Paula's Choice • Soft Matte Eyeshadow [DISCONTINUED] • Eye Shadow

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*TOP REVIEWER* mxk2 on 3/13/2005 12:26:00 AM more reviews by mxk2

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I'm torn on these. The colors I have are Stone and Granite, and they are the *perfect* grays on me. I look best in neutral colors that lean toward the cool spectrum - colors that are too cool look "cold" on me, and colors with too much warmth wash me out. These two colors, are not too cool, not too warm - absolutely perfect. I have never been able to find greys as flatterning on me, and believe me, I've searched.

Unfortunately, these lack pigment. Have to layer, at least a couple swipes over the lid, to get color payoff.

I'll continue to purchase, though, because the colors are fabulous on me.

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*TOP REVIEWER* KerryGold on 2/2/2005 6:39:00 AM more reviews by KerryGold

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Medium, Cool   Hair: Grey, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

(Brunette, brown hazel eyes, medium warm/olive complexion)
I own three Paula's Select eyeshadows - twilight, beach and cream. They're truly beautifully matte (great for me in my 40s) and go on smoothly and easily. Tap the excess powder off the brush first - they are a little bit "crumbly", not quite as well held together as Bobbi Brown's.
THE COLOURS:
Twilight doesn't flatter me particularly. It's lavender grey and I was a bit hesitant about it as anything in the purple family tends to look a bit blah on me. I had thought the subtlety of the shade would make a difference.
Cream is exactly the colour of cream and is my staple under brow and/or base colour.
Beach is a pale, slightly pink tan which I like to wear on my lids at weekends for a natural but finished look.Cream and beach are both a definite repurchase. The benefit of asking for a sample cannot be underestimated. The two shades I'm happy with I sampled. The twilight, which I like least, I didn't.UPDATE:
Chiffon is my latest acquisition - a flattering yellow that freshens and brightens the eye area. I wear it all over the lid up to the brow and it simply and subtly looks like my eyes but better.
MORE UPDATES:
Shell - I *love* this! A very natural, eye-enhancing subtle pink wash.
Hazelnut - rich ash brown, no red, lovely.
Beige - pleasant, subtle wash, worth considering.
Smoky Taupe - a deep warm brown, suits me.
Malt - for a lighter brown/tan this is a good choice.
NOT SO GOOD WITH MY COLOURING:
Nearly Nude - nearly invisible, enhances nothing, don't bother.
Tan - doesn't work for my colouring.
Pale Suede - not flattering, makes me look harsh.

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dockat on 12/2/2004 1:09:00 AM more reviews by dockat

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I received three colors in a swap and thought it was great because I've been curious about Paula's makeup. After trying them for about 3 months I have to honestly say that I probably wouldn't buy them new, however.

They are nice colors that don't irriate my sensitive skin and they don't crease. The line is based on conservative, flattering colors. The colors, although rich in the container, are very subtle. It takes several applications with the brush to obtain any intensity even with the liner color. I try for a natural look most of the time, but even that took three or four applications. Even with applying the dark color wet!

If you are going for a very subtle look these will work fine but if you are looking for a little drama for evening be prepared to work a bit longer.

Personally, I prefer the shadows from Jane Iredale. Just as kind to my skin, they don't crease, and the colors are true. Just one swipe with the brush and I'm done - dry for subtle and wet for dramatic.

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cheerymerryberry on 10/27/2004 2:11:00 AM more reviews by cheerymerryberry

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

These are great eyeshadows. The color selection is good and there is no worry about ordering unflattering, over-the-top colors. No shimmer, sparkle, blue or green. They blend well, and for the most part go on smoothly. These are a great option for those looking for a wide range of flattering matte shades. If you like shimmer and sparkle, pretty much every other cosmetics line has many choices. This is probably the only line that has all matte shades. Twighlight is my favorite.

