Review | Yves Saint Laurent Holiday 2012 Northern Lights Boréal Pure Chromatics Eyeshadow Palette in Arctic Night

A Holiday 2012 offering from Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, I thoroughly enjoyed wearing this palette, using it quite often last month.

A celebratory sky on a winter night. Bathed in constellations of pearly stars and illuminated by the magical aurora borealis. Northern lights in a show of intense colours, from green to blue to pink-tinged violet. Captivated by this magical invitation, the Yves Saint Laurent woman puts on her make-up. The opulence of simmering violet and icy blue. The warmth of dark shades mixed with frosty transparency.

– YSL Beauté

A quartet of striking cool-toned hues, the pans are infused with luminescent kaleidoscopic sparkles, with a dominance of glacial blue and icy pink reflects, perfectly embodying the palette’s theme.

On their own, the shades are sheerer than I’d expected from their visual tonal depth and was disappointed when I first swatched my press piece. However, they might appeal to those of you who like something less intense yet desire a lively pop of colour on the eyes.

Belonging to the Pure Chromatics 4 Wet & Dry Eyeshadows range, they easily become more intense and velvety when wet. The sparkles adhere better too.

Used singly or side-by-side, the colours are nice but they aren’t terribly unique. However, their aurora magic really manifests when layered and mixed; I enjoy the transformation of the shades and the often-beautiful results that varying blends beget. My favourite is the combination of the red umber (upper left pan) and Prussian blue (lower right pan) – together, they become a complex plum-violet.

Add to that the breath-taking sparkles…I am absolutely in love with their prismatic nature! ♥

This limited edition palette comes in a silver sequined pouch, reflecting the shine and sparkle of its namesake. In Singapore, it retails at S$88.