Burberry Beauty, You've Done It Again! This Time with Pale Barley No. 22 Sheer Eye Shadow

Martha Haziran 17, 2021

Burberry does it again with this awesome new neutral shade to perty up those eyes! ^_^ I must admit a little bit of me wanted to purchase this to see if this was worth the hype it's gotten amongst bloggers or not, as I initially thought - what could be so special about a neutral shade? However, I've been a HUGE fan of this brand of makeup (only debuting last year) and have been most impressed with their eye shadows (and lipsticks!). I would have to say it's the best I have ever come across in terms of single eye shadows (so far the brand has only ever released them as singles) and all the shades I have purchased from this line have been consistently brilliant. So, I was going to purchase Pale Barley no matter what! ;)

The Colour & Finish
Pale Barley (No. 22) is a beautiful, complex mixture of light brown/taupe, beige and gold. It's a neutral shade that leans slightly warmer. It has a beautiful, slightly metallic sheen that is fantastic for using on its own on the lid for a quick, simple, yet beautifully finished look. You can also just use it as a highlight on the middle part of the lid and on the brow bones to give your eyes a gorgeous dimension and lift. The colour pay-off is excellent. Don't be fooled by the product being labelled as 'sheer' - while it can be applied as a soft wash of colour using a soft fluffy eye brush, it can just as easily be built for more intensity. When swatched, it took only one gentle swipe to give a pretty good colour pay-off.

I must say, photos won't do this eye shadow justice! I was completely amazed when I swatched it in person. It really is a stunning neutral. Not boring at all believe it or not! Trust me, even I, in general, love colours more than neutrals, and I now think neutral could be really sexy afterall. ;)

Burberry Pale Barley (No.22) with mirror, Burberry check embossing & sponge applicator.

Let's admire it up close. ;) *sigh*

Swatch comparison against olive tan skin (L - R): Chanel Fauve, Chanel Beige Lame, Burberry Pale Barley and Burberry Rosewood.

The Texture
I have found Pale Barley to be consistent with the other Burberry eye shadows in terms of pigmentation and texture. The powder is so finely milled that it is buttery soft and smooth making it so easy to apply and blend like no other.

The official Burberry Beauty website describes their eyeshadows to be made of:

" The innovative formula uses silicones for smooth and flawless application and contains micronised satin smooth pigments to ensure long-lasting colour "

The Longevity

My eye lids have a normal skin type (it's neither too oily or too dry) and it lasts ALL day without fading or creasing! Also, this is even without any eye lid primer! I simply have a very thin layer of foundation over my lids and then a light dusting of a base colour (I've been using my current all-time favourite base powder eyeshadow: Burberry eye shadow in 'Trench' (No.2)) followed by the 'Pale Barley' on the lids. Needless to say, I'm impressed. :)

The Packaging
Outright luxurious. The sleek gunmetal compact is sturdy, substantially weighty and bears the signature Burberry check pattern on the lid. As you can see, the pattern against the gunmetal surface is not at all too ridiculously loud and you can see it more in different angles under lighting. It's quite classy and chic methinks. I love it! The 'BURBERRY' label is also embossed on the bottom front of the compact. Colour and product description label on the bottom. Inside the compact is a mirror for on-the-go application and the compact is securely shut via a magnetic closure. It also comes with a single sponge applicator (which some might hate, but it is usable given the ease of use of the Burberry eye shadow texture - just dab and pat on the lid and it adheres to the skin very well). The powder itself is also embossed with the signature Burberry check! I really love this touch. ^_^ Finally, the compact is presented in a black velvet pouch - yes, also with the Burberry check design - but I do prefer to pack these pouches away coz they attract dust and fluff unfortunately). Yes, the check is everywhere, but I think it's still fairly understated and classy.

Above: Even the box packaging is beautiful. It's thick cardboard with a 'linen' finish. The print is embossed. LOVE! It definitely has an expensive feel to it, and it's in the Burberry signature trench colour.

I just love the font and style - very Burberry. I even love the "No." in front of the number itself in written abbreviation - slightly old school - reminds me of when everything used to be typewritten. I love this detail - a really nice touch.

List of ingredients [click on the image to enlarge]

Burberry eye shadows have a recommended usable period after opening of 36 months which is pretty good.

Black velvet pouch with the signature Burberry check to house the compact.

The sleek eye shadow case/compact with the Burberry check etched into the gunmetal casing.

Product description and label at the bottom of the case.

The gunmetal finish of the case does mean some finger prints may show, but it's not glaringly obvious due to the dark colour and reflective material which can distract from it. Personally, it doesn't bother me at all. :)

Smell
Fragrance free. :-)

Size
2.5 g / 0.88 oz. (0.5 g more than the Chanel single eye shadow).

Made in Italy
So far, I've found all the powder eye shadows and powder blushes I've tried that were made in Italy were of excellent quality. Just an observation, which leads me to believe they make good powders there.

Final Words

This is a 'must-have'. A gorgeous and versatile neutral shade that is far from boring and makes an excellent staple to your make up kit.

Hope this was helpful and thanks for stopping by! xo ^_^

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