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*TOP REVIEWER* CarlaN on 9/7/2004 5:25:00 PM more reviews by CarlaN

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This is probably the best eyeshadow I have ever used during my 20+(I'm 40 now) years of applying make-up more or less daily.
I tried the trio in Moonlight Mist.
The colors are soft, neutral, and beautiful, and are absolutely matte without looking or feeling chalky.
The only complaint I might have is that, in the trios, the darkest colors are present in rather thin lines.
This makes application using a brush a little awkward.
I suggest just buying the individual colors in the single rounds; they're reasonably priced.
If you like a dramatic eye look, you'll be disappointed, because these shadows go on very softly.
But they are unbeatable for an understated daytime look.
I've found that they wear as well as any on my very oily skin.

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ylgarrett6 on 7/27/2004 5:10:00 AM more reviews by ylgarrett6

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

What a disappointment. These are going back! The pigment did not go on evenly, and looked splotchy streaky and unattractive. Didn't make it through a workout, either. Guess I'll stick with good old drugstore Jane brand - much smoother application!

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bijay on 5/25/2004 2:16:00 PM more reviews by bijay

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

The eyeshadows from Paula were a disappointment - they were so flakey it seemed that half of it landed on my cheeks during application - even after I shook the excess off my PC eyeshadow brush. Not highly pigmented, little staying power - there are cheaper drugstore brands that perform better.

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laetitia774 on 5/15/2004 3:21:00 PM more reviews by laetitia774

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

This is a very good, inexpensive basic eyeshadow everyone should have. It's so hard to find matte shadows in basic colors for this price. The quality is just as good as more expensive shadows like those from Bobbi Brown and MAC. The colors go on silky smooth and are extremely blendable. Stone and Granite are two of my favorites.

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Anastycia8311 on 4/14/2004 9:20:00 AM more reviews by Anastycia8311

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I like these eyeshadows for basic colors and coverage. I wouldnt say there as good as MAC in texture but for the price, they work. Also like the fact that PC hasnt gone the shimmer route--well at least as far as the shadows. Sorry shimmer fans but once you hit thirty plus most shimmer shades dont look good on older skin esp. in the eye crease and a softer more toned down look works better. I cant recall how many drugstore e/shades I had to return last month because they looked matte in the packaging and turned out to be a high shimmery product once I put it on at home, plus most drugstore e/s shimmers are too harsh. I see shes comming out with some new colors but they sound perfect. Ive tried Shell-its the perfect pink highlighter shade for me--better than MAC yogurt in color (too pink). My only complaint believe it or not is that my old PC shadows DO stick to the pan--I was trying to depot so I could add to my own custom palette collection and ended up ruining them! Now if PC would only make her own palettes for eye shades and blushes...

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marie11675 on 4/13/2004 9:39:00 PM more reviews by marie11675

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I love Paula's eyeshadow, it is a soft matte color with no shine. I wear pale suede and nearly nude, they are really great colors. They look great on, but go on lite so you do need to use more, but worth every penny. I have had a hard time finding nice matte shadow in the stores, which as a teacher I try to maintain a professional image. I think I have found my shadow.

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*TOP REVIEWER* gimme_chocolate on 2/14/2004 10:22:00 PM more reviews by gimme_chocolate

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I have this product in Caramel, Cream, and Cinnamon(discontinued). The shades are all matte which is a must for my middle-aged eyelids. They blend easily and last quite a while. I use the caramel on my eyebrows, too. The shadows may not be too exciting to the younger crowd but for mature ladies, they're GREAT!

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spigot on 2/9/2004 10:44:00 PM more reviews by spigot

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I love Paula's books and skincare products but have been a bit cautious about buying her makeup - just seems odd to buy colour through the Internet. But I took the plunge and bought a few eyeshadows, and I'm not sorry. The colours are conservative and beautiful, I love the fact they're shimmer-free, and they're light in pigment and therefore mistake-proof. My new favourite eyeshadow is Paula's Beach, which she describes as a "light sandy beige tone with a subtle hint of peach." Sounds boring, but on me (classic Celtic colouring: FFF with black hair and brown eyes) it looks great and works with everything.

