This eyeshadow is the last of the products that I snaffled at the Kit Viva la Colour makeup event a couple of weeks ago. It was given to me as a freebie after my makeover. I must admit that I was slightly disappointed when I unwrapped this dark shadow, because I already own about a million variations on black and grey eye shadows and I had been hoping for something a little more vibrant. However, once I took this baby for a test spin, I realized that it’s beauty completely eclipses the other dark shadows in my makeup kit.

 

On first inspection, I thought that this shadow was a silvery grey. In the pot, it appeared to be a gunmetal grey shade, flecked with iridescent specks. When I applied it to my eye, however, it was much darker than I had initially thought. The shadow is a very dark charcoal shade, which came as a bit of a shock to me. It’s perfect for shading in the crease of your eye, creating gothic looks, smoky eyes or 60’s inspired mod makeup.

 

The quality of this shadow is excellent. It glides onto your skin easily and blends beautifully. I would recommend using a small amount of the shadow to begin with and then building up the colour, because it has a lot of pigment. A little really does go a long way with this shadow, and if you get over-excited with the initial application, you could very well wind up with a set of panda-eyes. I have tried using this shadow over my entire lid, with a highlight of light grey shadow in the middle to highlight (I use Bella Pierre’s mineral eyeshadow in Tin Man for this). I’ve also used this shadow to give depth to brighter hues by shading in the crease of my eye. Both of these looks are brilliant, and I’m keen to do a bit more experimenting.

 

 

The Kit eyeshadows are crease-resistant and long-lasting. Once you’ve applied them, they stay put all day. You won’t find them migrating onto your cheekbones by the afternoon. In spite of it’s excellent staying-power, I’ve found this shadow a dream to remove. Just one swipe with my eye-makeup remover and every last speck is gone. The formula doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin either, which is a huge bonus.

 

 

At $19.95 a pop, these shadows are excellent value for money. I’m planning on stocking up on a rainbow of shades to add to my makeup box.