I have done a lot of research on reviews on certain palettes / eye shadow colors on darker skin and a lot of the time the swatches shown are complexions way lighter than mine - so I'm still left with ..... NOTHING.
I really don't rely on reviews as I am always willing to try new things out on my own, but I've realized that many other Dark Skinned girls who may not be as makeup savvy as I would run into a problem determining if its worth giving a try. First thing first - both sets are a neutral / nude tone based set so of course the color range will be in creams , whites, browns and beiges.
First up, LORAC PRO Palette - I really LOVE this collection 16 shadows . 8 Matte and 8 Shimmer colors to choose from. You also get a Mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer! What I've been noticing in many palettes till recently with ( Naked Basics and Be MATTEnificient) , palettes tend to be predominately shimmer/ satin shades with 1, 2, maybe 3 tops of shadows with a Matte finish. So I LOVE that we get an equal range. I've been a bit obsessed with a Matte eye ( think 90's supermodel makeup) . So I really appreciate LORAC for giving us this equal opportunity.
The Mattes (Top Natural Light , Bottom Flash) : White , Cream, Taupe, Lt. Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, Black .
As you can see the pigmentation is pretty great ( certain brands you need to have on primer to get the color to appear on darker skin - not a issue here) , and even on my dark skin you can tell the difference in the different light shades. The white looks like white and light pink looks like light pink. Taupe really blends into my skin tone - would be a great option to use in the crease when you want to do a light dramatic eye.
The Shimmers (Top Natural Light , Bottom Flash) : Nude, Champagne, Gold, Lt. Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, Slate
The shimmery shades compliment the matte , practically the shimmery counterpart to each color in the other row. I love that "Slate" is like a Charcoal shade , and honesty "Black" ( Matte) reads like a Charcoal ( at least on my skin) . "Gold" and "Garnet" and "Pewter" are very pretty and "Nude" "Champagne" and "Lt. Bronze" are great for the inner rims of the eyes as well as lower lash line to really make the eyes "pop" . Especially on us Darker skinned girls , dabbing a little bit of a shimmery Nude shade to the inner rims really does something for us - just try it !!
Conclusion : This palette is everything I thought it would be and more. At $42 dollars this is a steal for the amount of colors you get and I LOVE that there is 8 MATTE shadows , and if you ever find yourself being "over" the whole MATTE thing you have 8 Shimmery shades waiting for you!!
Tarte Be MATTEnificent Amazonian Colored Clay Matte Eye & Cheek Palette ( Limited Edition , not sure if it is still available for sale ) - first, I'd like to say that Tarte gets a bad rap for not providing range and color options for Darker Skinned girls. This is not true , although there could be MORE, I would not say that the brand does not cater to us at all . There is many products that Dark Skinned girls can use , from the concealer , foundation, lipsticks, blushes and cheek tints.
Flash
Natural Light
Eye Shadow Colors From Top Left : "Sand out from the crowd" "Peach for the Stars" "Two Plums Up" "Dream in Chocolate" Blush Color : "Elevated"
Eye Shadow Colors From Bottom Left : "Pink outside the box" "Rose to the occasion" "View from the Taupe" "Don't Stand Black"
Shadows : These have really good pigment (as you can see) and even on my dark skin all of the shades are showcased independently. This is all WITHOUT primer, so imagine on the lids how these colors will just POP! You can differentiate "Sand out from the crowd" from "Pink outside the box", they all don't just look "white" on me - which is a plus. The shadows all have a velvety smooth texture which I love. The two shadows which are intended to act as "liners" could easily be used in the "crease" as well - but only for Dramatic looks. I really love this range of nude Matte colors with the contrasting plum shade which isn't your "typical" brown or black in the crease. Especially for spring "Two Plums Up" is going to be very pretty on the lids.
Cheek Color : There is no way I can wear "Elevated" as a blush color , there is just NO way. It will read as as me being "ashy" . This is the only factor not making this palette perfect I would just use the cheek stain as a eyeshadow - multi purpose!!
Conclusion : This is a great palette , despite nay sayers - this CAN be used on Dark Skin. Colors read very well on Dark Skin. The Blush color is the problem . This shade is NOT universal , it will not look great on Darker Skinned girls. I have used many Tarte Blushes , so I know that they offer cheek colors that look great on me. I can't say this is a perfect palette due to this one factor, BUT I suggest it 100% because it is an all MATTE palette and you can't ever have enough Matte shadows and this range will transition great into day and night looks.
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