DownUnder Cosmetix

REVIEW AND SWATCHES

Recently, while getting in touch with Kinnaly Burrows, the face of DownUnder Cosmetix, she made the suggestion of reviewing the entire range of DownUnder's Mineral eyeshadows on the blog. I was happy to do this, as Kinnaly is an old friend from way back in Primary School, and I was super keen on trying the pigments out for myself. DownUnder Cosmetix is a cosmetics brand founded by the owner of the DownUnder Makeup store in Bayswater, and they recently held a launch event, complete with glasses of champagne, to promote the pigments.

There are 54 pigments so far, though I was given 53 shades to work with, as Eucalyptus was unavailable at the time. There are three, maybe four, matte shades, while the rest range from shimmery, glittery and metallic. Man, there were so, so, so many swatches. It took me at least a couple of hours to just photograph the pigments in their pots, and a couple more just to do the swatches of said pigments. Not to mention that I almost ran out of makeup remover, and used a huge handful of cotton pads during this shoot.

This post is super long, so you have been warned!

These pots are massive, and you can compare the size of it to the e.l.f. Studio Cream Eyeliner - so much product and for the size and quality, you can definitely see why it is good value. The pots themselves are made from sturdy acrylic, with a basic black lid, and the powders are contained with a white inner cap to prevent it from making a massive mess, which is a huge plus. You can store these pots upside down, and the bottoms show the colours perfectly, with the added bonus of having clear printed labels that show the names for each shade.

I'll get started on the Diamond Range, which can be identified by the silver printed lids, as per the first image, whereas the rest of the colours come with gold printed lids. The diamond range isn't pigmented, per se, but it is basically white glitter with a tiny tint of colour to it, so that when the light catches it, you can see flashes of violet, gold, green, blue, white or red.

DIAMONDS

DownUnder Cosmetix Diamonds in the order of Gold, Violet, White, Green, Blue and Red

I find that these Diamond pigments don't stick to bare skin as well as the other pigments in the range, and would definitely need some help, like a primer, otherwise, they will go everywhere. The white and gold shades in this series aren't as finely milled as the other diamonds, and can feel a bit gritty.

WHITES

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of Sugar Digger, White Swan and Silk Pearl

The Sugar Digger shade is quite similar to Diamond White, only that it is much finer in texture and it flies everywhere. The White Swan is the most matte shade in this colour group, though it has a very slight sheen to it.

YELLOWS

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of Wattle and Cockatoo Crest

Wattle is a matte shade that has a very slight sheen that is barely noticeable. Both of these shades are very pigmented and really do stand out on their own, which is amazing for yellow eyeshadows.

ORANGES

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of Tiger Lily, Coral, Sunset and Amber Fluid

My favourite of these shades has to be the Tiger Lily, as it is a lighter shade of Sunset, but with a hint of blue undertones and pale golden shimmer. Amber Fluid has pale blue shimmer.

PINKS

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of Flaming Galah, Pink Pearl and Sweet Pea (Clockwise from bottom left)

Sweet Pea, unlike the other shades in the pinks group, isn't as finely milled, and may feel somewhat gritty, though it doesn't affect the application or blending of the pigment. I somehow lost the photo for the pink swatches, but they are very similar to each other, only that Sweet Pea is the deepest while Flaming Galah is more of a baby pink.

REDS

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of Red Rock, Bottle Brush, Red Roo and Purple Mate

I seriously love the Red Roo, as it is quite coppery, and I've got a strange obsession for the colour. Red Rock is also another favourite in this group. These shades are super pigmented and blendable, and Purple Matte is the most metallic of the lot.

BROWNS

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of  Wombat, Boomerang, Tuckerbag, Didgeridoo, Frantic Fox, Dingo, Ironbark and Kinnaly.

