Review: Black Radiance Eye Appeal 8-pan Eyeshadow Palette in Downtown Browns

Remember right after Christmas when reader Marsha spotted the new Black Radiance 8-pans at Walgreens? For those who missed that post, it's no coincidence that these look just like the Wet n Wild 8-pans since both Black Radiance and Wet n Wild are owned my Markwins.

Not long after my initial post, I went searching for these palettes in my area but when I couldn't locate them, I asked my contact at Markwins if it would be possible to get one for review. I'm happy to tell you that I was able to get Downtown Browns (the one I was most intrigued by) and today I'd like to show it to you. I'm also going to compare it to my Wet n Wild 8-pans and other shadows from Wet n Wild, so that I can (hopefully) help you to determine whether or not this one's worth the hunt. 

To find out exactly where Black Radiance products are sold in your area, click here.

To see how the shades in Downtown Browns look on a deeper skintone, check out the lovely Amber's review here.

I believe that these palettes retail for $6.99 at Walgreens, but you'll notice that the price on the blister pack I received is $4.98 (and it includes two liners). I suspect that when these make their way to Rite Aid, CVS and Walmart, they'll probably come in these blister packs. As far as I know, these are NOT limited edition palettes.

The back of the packaging:

For those who are curious, here's a comparison of the ingredients of my Wet n Wild Comfort Zone palette:

As you can see, they're not exactly the same.

Black Radiance Eye Appeal Palette in Downtown Browns

In terms of color accuracy, the photo above is the most accurate I could get with my camera. On my monitor, the above photo is nearly identical to what I see with my naked eye.

And here's a shot taken with flash so that you can better see the shimmer and sparkle:

Now for some swatches:

Without primer, the left side of this palette isn't crazy-pigmented, however the second shade (the taupe shimmer) is practically as pigmented without primer as it is with.

The above swatches were taken over Urban Decay Primer Potion and as you can see, the three shades that were quite subtle without primer really come alive. I think the brown shade at the bottom deserves closer inspection, so let's take a look at what I consider to be the one true brown in  Downtown Browns:

As you can see, it's not as bronzey as MAC Romp, yet it's not as red as MAC Mulch. I'd say it's a neutral brown that leans toward warm. Over UDPP, the level of shimmer and pigmentation is quite comparable to the MAC shadows.

Moving over to the RIGHT side of the Downtown Browns palette:

Much like the Wet n Wild 8-pans, there is a variety of finishes in the Black Radiance palette. Some shades look like satins in the pan, but once swiped on the skin they take on more of a matte finish.  And just like some of the shades in the WnW 8-pans, there are a few here that contain sparkle.

What's most interesting to note is that when swatched on bare skin, some of the shades on the right side of this palette DO look brown, even though they don't appear brown in the pan. Specifically, the second shade on the right side of the palette looks like a deep plum in the pan, but when swatched without primer it appears dark brown. The fourth shade on the right side looks like a very dark khaki in the pan but looks dark brown when swatched without primer.

But then it's a whole other story when swatched on top of primer:

Notice how the second shade appears much more like the color in the pan? It's a deep, plummy chocolate over primer. Also, the bottom shade, which looks like a dark brown without primer, takes on more of the dark khaki that you see in the pan when swatched over primer.

Now I'd like to show you some comparisons of Downtown Browns to a few Wet n Wild shadows:

Left: Wet n Wild Comfort Zone

Right: Black Radiance Downtown Browns

There are no obvious dupes in these two palettes. The two shades that look the MOST similar are the dark greens:

Left: Comfort Zone

Right: Downtown Browns

But looking closely, these two shades are NOT identical. The green in Comfort Zone is dark olive, while the green in the Downtown Browns is khaki. I also thought that the medium brown shades in these palettes might be the same, but looking more closely, they're not:

 Left: Comfort Zone

Right: Downtown Browns

The brown in Downtown Browns has more red it in and not as much bronze as the brown in the Comfort Zone palette.

 Left: Wet n Wild Petal Pusher

Right: Downtown Browns

I thought it might be interesting to compare the purple and plum shades in Downtown Browns to the purples and plums in Petal Pusher. Seeing them side by side really underscores that the Downtown Browns palette is more earth-toned in nature. I put an "X" next to the only true dupe in these palettes: the matte charcoal with the pink sparkle. As you can see, they're even in the same location within each palette (second to the bottom on the right).

Left: Downtown Browns

Right: Lust

I also thought it might be helpful to compare Downtown Browns to the Wet n Wild Lust palette, since that palette also has some purples and plums. With the exception of the matte charcoal with pink sparkle, no dupes here either.

Left: Silent Treatment

Right: Downtown Browns

And last but certainly not least, here's a comparison of the taupes (and peachy shades) in the Wet n Wild Silent Treatment Eyeshadow Trio vs. Downtown Browns. In person, the peach in Silent Treatment is much more, well, peachy, while the peachy shade in Downtown Browns is more of a champagne with peach undertones.

But THE TAUPE:

Clearly the taupe in Silent Treatment is NOT a dupe of the taupe in Downtown Browns, but after I saw the two side-by-side, a lightbulb went off in my head and sure enough: the taupe in Downtown Browns is a nice alternative to MAC Satin Taupe. In person, I think they're even a bit closer than what you see in the above pic. 

 Left: Downtown Browns

Right: MAC Satin Taupe

FINAL VERDICT: I think it would have been a bit more accurate to name this palette Downtown Naturals as opposed to Downtown Browns (although Downtown Naturals doesn't quite have the same ring to it).  That said, some of the shades in this palette do lean brown when worn without primer. With primer, you'll get the colors you see in the pan, so I guess it's nice to have a few options. In terms of the texture and quality of these shadows, I think they're pretty much identical to the texture and quality of the shadows in the Wet n Wild 8-pan palettes. Some of the shadows in Downtown Browns are buttery smooth, silky and richly-pigmented, while a few have a harder consistency and seem a bit dry and not as easy to work with. But the shadows that work REALLY WORK. Specifically, the champagne-peach, the taupe, the medium brown and the deep khaki, which I think are well worth the price of the palette. I very much enjoy having so many earthtone shades all under one "roof", and who can complain about a MAC Satin Taupe dupe? If you're a fan of Wet n Wild eyeshadows and these colors appeal to you, I definitely recommend this one.

What do you think of Black Radiance Downtown Browns? It is a must-have or do you think you already have similar shades in your stash? If you already own Downtown Browns, do you agree with my assessment? I'd love to hear from you!

PS: I currently have a cold, so that's why I'm not including any eye looks in this review (you don't want to see my eyes right now!). But I will definitely post some when I'm feeling better.

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.