Sunday Riley Blush in 105 Intimate

For some reason I wasn't super excited about Sunday Riley Blush in 105 Intimate. There is nothing really wrong with it. It's pigmented, applies smoothly, and is a do-no-wrong coral pink with tiny shimmers. Put over the right foundation, it lasts all day. However, there's an overall "it's nice, but..." sentiment to it that I can't quite put to words.

I suppose at some point a beauty blogger has to be more discerning with her own purchases. If you are new to makeup this will be a fabulous shade for you, but for someone who already owns a slew of peach-pink blushes this will just be another one added to the stash, and if you are said person chances are you already have a HG coral pink. Perhaps I've been too spoiled by my Burberry powders, but I don't find the Sunday Riley texture to be particularly noteworthy. Again, it's smooth, but...

Cheeks: Sunday Riley Intimate; Highlight: Shu Uemura P930

All that said, you really can't beat the price. At $30, it's only $2 more than a NARS blush (I'd pick this over NARS) and way less than a Burberry (though I maintain that they are worth every dollar). Since my gripe is more about the generic color and less about the blush itself, perhaps I would have been much more satisfied had I picked another color from the line.

Sunday Riley Blush in 105 Intimate retails for $30 and is exclusively available at Barney's New York.

Sunday Riley Prismasilk Eye Color in Lady Godiva

Thanks to The Beauty Look Book, I decided to give Sunday Riley a try. So far I'm halfway through a generous sample of the Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer (their bestselling product) and I have to say I'm almost sold. It keeps shine at bay and creates a really smooth canvas for foundation. If the performance keeps up, I just might have to purchase the full-sized product.

But today's post is about their much-raved-about eyeshadow. I have on hand Sunday Riley Lady Godiva, a lightly shimmery sandy sort of color. 

Sunday Riley wins no prizes packaging-wise. The eyeshadow singles are made of a black plastic base and clear plastic cover. While functional, I can't help but feel (especially if your vanity is filled with the likes of Guerlain and Burberry) that they could do so much better on the design. At $26 each we deserve a little more pizzazz with these things. Yes, I know in the end what matters is how well the eyeshadow performs, but I like my heart to skip a beat when I look at my beauty products, you know? 

On the other hand, no one would have qualms about "ruining the design" and wasting a perfectly good eyeshadow. Hmm.

Sunday Riley set up certain expectations when she named her eye shadow formula "Prismasilk," and in this aspect it doesn't disappoint. It is not as buttery soft in texture as Burberry eyeshadows but in application they fare the same. I can't help but think applying these shadows to the eye is more of a "smoothing on" than a brushing on. As for wear, without primer the eye shadow lasts about eight hours before creasing on an oily eyelid. With primer it lasts all day. 

I found Lady Godiva to be an ideal there/not there lid shade, like if you weren't paying close enough attention you would think I just had really pretty lids when in fact, I was actually wearing eyeshadow! It won't fool you girls, but I bet it'll work against my boyfriend. Lady Godiva is such a standalone color, and has been quite the lifesaver on days where I only have precious few minutes to color up my face. It's a great neutral to go with more daring shades on lips and cheeks. Actually, it's a great neutral, period.

Cheeks: Burberry Light Glow in Tangerine Blush No. 06; Lips: Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle

Sunday Riley Prismasilk Eye Color in Lady Godiva retails for $26. The line is exclusively available to Barneys New York.