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*TOP REVIEWER* road on 12/17/2003 12:56:00 PM more reviews by road

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

One of the shadows I have is the color Stone. It is completely matte and is a dark tan that doesn't have any red or yellow to it. I use it once in a while to contour the sides of my nose and to hollow out my cheekbones. I am a cool PPP and I think this works superb for contouring. I do consider this a HG although I don't use it every day. Also, I have the color Charcoal Brown which I use every day to line my lids and to fill in my brows. Granite is also very good and can be used similar to Charcoal Brown ( Granite is lighter than Charcoal Brown.) I also have the color Tan which is good for contouring the sides of the nose and the cheekbones. Tan is a warmer color(it has a little bit of yellow to it) than Stone. Therefore, I like to use Stone to do my contouring. I really like these shadows because they are completely matte and very natural looking.

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BSM7305 on 12/6/2003 11:48:00 AM more reviews by BSM7305

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

For a softly madeup eye, this shadow is great. It has NO sparkles in it (a pet peeve of mine in blush and eye shadow) and goes on smooth and matte. The little pots last forever. It wears all day without fading. It also works great as an eyeliner if you apply it with a wet brush.

As some others said, the colors are not dark; in my experience, they look darker in the pots than they actually go on, so buy the darker shades for more coverage and get samples if you're not sure. I have found eyeshadow I can trust!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* wildchipmunk on 9/25/2003 5:31:00 PM more reviews by wildchipmunk

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

While I love Paula's skincare and blushes, the eyeshadows are just not very well pigmented. Like chopsticktoo below, in order to get the color to show up, I had to layer this shadow on. This flaked into my contacts. Pretty colors though and if she reformulated these they'd be fantastic.

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*TOP REVIEWER* chopsticktoo on 7/18/2003 2:44:00 PM more reviews by chopsticktoo

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I really really want to like PC e/s. The texture is silky soft and they are reasonably priced. However, it has very little pigment, I have to pile it up in order for the color to show, and by that time, usually it flakes onto my eye lashes. I do, however, think that it will make a good base color as it evens out the lids sheerly, and the price is affordable for such usage.

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prsleanansidhe on 6/25/2003 3:02:00 PM more reviews by prsleanansidhe

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I was surprised at how large a containter the eyeshadow trios came in. I bought the flirty amethyst and moonlight mist collection after requesting and playing with the samples. They are so blendable and perfectly accentuate one another...as well as bringing out my blue/green eyes. I like matte shadows because they are more softer and natural looking and don't settle into the fine lines around my eyes. They create the nice, smooth look that I love. Plus, they don't irritate my eyes like other shadows which have left me with flakey, red, irritated, painful eyelids. I really love these shadows!

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Metaphora on 6/13/2003 3:09:00 PM more reviews by Metaphora

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

Paula's eyeshadows are excellent! Beautiful soft neutral tones, wonderful texture, color depth, and staying power. They are all matte with no shimmer. Great price and I find their quality much better than MAC's.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Marsen on 4/3/2003 1:45:00 AM more reviews by Marsen

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

These shadows are actually better than MAC's: they blend like a dream and have amazing staying power. They come in beautiful neutral shades that are sure to complement all skintones and enhance features. I only took one lipstick off because Paula still needs to come up with more interesting colors and add some shimmer to her line.

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*TOP REVIEWER* BEVERLYS on 4/3/2003 12:32:00 AM more reviews by BEVERLYS

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

PRICE: US$7.95

I bought a couple of these because I love Paula's Choice skincare, but I find her makeup range to be quite uninteresting. These eyeshadows ARE very smooth and finely milled, and they apply on beautifully, but I found the colors to be very dull. I'm very fond of shimmery eyeshadows and these are definitely not that. If her nude/neutral colored eyeshadows were shimmery, I"d be a convert!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No