Clionadh Cosmetics Ambient, Illumination, Reflectance Iridescent Multichrome Eyeshadows Reviews & Swatches
Ambient
Clionadh Ambient Iridescent Multichrome Eyeshadow ($7.75 for 0.05 oz.) has a transparent base with an intense level of finer pearl and larger, multichromatic shimmer that shifted from cooler lavender to warmer, pinky-lavender to warmer green to a silvery green. Per the brand, the shift is described as “silver pink-peach-lime-turquoise.” It had a shiny, sparkling sheen that was very brightening. I could see the cooler, pink-lavender color more straight-on with the edges being lighter, warmer, and/or slightly greenish (almost golden beige to soft green).
The consistency was smooth to the touch, dense without being overly firm or too thick when applied, so it worked well with an assortment of other eyeshadows and picked up easily with a brush. It had good color coverage in a single layer, which was fully opaque when applied with a fingertip or a wet brush. The product applied evenly to bare skin and blended out nicely without losing its intensity. It stayed on well for eight and a half hours before fading visibly.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Dior Plum Tulle #2 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (80% similar).
- Pat McGrath Iridescent Pink 003 (LE, $25.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (80% similar).
- Colour Pop Crystal Castle (LE, $8.00) is less shimmery, lighter (80% similar).
- Chanel Au Fil de L'Eau #1 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (80% similar).
- Fenty Beauty Holo at Me (LE, $38.00) is lighter (80% similar).
- Make Up For Ever 3 Frozen Orange (P, $21.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (80% similar).
- Laura Geller Diamond Dust (P, $26.00) is more shimmery, warmer (80% similar).
- Sydney Grace Red Mist (P, $6.00) is less shimmery, lighter (80% similar).
- Anastasia Magic (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (80% similar).
- Makeup Geek Soiree (LE, $6.00) (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$7.75/0.05 oz. - $155.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have a "nearly transparent base" so they can be used on all skin tones (despite appearing white in the pan), and they "can be used on eyes, lips, face and body." While other Multichromes may require more specific application or technique, the brand says that this formula can be used "the same way you would" apply any "highlight or shadow."
The consistency has a denser, smoother feel that wasn't too firm, so I had no trouble picking up product with eyeshadow or highlighter brushes (without having to wet the brush). The product applied evenly, had semi-opaque to opaque, buildable coverage, and was blendable. Some of the shades with larger shimmer/sparkle had light fallout during application. They wore between eight and nine hours on me before fading a bit.
I found that the shift wasn't as dramatic between the three described color shifts per shade (some more so than others), but they did have a dramatic shift between at least two shades.
I tried a few shades as cheek highlighters, and they applied well on cheeks and diffused readily along the edges without emphasizing my skin's natural texture. They wore between eight and nine hours as cheek highlighters as well.
Browse all of our Clionadh Iridescent Multichrome Eyeshadow (Series 1) swatches.
Ingredients
+/- Titanium Dioxide, +/- Mica, +/- Synthetic Fluorohlogopite, Dimethicone, +/- Silicon dioxide, +/- Tin Dioxide, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Myristate, +/-Silica, +/- Iron Oxide, +/- Kaolin Clay, +/- Magnesium Stearate, +/-Ferric Oxide, +/- Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, +/- Ferric Ferrocyanide, +/- Bismuth Oxychloride, +/- Red 40, +/- Blue 1, +/- Aluminum Oxide, +/- Ultramarines, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol.
Ambient
PPermanent. $7.75.
Illumination
Clionadh Illumination Iridescent Multichrome Eyeshadow ($7.75 for 0.05 oz.) has a transparent base chalked full of shimmer and fine sparkle that gave it an intense, metallic sheen that shifted from light, yellowy-green to gold to mind green to cooler, bluer aqua.
It almost looked like a pastel rainbow-hued gradient at times. Per the brand, it shifts from “lime-turquoise-blue.” The shift between cooler, bluish-aqua to warmer green/gold was most apparent when I applied it to the inner tearduct/lid area, whereas on the brow bone it tended to look more golden or greener but didn’t usually reach really bluish.
The texture was smooth to the touch, more loosely-pressed but not to the point where it was excessively powdery in the pan but a lighter hand would be recommended when working with it. The product applied evenly to bare skin when I pressed and patted it into place, then blended, which avoided fallout (sweeping had some fallout). It had rich pigmentation in a single layer, even applied with a dry brush, that lasted nicely for nine hours before fading noticeably.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Make Up For Ever 4 Frozen Green (P, $21.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Clionadh Sunbeam (P, $7.50) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Clionadh Candela (P, $7.75) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- Make Up For Ever 106 Grenny White (P, $26.00) is darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Colour Pop Mama Odie (LE, $4.50) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Madreperla (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$7.75/0.05 oz. - $155.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have a "nearly transparent base" so they can be used on all skin tones (despite appearing white in the pan), and they "can be used on eyes, lips, face and body." While other Multichromes may require more specific application or technique, the brand says that this formula can be used "the same way you would" apply any "highlight or shadow."
The consistency has a denser, smoother feel that wasn't too firm, so I had no trouble picking up product with eyeshadow or highlighter brushes (without having to wet the brush). The product applied evenly, had semi-opaque to opaque, buildable coverage, and was blendable. Some of the shades with larger shimmer/sparkle had light fallout during application. They wore between eight and nine hours on me before fading a bit.
