Lancôme recently launched a 16-pan eyeshadow palette called Auda[city] in Paris ($68 for 16 shadows each x 1.3g/0.45 oz). This palette was designed by Lisa Eldridge and inspired by the streets of Paris. It’s Lancôme’s first multi-palette with light neutrals, taupes, purples, smokey greys and darker browns. It comes cased in a large mirrored compact and double-ended eyeshadow brush. The eyeshadows have different textures including matte, satin and metallic.
There are mixed reviews on this palette – I’ve been playing with this one for a few days now to put it to the test. Overall I would say it’s a good neutral palette that has a wide range of colors to create a multitude of looks. I like that each color is distinct from each other so there aren’t any repeats within the same palette. The look and feel of the shadows is very natural with a sheer to medium finish. Most of the colors are buildable in pigment – by using a denser brush or dampening it you will get more pigment. Texture is soft and sheer – the shimmers have a lot of powdery kickup and when applying on the eyes I experienced a lot of fall out onto the cheeks. It was easy to clean up though and I usually have some sort of fall out with powder shadows whenever I blend and swipe (creams excluded). Once on the lids – lasting power was pretty good. I tried with and without a base – a base definitely helps, my favorite is Edward Bess Illuminating Eye Base or a cream shadow stick like NARS Velvet Shadow Sticks or Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks.
The finish of each color in this palette is either hit or miss. Some are sheerer than others. A couple of the darker shades are best applied with a detailed brush damp and then smoked out – if you use a fluffy brush for some of the deeper colors you will see uneven application. The nice thing about the darker shades being sheer though is that they are easy to build slowly. If you’re a smokey eye novice and worried about overdoing it – this is a good starter palette.
- Filigree is a light ivory gold shimmer, pigment is medium
- Choquette is a matte cream peach, pigment is medium
- Parfait is a light matte cool pink, pigment is sheer to meidum
- Joie is a frosted champagne shimmer, pigment is medium-full
- Voyage a warm matte terracotta tan, pigment is sheer to medium but easy to blend
- Santé is a soft matte brown, sheer to medium pigment, this is a good blending shade to soften harsh edges and finish the eye look by adding warmth
- Kitten Heel a metallic duo chrome pink gold copper, pigment is medium with a lot of fallout, but on the lids it stays put
- Tenacity is a glorious metallic taupe, it’s frosty but so so pretty on the lids
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- Exhibition is an orchid shimmer, finish is very sheer, this is my least favorite in the palette
- Zip Me Up is a deeper orchid purple shimmer, also sheer in finish, my second least favorite
- Volcano is a shimmery grey, finish is sheer to medium
- Audacious is a satiny smokey brown shimmer, pigment is medium
- Couture is a soft semi-sheer dark matte brow, color is really soft unless you apply with a damp detail brush or small smudge brush
- It List is a satiny black with tiny bits of silver shimmer flecks, pigment is medium
- Clock Strikes 12 is a metallic grey that is very sheer, but buildable if you pack it on
- Nuit is a cool-toned metallic black gunmetal, pigment is medium
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Quick eye swatch with a super natural look:
One last shot:
My overall take on the Lancôme Auda[city] in Paris Eyeshadow Palette is that it’s a decent palette. If I were to rate this on a scale, I’d give this a B rating. I think it’s a good wearable palette that will take you from day to night looks without any other shadows required. The variety makes it versatile and will allow for a number of different looks. If you’re new to eyeshadow and want the convenience of a palette, this is a good starter palette. There are a number of women I know who don’t wear much eyeshadow – if you want color but want a natural palette that’s fun to experiment with this is a good option.
Compared to other palettes, I do think there are better options out there for richer more vibrant color/pigment. That being said the Lancome Palette does appear to be designed for a natural look versus bold rich color. I’m not a huge fan of the brush it comes with – one is a synthetic small brush that seems better suited for creams. The other side is a larger fluffy side which is good for pigmented shadows, since this palette is sheer to medium it doesn’t pick up color well. It is a really good blending brush though.
In terms of larger palettes, the Urban Decay Naked series still rules them all as the best ones for the price of $54 each (at least in my opinion). Based on feedback I’ve received from previous reviews I’ve posted I know they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. I like Urban Decay because of the soft textures, rich pigment, gorgeous shimmers, wearable metallics – for many the palettes are just too much in terms of frost/shimmer. For others, some can’t get over the look of the packaging. The MAC x15 Naturals Palettes are also good if you’re looking for variety but come at a much higher price tag of $85.
If you want a softer palette with shimmers but ones that have more subtle shimmers I’d recommend this Lancôme Auda[city] in Paris Eyeshadow Palette or the Dior Eye Reviver (reviewed here and here). Given how many eyeshadows I’ve tested and own, I can’t call this one a must-have, although for the price it’s nice to have – the quality is good and shadows blend/build nicely on the lids.
