The Sample: YSL Ombres Duolumières Eye Shadow Duo in #23 Review & Swatches

I really love a good pink and brown smokey eye–I think the combination is just gorgeous and it seems to work really well with my coloring. As a matter of fact, I remember one of the first makeup items that I ever received from my mom was an eyeshadow duo that contained very similar colors to the YSL Ombres Duolumières Eye Shadow Duo in #23. She bought it from a little makeup kiosk at an Asian shopping mall in L.A and I loved it! I created such a simple yet pretty look using the two shadows, using the shimmering brown as an allover wash of color and then highlighting the inner eye with the peachy-pink and sweeping it towards the middle of the eyelid. Perfect! And thus began my lifelong fascination/obsession with all things beauty!

First off: packaging. This eyeshadow duo comes in a little gold compact that is typical of YSL products. The gleaming gold case is embossed with the YSL logo on the front. The YSL logo is also embossed on the eyeshadows themselves (see the picture below). I do wish that instead of the sponge-tip applicators, it had come with a small brush of some sort–especially after paying $41. But, I do like the compact. I like the gold and I think it’s very elegant and very essentially YSL. The applicators come with a normal sized sponge tip and then a thinner, more tapered one that’s great for applying the shadow in the inner and outer corners and for adding a little shadow as a smoky liner at the bottom.

Top: Pearly Peach, bottom: Mink Brown

The two colors that come in the eyeshadow duo are called Pearly Peach and Mink Brown. I would describe the Pearly Peach as a shimmering peachy-salmon pink color. It’s so beautiful! Mink Brown is an accurate name for the brown shade…it’s a rich, warm, mink-y brown with some smokiness to it. The added touch of gray and the fine silver shimmer transform this otherwise beautiful-yet-average warm brown into a complex, beautiful shade. The shadows are extremely silky, soft, and velvety to the touch. The silver shimmer is gorgeous and sophisticated–it’s really very refined once on the eyes and translates to a soft sheen once blended out. But, you can make the shimmer a little more pronounced if you pat on a heavy amount of the shadows over a very sticky primer and skip the blending. Though soft, I don’t really have any problems with fallout (a tiny bit in the pan–but not bad at all).

I am also happy to report that these shadows (Mink Brown in particular) wear well on my oily eyelids. I will say though that Mink Brown seems to really latch on to any kind of moisture you have on your skin–so if you apply it to a sticky primer or oily eyelids, it’s stayin’ put and it may be a little difficult to blend out. This also means that if you don’t blend out your primer well/have oily spots on your lids, Mink Brown can look a little patchy–so remember to either apply a thin layer of primer and blend well or powder your lids before applying the shadow. Pearly Peach, on the other hand, is quite easy to apply and blend. It’s got pretty average wear–about what you’d expect from a light, shimmery color. Over a primer, it lasts about 5 hours on my eyelids before visibly fading. Mink Brown lasts about 8 hours. Without primer, Pearly Peach faded in an hour and Mink Brown was creased in a little over an hour. But, I’ve never met a shadow that could withstand any longer than that.

You can see from the swatch photos below that over the primer, both colors are a lot darker and more opaque than without–such is usually the case, but I feel like even more so with Mink Brown. The 2 swatches look like 2 different colors, don’t they? I was so pleased that even without a primer, Mink Brown is every bit as opaque as the swatch with primer, but the color is just a little softer and it’s more sheen-y than shimmery (the shimmer adheres to the primer in the other swatch, making it more noticeable). With just this one duo, you can really change up your look drastically from day to night. 

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

Overall, I think this is a great eyeshadow duo. The colors are beautiful and work perfectly together, the compact is beautiful, and the quality of the shadows is undeniable. I think that if you’re a fan of YSL or really like how pinks and browns look together (and money isn’t a concern), than this duo is for you. The combination of the 2 colors together is one I don’t often see (or see done quite as well). The 2 shades compliment each other perfectly and they look lovely on my eyes. Those of you obsessed with taupe eyeshadows, I suggest you check this out! It’s not going to be another dupe of several colors in your stash–this YSL duo really stands out.

Pros: beautiful colors; nice sturdy gold compact; colors compliment each other nicely; super pigmented; extremely soft and silky; long-wearing; nice big mirror in compact

Cons: wish it came with a brush instead of the sponge-tip applicators, Mink Brown can look spotty if not applied properly

»»Pricing: $41/0.09 oz. (2.8 g.)

»»Availability: YSL’s website

»»Recommended for: YSL fanatics; those who are looking for an interesting neutral eyeshadow duo; both warm and cool skin tones will find these shadows flattering

»»Overall Rating: A-