Sydney Grace x Temptalia Radiant Reflection | The Arrangement + Combinations
The Radiant Reflection palette features three matte shades and nine shimmers. One shimmer–Forget-Her-Not–has a lower level of pearl and sheen, could be used as a “matte” for depth for those who don’t mind a lil’ bit of sheen in the crease (couldn’t achieve a matte purple in this depth, vividness, and tone without using non-FDA color additives!). All three palettes are arranged similarly so that they can be visualized the same way, but hopefully, these images help breakdown the color combinations possible.
Note: Unstoppable Love and Dearest Constant are the matte eyeshadows that have a Light and Deep version.
Sextets
Each palette was arranged in a way where it could easily be divided in half vertically or horizontally, so these are the primary sextets. Each sextet includes two matte shades and four shimmers.
Quads
The palette was also intended to be used in quads, and the goal was to have at least one matte shade in each quad.
Ls
Each L-shape includes two matte eyeshadows, which was part of why the matte eyeshadows were positioned as they were. The L-shape includes two shimmers and two mattes, so they are similar to quads but visually a different shape.
Duos
Finally, we have duos! I designed the palettes so that there were duo pairings that were easy to spot for those who tend to do 2-3 shade looks (instead of all the colors like myself). This is true for duos going horizontally as well as vertically. Oh, and they work diagonally for the most part, too!
For those who like one-and-done shimmers all over the lid, your best bets are: Aurora, The Mielke Way, Sirius Starlight, and My Constellation!
Looks
So like when brands arrange this way, quads, diagonals, etc. It helps newbies (and even though I’m not necessarily in that category, it’s still helpful when you need to quickly do a look without too much thought.)
Thank you!
These posts have been fascinating to read though for me! Ever since I realized that chaotic palette arrangements are a dealbreaker for me (looking at you, Norvina), I’ve been trying to think more critically about what makes a good arrangement of shades. I’ve seen a lot of folks who do BYOPs with single shadows arrange their shades in a gradient, with one corner having the brightest shade and the opposite corner having the deepest, and while that method is aesthetically pleasing and makes the color story look more cohesive, I think it sacrifices the ability to group shades into color combinations that can be used for looks.
I think your incredible thoughtfulness has allowed you to reach a happy medium here, where your palettes’ arrangements look both cohesive and user-friendly! Was it like a difficult puzzle to arrange the shades so that every sextet/quad/L-shape/duo made sense, or did it just sort of fall into place as you figured out which shades you wanted adjacent to each other?
I had a general outline from when I first pitched the palettes (digital mockups), and then once more shades got solidified, I started to try to figure out an arrangement digitally. I’d then arrange the actual pans, swatch, and then see how that translated since my digital mockups were just that – digital so not exact to the color of the pans.
It helped that I am naturally inclined to group by warm/cool to some degree, and having the two mattes and knowing that I wanted to place them in such a way that allowed for them to be in each quad helped determine the L-shape formation of the mattes! I feel like since I started with a mockup of the colors already in an arrangement, it helped make the process easier overall. What really helped me figure out the last parts of the arrangement was swatching them all in a line (down my arm) – I did this because that’s how I know most people swatch (when showing it to others), so it had to make sense that way, even though you’d never see it that way in the actual palette!
I think part of the appeal of pre-made palettes is that they are arranged and so it is “easy” to find a combo to use. It’s like those who buy singles aren’t always the type to buy pre-made palettes or care about the arrangement because they “see” combos without aid. I’m not a fan of chaotic arrangement either, but it is nice to see groupings because it’s a good starting place.
Oh my goodness Christine! The work you put into this!!! I appreciate this additional insight so much as there were combinations here that I love, but didn’t see myself. Thank you so much for your detail and passion. I love seeing the endless possibilities with your palettes! You are a sweetheart!
Thank you so much, Bren!