Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color VI226 Lavande

It's hardly a secret around here that I am a lover of all things makeup that also happen to be purple. One particular continual quest of mine is for a highly-pigmented, long-wearing cool-toned purple shadow.

Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color VI226 Lavande (6g, $25) is the latest eyeshadow that I've tried in this noble quest of mine.

First, a quick detour into a discussion on Shiseido. I've been using their skincare for more than half a decade, so I'm a huge fan. It's only been within the past 2 years that I've started dipping my toes into their makeup collection. It's not large, but it's extremely well edited and everything that I've personally tried has been high quality.

This is the first Shimmering Cream Eye Color that I've tried, so I didn't know what to expect when it came to the formula.

When in doubt, why not quote from the brand itself?

"A lightweight cream eye shadow with a radiant, lustrous finish that maintains a just-applied fresh look for 16 hours without smudging or creasing. Applies easily with your fingertip for a smooth, even finish. Hydrates skin with Super Hydro-Wrap Vitalizing DE."

Thanks, Shiseido. Now I know what I'm working with.

This is a petite little cream eyeshadow in terms of packaging. I love the streamlined look, and the top makes it easy to remove.

All of the shade info is right here on the bottom, like normal.

Let's take a look at that glorious lavender, shall we?

Just looking at it, I know Lavande is right up my alley- a shimmering, cool-toned purple. Admittedly, I'm not much for using my fingers to apply makeup (for one thing, I would want to sanitize my hands every time I went to dip them in to avoid cross-contamination).  In my shots (especially the action shots), I used a MAC 242 instead. I love it for working with cream eyeshadows.

Let's swatch this out.  First, flash, then without flash:

Ooh, pretty.

Let me tell you that it's even prettier in action. Here are my eyes on one of the recent days that I gave it a trial run:

The first day, it lasted about 8 hours before I saw the first tiny signs of creasing. It had spectacular performance, and I'm very pleased. The only downside is the extremely long dry-down time.

Bottom line: I'm in lust with the color! I think I may go explore more of this line. This is one of those purples that I've been seeking.