Black Radiance Eye Shadow Quartets

A while ago, I acquired a special holiday palette of eye shadows from The Balm and have overall enjoyed it immensely. At about the same time, I decided it would be fun to compare it with a drugstore version - you know, just for kicks. While this was semi-tough to do (drugstores often have really cheap, poor-quality palettes and kits out during the holiday season, none of which are appetizing), I did manage to find a collection of quads from the Black Radiance line which are surprisingly fun, easy to work with, and a little different from the usual drugstore fare.

I have 2 of the quartets - Deep Tapestry (blue/gray, deep purple, burgundy, and sand) and Desert Clay (shell, beige, gold, and brown). These shadows are surprisingly pigmented and soft, although their staying power is not the best. They blend easily and have the tiniest shimmer to them. What's fun about these quartets are the color combinations, particular Deep Tapestry - they are unusually sophisticated for drugstore line. Desert Clay is definitely a more basic quartet, and good to have for a quick fix although it's not as memorable. There are splashes of cool purples, greens, pinks, and blues in some of the other quartets, particularly Forest Sand, Blazing Beauty, and Retro Chic.

These are fun to play with if you're still in the experimental stages of eye makeup, and pretty dependable when you're not just playing around. At $4.00 each, you can't go wrong.