Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow - Trench and Midnight Brown

Burberry!!

This post goes back a ways, as I purchased these back in October during my NYC trip. I've since acquired a few more during the Clarins warehouse sale, but these are indeed the ones That Started It All.

Behold, Burberry Sheer Eyeshadows in Trench and Midnight Brown:

You have to enjoy a brand that takes "high-end" seriously. I really dislike paying premium dollar for plastic, flimsy packaging, and there's no worry of that here - everything from the sturdy card stock used for the outer box, to the classic burberry check used on both the velvet sleeve and the heavy, metallic flip-top pan announces luxury in hushed, refined tones.

Sheer Eyeshadow in Midnight Brown.

Midnight Brown is a neutral medium brown with shimmer, the kind that can be used lightly as a wash, intensified for crease work, and smudged into the lashine for sophisticated definition. You no doubt have this shade somewhere in your stash - it IS a basic. But it's basic done exactly right.

Despite the name, there is nothing sheer about this shadow. It is beautifully pigmented, soft and rich in texture. It does kick up when you dip your brush in, so be gentle, but this applies super-smoothly and blends like a dream. Wear time is good, some fading after 6 hours without a primer, a workday and beyond with a primer.

Sheer Eyeshadow in Trench.

Trench is almost exactly the same shade as my NC 20-25 skin. On deeper skin, this would make a perfect browbone shade. On me, it's ideal as an all-over eyelid shade, neutralizing redness and darkness and subtly brightening the area.

It is a matte, but has the very slightest sheen to it to keep it from looking flat. It has a soft texture, not a hint of powderiness and goes on lighter and sheerer than Midnight Brown. It blends as well as Midnight Brown, though it can sheer out too easily. Again, not a unique shade, but one done right.

As you can see from the swatches, these guys make a good team, and indeed it's the combo I had on my eyes in the previous post.

Availability: At Nordstrom,  Burberry.ca and Holt Renfrew locations in Toronto and Vancouver. Price is 29$ USD and 30$ CAD.

Pros: Gorgeous, hefty packaging, lovely pigmentation, very blendable texture.

Cons: Trench can blend away to nothing, requiring care in application.

(I purchased these from Nordstrom.)