After the recent Lancôme Maqui Miracle presentation I attended, I was given this shadow set to review.
Aptly named ‘Star of the Night’ in French, Étoile du Soir comprises:
- A translucent glimmery white
- A satin dove grey
- A shimmery greened pewter
- A sparkly silver embossed with the famous Lancôme rose
- A black with sparkly micro-shimmer
Made in Japan, the fine shimmer and micro-glitter of this quint are characteristic of many Japanese eye colours I’ve come across. The different sizes of the shimmer particles in each pan create a textured look (hence the ‘3D’ in its name) and remind me of Lunasol eyeshadow palettes which have the same unique feature.
The soft colours blend effortlessly into one another and the sparkles twinkle beautifully under the light. That said, I do wish the accent colours, especially the pewter, were slightly more intense as I favour deeper tones. This is something a dark eyeshadow base easily rectifies, so it’s not a huge drawback. This compact will be good for people who are leery of strong shades but would like a subtle smokey eye.
At S$90, this is a pricey palette. It’s not quite a must-have, unless you have a penchant for greyed shades or collect smokey eye palettes.
For me, the deciding factor would be the refined quality of the palette as a whole: The colours are silky and blendable, while the sparkles are generally smooth and stay on well (only the ones in the black shade tend to fall out). Even the included sponge-tip and brush applicators work surprisingly well; I was particularly pleased with the brush – it smoothly sweeps my socket indent, seamlessly merging the lid shade with the contour one.
Above is Lancôme’s recommended method of using this palette.
Here is another illustration of the recommended application method.
According to the brand:
Create a multi-dimensional captivating gaze to reveal wide, expressive eyes using the S-way of application along our 5-shade palette. Simply layering shades on by one adds depth to eyelids:
1. High-lighting shade
2. Middle shade
3. Dark shade
4. Top coat
5. Liner shade
And here’s a simple gradated look I created with this palette, using a dark eyeshadow base on the lid. This photo was taken several hours after I first did my eyes – as you can tell, the liner on the outer waterline has faded. However, the shadows themselves lasted pretty well.
Image sources: Lancôme Singapore and Lancôme Japan
Wow, this palette looks gorgeous on you! I’ve never tried Lancome eyeshadows but I’d need to check out this range :-) Love your blog too!
Thank you, Lyn. It’s worth taking a looking at.
Pretty! These sure look like smoky eye territory, but all that shimmer is calling out to me… ;) The 3rd shade looks like a distant relative of erika f to me. Thanks for the look, Mag – these shades certainly look like they need a darker base to anchor them.
Hi TUG,
Yes, it is reminiscent of Erika F but the latter is definitely sparklier and iirc, slightly smokier and a touch warmer.
what a gorgeous palette. It looks beautiful on you. your eye makeup is so flawless!
Hi Penelope,
Thank you! :)
Yep, it’s official, you look great with smokey eyes :)
I have double eye-lids, but every time i try to wear a darker eyeshadow, it creases visibly, even with a primer. Any holy grail primers to avoid creasing?
Hi Lynn,
Thanks. I like layering powdered eyeshadows over a waterproof pencil on the lid, so that helps them to last. Perhaps you could try this method? Some good eyeshadow bases include Urban Decay Primer Potion, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Benefit Creaseless Creams and MAC Paintpots.