I've said it before and I'll say it again - Pat McGrath is the queen of eyeshadows! That being said, the palettes are hella expensive so I was delighted when I saw that she released single shadows last year. I think that more and more high end brands are realising that people don't want to drop big money on palettes without knowing how the formula works and if it's worth the money for them so this is a great way to try without spending too much (still pricey for a single shadow though!). I bought three - one pressed pigment shadow, one matte and one metallic, to see if they compare to the shadows in full size palettes.
The packaging is pretty flimsy for a high end brand - very lightweight plastic but I do appreciate that it's clear so I can easily choose my shade. Each shadow is housed in a plastic packet filled with gold sequins - fun but unnecessary. There is 1.1g or product in each shadow, priced at £23 or €24 and are available to purchase from Selfridges, Sephora and Pat McGrath. There are three shimmers, five mattes and nine metallics to choose from.
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| Swatches are completely unedited. From left to right: Statuesque, Purple Reign and Sextrovert |
Statuesque is a matte neutral medium brown, which works well as a one wash lid colour or to blend into the crease. It is every bit as soft and finely milled as the mattes in the palettes. It's so easy to use and blends with very little effort. The wear time is as you'd expect with Pat McGrath shadows - after around 9/10 hours wear, there is no movement or fade. This is a staple shadow in my makeup bag now.
Purple Reign is a pressed pigment, which in my opinion, works best when applied with my finger as it's difficult to pick up enough product on a brush unless a very minimal wash of colour is wanted. I didn't buy this purple to only have a wash of colour! It doesn't require a spritz of water or setting spray to achieve the purple shown in the photo above - this is definitely pigmented! The formula is sublime - soft and finely milled, although not quite as smooth as Statuesque and I don't experience any fall down when using it with my finger.
Sextrovert is a metallic bronze shade that is my go-to eye look. I find that bronze works well with my green eyes but I think it's a universally flattering shade. It's smooth, soft and extremely pigmented. It works well with any flat shader brush and the wear time is excellent - no creasing or fading at the 9/10 hour mark.
If you have not tried Pat McGrath shadows before and are looking to invest in a few shades, you cannot go wrong with these. I know that lots of people prefer single shadows to palettes as there are often a number of shades in palettes that will be unworn and I can understand that. These shadows are quality (despite the flimsy packaging), so easy to work with and really long lasting. Yes, they're pricey but it's better to have a few single shadows in shades that you love, that will wear well and that you don't need to use a lot of to create any look, than a drawer full of mediocre shadows. They are worth the investment, especially if you can't justify buying a large palette (although they are totally worth the money!) because the quality is equal to those in the palettes.
Have you tried Pat McGrath makeup? Do you have any recommendations for me?
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Thanks for reading!
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