Wednesday, May 23, 2012

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

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

You can use a bit of translucent, ideally loose,powder to sheer them down and help to blend.

Charlestongirl said...

I could, Anonymous, but it's easier to use another shadow.

Elysse said...

Burnt Eggplant does look so red, I would imagine it makes you look tired on. What a pitty! Fool's Gold looks like a gorgeous colour though. I still would be interested to try it since I'm a brunette and darker colours don't necessarily look too dark on me. You're very brave for buying without trying!

Unknown said...

Fools Gold looks great on darker complexions. I'm a MAC NC 45 and love the way it looks on me. I still have to be careful not to over apply, but it creates a great smokey eye look, and I layer a lighter color over it on the inner corner of my eyes for day.

Suselew said...

How close is Fool's Gold to RBR'S Delicate Hummingbird? I'd like to try the brand, but I have SO many similar shades.

Eileen said...

Every brand has its special color esthetic and I've decided that SR just isn't for me. After playing a bit at the counter, I came away empty handed. The quality of the shadows is quite good, but the colors in which I was interested looked a bit off on me and made my eye color look sludgy. Oh well, can't win 'em all!

Unknown said...

I love how pigmented and intense these are! I refuse to try them though for fear of another high end addiction!

Jo said...

Hi CG, I noticed that the Barney's website now has Sunday Riley lipsticks. Are you planning on trying and reviewing those?

Anonymous said...

So I must admit, I just love them- and they are exactly the colors to which I have always gravitated. I am of the same complexion and age range as you are, Charlestongirl, and I've no business at all wearing this intense of color, but I do because it makes me happy. These appear to be perfectly beautiful in formulation and pigmentation. Many thanks for the post and beautiful photos. xoxo Beth in Pgh ;-)

lov2read68 said...

Looking at your swatches I'm surprised that the SA told you that Burnt Eggplant wouldn't have/show red in it. Fool's Gold is gorgeous but I can see how it would be tough to tame for those of us at the pale end of the spectrum!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Odyssey, Fool's Gold is totally gorgeous. Anyone with skin dark enough to "carry" it would love it.

I buy blind all the time. Usually it works out well. :)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Ava,

I would imagine you'd look great in these shades!

Charlestongirl said...

Suselaw,

Not close. I'd recommend you try to shop the line in person. As you can see from Eileen's comment, the shadows will either hook you - or not.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Eileen,

Just think about all that money we can redirect! I love the SR blushes, but the shadows? Not so much.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi PP!

These are your kind of eye shadows. Love saturated colors? They were made for you!

Charlestongirl said...

Jo, I don't think so. I do plan to try to look at them in person this weekend.

Charlestongirl said...

Me too, Lov2read! Maybe she was trying to meet a sales goal that month.

Mamavalveeta03 said...

I understand EXACTLY what you're saying. My eye is totally drawn to these colors, but without a doubt, I'd look like I had a black eye if I wore them. I could probably do them as liner. Love the quality and the brand,tho.

bisbee said...

I only have one of these - Leprechaun. It's about as intense as I'd want to go - glad I stopped there!

Charlestongirl said...

Thanks, Beth. For some odd and inexplicable reason, your comment went to spam. I found it and rescued it.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi MamaVal,

Yep, any makeup artist would totally understand!

Charlestongirl said...

Good choice, Bisbee!

Becca @ The Beauty Sample said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
yesplease1816 said...

I agree, CG! I find that when I use a shadow that is very intensely pigmented, it creates a kind of harsh line on my lids and closes off my already small eyes. I much prefer shadows that I can control the intensity of and blend and sheer out to create the perfect shadow.

Still waiting to try her blushes, though! I keep getting sidetracked with other purchases :P

Anonymous said...

Were these long lasting? All my eyeshadows disappear after I apply them.