Clarins Ombré Matte Cream-to-Powder Matte Eyeshadow- Taupe & Sparkle Grey

The ferocious competition on lid space continues with Clarins Ombré Matte Cream-to-Powder Matte Eyeshadow. To be honest, I really wanted to buy five of the available six colors (I can live without Nude Pink), but decided to be reasonable and go with two (for now): Taupe and Sparkle Grey.

The cream-to-powder formula is probably what Givenchy  Ombre Couture Cream Eyeshadow was supposed to be, but Clarins is doing it much better (and far less dry) with these dense (the opposite of the sponge-like formulas that we've been seeing a lot since Chanel launched their Illusion d'Ombre) and color saturated creams.

The "matte" thing is a bit misleading in the case of Sparkle Grey. It has a similar density and texture as the truly matte Taupe, but you can clearly see that it has a beautiful sheen to it. The color itself is not very gray and I wouldn't argue with anyone who'd call it a lavender(ish) taupe. It goes beautifully with its sibling, Clarins' Taupe for an elegant eye look that doesn't crease and never budges once set (even I have to admit that in this case a primer is only optional and not an absolute must).

Bottom Line: Rosewood is really calling my name now.

Clarins Ombré Matte Cream-to-Powder Matte Eyeshadow in Taupe & Sparkle Grey ($24 each) are available at the counters and online from most department stores.