Review: Revlon Sterling Rose CS e/s

I'd like to start this post by pointing out that I spent a grand total of $.13 on this eyeshadow palette. Yeah, you read that right. $.13. I am officially the makeup bargain queen.

If you're not familiar with this line, I should offer a bit of background info before I get into this review. Revlon's ColorStay 12 Hour Eyeshadow quads have long had a reputation for being being long-lasting, well-pigmented, easy to blend, and just really workable shadows in general, especially for a drugstore brand palette. I used the Berry Bloom palette in college and remember loving the bright, vibrant pinks and purples in that quad. My love for that palette, combined with the positive experiences I've had with the ColorStay line since (the foundation and liner pencils), really influenced this newest purchase.

What I really enjoy about this line is that the ColorStay shadow quads come in a wide variety of colors. Depending on your personal preferences, you can choose a subtle color set or something more bold. Normally, I find that drugstore palettes tend to be a hodgepodge of colors that on their own might be pretty, but somehow just don't work well together (I'm looking at you, CG!). However, the Revlon shadow palettes actually seem like they could be interchangeable, so you can mix and match which shadows you pair together.

I was immediately drawn to the Sterling Rose quad because the colors just looked so classic. It reminds me of Chanel's Enigma quad, which is one of my favorite shadow combos of all time. There's a delicate champagne shadow that works fantastically as a  highlighter, and a great pale rosey pink that has the slightest undertones of gold and bronze to it. There are also two darker shades as well, namely a silvery lilac that works wonderfully in the crease (or as a lid color, if you want), and a darker charcoal-brown that makes for an amazing liner. What's also interesting to note about this palette is that the colors are actually really neutral once they're on the eye, despite the varied undertones in each shadow.

                                                  

How cute is the embossing on the shadow? Damn packaging. Gets me every time.

I love the texture of these shadows. They're powdery, to be sure, but they're also really smooth and silky, and they blend beautifully. There's no real filler in this formula so you're not going to end up with large amount of fallout or random particles on application. 

I swatched each shadow so you can get a good idea of how they look if you were to use them as dry or wet shadows. I also didn't use a primer, so these colors are exactly what you'd get if you just applied them on their own.

                                           

                                                                                Dry swatch

Wet swatch

What I love best about these colors is that they are just so blendable, you can wear a subtle smokey eye during the day because the colors aren't too overpowering.                                           

Look at how wonderfully the shadows blend together! *Love*

So suitable for work.

And it doesn't take much to transition these shadows into a night time look, either. Build up the lightest shades, use a fluffy brush to blend, then just add a touch more of the darkest shade as a winged out liner, and there you go; a sexy smokey eye using rather neutral shades. If you're into major drama with your makeup, you could draw that winged V further out and create a really interesting cut crease (not necessarily my thing, but more power to you if it is).

True to the name, these shadows do last a long time and unless you're intentionally darkening the colors, you don't need to reapply like you might with other drugstore products. They don't crease, they don't streak, they don't budge. Period.

The one flaw I have found with this product so far is the actual package the product comes in. The plastic container feels super flimsy and I'm worried it could crack if I don't baby it.

All in all, I highly recommend checking the ColorStay shadow quads out if you're so inclined. The price is great ($5-$8, depending on individual drugstore pricing), and the color payoff is really fantastic when you consider how much you can play around with the shadows during application.

Grade: A.