Sunday Riley Prismasilk Eye Colors - The Darker Shades

I should love Sunday Riley's Prismasilk Eye Colors ($26) in Fool's Gold (at left above) and Burnt Eggplant (at right above). I don't. I've thought about the reasons for months. I bought them in February, and every so often, I've picked them up to play.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the quality of these shadows. For me, with my fair skin and conservative look, they are simply too dark, too saturated, too too. These shades are difficult for me to apply (dry), even with the right brush and a very light hand. More often than not, I end up with too much color, and I must work blend it out. More on that below.

Sunday Riley's multifunctional wet or dry formula can be used as a traditional eyeshadow or as a precision eye liner. The ultra-fine, long-wear formulation is air-milled for exquisite texture and rich, stay-true color. Micronized spherical pigment particles impart effortless blendability and instantly satisfying color payoff.

The Prismasilk Eye Shadows are offered in a range of finishes, from matte to satin to illuminating shimmers. I am always drawn to shimmer shadows, and both of these shades offer me the shimmer I like. Fool's Gold on my skin is the bolder of these shades for the shimmer factor, offering a sparkling finish.

The texture of Sunday Riley eye shadows is nice and creamy for a powder. It applies evenly and easily, despite a small amount of powdery fall-out around the compact (a feature of many powder eye shadows). I apply the shadows with a brush, and they apply and layer well. If there's a little debris from application, it cleans up easily with a dab of a moist Q-Tip. Once applied, the color lasts for a long time.

I adore Giorgio Armani, Chantecaille, and Le Métier de Beauté powder eye shadows because the colors are usually sheer and buildable. I can control the intensity. Even when I use a very loose shadow brush, picking up a minimal amount of pigment from these Sunday Riley dark shades, I end up with a deep evening look. My life is pretty boring. I don't go out often, so evening makeup doesn't suit my lifestyle.

I swatched these two shades using a sponge-tipped applicator, which makes them look bolder than they would have looked had I used a brush. I did not swatch heavily. My photos show one pass with the applicator. The photos were taken in full sun.

The color of Fool's Gold at the top of my arm is gorgeous. It's a grey-brown hybrid with sparkle and sass. Burnt Eggplant is well named. It is a deep burgundy brown - never one of my best shades, but I had been assured by the Sunday Riley sales representative at Barneys that it didn't look red on the skin. Well, it looks a bit too red on me, although you can't really see that in these photos.

Had I seen them in person before I purchased them, I would have bought Fool's Gold to have it for occasional use, but not Burnt Eggplant. It doesn't flatter me. I don't care for the black-eye look - one I often get from richly pigmented eye shadows.

So, I've given you my very personal perspective on two Sunday Riley eye shadows, a view skewed by my preferences and skin tone more than the shadows themselves. Anyone who loves saturated eye shadows needs at least one of Sunday Riley's darker shades. Anyone who can wear bold color should definitely investigate these shades. If you are like me and want a tamer look, these are probably not your best choice, particularly for this time of year. If you'd like to see these shades at another blog, hop over to The Non-Blonde or The Beauty Look Book.

You can purchase Sunday Riley Prismasilk Eye Colors at Barneys New York, where I purchased these. You can purchase online or call for help.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty