Operose

Operose is a medium-dark red with warm undertones and pearl finish. It has a particularly smooth consistency, which helps it look almost "melted" on skin while being fairly reflective. It is not quite as metallic as most of the metallic shades I have in the palettes overall.

Inspiration: Originally, I had a cooler red for this palette and a warmer red for Quintessence but felt that something with some warmth was a better fit for Radiant Reflection after working with the colors in person. This was also a shade that underwent a lot of iterations over time, partially because an ingredient became unavailable after it was initially to my liking!  The color represents rubies and the brilliance as light, which is often warmer, shines through.

Behind the Name: I love the "rose" in the word to tie to a red-hued shade, but its origins are from the Latin operosus, which means industrious and painstaking--and I feel like that describes what I've put into the blog over time.

Development

It was initially described as a "vivid berry-red" and ideally, it would have been matte, but I was hoping for at least getting there with a low satin-like sheen.  I loved the first loose color sample I received but ended up using the color in Quintessence instead, opting for a warmer red here. I did this in mid-2020 when the first pressed version of the shades were made.

The third, machine-pressed version wasn't dark or rich enough for my preference, and the texture was a little too slippery.  The fourth version was deeper and richer, while still being warm and red-based, with the right texture and was approved for production mid-March 2021.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview, which is a detailed review of the range as a whole.

• Brand Description
• Ingredients