Black Radiance Eyeshadow Quads in Tapestry and Desert Clay.

      I've been holding out on doing this review, but I was finally able to get it done! I'm an avid fan of Black Radiance Cosmetics and as always, I felt inclined to do a review of one of their products. These two palettes actually came to me as a gift from co-writer and friend Symone (thanks so much! I love these and use them almost daily), and I have to say that I'm taken aback by their quality. Let's have a look see~

Color.

       The two palettes I received are tapestry and desert clay. I'm amazed by both their staying power, and vivacity, they really do makeu you look full of energy and alert (despite their choice in colors, the right blending can really do wonders!) The colors show up perfectly fine against my skin, which is a plus because many palettes are not pigmented heavily enough to show up against my skin tone. Also, there is a bit of a diffused glowing effect to the palettes; each color perfectly complement each other color of the same palette!

Scent.

       The palettes smell like talc and that's really not a surprise considering the ingredients. I could do without the smell personally but it's not a substantial inconvenience. After a few minutes, the smell disappears.

Durability.

       There's no need to use a primer with this shadow. As I stated before, their pigmentation is intense enough to show through on most skin tones with out disoloration/fade issues. If you have oily skin (particularly in the eye area) avoid appliying this shadow until you blot the oils on your lids (in other words clean, dry faces only). Should you choose to use a primer, you can expect that this shadow may stick a bit more like a 'tattooed' shadow..

Price.

Like I said, mine was a gift but these can go for around 7.99USD on average. Shop around for good deals, there may be some at soap.com right now, I'm not sure..

Applicator.

       They come with simple sponge applicators. a brush will pick up too much shadow and cause fallout. This shadow is so soft that even dabbing your finger against it can leave a deep impression in the shadow, be gentle! Aside from that I found that I'm quite a big fan of the extension of the sponge handles. I have bigger hands than most people and longer fingers; my hand generally dwarfs the brushes that most cosmetic palettes gives as their standard issue, so I loved their longer brushes!

Ingredients.

Talc, Zinc Stearate, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Isostearyl Palmitate, Polyethylene, Octyldodecyl Hydroxystearate, Mineral Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Lanolin Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Dimethicone, Boron Nitride Powder, Silica, Tin Oxide, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Palmitic Acid, Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Bronze Powder (CI 77400), Manganese Violet (CI 77492), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI 77288), Copper Powder CI 77400, Carmine (CI 75470), Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Yellow 5 (CI 11680), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 40 Lake (CI 16035), Chromium Oxide Green CI 77288

Packaging.

      Shown above, the palettes has a preview film and a black case with unseen compartments for the applicator storage. On the inside is a small mirror (cant be more than two inches long with a height of a half inch) the can be used on the go. I don't used the mirror because it's burden to my eyesight, but the sentiment was thoughtful on their part. The case feels like a gel case used for pda's. It's an interesting texture, and I often find myself running my fingers over it repeatedly (it's really addictive; weird, I know x]).

Overall.

       I really, really love these quads. But there are some items in their composition that make me want to cry (particularly the mineral oil and crap ton of parabens). Sad to say, but this product falls short of a five star item; a 4/5 star pair of products. There's just too many maybe's with this item, it can irritate your skin very easily and that's just a no-go. Still, I'm madly in love with the color, though I'm not likely to buy again with all the questionable content in the product (and their a bit on the pricey side since I haven't been able to find a replacement for about a year. I'd have to use Amazon and I'd have to deal with SHIPPING ;;). Still going to look out for other items that this company makes, their foundation, and primer seems promising (Reading G's blog for reference about the primers, I might buy one..) Okay! Do you have an affinity for this particular brand, or do you just abhor it? Tell us @Cloud9Kollektiv.