Burberry Beauty Sheer Eyeshadows (But Not Really All That Sheer)

Yesterday, Diane from OrangeToLA and I met up at Nordstrom South Coast Plaza to check out the new Burberry Beauty line. Ever since we saw the previews in magazines and reviews start to pop up on various blogs, we knew were interested, but weren’t sure what to expect. We were however ecstatic to find that South Coast Plaza was one of the few launch locations for the new beauty line. For me, Karen’s preview (Makeup and Beauty Blog) had me uber-excited. Lisa’s video tutorial (Lisa Eldridge Makeup) added to my anticipation. Amy’s review (Café Makeup) of Rosewood Lipstick had me sold.

Still, we were just not sure what to expect. The products definitely looked natural, very much along the lines of what I love. But was it going to be too natural? We discussed the prices: $29 for a “sheer” eyeshadow? We were a bit skeptical. The promotional images I had seen in magazines left me thinking “boring.” However, after an morning of swatching, testing, comparing and browsing, I’m pleased to report that the line exceeded my expectations (especially the eyeshadows). The packaging is simply stunning. Classic and modern both at the same time. The etching of the Burberry print on the packaging and the actual product is done with exquisite detail. I like that the lipsticks have a magnetic click to keep them shut. We each did some major damage and had so much fun. The products are definitely more special and pretty in person than what you see in photos (mine included).

I’ll separate my reviews into different sections, starting with the eyeshadows. We were not brave enough to go in and out of the store to swatch & photograph everything, but both verbally acknowledged and admired Karla’s bravery for doing so every week. How amazing is she?

The Sheer Eyeshadows come in 20 different shades and appeared to have 3 different types of finishes from what we looked at: full matte (such as Taupe Brown), glowy (semi-matte and semi-iridescent such as Trench, Almond, Gold Trench), and iridescent (such as Rosewood, Midnight Blue and Midnight Plum). NOTE that these are my own observations. There was no distinguishing label on any of the colors.

1) First they look incredibly boring and ordinary in the compact. But don’t be deceived by what you see in the testers or the compact. When you swipe the colors on your skin, you will see a beautiful glow. It’s hard to describe, but they are all very beautiful. Even the matte shades glow on the skin. Even photographs cannot capture the true gorgeousness. On the skin the colors transform into stunners with a soft but complex iridescent glow.

2) The name “Sheer Eyeshadow” is not really descriptive of these eyeshadows. Both Diane and I were surprised. I didn’t expect to be wowed, but one swipe and you get full pigment. They blend beautifully for a soft but not-too-natural eye. They are truely eye enhancers. There are some beautiful blues, rose colors and plums. All have amazing pigment. Don’t let the name fool you. Even the pale shades are very pigmented. I had my eye on Trench which appeared to be a boring eggshell-nude color. It was absolutely stunning on my skin.

I wanted to get virtually every color but limited myself to pick out 3 shades and came home with Porcelain 03, Gold Trench 04 and Almond 06. Yes, I picked boring neutrals, but it was so hard to decide. I wanted to try out a few safety colors to experiment. Also, the line is so new to Nordstrom at this time they didn’t have any information on possible launch events or GWPs. I decided to wait and save more purchases for later dates.

I haven’t had a chance to wear these for a full day to see how long they last. They are incredibly smooth and soft, but not too powdery like some soft shadows can be (like NYX in my experience, which I love, but tend to break easily on me). In my experience, Urban Decay has the smoothest most pigmented shadows out of all the brands I’ve tried. The Burberry has a similar texture and pigment. They’re just a lot more natural and less frosty.

Swatches don’t do these shadows justice:

Are the eyeshadows worth $29 + tax? In my opinion, most definitely yes. I think there is a color for everyone. Even girls who don’t like neutrals will find one shade that will suit their likes. I will say the line is more for the woman who prefers natural and polished makeup. But there are pretty non-neutral colors that are still very wearable. In addition, there are shades that darker-skinned ladies will like. The lipstick range is pretty diverse from light to bright to dark in my opinion – but all classic types of colors.

What else did we get? I got a few lipsticks, glosses and a blush which will be reviewed soon. Check out Diane’s blog Orange2LA.com for her take. Her review is now up on her blog here. After our Burberry adventure, we went to look for the new Guerlain Fall palettes. Some of you have already asked me if I’ll be getting one. We found them at Saks and our wallets are extremely happy to report that we both passed and weren’t the slightest bit tempted. They are pretty. Just not worth the price. We both agreed there’s a limit, even for beauty junkies like us. $84 could be stretched a lot farther with other brands. We would both rather buy more Paul & Joe or Burberry instead.