I couldn't contain my excitement when the LORAC Unzipped Gold Palette ($44) was released last month. Its play on gold tones and ultra warm leaning neutrals got me feelin' a certain kinda way...
The packaging is similar to the Original Unzipped with a large mirror and magentic closure in a slim cardboard case. It also comes with a mini Behind the Scenes Eye Primer. Unlike the rose and rose gold tones of the Original palette, the Gold version has warmer true golds with duochrome finishes, a few matte transition colors, and one sad and lonely blending shade that doesn't do anyone justice.
BUT LOOK at Unlocked, Unlimited, Unhimibited, Unpredictable, and Unleashed. These golds all vary in depth, duochrome shift, and shimmer content (a highly scientific term in the makeup industry, nawt.)
Sadly, I wasn't too impressed with the matte blending shades.
Undressed- A pink skin tone shade that blends into my skin. Poor transition shade but good as a lay down.
Undeniable and Unwind- Matte browns that are very similar in depth and tone. Undeniable is a tad lighter and warmer. Both don't feel very creamy to the touch and aren't too pigmented, but they're blendable on the lids and work well with the gold tones.
Unedited- A very cool dark brown that almost leans grey. I don't care much for this shade either, since most of the gold pans are very warm leaning. Personally, I would've put swapped this shade for a warm matte beige or eggshell.
And the one ultra meh shade that looks shimmery in pan but matte on the lids: Unafraid. Yawn. I would've preferred it if this shade actually showed its hint of shimmer.
Here's a swatch of one pass in direct sunlight. What I've noticed is the difference in quality between the original and this palette. Unzipped Gold is less pigmented, a tad chalkier (even chunky when it comes to Unlocked and definitely Uninhibited...) The best of the best? Unleashed! It's ULTRA pigmented (to the point of staining your lids), very creamy and buttery smooth with no fallout.
I don't regret this purchase, however, because all of these eyeshadows are still very flattering and easy to work with on the eyes. I do wish that some of the matte blending shades were of better quality like the Original palette, with more variety in tones once applied on the lids.
Another small gripe: true natural hair brushes (like squirrel), whether domed or flat, are not very good at picking up the glitterbombs. You might want to use a synthetic flat shader brush (and perhaps dampen it for a foiled effect) with this palette.
This is natural indoor lighting.
The true testament to the beauty of this palette is how the gold shades are duochrome in nature. They can shift in color and intensity depending on the way light plays across them. If you don't have a curated palette of gold shadows, The Unzipped Gold is excellent for those who enjoy very warm neutrals and don't mind "boring" crease shades while the golds steal the show.
xo Be
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