Sydney Grace Twisted Shifter Multi-Chrome Shadow Review & Swatches
Twisted Shifter
Sydney Grace Twisted Shifter Multi-Chrome Shadow ($15.00 for 0.045 oz.) is a multi-chrome, which means it shifts color as the light reflects off of it (and dependent on the angle and the type of light!); I found the more dominant color to be a warmer plum/purple, which sometimes leaned warmer and sometimes leaned cooler purple that shifted from gold/orange to orange/green.
Under really bright light (like sun light), the shift from pink/purple to orange to green is more pronounced, but under lower, more “office” like lighting conditions, the shift was more plum to green with a less pronounced gold/orange shift. Often, when I looked at my eye makeup in a mirror, it looked purple-plum and occasionally, I caught that shift as it lightened and looked warmer, greener on the edge. I also tried it layered over a black base (I used a black eyeliner) to see if the shift would be more pronounced (comparable to it alone).
The cost of the ingredients that create the multi-chrome effect are pricey, which is why this type of product is mostly found within indie brands, and the price tag reflects the massive uptick in ingredient cost. I think if your expectations are more in line with wanting to see the distinctive three or four-part shift at a glance, you’ll be disappointed; the shift is there, but it needs a fairly large area of application to really be strong visible (like my arm swatches vs. my eyelid, even though I applied it across my entire mobile lid). The shift factor is still more pronounced than the average duochrome (which can really get lost on the lid!) eyeshadow, and in some lighting situations, really quite cool and visible. (I did have my husband also look at the shade on my lids to verify the level of visible shift; his reaction was similar to what I had seen/noted.)
The texture was a a little thicker, heavier but was still creamier and smoother to the touch. It was easiest to apply with fingertips, which yielded both intense, more metallic payoff but smoother, more even coverage. I was able to apply with a firmer, flat brush, but I felt like there was a little too much slip in the product, so getting perfectly even coverage was easier with fingertips. I didn’t have trouble diffusing or blending out the edges with a brush, though. It had nearly opaque pigmentation in a single layer, which stayed on well for six hours before starting to crease on me; the creasing didn’t get significantly worse as time went on, but it creased earlier than is typical in my experience with the brand’s eyeshadows (but occurred for me on all of the Multi-chrome shades).
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Stargazing (PiP, $4.50) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Clionadh Flame-Blown Lite (P, $19.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- elf Rich Amethyst (P, $5.00) is less shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Clionadh Flame-blown (P, $19.00) is more shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Supernova (P, $12.00) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Ultraviolet (LE, $28.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Ultraviolet Messenger (LE, $25.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Clionadh Gothic (P, $19.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty TFX7 (LE, $36.00) is less shimmery (85% similar).
- Terra Moons Head Rush (P, $17.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$15.00/0.045 oz. - $333.33 Per Ounce
Multi-chromes have more dynamic shifts and tend to shift more dramatically from one color to the next. The cost of the ingredients that create the multi-chrome effect are pricey, which is why this type of product is mostly found within indie brands, and the price tag reflects the massive uptick in ingredient cost. I think if your expectations are more in line with wanting to see the distinctive three or four-part shift at a glance, you’ll be disappointed; the shift is there, but it needs a fairly large area of application to really be strong visible (like my arm swatches vs. my eyelid, even though I applied it across my entire mobile lid).
The shift factor is still more pronounced than the average duochrome (which can really get lost on the lid!) eyeshadow, and in some lighting situations, really quite cool and visible. (I did have my husband also look at the shade on my lids to verify the level of visible shift.) I didn't find that applying this particular formula over a white or black base helped to bring out the shift more or less, and wet/damp application didn't seem to have a meaningful impact on the shift either, though wet application sometimes made them appear a bit smoother or richer initially.
The texture was a a little thicker, heavier but was still creamier and smoother to the touch. It was easiest to apply with fingertips, which yielded both intense, more metallic payoff but smoother, more even coverage. I was able to apply with a firmer, flat brush, but I felt like there was a little too much slip in the product, so getting perfectly even coverage was easier with fingertips. I didn’t have trouble diffusing or blending out the edges with a brush, though. It had nearly opaque pigmentation in a single layer, which stayed on well for six hours before starting to crease on me; the creasing didn’t get significantly worse as time went on, but it creased earlier than is typical in my experience with the brand’s eyeshadows (but occurred for me on all of the Multi-chrome shades).
