Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette Review

Hello ladies,

Today’s review is on one of the most sought-after palettes of the year 2016-17. If you are with me on Instagram, you would know of my 1-year long struggle to get my hands on this palette. It was my nemesis. There was invariably a slip between the cup and the lip, and I could just not lay my hands on this. It is available through Coloured Raine’s own site as well as through other online sites. Okay, time to talk about the palette in question.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette

Product Description:
Queen of Hearts TM is a 12-pan eyeshadow palette consisting of 6 matte and 6 foil shades that creates various looks from day to night. Net Wt 1.5g / 0.05 Oz -Total Net Weight 17.5 g/0.62 Oz.
Made in USA.  All rights reserved. Cruelty free. Ladyship contains Carmine.
For maximum pigmentation, metallic shades can be used wet or dry with a brush or by using your finger tips to place product on lids. To use wet, spray your desired choice of setting spray.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette label

Shades:
Crown – Pearlescent white with gold undertone.
Royal Highness – Metallic purple-toned taupe.
Your Majesty – Rich metallic copper with gold reflect.
Princess – Matte blushed pink.
Empress – Vibrant matte orange.
Queen Mother – Metallic plum with lavender hues.
Heir – Matte peach.
Noblewoman – Metallic burgundy with purple undertones.
Royal Prerogative – Terracotta.
Ladyship – Matte vivid purple.
Duchess – Matte milk chocolate brown.
Dethrone – Sparkling espresso with gold reflect.

Ingredients:
Matte Shade Ingredients:
(Duchess, Empress, Heir, Ladyship, Princess, Royal Prerogative)
Talc, Zinc Stearate, Kaolin, Boron Nitride, Triethylhexanoin, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
May contain: +/- Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77499), FD&C Yellow No 5 Lake (CI19140), Carmine (CI 75470), Ultramarines (CI 77007), FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake (CI 16035).

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette ingredients

Metallic Shade Ingredients:
(Crown, Dethrone, Noblewoman, Queen Mother, Royal Highness, Your Majesty)
Triethylhexanoin, Dimethicone, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Zinc Stearate, Magnesium Myristate, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tin Oxide
May contain: +/- Mica (CI 77019), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Tin Oxide (CI 77861), Iron Oxides (CI 77499, CI 77491)

Price:
USD 50 plus taxes and shipping.
Packaging:
The product consists of a black cardboard palette with a magnetic closure. The palette is entirely black outside with gold detailing. It consists of two rows of 6 eye-shadows each. There is a not-so-big mirror inside, which honestly, does not make a difference to me as I do not use palette mirrors anyway. There is no brush or applicator provided. The shade names are mentioned under each shade. The flip side of the palette has the ingredient details. The beauty of the packaging lies in the gorgeous sleeve that it comes in, which has this beautiful pattern. I would have loved to have had the palette replicated on the actual palette itself.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette printed box

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette outer packaging

My Experience with Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette:

A bit of history about the palette:
A quick brief about the tumultuous history of this product. It was launched towards the end of 2016 as a limited edition palette. It caused quite an uproar. While everyone was still loving the warm-toned palette trend initiated by ABH’s Modern Renaissance, this palette had a new take on things with its beautiful warm tones coupled with even gorgeous purples. It was received very well by the beauty community; rather things started spiralling when this limited edition palette finally went out of stock. Post endless pleas from customers, the palette was re-manufactured and re-launched in the beginning of 2017, by the brand, with the clear indication that the product is limited edition and will not be re-manufactured post this last stock up. However, once it sold out again, the customer base went berserk AGAIN!> Finally, the brand decided to make it a permanent product in their range and re-manufactured it. The palette re-launched in its permanent avatar in August this year.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette full

Coloured Raine eyeshadows come in various finishes – mattes, foiled, shimmer and duochromes. However, for the palette, they kept things fairly simple. As per the brand, the palette has 6 mattes and 6 foiled shades. My assessment, based on application, is ever so slightly different. To me, the palette seems to have 6 mates, 5 foiled and 1 duo-chrome shade.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow full palette

So, let us discuss the eye-shadows in the palette individually – we will go row-wise:

Top Row:
Crown: This is listed as a metallic shade, described by the brand as a “pearlescent white with gold undertone.” To me, it is a duochrome creamy white with an old gold to rose gold duochrome shift. Though it may look like any other pearly white shade in a palette, this in fact is one of my favourite shades in the palette because it is so stunning! A hint of this in your inner corner and it almost seems like a light has been switched on, without it feeling stark white. The texture is creamy smooth and easily blend-able. It can be sheered out effortlessly and could easily double up as a face highlighter shade. It may feel dense on your finger but it does not crumble or come onto the brush/finger in a thick layer. I love this shade!

