YSL Avant Garde (8) Couture Palette ($60.00 for 0.18 oz.) is an earthy, green-themed set of five eyeshadows with mostly shimmery finishes. The texture of the eyeshadows is soft and feels almost like a cream product, but a couple of shades can be a little powdery, so the color payoff isn’t always as intense or as true-to-pan as marketed. The wear is also short of the 12-hour wear time claimed; I find this formula wears a bit shorter on me than many other powder eyeshadows, though not significantly shorter–wear time varies between seven and eight hours, but I get noticeable fading and occasional creasing (this depends on the shade). The texture is really compelling, but I would recommend wearing an eyeshadow base/primer if this is something you’ve been considering; if you’re a no primer kind of person, I would skip.

Avant Garde #1 is a medium-dark, muted olive green with subtle, warm undertones and a pearly sheen. It had good color payoff that applied smoothly and evenly, as the texture was very blendable and soft to the touch. Applied, the color stayed on well for eight hours before starting to fade. theBalm #42 (P, $6.50) is darker, more matte. Sephora Collection Planet Earth (99) (P, $13.00) is warmer. theBalm D4 (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery. NARS Delphes #3 (LE, $24.00) is cooler-toned, lighter. NARS Taiga #2 (P, $24.00) is a touch darker. MAC Greensmoke (DC, $15.00) is brighter. MAC Fiction (DC, $15.00) is warmer. Dior Khaki Design #3 (P) is warmer. Make Up For Ever #84 (P, $20.00) is cooler-toned. Inglot #419 (P, $6.00) is slightly warmer. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Avant Garde #2 is a light, warm-toned beige with a hint of peach and yellow with a pearly sheen. It had semi-opaque color coverage but was noticeably under-pigmented. The texture was soft, though on the powdery side, which might have contributed to the color not adhering well to the skin. This shade wore well for seven hours before fading on me. YSL Saharienne #1 (P) is less shimmery, a touch darker. Too Faced All American Girl (P, $16.00) is lighter. Too Faced Riviera (P, $16.00) is darker. Chanel Quadrille #2 (LE) is similar. bareMinerals Celebrate (LE) is less shimmery. Urban Decay Broken (LE, $18.00) is lighter. MAC Dew (LE, $15.00) is similar. MAC Sweet Eyes (LE, $15.00) is less yellow. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Avant Garde #3 is a dark, neutral-to-cool-toned gray with a soft, satin finish. it had fairly good color payoff, while the texture was soft and smooth without being powdery. This shade stayed on well for eight hours before starting to fade. Kat Von D Graphic Nature (P) is warmer, lighter. MAC A Waft of Grey #3 (P, $21.00) is lighter. bareMinerals Panorama (LE) is less shimmery. Dior Golden Snow #5 (LE) is cooler-toned, lighter. Urban Decay Poison (LE, $18.00) is less shimmery. Kat Von D Siouxsie-sioux (P) is darker, less shimmery. Urban Decay Desperation (P, $18.00) is less shimmery. MAC Nighttrain (LE, $15.00) is more shimmery. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Avant Garde #4 is a muted, medium-dark yellow gold with hints of brown and a frosted finish. It had nice pigmentation, and the texture was quite soft but was just a little bit powdery, though easy to blend. On the eye, it wore well for eight hours before slightly creasing. bareMinerals Stay Golden (LE, $14.00) is darker. Too Faced Twinkle (LE, $16.00) is brighter. Urban Decay Strike (LE, $18.00) is similar. Too Faced Instigator (LE, $16.00) is brighter, yellower. Marc Jacobs Beauty The Starlet #5 (P) is lighter. Urban Decay Blitz (LE, $18.00) is similar. NARS Paramaribo #1 (LE, $24.00) is less shimmery. NARS Etrusque (LE, $24.00) is warmer. Maybelline Bold Gold (P, $6.99) is more frosted. L’Oreal Gold Imperial (LE, $7.99) is lighter. Illamasqua Ore (P, $25.50) is darker. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

Avant Garde #5 is a light-medium, muted green with subtle, warm yellow undertones and a pearly sheen. It had semi-opaque color payoff, and the texture was soft and smooth, but it could have been more pigmented. This shade had signs of fading after seven hours of wear. MAC Silver Sun (LE, $19.50) is more shimmery, darker, cooler-toned. Sephora Collection Planet Earth (99) (P, $13.00) is warmer, darker. Sleek MakeUP Fauna (P, $9.99) is darker. Sleek MakeUP Evergreen (P, $9.99) is brighter. Ulta Sage (P, $10.00) is slightly darker. MAC In the Meadow #3 (LE, $21.00) is lighter. Tarina Tarantino Wonderful #4 (P) is lighter. Fyrinnae Electric Stardust (P, $6.80) is lighter, brighter. NARS Delphes #3 (LE, $24.00) is similar. Guerlain Coup de Foudre #3 (LE) is cooler-toned. See comparison swatches / view dupes.

YSL Avant Garde (8) Couture Palette

YSL Avant Garde (8) Couture Palette

YSL Avant Garde (8) Couture Palette

YSL Avant Garde (8) Couture Palette

YSL Avant Garde #1 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde #1 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde #2 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde #2 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde #3 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde #3 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde #4 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde #4 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde #5 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde #5 Couture Eyeshadow

YSL Avant Garde: #5 (inner lid), #4 (middle of lid), #1 (outer lid), #3 (outer lid), #2 (brow bone)

YSL Avant Garde: #5 (inner lid), #4 (middle of lid), #1 (outer lid), #3 (outer lid), #2 (brow bone)