Review: NEW L'Oreal Colour Riche Dual Effects Eye Shadow Quad in Rose Nude

Purchased by Me

So I picked up one of the new-for-2014 L'Oreal eyeshadow quads back when I showed you the display at the beginning of June. The display indicates that these are called "Dual Effects" eyeshadow quads, but I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what the "dual effects" might be. As you're going to see, the shadows in the quad I purchased are all shimmers (not a mix of mattes and shimmers). One shade does has a subtle duochrome effect, but not enough to warrant calling the entire collection "Dual Effects". I'm thinking that this title is in reference to how these quads are broken up into two categories: True Nudes and Color Smokes. Nowhere on the actual quad itself is "Dual Effects" mentioned, so I don't think that "Dual Effects" is in reference to something you'll find within each individual quad. But that's just my theory, and I could be completely wrong!

One more thing before we get into this review: in addition to these new quads, I HOPE that we are also getting the new Colour Riche Mono Eye Shadows and Colour Riche Lumiere Mono Eye Shadows that are now available in the UK. I haven't heard anything about either collection landing in the US yet, but you'l be the first to know if/when I hear something.

 L'Oreal Colour Riche Dual Effects Eye Shadow Quad in Rose Nude
(retail: $8.79 at Bed Bath & Beyond, 0.12 oz)

The ingredients are not listed on the label.

It was hard to capture the sparkle in these shadows but, if you're on a desktop, hopefully you can see the sparkle in the photo above (if you're on your phone, you may not be able to see it but trust me, it's there). 

Over the years, a common theme that I've seen in many L'Oreal products that I've owned is that the colors don't always appear the same on my skin as they do in the pan/tube/bottle. I wanted to show you in the pic above that, once your break the surface of these shadows, the colors appear slighter darker than how they look in their pristine, untouched state. Just something to keep in mind when you're viewing these quads in-store--the colors may be darker than how they appear. 

swatched on bare skin (no primer)

In the pic above, you can see that the pigmentation is decent but not exceptional when swatched without primer. 

swatched over primer

All four colors become much more vibrant when worn over primer. If you look at my swatches above, the light pink shade on the far left actually has a lovely light green duochrome effect. This is even prettier in person. 

all four shades applied over primer

For this eye look, I used all four shades in the Rose Nude quad, and I also used the darkest brown shade to line my upper and lower lash line. I absolutely love how all four colors work together to create this soft look. So perfect for daytime. I'm kind of obsessed with using that light pink shade on my brow bone--the subtle green duochrome effect really gives this look an extra bit of dimension. If you like neutral shadows or perhaps have to wear neutral shadows due to your occupation, etc., this is a fun way to jazz up a neutral look without going over the top. 

Texture and consistency: Comparing these to the old formula L'Oreal eyeshadow quads, there is definitely a marked improvement in texture and consistency. These shadows are smoother, silkier, more buttery and easier to pick up with my brush than the old formulation, and I find that they don't have as much fallout either (but there is still a bit of fallout during application). 

Pigmentation and blendability: The pigmentation is standard without primer, but these shadows absolutely come alive with the help of eyeshadow primer. Seriously, there are hidden gems lurking in this quad! I never would have guessed that the lightest shade in this palette would turn out to have such dimension (aka: hidden green duochrome goodness) by looking at it in the pan. The beauty of this palette comes out over primer and you'll definitely miss that if you skip primer when you wear these. These shadows all blend beautifully using just a standard eyeshadow brush (I've been using my e.l.f. $1 eyeshadow brush with these and that has been working just fine). 

Staying power: Without primer, I can get about five hours of wear before these shadows begin to fade significantly. With primer, I have no problem with these shadows lasting all day and into the night, with very minimal fading/creasing.

Fragrance: I detect no fragrance whatsoever to these shadows. 

FINAL VERDICT: I've been buying L'Oreal eyeshadows since the 80s and, aside from the L'Oreal HiP eyeshadows and Infallible eyeshadows, I haven't really been a huge fan of L'Oreal eyeshadow formulations. But I have to tell you, this new quad is winning me over. The colors are lovely and they all work so well together (I can't stress that enough). The pigmentation is great when worn over primer, and the staying power is great as well. These shadows also have a better texture and consistency than the old-style L'Oreal eyeshadow quads, which I think you'll notice the minute you use them. And again, the colors develop into richer, more complex shades when you wear them over primer, which is a great added bonus. Overall, I'm quite impressed by this quad and I look forward to trying other quads in the range. 

Do you own any of the new Colour Riche Eyeshadow Quads? I'd love to hear from you!

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.