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette Review

Royal Highness: This is definitely a foiled shade – you can make out the foiled shades from a distance. Described by the brand as “metallic purple-toned taupe,” it is a medium taupe brown shade with a distinct pronounced metallic sheen. The texture is again creamy smooth and slightly dense, but does not feel thick.

Your Majesty: Another foiled shade. This one is described by the brand as a “rich metallic copper with gold reflect,” which is so apt. It is a medium copper with gold reflects and a distinct metallic finish. The gold reflects are clearly visible in the eyeshadow as tiny particles of micro-glitter. And these do tend to create fall out over a period of wear time. This could be reduced using a more tacky base or glitter glue. The texture is again creamy smooth, but not at all thick – which I love because that ensures that it doesn’t accentuate the texture of the skin.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette closeup

Princess: This is a matte shade, described by the brand as a “matte blushed pink.” It is a medium warm-toned pink. The soft shade of pink seems to be doing a round – along with the more orange shades in most palettes. While most palettes tend to go for a dusty mauve pink – maybe in a bid to allow for a transition shade for a slightly cooler eye look, this one is actually a warm pink with a slight brown undertone, refreshingly different. The texture of the matte shade is smooth and easily blendable. Also, it did not seem to kick up dust like the ABH mattes.

Empress: Another matte shade, described by the brand as a “vibrant matte orange.” It is a medium to dark, warm-toned burnt orange – the quintessential shade in pretty much all palettes doing round right now!! This one is smooth and easily blend-able – very easy to work with.

Queen Mother: Back to a foiled/metallic shade – described by the brand as “metallic plum with lavender hues.” This is a metallic plum shade. It can be built to a dark or sheered out to a more medium. This one is creamy smooth and blend-able. Though feeling dense, it applies in a thin layer – without adding texture to the skin. There is no micro-glitter in this.

Bottom Row:
Heir:  A matte shade, described by the brand as a “matte peach.” This is a light, soft cream peach shade. This is very soft and blend-able. It sheers out easily but can be built up to a more opaque coverage. I do not consider this as a con because this aspect works well for the palette. The shade, if built up, could be a matte highlight for some. For others, it could be the soft translucent shade which one uses to set the eye primer or to blend and soften the edges.

Royal Prerogative: A matte shade, described the brand as “terracotta.” It is a medium warm brown with orange undertones. It can be built up to a dark. This again is creamy smooth and easily blend-able.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts

Noblewoman: A foiled shade, described by the brand as a “metallic burgundy with purple undertones.” It is a medium warm burgundy red shade. It looks more purple in the pan (don’t know if it is because of its proximity to Ladyship in the palette, but when applied/swatched, this is definitely more warm red than purple. Richly pigmented, this shade is creamy smooth and seems dense, but does not apply dense/crumbly.
Ladyship: A matte shade, described by the brand as a “matte vivid purple.” It is a medium to dark berry-toned purple. The texture of this one feels dry – especially in comparison to rest of the creamy matte shades in the palette. The feel of the product is not always indicative of how it will perform. However, in this case, it does. This shade is more difficult to work with and takes more effort to blend. The only way to work with this shade is to apply it in thin layers and blend out. If you go in more intense in one go – it will take a long time to smooth out and blend out seamlessly.
Duchess: Another matte shade, described by the brand as “matte milk chocolate brown.” In the pan, it does look like a milk chocolate brown but seems to swatch darker and more yellow toned. It is a dark warm brown with yellow undertones. The consistency of this one too is creamy smooth and blend-able.
Dethrone: The last foiled shade, described by the brand as “sparkling espresso with gold reflect.” This is a deep, warm brown shade. While this too has gold reflects in it – unlike the shade “Your Majesty”, these gold reflects are better bound into the base. So, they don’t show up as loosely and result in little to no fall out. The texture remains smooth, creamy and easily blend-able.

Texture: I have discussed the texture briefly while talking about individual shades. All shades, across finishes, have smooth, creamy, easily blend-able texture – except the shade Ladyship. I’m not saying that Ladyship is a dud, but yes, it does take a little care and a bit more effort. The rest of the shades are extremely easy to work with. They apply smoothly and blend out easily onto the skin. The shade “Your Majesty” could do with a glitter glue to bind the gold reflects better. The other metallic shades don’t really need any extra effort. What is generally worrisome for me personally is the texture of the metallic shades. While I love wearing metallic shadows, I am extremely conscious of the wrinkles on my eyelids. And most brands seem to be doing these creamy, crumbly, metallic shades *cough* Juvia’s Palace *cough* which are extremely dense and tend to add weight and texture to my lids. They look absolutely beautiful on younger people with their unlined lids, but do not seem to work for my more mature skin. So, whenever I buy something with metallic/foiled shades, I tend to be extremely vary on how it will perform on my skin. And I’m happy to share that these metallic were nightmare free!

