Usually, we all groan when another celebrity or fashion house launches a new makeup brand. Nevertheless, I gave Rabanne makeup a try – and was impressed. On to my Rabanne Colorshot liquid eyeshadow review!
The Brand
Rabanne Makeup is the makeup line from fashion house Paco Rabanne that is owned by Spanish company Puig. They started to develop perfumes in 1969 and launched makeup just in August 2023. Paco Rabanne, the eponymous fashion designer, died in February 2023, and was famous for his futuristic designs. He founded his brand in 1965 and was heavily influenced by science fiction and modern materials.
When the makeup line launched, I called it ‘very sleek, very chrome, kinda looks like Prada’ and wasn’t really interested in a new beauty line from a fashion house. But Rabanne Makeup launched both on their own site and at Sephora, and when I saw it in store, it reminded me of – MAC, circa 2010. (More on that later.) It also has a more palatable price-point than most designer makeup brands, and I was intrigued.
They launched with mainly eye and lip products (a foundation was literally pulled off the shelves because ‘they weren’t happy with the formula’), their Creative Director is Diane Kendal (who already tanked the Zara makeup line imo, but also worked for the Marc Jacobs Beauty), and they borrow heavily from the Euphoria hype, calling their eye makeup line ‘Eyephoria’.
‘Create your most unique, dramatic and fashion-forward eyes with EYEPHORIA by Rabanne. Futuristic textures, clean formulas & long-lasting effects, EYEPHORIA is a collection of next-generation beauty essentials to make them look twice.’
Paco Rabanne
Rabanne Colorshot eyeshadow review: Description
‘Discover eye ecstasy with a one–stroke of high–impact Colorshot eye paint. Available in 12 shades and 3 innovative matte, metallic or pearly eyeshadow finishes, it unleashes creativity in a next–generation cream–to–paint finish your eyelids will love. Enriched with Shea butter, it is smudge, crease, sweat and party–proof with no stickiness or drying feeling – 12 hours of lasting comfort and color wear.’
Paco Rabanne
What it is
The Colorshot eyeshadows are cream shadows in a tube. I wouldn’t call them liquid. I got mine in the colour Moonchild (90), which is a nicely reflective taupe.
Ingredients
AQUA (WATER), CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE, MICA, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, LAURYL DIMETHICONE, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, HYDROGENATED POLYCYCLOPENTADIENE, GLYCERIN, SILICA, ISODODECANE, AMMONIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYLTAURATE/BEHENETH-25 METHACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, POLYGLYCERYL-4 CAPRATE, HYDROXYACETOPHENONE, PANTHENOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, POLYGLYCERYL-3 POLYRICINOLEATE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, SIMETHICONE, TIN OXIDE, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, TOCOPHEROL, POLYGLYCERYL-3 DIISOSTEARATE, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN. [ (+/-) MAY CONTAIN: CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES)].
Paco Rabanne
Sustainability
‘We do our best to raise the bar for innovation and sustainable practices within the luxury sector. In this way, we are currently searching for more sustainable materials and processes and promote circular economy practices. We are working to improve our packaging, prevent littering and reduce landfill disposal.’
Paco Rabanne
– In short, we do less than the bare minimum and pass the burden of responsible and practicable recycling off to our customers, those silly buggers.
Packaging
‘Inspired by the signature metal details and kinetic silhouettes of the House’s avant-garde fashion legacy, Rabanne Beauty comes in striking metallic and mirrored packaging. Each one a covetable item to collect.’
Paco Rabanne
That’s for the palettes, though. My little tube is made from plastic and looks like a miniature tube of oil paint. Very cute.
On the website, I also appreciate that the products are modelled by models with different skintones.
Application
So, first, I have absolutely no idea what the brand means by ‘cream-to-paint’ texture. This is a cream shadow that you squeeze from the little tube. I apply a tiny dot to my hand, and then dip into that either with my finger or a flat, synthetic paddle brush. The brand is all for painting your face with your fingers, and I’ve to admit that I like finger application better. Sure, it doesn’t give you a very precise look, but I find it exhausting to apply this formula with a brush, and that’s because I feel like a brush removes the colour while you’re trying to build it up.
It’s a bit hit-and-miss: you’ve to apply this rather fast, because it dries down quickly. The best option would be to apply the basic shape with your finger, and then blend the edges with a brush.
I don’t enjoy using this as a base, and that’s because I feel the colour sings on its own, and also, because it dries down so quickly.
Texture
I actually do think the texture is spot on, although it has a few downsides. It dries down fast, and when it sets, boy does this stay in place! There’s no smudging or flaking, and still it’s weightless on your lids. It can absolutely look a bit scaly when you overapplied, and patchy when you misjudged the amount of product you applied and the blending time you had. In short, it’s a finicky texture that’s not really for beginners.
Effect
Yup, love it. I can absolutely imagine that I’d hate the matte shades, because, again, I imagine the patchiness issues would be acerbated. I find it to be a great one-and-done shadow which I nowadays crave and want nothing else.
One the website, they show the Colorshot eyeshadows also used for graphic liner looks and also use them on eyebrows and for contouring. I haven’t done that.
Comparison
As mentioned above, the Colorshots aren’t really liquid. They aren’t runny or feel a bit slippery like the old-formula Armani Eye Tints. They’re similar in texture to maybe Charlotte Tilbury’s Eyes to Mesmerise – or the old MAC Paints in the aluminum tube. In fact, they feel a bit mousse-y.
Color-wise, Moonchild veers a bit more greenish-golden than other taupes I own.
Rabanne Colorshot eyeshadow review: Rating
Let’s check claims, yes?
- ‘non-sticky and weightless’
- ‘soft and fresh texture’
- ‘stretchable and buildable’
- ‘medium to high coverage’
- ‘smudge, crease, sweat and party–proof with no stickiness or drying feeling’
Surprisingly, I can say yay to every claim. And still, after reading about my application issues, you may wonder why I absolutely love this and rate it that high. And that’s because of two reasons: First, I absolutely love the colour and finish of Moonchild. LOVE. It’s a wonderful neutral that still is interesting enough for a one-and-done look.
Second, for my hooded and oily eyes the performance and longevity is absolutely stunning. I love that. And will absolutely put up with some hard edges and a smidge of patchy blending for that.
Your mileage, of course, may vary.
Availability & Price
At their own website Paco Rabanne, also at Sephora online and at counters. 3g are around 24€.
Please note that this post is not a sponsored post. We buy the products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
