Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow - Soft Shimmer

Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow is a product that I have been using since I was in college.  I started out with the duos (which I have already covered for this blog) and while I still love how well the company places the shades together, I have begun looking at the singles and the different formulas that are offered in them.  The Soft Shimmer finish is my favorite so far, even though I haven't been able to try all of them.  This is one of the easiest of the finishes to wear, the others (matte and a very shimmery finish) will be a bit harder to pull off.  The shades in this formula are on the lighter side and I have found that they are best used for a natural look or as a highlighter shade. 

"Creamy, intense colour in one stroke.  Surprisingly lightweight.  Ophthamologist tested for even the most sensitive eyes.  Soft shimmer finish brings day/dusk/evening drama.  The end of the quiet eye", states the Clinique website.  I have played with many of these shades at the Clinique counter when I am deciding on my duos.  This is a softer shimmer finish that can easily be worn by ladies of all ages and skin tones.  If you prefer the shimmer of an Urban Decay shadow, these will not be sparkly enough to please you.  However, if you are afraid of shimmer then this will be an easy way to get into this finish.

The shades available in this finish are...

- Champagne - soft neutral peachy beige
- Foxy - smoky brown with white shimmer
- Sugar Sugar - pearlized white
- Toasted Almond - taupey beige
- Desert Sun - soft bronze shimmer
- Frost Blossom - pale pink shimmer
- Keylime Pie - soft lime shimmer
- Iced Mauve - silvery muted heather
- Beige Shimmer - pale neutral beige shimmer

As I stated above, all of these shades are very easy to wear, alone or with other shades.  I have already come across Champagne in duos and quads.  My favorite of the shades is Iced Mauve (shade that is pictured), a shade that can be worn any season.  When I tried it out at the counter, I first thought it looked almost like a deep lilac at first and then it looked more of the heather shade in a different light.  Champagne is another top pick of mine, along with the Beige Shimmer shade.  These two shades aren't that different, but the Beige Shimmer shade is slightly darker.  Either one is a dupe for the other and can be used in the exact same ways.  Toasted Almond and Desert Sun are slightly deeper, these two would be used best in the crease or on the lid.  They might be too much as the highlighter shade.  The two shades that I have the least interest in are the Frosted Blossom and the Keylime Pie, I own both of these shades from Urban Decay and they are more powerfully pigmented than the Clinique versions.

The Soft Shimmer finish is a versatile product for everyone, these shades will work with any look you can come up.  All of the shades are great to work with, with Iced Mauve being a very rare winner.  Over the next few weeks, we will move onto the rest of the finishes in this product line.

photo courtesy of Clinique