Sydney Grace Glee, Joyful Day, Optimism Loose Pigments Reviews & Swatches
Glee
Sydney Grace Glee Loose Pigment ($6.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a deep purple with neutral-to-cool undertones and a metallic sheen with moderate, green sparkle. The contrasting sparkle is what made the shade harder to dupe. It was richly pigmented with a finely-milled, lightly creamy texture; it was a denser, weightier powder (so it didn’t have a bunch of product that dispersed as soon as you opened the jar) that applied best by pressing and patting onto the lid, which avoided most of the fallout. The product adhered evenly to bare skin and “melted” so that it had a very smooth, highly-reflective finish that didn’t emphasize my skin’s texture. It wore well for eight hours on me before fading noticeably.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Pat McGrath Smoked Amethyst (LE, $25.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Ciate Wicked (P, $24.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Tarte Graphic (LE, ) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Coloured Raine Black Butterfly (LE, $6.99) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Danessa Myricks Truth (P, $18.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Victorian Plum (LE, $19.50) is more shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
- Urban Decay Spandex (LE, ) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- MAC Panthertized (P, $22.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Dior Gravity (094) (P, $29.50) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Foil Eyes 2 #14 (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (80% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.14 oz. - $42.86 Per Ounce
It's designed to be worn alone, though the brand recommends a "mixing medium or a glitter glue" to avoid fallout. The loose consistency was denser and more weighed down, which made it less messy to work with than some more finely-milled (but very powdery) loose eyeshadow formulas available. They were very pigmented without much product, and they had similar coverage applied dry as well as wet.
The wet application typically yielded smoother, more metallic finishes and less fallout compared to dry application. Dry application required a bit more finesse as the product applied best by patting and pressing it on and then gently smoothing it into place, otherwise it had some fallout during application. A few shades that were more sparkly looked a bit chunkier applied to my skin when I used it dry (but were smoother and more forgiving when used wet). They lasted between seven and eight hours on me before creasing.
Browse all of our Sydney Grace Loose Pigment swatches.
Glee
PPermanent. $6.00.
Joyful Day
Sydney Grace Joyful Day Loose Pigment ($6.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a bright, bluish-teal base with warmer, gold-to-green shifting sparkle and shimmer. It had a loose consistency that was weighted down by binders, which helped keep it from fluffing up and out of the jar (so less messy than some loose powders). The larger particles of shimmer/sparkle did make it seem a bit “drier” to the touch and more prone to some fallout unless applied with a wet brush or fingertip. I’d recommend applying the product by pressing gently into place and pulling the brush outward to spread the color out. This should minimize fallout while giving it a smooth, even application of opaque coverage. It stayed on nicely for eight hours on me before creasing very faintly with a touch of fallout over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Pat McGrath Blitz Aquamarine (LE, $25.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Steamy (P, $17.00) is more muted (90% similar).
- ColourPop Shaved Ice (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Banana Daiquiri (P, $6.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Flip (367M) (LE, $29.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Coloured Raine Blueberry Burst (LE, $6.99) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Catamaran (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Lethal Cosmetics Lucid (P, $6.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Float (P, $19.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Anastasia Seychelles (LE, $12.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.14 oz. - $42.86 Per Ounce
It's designed to be worn alone, though the brand recommends a "mixing medium or a glitter glue" to avoid fallout. The loose consistency was denser and more weighed down, which made it less messy to work with than some more finely-milled (but very powdery) loose eyeshadow formulas available. They were very pigmented without much product, and they had similar coverage applied dry as well as wet.
The wet application typically yielded smoother, more metallic finishes and less fallout compared to dry application. Dry application required a bit more finesse as the product applied best by patting and pressing it on and then gently smoothing it into place, otherwise it had some fallout during application. A few shades that were more sparkly looked a bit chunkier applied to my skin when I used it dry (but were smoother and more forgiving when used wet). They lasted between seven and eight hours on me before creasing.
Browse all of our Sydney Grace Loose Pigment swatches.
Joyful Day
PPermanent. $6.00.
Optimism
Sydney Grace Optimism Loose Pigment ($6.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a rich, emerald green with subtle, cooler undertones and warmer golden sparkle that gave it more of a neutral-to-warm tone overall. The texture was soft, finely-milled, but it had larger sparkles, too, so it was a touch “drier” to the touch in the pot. You could tell that there was more to the formula, and there was a creaminess to the product as soon as it touched my skin that helped it adhere evenly and retain its full opacity in a single layer. I had slight fallout when I worked with a dry brush, despite pressing and patting on, and fallout could be further minimize by using it with a wet brush or patting on with a fingertip. It lasted well for eight hours on me before fading noticeably, and there was a smidgen of fallout over time.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Circle of Salt (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Sydney Grace Levy (P, $6.00) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Supernova (LE, $25.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Jubilee (271M) (LE, $29.00) is darker (90% similar).
- By Beauty Bay Moss (LE, ) is darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Persona Driven (PiP, ) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Coloured Raine Unexpected (DC, $6.99) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- LORAC Evergreen (LE, ) is darker (85% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Mean Green (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
- ColourPop Bungalow (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$6.00/0.14 oz. - $42.86 Per Ounce
It's designed to be worn alone, though the brand recommends a "mixing medium or a glitter glue" to avoid fallout. The loose consistency was denser and more weighed down, which made it less messy to work with than some more finely-milled (but very powdery) loose eyeshadow formulas available. They were very pigmented without much product, and they had similar coverage applied dry as well as wet.
The wet application typically yielded smoother, more metallic finishes and less fallout compared to dry application. Dry application required a bit more finesse as the product applied best by patting and pressing it on and then gently smoothing it into place, otherwise it had some fallout during application. A few shades that were more sparkly looked a bit chunkier applied to my skin when I used it dry (but were smoother and more forgiving when used wet). They lasted between seven and eight hours on me before creasing.
Browse all of our Sydney Grace Loose Pigment swatches.
Ingredients
Silk Mica (Mica (77019), Boron Nitride, L-Lysine Mica (Mica 77019 and Lauroyl Lysine), Carnauba Mica (Mica 77019 and Carnauba Wax), Magnesium Stearate, Magnesium Myristate, Zinc Stearate ((+/- Mica (77019), Fractionated Coconut Oil (Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Chromium Hydroxide Green (CI77289), Chromium Green (CI77288), Iron Oxide (CI 77499, 77491, 77492), Tin Oxide (CI 778161), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Ferric Ferrocyanide (CI 77510), Ultramarines (77007), Silica, Synthetic Flurophylogopite, Zinc (CI 77947), Bronze and Copper Powder (CI 77400), Nylon 12, Carmine (75470), Aluminum (77000) Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, and Hexylene Glycol
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
I ridiculously want them ALL! But, especially Glee. That one is super special and quite different.
I agree — Glee is the most interesting of the three!
Glee and Optimism just want on my wish list.
I love the idea of pigments, but I never reach for them. They just seem too fussy for my routine. These are beautiful though.
I love Joyful Day and Optimism – blue and green are my favourites, but I don’t like the formula. The shadow dupes for these colours are perfect.