Hello lovelies, I hope you’re all having a lovely week so far. Is it starting to feel like Spring where you are?! I cannot wait to start wearing lighter tops, more skirts and smell the blooming flowers in the air! Spring & Fall are definitely my favourite seasons in Japan.
Today, I have KOSE ESPRIQUES Select Eye Color for review. I had been wanting to try these out for some time now, but I have so many other eyeshadows that I still need to use that I put off buying these, until now. ESPRIQUE came out with some limited edition colors and a limited edition case, that was super pretty and I thought now would be the time to pick some up.
ESPRIQUE Select Eye Color ranked #1 on VOCE and ranked 3rd place for best eyeshadow in 2016 on @cosme, currently #2 on@cosme. There are 16 shades and 8 limited edition shades.
They are a powder eyeshadow, most of them are shimmer shades. The eyeshadows are made with a crushed diamond powder formulation that gives a pure clear color and a shiny glossiness that is continued throughout the day. It blends in beautifully with the skin and gives an elegant shine without feeling thick. These eyeshadows are divided into 4 different categories. (https://esprique.com/item/eye/01.html)
Base & highlight colors
Bright colors
Natural colors (colors that blend in naturally)
Deep colors (to make your eyes look bigger)
Limited colors
Each eyeshadow comes in a clear plastic case, which is super light and tiny, perfect for your makeup bag. You can get a separate case to put them in, like I did, if that’s what you prefer. I don’t like having single eyeshadows everywhere because I don’t have a great storage system and having them in cases, makes them easier to find. That’s just my preference though. The original case is black with a silver diamond embossed on it saying ESPRIQUE in the middle. The limited edition one is pretty much the same but in a pretty light pink, almost white case. They hold 2 eyeshadows inside. Both cases are really pretty.
This is going to come as no surprise but the colors I chose are BR 301, BR 306, BR 303 and BR 305. I just can’t stay away from neutrals, they go with absolutely everything and make your eyes look stunning! ESPRIQUE describes BR 301 (Natural) as a greyish brown that has depth, BR 306 (Deep) a dark brown sparkling in gold, BR 303 (Natural) an exquisite depth of mauve brown and BR 305 (Deep) a delicate and deep matte brown. I would say BR 301 and BR 306 are cool toned browns.
Select Eye Color eyeshadows are very buttery and feel velvety to touch. They glide on smoothly and are blendable. You need to be careful when you apply the darker colors though, as they can go on a little blotchy. I would work with a light touch and build it up. You can apply a light layer for a subtle day time look or go full on smokey with a heavier application, with both of these shades. Just bear in mind, they are a lot less pigmented when you apply with a brush. I was actually surprised, the first time I applied them because they were so much softer than when I had swatched them in the store. I have to say I’m not impressed with the longevity of these eyeshadows either, especially when it comes to the darker shades. After 4 hours or so, they start to crease and set in the fine lines on the lids and every time I blink, you can see thin lines going across my eye lids. Not a pretty look! The first time I used it, I didn’t use a primer or anything, so I thought that was reason why but even with the primer, it does it everytime. If you stick to just the lighter shades, I don’t think you’ll have this problem. I only noticed this with the deep shades. Overall though, I don’t think they’re as pigmented as I’d like them to be and they are definitely not long lasting.
Swatches L-R
BR 301, BR 306, BR 303 and BR 305
The Eyeshadow’s are around 800 yen each for 1.5 g
ESPRIQUE Eyeshadow case is around 800 yen
Thank you so much for reading!
