The Pink Edit (for eyeshadows) + Pat McGrath Rose Decadence Palette

When I decided to write a review of Pat McGrath’s Rose Decadence 6-pan palette, I knew I was going to mostly rave about the two pink shimmery, sparkly shades - Fuschia Flame and Pink Champagne. I started comparing them to other sparkly/shimmery pink eyeshadows that I have and quickly realized how much I love pink eyeshadows. You can wear pink eyeshadow with a nude lip, black eyeliner, and lots of mascara; or you can wear them with a bright red lip, soft pink blush, and nothing else. They can be pressed on all glittery and ethereal, or packed on in an edgy, avant-garde look, or smudged out into just the faintest smear of pink that is almost skin-like. Versatile, fun, and feminine - what’s not to like? So in this post, I thought I would review both Pat McGrath Labs’ new (ish) 6-pan palette - Rose Decadence - but also show you some of my all-time favourite pink eyeshadows that I wear again, and again, and again.

Pat McGrath Labs - Rose Decadence Palette

This palette is one of Pat McGrath’s 6-pan palettes. The color story is meant to be inspired by roses - clearly, and probably pink roses in particular (though I cannot verify that). The eye shadow that really sets that tone, is Fuschia Flame (third from L to R, top row). This is a gorgeous mix of dark pink pigment and cool toned sparkles with a warmer reddish base. It isn’t as complex as some of her other glittery/sparkly eye shadows but beautiful nonetheless. Pink Champagne is another color that I loved and that I couldn’t quite find a dupe for in my existing collection of pink eyeshadows. The textures are all smooth and applied well, blending easily. The matte shades were very buttery and I enjoyed applying them as a base color on my eyelids or as a smudgy liner underneath my eyes. Personally, I also love the packaging. It is bold, and bright, and a little “too-much”, which, I think, is what the palette designers were going for and achieved perfectly. To me it looks as if someone designed a poster based off of a baroque era painting. Lots of gold, and roses, and pink - opulent, but pop culture-style. Personally, I also think this particular gold color (Golden Honey) is glorious. I have a few Pat McGrath golds, and this is just the right balance in terms of not being too dark or too light, or too yellow, or too silver-gold. The texture is rich and buttery but not too chunky. It’s just right.

Swatches

The Photo on the left was taken under an indoor lamp,and the photo on the right was taken in natural outdoor light.

From L to R: Fuschia Flame, Scandalous, Golden Honey, Pink Champagne, Peach Dusk, Hedonistic Rose

My Pink Eyeshadow All-time Faves

Like I was saying earlier, I love pink eyeshadows. I put them on and they make my heart happy; they bring me joy - a little of which all of us can probably do with these days. I especially love pink eyeshadows with red lips (excellent tutorials on that by the inimitable Katie Jane Hughes on Instagram. When I am wearing them with a bright lip, I don’t mind a sparkly eye ( by I don’t mind, I mean I LOVE:D). No mascara, no liner, just the sparkly eyeshadow, clean skin, and a red lip. When I am wearing more matte pinks, I tend to be a bit more careful about what I pair them with because on my eyes, matte pinks tend to look more edgy than ethereal and I have to be careful about how much more edgy I want the rest of the look to be. But hey - I am sure everyone has their favourite pink shade and finish and I just want to add to that vocabulary of pinks by sharing my own little curation with you. These are by no means, ALL the pink eye shadows I own - but they are, undoubtedly, those that have stood the test of time - or been love at first sight.

TOP ROW LEFT, Clockwise from left: Nars Melrose, Bodyography Glitter Pigment in Eclipse, Marc Jacobs Smash Glitz, Armani Eyes to Kill #7. TOP ROW RIGHT: Natasha Denona Canberry Palette. BOTTOM ROW LEFT: Huda Beauty Light Nude Palette. BOTTOM ROW RIGHT: Clockwise from left: Tom Ford Cream & Powder Eye Color in Golden Peach, Tom Ford Shadow Extreme in TFX3, Ciate Marbled Metals in Phoenix.

While some of these eyeshadows look very similar (and they are), there are some small color/shade/tone variations or nuances between them that make each of them really unique for me. For example, the Ciate Marbled Metals in Phoenix is this incredible mix of dark brown plum mixed with a reddish pink with bits of green sparkles that don’t read as green but instead add a beautiful complexity to this eyeshadow. Similarly, Nars Melrose is really unique in this line up - it’s pink is almost a cool toned pale pink, but vibrant because it has gold sparkles spinning through it. And while the Huda Beauty Nude Palette color looks very similar to the Bodyography Eclipse, in indoor light, is much cooler and slightly tauper than the warmer Huda. The Tom Ford Shadow Extreme TFX3 is unfortunately a discontinued line but this was a pink I bought after seeing Katie Jane Hughes (see link to instagram above) use it on Anna from The Anna Edit (https://www.theannaedit.com/) and while I had already been eyeing it for a while, this video was what made me leap. The Armani Eyes to Kill is probably the oldest pink eyeshadow I own and I still love it. The shade, to me anyway, is unique. I don’t think it is available anymore but I’ll hunt for dupes and report back. I also love the texture of the whole Marc Jacobs See-quins range - glittery cream shadows- but unfortunately, also limited edition.

If I had to pick just one pink however, it would have to be the one in Natasha Denona’s Cranberry Palette (Daisy). This is my favourite pink. For me, this shade is my perfect pink, and I love how light the texture is despite major color payoff. These are not just sparkly - when on, they are almost like wearing liquid shine. If this was the only eyeshadow I owned, I would be perfectly content wearing it every day.

Left Column: Extra-bright indoor lighting, Right Column: Normal Indoor lighting

So in short, I hope these images and my review helps you expand your collection, or add pink eyeshadow to your makeup, or just give you joy looking at all that sparkly pink goodness!

Disclaimer: All products were purchased myself and these views are my own and not sponsored by any brand. The link above is not an affiliate link, and I do not get any monetary compensation if you decide to buy this product.