Browse all of our Sydney Grace Multi-Chrome Shadow swatches.
Ingredients
Thanks for posting so many pictures and trying to realistically capture the shift on the eyes. While I always love the swatches for these types of products, the shift isn’t usually as apparent on the lid (as you’ve noted), especially if you have smaller lids like me. It’s pretty on you, but subtle, so it probably won’t really show up on me at all. 🙂
I think I shot 1,000 photos just trying to nail down the right settings to shoot these for skin and eye swatches! I wanted to show the shift at its best but also more realistically!
You did a fantastic job, though, Christine. It’s very appreciated.
Thank you!
The fact that this formula runs a bit more subtle in the color shift could make it more “friendly” to older lids, I’m assuming? I say this because I have noticed that certain duochrome shades make my lids suddenly look more crinkly than any of my other shimmer/microglitter/metallic shadows. Which makes me feel a bit sad, actually!
Possibly — I don’t think it veers on so chunky metallic that it emphasizes texture, but since it does crease on me, it eventually emphasizes the more horizontal lines I have! If you apply with fingertips, these should go on pretty smoothly, though 🙂
With my small hooded eyes, I don’t think this would work well for me. I’m so glad I waited to see this (very thorough) review. Thanks, Christine…money saved!
Phew!
Love this shade and would snap it up in a heartbeat if I didn’t have a lot of purples already. Having said that I have never seen a purple I didn’t love. I love purple and green together and this looks like it could satisfy both of those loves!
Purple is a great shade!
I wonder how similar the multichromes are with each other… Sydney Grace Vs Clionahd Vs JD Glow for example…
This looks beautiful and might be a single that I would pick up . So unique and I believe I have a few other colors that would pair nicely with it . Great photos by the way, at first I thought it was two different shadows .
I think this is utterly gorgeous, but now I’m a bit worried about it creasing on me. Maybe with the right primer and applied wet with setting spray, it would work. At the very least, I don’t have anything even remotely like it!
I hope you can keep it from creasing on you, Rachel!
Thanks! I’ll let you know if I get the shadow, and if I make it work. If not on my eyes, maybe I’ll use it as a super-funky highlighter or something. You never know with me. lol
Alternatively, could also pop it on top of another eyeshadow that works for you (maybe a cream eyeshadow base or something), too! 🙂
Very true! I could try it over Nyx Black Eye Shadow Base or one of my Color Tattoos. I think I will get it and play around with it.
I think this is quite a unique offering from SG and kudos to them for getting so right. Although it is more expensive than their usual shadows, it is, to me, worth the price as it incorporates the design and ingredients to make this work so well. I guess it would depend on whether this kind of shade suited you (in terms of colour) and whether your eye lids could show off the many colour changes well. For example, it just would not work with my hooded eye lids.
These multi-chromes are hands-down some of the coolest eyeshadows I’ve *ever* seen, even if the shift when worn on the eyes is more subtle than on arm swatches. I haven’t owned anything from Sydney Grace before, but this might just cause me to change that…. that and their cream shadow in Wish, which likewise impressed me as a purple cream shadow!
I have very hooded eyes, and the mobile lid isn’t that large even when I have my brows raised, something I try to have whenever I’m among others. I don’t think any of the coolness of this eyeshadow would be seen, so I’ll give it a reluctant pass.
Thank you, Christine for all the photos, showing this es off in all its glory!
This shadow’s very lovely but I wish people would pay attention more to indie brands! Fyrinnae has been creating amazing and multidimensional shadows for years now. They actually have this exact same shade, but released a while ago. If you’re interested in colorshifting shadows check out their ‘exquisites’ line (which you can also buy in little sample size jars). I’m glad these types of colors are finally coming into the ‘mainstream’ but I feel like indie companies who have already been doing it should really get some more credit!