Eggplant is redder than I'd imagine a real eggplant to be. It's more of a deep rich wine burgundy with perhaps a hint of purple? It depends on the lighting... :) Dark enough to be used as a liner or a smokey eye. Quite pretty. Ben Nye shadows are quite smooth and pigmented, but they have enough powdery feel to make them some of the easiest mattes to blend (which is particularly important for deep shades like this one). One of my favorites.