I was especially looking forward to this set of browns, as I prefer a more nude/earthy look when it comes to eye makeup. Kinnaly and Didgeridoo are my favourites in this set, nay, the entire DownUnder Cosmetix pigments range, hands down. Kinnaly is a gorgeous champagne shade with golden shimmer that makes your eyes pop. The Didgeridoo may look and pick up like dirt, but it is actually super pigmented and blends beautifully. It is perfect for the crease. My least favourite is the Boomerang, as it has an iridescent green shimmer that is really distracting.

GOLDS

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of Golden Nugget, Gold Speck and Golden Tip (clockwise from bottom left)

For some reason, I lost the swatch photos for this set of colours, and it infuriates me because I don't know how it happened. However, this picture accurately represents the colours and appearance of each shade. Golden Nugget is a beautiful antique gold that's super buttery and gorgeous, while Gold Speck is a somewhat glittery version of Nugget, and not as smooth. Golden Tip is a very outstanding shade, being quite glittery and in-your-face about it.

GREENS

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of Gumtree, Tree Frog and Tea Tree

The deepest colour, Tea Tree, isn't as finely milled as the other ones, resulting in a patchy application that won't stick to skin. Gumtree looks like the perfect combination of the other two shades, only that it seems to have a yellowish glow to it when applied thinly, as you can see on the edges of the swatch.

BLUES

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of True Blue, Blue Budgie, Blue Bottle, Southern Sky, Peacock and Barrier Reef.

These shades have amazing colour payoff and blends beautifully. If I had a more daring colour palette, then Blue Budgie and Peacock would be ones I would use very often. Blue Budgie looks more like a greenish teal in the pot, whereas when swatched on skin, it's more of a greyish blue that's quite gentle.

BLACKS AND GREYS

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of Blow Fly, Caviar, Big Smoke, Silver Gum and Koala

The Blow Fly is a true matte black, which is perfect for smoky eyes, and don't be put off by its charcoal-like appearance in the pot, because it applies nicely, allowing for easy blending. Caviar is a gunmetal grey, whilst Koala is pure molten silver, and is very metallic, and super buttery.

PURPLES

DownUnder Cosmetix Pigments in the order of Fair Dinkum, Purple Opal, Lavender, Royal Grape, Lilac and Christal

Fair Dinkum is a hot pink shade with blue shimmer, which is why I grouped it together with the other purples, though it probably belongs with the pinks. Purple Opal is a nice warm purple, with pale golden shimmer that compliments most skin tones. I was looking forward to Royal Grape because it looked like an eggplant shade in the pot, but it is actually more of a plum with blue undertones, so that was a bummer.

VERDICT

Pros:

In terms of quality, all of these pigments, except ones mentioned otherwise, are buttery and beautiful to apply, with a soft and smooth texture, and they are incredibly pigmented. They all blend in really nicely together. The best part: they're PETA-certified, talc-free, paraben-free, no nasty chemicals and no additives.

As they are mineral pigments rather than eyeshadows, they dissolve really easily when mixed with liquids/gels/creams, and can be used as nail polish, highlighters and lip colours, which means more bang for your buck. Each pot is currently $19 on the DownUnder Cosmetix website, and I can see the value in that, considering how pigmented they are and how much product you get. 

Cons:

However, I feel like that is too much product for a single person unless they're makeup artists. Smaller pots, with a matching price tag, would be far more desirable among the makeup junkies. Not only that, the pots do take up quite a bit of space what with the excess plastic in the packaging.

Not only that, I have my fingers crossed that they will introduce more matte shades to the range, as about 93% of the shades are shimmery, glittery or metallic. Also, the colours are really vivid and bright, and there are barely any nudes, which just so happens to be one of the major trends these days. 

Would I buy them? I already own my favourite shade, and I would like to have the Didgeridoo pigment in my collection. However, I would be a frequent customer if they were in smaller portions and had more nude and matte shades, as they are more in line with my colour palette.

If you were going to purchase these pigments, what shades would you buy, and why?

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