Sephora + Pantone Modern Watercolors Eyes Palette Review & Swatches
The Sephora + Pantone Universe Modern Watercolors Eyes Palette ($39) is a new, limited edition eyeshadow palette featuring 24 pastel shades of color celebrating the two 2016 Pantone Color of the Year shades in Rose Quartz and Serenity.
I think for me, visually, Rose Quartz and Serenity are gorgeous shades. I can totally see them as being perfect shades of color in a nursery or evening in a living area space as they are soothing, calm, and very, very pretty. I can also see myself wearing either or both shades in the Spring as they are the perfect shades of light, airy colors for the season.
But on my eyes? Not so much. I like pink eyeshadow and I like blue eyeshadow but pastel shades of pink and blue are just something I can’t pull off. At some point in my makeup life I was convinced I could totally wear pastels but yeah, no. Doesn’t work. They look too chalky and washed out on me.
However, for those who adore pastels you might just love all over this Sephora + Pantone Universe Modern Watercolors Eyes Palette.
The Sephora + Pantone Universe Modern Watercolors Eyes Palette is actually a smaller, compact palette that’s the same size as the Sephora Pantone Facets of Marsala Multi-Finish Eye Palette released last year. I’d say it was around the size of the Sephora Jem and The Holograms Truly Outrageous Eyeshadow Palette and holds 24 Eyeshadows that are 0.03 each. Sephora’s been doing Pantone Collections since 2012 and the eyeshadow palettes have gotten more and more compact in size which I’m grateful for as they store way more easier.
The presentation has been amazing on all of the Pantone Collections but I have to say the Sephora + Pantone Modern Watercolors Eyes Palette does top my list as a favorite. It’s very pretty. The compact is white with a gorgeous pastel watercolor print on the cover. It’s just a very feminine and pretty design.
The palette is filled with both matte and shimmer finish eyeshadows in both pastels and brights. About 99% of the shades are cool toned but there are one or two that creep in that lean towards being warmer like a beautiful olive green that I fell in love with.
I’m kinda debating whether these are as chalky as they seem or if I feel that way just because they are pastels. For me, pastels are always a bit chalky but….I think the formula is almost a bit drier and chalkier as well. I’d say the palette was one or steps above the Jem and the Holograms Eyeshadow Palette in terms of quality. Fairly good color pay off but colors tend to sheer out when blended and don’t adhere well to lids because they are looser. They also feel and look very chalky on skin since many have a strong white undertone. Likewise for the shimmer shades which are quite frosty and powdery. Oddly there are one or two shades that creep in here which are like the quality we have known and loved from past Sephora palettes but a majority of the eyeshadows are disappointing to me. Again, I debated with myself over this for a while because I couldn’t tell if I was just feeling that way because these were pastels or if in fact it was the formula. But I’m leaning towards saying the mattes could have been way silkier and the shimmers could have been a lot less frosty.
The Sephora + Pantone Modern Watercolors Eyes Palette might prove a good pick up if you like a lighter more natural look. It also might be a great pick if you’re a lover of pastels and you look great in them. But I feel like the shadow formula leaves a lot to be desired and although there are a few shades here that are have a great formula there are not enough of those to make me rave this one. It’s beautifully presented but I just don’t think the eyeshadow formula is what I’ve come to expected from some of Sephora’s limited releases.
The Sephora + Pantone Modern Watercolors Eyes Palette is available soon at Sephora and Sephora.com.