Overall a good wearable and versatile palette that’s nice to have, or nice to start out with if you’re building a makeup collection. The overall look and feel is extremely beautiful – it’s a palette you can wear for a number of occasions. You can find the Lancôme Auda[city] in Paris Eyeshadow Palette available now at Lancôme counters. Online at Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and all other Lancôme retailers.
Have you tried this palette yet? What’s your favorite large eyeshadow palette?
This palette was provided courtesy of Lancôme for review consideration.
I have this palette and I'm very impressed by the color selection. I also wish they were a bit softer or more pigmented, but it's good for natural looks
makeupmusicbooks.com
It really does have a good color selection!
I believe there will be a London and a New York Edition to go with Paris so there might be some more vibrancy with faster New York and more bold London? Feel a bit deflated actually because I adore Lisa and her work so I wanted this to be just brilliant. I have all three palettes on my 'To Sample List' when they launch in UK in October and I think I still will. I barely use any Lancome bar the odd mascara so I was intrigued if Lisa had managed to up their game. Oh well her book on the history of make up is due for release on October 13th. Face Paint: The Story of Makeup is the official title of those of you that are interested. Xx
Interesting! You always have the latest on the greatest in beauty 🙂
If they came out with a Tenacity/Kitten Heel duo I'd be all over it but nothing else stands out for me with this.
I hate it when that happens lol! But yeah, if you only love 2 shades, then it's a skip.
Your photos are amaziing! What camera do you use? What an awesome review – super thorough. Based on your photos, I do appreciate that this palette has a full range of shades (unlike Naked which leans either cool toned, pink toned, or smokey).
http://www.blondesandbagels.com
Thank you! Camera information is linked on the sidebar of the blog. I use 2 cameras right now.
The shades look stunning! Especially love the look of Voyage & Audacious! x
Emma | Emmys Beauty Cave | My YouTube
I like that this seems to have some more variety than a standard UD palette but the quality doesn't seem quite as good.
I think the quality of UD is a lot better – but the texture/ finish is different.
I like how honest you were even though Lancome sent you the palette for review. I've been a bit wary of glowing reviews when the company sent a product to a blogger for review, despite a blogger's disclamer about how all reviews are their own. This review really affirms my confidence in this site as a beauty resource!
Thank you for these kind words.
I really like the look of this, especially the shimmery shades they look really great quality, I would definitely like to try it out x
Zoe Mountford x
That's too bad. I really like the purples and lavenders included in this palette, but I like my eyeshadows to be more pigmented without having to build up so many layers. Thank you for the honest review!
If you like high-impact colors or at least shades with more colors then, I think your choice to pass is good – unless you can test in person to see how it works 🙂
Like Amanda, I adore Lisa E. and wanted to love this palette, but when I saw it IRL I was underwhelmed. I popped over to Sephora on the same shopping trip and stumbled upon the Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette and that was exactly what I wanted the Audacity palette to be so I bought that instead. The purple hues of the LM palette are beautiful and the quality of the e/s are incredible. I would love to see a review here on TBLB!
Thanks Trish – I'm actually not a fan of purples at all. I'll look into the Laura Mercier palette though. It's been a while since I've used her powder shadows. I do adore her Caviar sticks!
gorgeous review, thanks. I’m sure this will be about $160 here in Australia… sob!
I really love the swatches you've shown. I can understand the disappointment with the pigmentation a little lacking, but sometimes you just need something a little more subtle to work with. I might wait and see in this one in store, because based on the swatches I really like it.
I agree with Trish ^^ the Laura Mercier Eye Artists palette is stunning and the powders are beautiful to use. Perhaps now thinking about it, I don't need the Lancôme, the two definitely have a similar feel to each other x
The Beauty Bloss
Yes – if you can try in person, I definitely recommend playing with it in store 🙂
Oh my this palette looks gorgeous !! This is the first time I have heard about this brand ..
Candice | Beauty Candy Loves
Whilst it looks lovely, I think due to the hit and miss nature of the shadows, I might be giving this one a miss. Thanks for such an honest review 🙂 x
Ellen Rozalia | http://www.ellenrozalia.com
Thank you Ellen 🙂
Such an elegant combination of colors…your look is stunning as always.
http://www.glossandmagic.com/
As always a great overview of a product. Always love coming to your website to read your thoughts.
Thanks Melissa!
This looks super pretty, but its sad to hear about the inconsistent pigmentation. Thank you for the detailed review and pictures!
Pauline | Catpacking
Love the eye look you created. I have been tempted by this one and looked at it a few times over the weekend! It is a lovely palette, especially for someone who does not already own similar shades. 🙂
Hi Sabrina! Thank you very much for your honest opinion. I've been looking for this palette since I saw it in your blog first time but it seems won't arrive to Europe. I asked in one of the best stores in Spain and they told me the products in American an European markets are different. I also thought to ask some friend to travel USA to buy for me but your review is like a jar of cool water. I've used to Urban Decay products and this palette isn't for me. I need vibrant and potent colours. So thank you again. Great post, as always.