I found that the shift wasn't as dramatic between the three described color shifts per shade (some more so than others), but they did have a dramatic shift between at least two shades.
I tried a few shades as cheek highlighters, and they applied well on cheeks and diffused readily along the edges without emphasizing my skin's natural texture. They wore between eight and nine hours as cheek highlighters as well.
Browse all of our Clionadh Iridescent Multichrome Eyeshadow (Series 1) swatches.
Ingredients
+/- Titanium Dioxide, +/- Mica, +/- Synthetic Fluorohlogopite, Dimethicone, +/- Silicon dioxide, +/- Tin Dioxide, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Myristate, +/-Silica, +/- Iron Oxide, +/- Kaolin Clay, +/- Magnesium Stearate, +/-Ferric Oxide, +/- Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, +/- Ferric Ferrocyanide, +/- Bismuth Oxychloride, +/- Red 40, +/- Blue 1, +/- Aluminum Oxide, +/- Ultramarines, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol.
Illumination
PPermanent. $7.75.
Reflectance
Clionadh Reflectance Iridescent Multichrome Eyeshadow ($7.75 for 0.05 oz.) has a transparent base with finer and small-sized shimmer that gave it a strong, metallic finish that shifted from cool, bluish-aqua to mint green to warm pink to lavender. Per the brand, it shifted from “green-turquoise-blue-violet-pink.”
I mostly caught it flickering between cooler, minty green to warmer, green-gold to cooler pink/lavender. When applied to the inner tearduct, I was able to get the cooler, bluer shift to be more visible, whereas applied to the brow bone, it depended more on the lighting and angle whether it read bluer, greener, or pinker, but I definitely saw it shift and move through the different tones during the day.
It had a smoother, more refined consitsency compared to some of the other shades, so it was less prone to fallout and had a very even application that “melted” slightly onto my skin, which gave it a very smooth, reflective sheen (aptly named, eh!). It had nearly opaque color coverage that lasted well for nine hours before fading noticeably.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Urban Decay Brixton (LE, $19.00) is lighter (85% similar).
- Make Up For Ever 106 Grenny White (P, $26.00) is darker, warmer (80% similar).
- Colour Pop Mama Odie (LE, $4.50) is warmer (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$7.75/0.05 oz. - $155.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have a "nearly transparent base" so they can be used on all skin tones (despite appearing white in the pan), and they "can be used on eyes, lips, face and body." While other Multichromes may require more specific application or technique, the brand says that this formula can be used "the same way you would" apply any "highlight or shadow."
The consistency has a denser, smoother feel that wasn't too firm, so I had no trouble picking up product with eyeshadow or highlighter brushes (without having to wet the brush). The product applied evenly, had semi-opaque to opaque, buildable coverage, and was blendable. Some of the shades with larger shimmer/sparkle had light fallout during application. They wore between eight and nine hours on me before fading a bit.
I found that the shift wasn't as dramatic between the three described color shifts per shade (some more so than others), but they did have a dramatic shift between at least two shades.
I tried a few shades as cheek highlighters, and they applied well on cheeks and diffused readily along the edges without emphasizing my skin's natural texture. They wore between eight and nine hours as cheek highlighters as well.
Browse all of our Clionadh Iridescent Multichrome Eyeshadow (Series 1) swatches.
Ingredients
+/- Titanium Dioxide, +/- Mica, +/- Synthetic Fluorohlogopite, Dimethicone, +/- Silicon dioxide, +/- Tin Dioxide, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Myristate, +/-Silica, +/- Iron Oxide, +/- Kaolin Clay, +/- Magnesium Stearate, +/-Ferric Oxide, +/- Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, +/- Ferric Ferrocyanide, +/- Bismuth Oxychloride, +/- Red 40, +/- Blue 1, +/- Aluminum Oxide, +/- Ultramarines, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol.
Wow Christine, I would like to cut and paste your eye looks on to my eyes lol! They are absolutely stunning!
Right?! They’re magical.
I am really falling hard for these.
Inner corner highlight heaven!
Reflectance will become mine! It is such a gorgeous, melted looking rainbow! Would love to use it with my old KVD Pastel Goth palette and Viseart Coy. That’s the second time today that I’ve thought about and mentioned Coy… guess I should pull it out and cook up a look with it.
Also love Illumination as well! More of a cooler toned rainbow than Reflectance, I think.
These are absolutely stunning!
Really really pretty to look at, and the quality looks amazing. Personally, I found they look ridiculous on my really hooded eyes… I can only use it for corners.
These are so beautiful! I just want all of them!
Wow, these look magical!
The duo/chromes from this brand remind me of iridescent insects up close under a bright sun. Brilliant feathers too. They’ve captured one heart-stoppingly beautiful part of the natural world, that takes me back to early rafting trips where I first really saw the shimmer of dragonfly wings, beetle shells and wild birds. I don’t know if they should be part of my face (maybe when I join the tribe in Avatar) but I’m grateful for the artistry.
These are so dreamy and beautiful looking… I love the looks you’ve created with these Christine, they are gorgeous and magical looking!
These are stunning – but Reflection is perhaps my favourite. This brand is shaping up to be a more interesting version of Colour Pop.
Wow these are some gorgeous eye looks! I love all the eye looks you did with these pretty shadows. I’m adding these shades to my Clionadh eye shadow list!
I wonder how I missed hearing about this brand? I don’t do much beauty research besides this site so that’s probably how I missed them. Is their website the only place I can buy them? Thanks!
Yes, just through their site!