Lunasol Sheer Contrast Eyes in Lavender Coral

I've been lemming this palette ever since my obsession with Asian makeup started last year. I first read about this palette at A Touch of Blusher, which also happens to be the blog that introduced me to Asian makeup. Subsequently, I read about it at a number of different blogs and decided that it's probably worth checking out since I love lavenders/purples and shimmer. I'm very glad to say that it was a good decision to get this palette as I'm really loving it so far.


The casing for the Lunasol palettes is a very classy bronze with Lunasol written on the front in elegant lettering. This palette was very well packaged with a layer of styrofoam protecting the palette between the palette and box. The brush and applicators that come along with the palette are also of fairly good quality, though nothing to really write home about. The texture of the shadows are in general very fine and smooth, but the dark purple shade can be a little rough and dry when using fingers, and the gold shade is a bit gritty. I have had no problems with the shadow creasing on me when I apply UDPP underneath, though the shimmer/sparkles do migrate like crazy. The color payoff of the palette is pretty good for me, which makes me wonder why Lunasol decided to call this line Sheer Contrast Eyes (based on the reviews I've read, Lunasol has had some sheerer offerings).

The shades in the palette include a blue-toned lavender (A), a pale cool pink (B), an intense purple-black (C), and a pale gold (D). All of the shades are, to some extent, sparkly and shimmery. The shade with the most obvious sparkles are the gold shade, followed by the lavender and pink shades, with the dark purple shade taking up the rear. Although the shadows are very obviously shimmery, the shimmers don't make the shadows look like cheap adolescent stuff. The overall look achieved with the palette is a young, lively look that reminds me of spring. Unfortunately, the sparkliness of the shadows do make it less office-appropriate, so don't buy this palette if you're an OL with every intention of wearing these shadows to work. That is, unless your office encourages a more creative or less uptight environment.

The official directions are in the picture below. This method of application works fine for me, but my own way of application (obviously) suits me better. I will discuss the details in another post.


All photos in this post are taken under natural light.

In short: A great palette to own for its elegant casing and wearable and vibrant shadows. This is definitely something one can wear on weekends and dates, though it is not typically office-appropriate. Also, stay away if you don't like major shimmer/sparkles.