezy. I find the shadows last all day over primer, and there's no fallout to speak of. The only downside is how small the pans are––each shade only contains 0.033 oz, which is fine when there's several shades, but I'd like to see more in a trio. Still, though, the quality is there, and if I ever get another coupon, I plan to pick up another trio or two (Tropicalia and Lido especially are calling to me!).
Overview
$33 for 0.10 oz, available from Sephora and Nordstrom, among many others
Quality: 9.25
Effectiveness: 4
Ease of Use: 5
Senses: 5
Pigmentation: 4.5
Duration: 5
Consistency: 5
Price: 2
Value: 2.5 (0.10 oz is definitely on the small side, making it cost a whopping $330/oz)
Grade: B
Have you tried any Shiseido eyeshadows? What do you think of Pink Sands?
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| Beautiful untouched pans! |
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| 2 swipes with finger on bare skin |
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| Same, different angle |
Look 1: Taupe on inner half of lid, pink on outer half of lid, peach on browbone
Look 2: Peach on inner half of lid and browbone, taupe on outer half of lid, pink in crease (not as well blended as one would like)
Look 3: Peach on inner half of lid and browbone, pink on outer half of lid, taupe in crease
Look 3 is my favorite, since it has the best definition, but they're all easy breezy. I find the shadows last all day over primer, and there's no fallout to speak of. The only downside is how small the pans are––each shade only contains 0.033 oz, which is fine when there's several shades, but I'd like to see more in a trio. Still, though, the quality is there, and if I ever get another coupon, I plan to pick up another trio or two (Tropicalia and Lido especially are calling to me!).
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| full face shot of Look 2 |
$33 for 0.10 oz, available from Sephora and Nordstrom, among many others
Quality: 9.25
Effectiveness: 4
Ease of Use: 5
Senses: 5
Pigmentation: 4.5
Duration: 5
Consistency: 5
Price: 2
Value: 2.5 (0.10 oz is definitely on the small side, making it cost a whopping $330/oz)
Grade: B
Have you tried any Shiseido eyeshadows? What do you think of Pink Sands?
