Sydney Grace Black Hole Cream Shadow (2020) ($ 8.00 for 0.34 oz.) Has a darker gray base with larger silver sparkles over a more metallic finish. It had predominantly opaque paint coverage that was best and most evenly applied when worn with high coverage. I found it harder to apply and fade out the edge without getting some fallout (initially), and the base didn’t appear as even.
The texture was smooth, thin, and spreadable with a good play time before turning powdery – but it was never inflexible and was easy to mix after drying. It carried well for nine hours before wrinkling and had very light rainfall after eight hours of wear.
CONTINUE READING: Formula overview for details on general performance and properties (such as fragrance).
- Terra Moons Carbon (P, $ 8.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Full Metal Black (LE, $ 28.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Glam Noir (P, $ 28.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Industrial (PiP,) is shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- ColourPop Revenge (Misunderstood) (LE, $ 4.50) is darker (85% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Soleil Neige # 4 (LE,) is less shimmering, darker (85% similar).
- Viseart Eclipse (GPV2 # 7) (P,) is shimmering, cooler (85% similar).
- Dose of Colors Game Over (LE,) is darker (80% similar).
Formula overview
$ 8.00 / 0.34 oz. – $ 23.53 per ounce
The formula is said to “dry to a smudge-proof finish” that is not waterproof but “lasts on your lids all day”. The brand recommends working “one eye at a time” as the formula “dr[ies] It’s an incredibly pigmented formula, for the most part, where a small swab is more than enough to cover the moveable lid. I always find pressing the product on the back of my hand or on a metal pallet is the best way to get it is with these.
It was recently developed to extend the shelf life from six to 12 months, but there have been changes to the base formula that cut the overall wear time for me – by an hour or two. Before that, they wore me between eight and 10 hours, with most sunglasses on the longer end of that row.
With the updated formula, the wear was eight to nine hours with a tendency to fade. So if I applied them to the internal tear duct or browbone it was more like nine hours or even ten hours of wear, but if I wore the same shade in my crease there would be eight hours of wrinkles. Otherwise, the formula tended to apply, blend, and work like the original formula – I just noticed the wear time was slightly shorter.
The texture was smooth, like a liquid-cream hybrid since it wasn’t liquid, but it was more spreadable than the cream-eyeshadow you find in a jar. Most shades were applied evenly to bare skin with little effort, and the edges remained sufficiently blendable (even if mostly dried) to soften and blend with other shades. They’re very light, and most of them sat well on my lids without emphasizing lines or texture (sometimes a problem with liquid / off-white, more metallic products).
It wasn’t so dry that it felt so firm and firm that if you tried repeatedly to fade it out (after it was dry), it would peel off; these never peeled off or lifted. Based on previous experience – generally with cream eye shadows – I recommend working with your powder eye shadows first (unless you are using them as a base), and then working with the cream eye shadows and returning over all areas, to further veneer if needed. That being said, I was able to apply powder eyeshadow over them without them lifting up or becoming stained. They are some of the easiest cream eyeshadow shadows I’ve worked with to incorporate into multi-shade looks. The wear and tear varied between eight and ten hours before there was slight fading or slight wrinkling.
If you’re someone who tends to use your off-white eyeshadow shadows as sheer pops of color, I think this formula is “too” pigmented and dries too quickly to make application as hassle-free as you’d like. If you love the effect and finish of creamier, metallic eyeshadows and want a real, opaque application, these are worth a look. I recommend squeezing out the smallest amount of product on the back of your hand or on a mixing palette and then applying it to the lid with your fingertips or a flat synthetic brush. I prefer a brush because it gives me more working time than if I used my fingertips.
Browse all of our Sydney Grace Cream Shadow (2020) swatches.
ingredients
Aqua (distilled water), glycerine, behentrimonium methosulfate (and) cetyl alcohol (and) butylene glycol (emulsifier), fractionated coconut oil (caprylic / capric triglyceride), phenoxyethanol (and) benzoic acid (and) dehydroacetic acid (preservative) +/- mica , Titanium dioxide (CI 77891) vitamin E (tocopherol), chrome hydroxide green (CI77289), chrome green (CI77288), carmine, iron oxide (CI 77499, 77491, 77492), tin oxide (CI 778161.)), Manganese violet (CI 77742), iron ( III) -Ferrocyanid (CI 77510), Ultramarine (77007), silica, * synthetic fluorophylogopite, zinc (CI 77947), bronze and copper powder (CI 77400), phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, potassium sorbate, hexylene glycol and aluminum powder))
Disclaimer: The ingredient lists are available from the brand (or retailer) at the time of publication. Please always check the product packaging, if any, the applicable ingredients list for the product you purchased, or the brand or retailer website for the most up-to-date list of ingredients.
Sydney Grace Forest Floor Cream Shade (2020) ($ 8.00 for 0.34 oz.) Is a medium dark forest green with warmer, olive green undertones and cooler sparkles and shimmers. It had bigger sparkles than most of the brand’s cream eyeshadow shadows, albeit not as big as the others released alongside it.