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette swatches all

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette all swatches with names

Pigmentation: Pigmentation for all shades is spot on. Most of the shades are richly pigmented. The brand suggests using the metallic shades wet, but it did not need to do that since the intenseness of the shade was sufficiently bright for me. However, if that is your jam, you could use the metallic shades wet. There are a couple of the lighter shades like “Crown” and “Heir” which can do with building up – to get the colour in the pan. However, for these shades, I do not take it to be a con because that feature actually helps in the overall working of the palette and has been discussed in detail while discussing the shade. That would be no comparison whatsoever! The shades blend well and mesh well with the other eye shadows without getting muddy.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette on eyes

Staying Power: Disclaimer – I apply eye shadows with a primer because my lids are way too oily. These shadows wear almost the full day – so about 8.5-9 hours. I did not encounter issues with the staying power of the shadows – except for the shade “Your Majesty.” While the shade still stayed on my lids, the gold reflects had soon migrated to my cheeks and under-eye area! Not pretty!

Now a quick look at the #EOTDs created with it:

Look 1 – This was my first attempt to use the palette, so obviously I reached for the warm burnt orange and the purple – the 2 shades, which instantly grab your attention when you first open the palette.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette look 1

Look 2: This was my second attempt – consciously trying to stay away from the orange while trying to use more of the metallics.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette look 2

You can obviously create a whole matte look too from the palette. It allows you to create look from day to night – with ease.

Pros of Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette:

  • A beautiful array of currently trending shades.
  • A variety of textures to be able to create multiple complete looks.
  • Super pigmented.
  • Extremely smooth, creamy texture except Ladyship.
  • Zero fallout – except the shade Your Majesty.
  • Long wearing.
  • No creasing.
  • Does not transfer – except “Your Majesty.”
  • The colours blend easily and mesh very well together – without getting muddy.
  • The metallic shades can be used wet – but don’t need to be.
  • Did not irritate my eyes.
  • Gorgeous packaging.
  • Travel friendly, though the palette is on the larger side, the well size and the good quality cardboard packaging make it a easy candidate for travel.

Cons of Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts Eyeshadow Palette:

  • One matte and one metallic shade need more effort/care in application.

IMBB Rating:
4.75/5

So, what was the reason for mass hysteria around this palette? Let’s break it down.

I think it stemmed from the fact that the palette got genuine rave reviews (even non-paid ones) across the beauty community, which obviously piqued the interest of the crowd. Another big point in its favour of the palette was obviously its colour selection. The whole palette scene seemed to hinge on one warm palette after another. I think this palette captured people’s interest with the continued inclusion of the burnt orange, copper shades, etc and yet, get in the uniqueness with the addition of those purple and berry shades. So, people who were loving the warm palette trend – loved it. And people who were through with the warm palette trend – still loved this because of the purple/berry shades. The fact that it is a good mix of mattes and metallics. While some may love their mattes and others live for metallic – to create a whole comprehensive look, you do need both of them. The fact that it kept getting sold out added to the hype obviously. However, I would like to point out one thing here – the sell-out which happened each time, did not seem to be a marketing ploy By Coloured Raine – unlike that of some other companies *cough* Kylie cosmetics *cough*; *cough* Morphe *cough*.

Digressing – How do you make that out? When a brand says a product is sold out and then a new stock comes up within a week-10 days – that is just a marketing ploy. Why? It takes way more time (read months) to create a whole new batch of product and packaging. That does not happen in a week. What happens in a week is the brand holding onto stock and releasing in small batches to create hype for the product. And why couldn’t a company manufacture their product in batches which are a week apart? Because that would be stupid from the commerce point of you. Meaning? It would be cheaper for the brand to manufacture 2000 pieces of a product in one go than to produce 2 separate batches of 1000 pieces 1 week apart. And this does not even take the logistics into account, which will also impact the economics of it. And if the product had got sold out and the brand was taken by surprise and put in a fresh batch for processing (product and packaging) – it would not be ready to sell in the next week or fortnight!

Back to the palette – The palette definitely lived upto the hype created around it. This palette is absolutely stellar, both in terms of quality of product and the shade range. This is one of the most beautiful array of shades I have come across. I totally recommend this. If you love warm shades, or purples or just love brighter shades – buying this palette is an absolute no-brainer!

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