Orchid Show — Sephora + Pantone Universe 2014 Color of the Year Radiant Orchid Collection
When Pantone proclaims that a particular hue will be in vogue for a season, or even an entire year, it’s as if an oracle has spoken. These predictions are made almost a year in advance and prove accurate when designers’ collections walk down the runways, often six months before they’re available for purchase to the general public. And, since embarking upon a partnership with Sephora three years ago, Pantone’s stance as the undisputed color authority has only augmented. The partnership is simply genius, allowing Pantone to increase its brand recognition while granting Sephora the opportunity to offer its trend-savvy costumers cosmetics collections centered on the most buzzed-about hues of the season.
This spring and summer, the Sephora.com cosmetics collection is centered on the 2014 Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid. The shade is described as a harmony of pink, purple, and fuchsia tones that “sparks the imagination,” a description that Sephora took into account when crafting a makeup collection with a surprising array of textures, finishes, and pigment levels.
The Sephora + Pantone Universe 2014 Color of the Year Radiant Orchid collection consists of everything from the Radiant Femme Artistry Set ($48 at Sephora.com), a 25-eyeshadow palette with the radiant orchid hue and 24 complementary tones with matte, shimmer, and glitter finishes; to the Color Gaze Brush Set ($68 at Sephora.com), a six-piece makeup brush collection with ombré handles in radiant orchid; the Nail Ambrosia Trio ($18), which includes a sheer pink, a nude, and a radiant orchid lacquer; and the Rush Luster Cheek Sweep ($26), a compact consisting of one radiant orchid cheek color and two illuminator hues.
The limited edition collection has been in stores for quite some time, but I only recently had the chance to try a few items: mainly, the Radiant Rush Matte Lipstick and the Rush Luster Cheek Sweep. Below, check out details and swatches of these items and see if they give you a color rush!
SEPHORA + PANTONE UNIVERSE COLOR OF THE YEAR 2014 RADIANT RUSH MATTE LIPSTICK
Matte lipsticks have been steadily increasing in popularity — a sheer joy for me since they tend to be more saturated with pigment than their satin-y and velvety counterparts. That said, the formula for a matte lipstick has to be perfect — otherwise, it can look dull and lifeless and, for added inconvenience, feel drying on the pout. Luckily, Sephora got the hydration quotient right with the Radiant Rush Matte Lipstick ($18 at Sephora.com), which is infused with orchid essence to nourish lips and collagen to help diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and produce a subtle plumping effect.
The lipstick has a deliciously smooth texture, gliding onto lips with ease, and it feels nice and comfortable. That said, I wouldn’t call this a matte lipstick in the truest sense of the word since it does have a satin finish to it. Also, while the color is vivid and intense, the opacity is mediocre so that there’s still a degree of sheerness — it’s not a deal breaker by any means, but do know that on a 1-5 scale, the opacity level would be about a 3 1/2. Still, it’s a very accurate rendition of radiant orchid via makeup and it will help to create a statement-making pout.
Below, check out swatches of the Radiant Rush Matte Lipstick.
Next, here’s a pic of me rocking the shade:
SEPHORA + PANTONE UNIVERSE 2014 COLOR OF THE YEAR RUSH LUSTER CHEEK SWEEP
The next product I had the pleasure of testing out was the Rush Luster Cheek Sweep ($26 at Sephora.com). I am positively smitten with this palette, which is packaged in a rectangular, white compact with a flip-top lid featuring an ombré radiant orchid design. Once open, you’ll see the compact features three powder color pans and a built-in mirror under the top lid. The widest pan features the blush shade: a radiant orchid hue with iridescent purple undertones that give the illusion of ultraviolet light. The two other powder colors, meanwhile, are meant to be used as luminizers, helping to highlight the top of cheekbones and to contour the face. One shade is a beach-y rose gold shade with blue-toned pink shimmer, while the other is a softer champagne gold shade with nude undertones.
Check out the swatches here:
I love all three shades — whether used together or alone. But the true magic starts when you begin to mix and match the shades, blending them to create new hues. Also, the colors can be used on eyelids to create a fresh and simple look with just a touch of intensity.