It had opaque paint coverage with little product and blended well along the edges with no issues with fallout or blotchy or uneven edges. The consistency was light, spreadable, and thin with good lubricity, and while it dried to a more powdery finish, it wasn’t immobile so it blended / softened better after application. This shade lasted well for nine hours before wrinkling slightly on me.
CONTINUE READING: Formula overview for details on general performance and properties (such as fragrance).
- Charlotte Tilbury Icon Disco Eyes # 1 (LE,) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Makeup Geek Venom (DC, $ 6.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Psych (P, $ 19.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Facile (LE, $ 4.50) is shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Sydney Grace Under the Sea (LE, $ 6.00) is shimmery (90% similar).
- Clionadh Vortex (P, $ 5.25) is cooler (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Masquerade (Stroke of Midnight) (LE, $ 9.99) is less shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
- Give Me Glow Make It Rain (P, $ 7.00) is more shimmery, darker, and warmer (85% similar).
- Sydney Grace Pear Tree (P, $ 6.00) is shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
- Dose of Colors Olive You (P, $ 20.00) is more shimmery, brighter, and warmer (85% similar).
Formula overview
$ 8.00 / 0.34 oz. – $ 23.53 per ounce
The formula is said to “dry to a smudge-proof finish” that is not waterproof but “lasts on your lids all day”. The brand recommends working “one eye at a time” as the formula “dr[ies] It’s an incredibly pigmented formula, for the most part, where a small swab is more than enough to cover the moveable lid. I always find pressing the product on the back of my hand or on a metal pallet is the best way to get it is with these.
It was recently developed to extend the shelf life from six to 12 months, but there have been changes to the base formula that cut the overall wear time for me – by an hour or two. Before that, they wore me between eight and 10 hours, with most sunglasses on the longer end of that row.
With the updated formula, the wear was eight to nine hours with a tendency to fade. So if I applied them to the internal tear duct or browbone it was more like nine hours or even ten hours of wear, but if I wore the same shade in my crease there would be eight hours of wrinkles. Otherwise, the formula tended to apply, blend, and work like the original formula – I just noticed the wear time was slightly shorter.
The texture was smooth, like a liquid-cream hybrid since it wasn’t liquid, but it was more spreadable than the cream-eyeshadow you find in a jar. Most shades were applied evenly to bare skin with little effort, and the edges remained sufficiently blendable (even if mostly dried) to soften and blend with other shades. They’re very light, and most of them sat well on my lids without emphasizing lines or texture (sometimes a problem with liquid / off-white, more metallic products).
It wasn’t so dry that it felt so firm and firm that if you tried repeatedly to fade it out (after it was dry) you would peel off; these never peeled off or lifted. Based on previous experience – generally with cream eye shadows – I recommend working with your powder eye shadows first (unless you are using them as a base), and then working with the cream eye shadows and returning over all areas, to further veneer if needed. That being said, I was able to apply powder eyeshadow over them without them lifting up or becoming stained. They’re some of the easiest cream eyeshadows I’ve worked with to incorporate into multi-shade looks. The wear and tear varied between eight and ten hours before there was slight fading or slight wrinkling.
If you’re someone who tends to use your off-white eyeshadow shadows as sheer pops of color, I think this formula is “too” pigmented and dries too quickly to make application as hassle-free as you’d like. If you love the effect and finish of creamier, metallic eyeshadows and want a real, opaque application, these are worth a look. I recommend squeezing out the smallest amount of product on the back of your hand or on a mixing palette and then applying it to the lid with your fingertips or a flat synthetic brush. I prefer a brush because it gives me more working time than if I used my fingertips.
Browse all of our Sydney Grace Cream Shadow (2020) swatches.
ingredients
Aqua (distilled water), glycerine, behentrimonium methosulfate (and) cetyl alcohol (and) butylene glycol (emulsifier), fractionated coconut oil (caprylic / capric triglyceride), phenoxyethanol (and) benzoic acid (and) dehydroacetic acid (preservative) +/- mica , Titanium dioxide (CI 77891) vitamin E (tocopherol), chrome hydroxide green (CI77289), chrome green (CI77288), carmine, iron oxide (CI 77499, 77491, 77492), tin oxide (CI 778161.)), Manganese violet (CI 77742), iron ( III) -Ferrocyanid (CI 77510), Ultramarine (77007), silica, * synthetic fluorophylogopite, zinc (CI 77947), bronze and copper powder (CI 77400), phenoxyethanol, caprylyl glycol, potassium sorbate, hexylene glycol and aluminum powder))
Disclaimer: The ingredient lists are available from the brand (or retailer) at the time of publication. Please always check the product packaging, if any, the applicable ingredients list for the product you purchased, or the brand or retailer website for the most up-to-date list of ingredients.
