Review: Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow No.22 Pale Barley

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow No.22 Pale Barley ($30 for 0.088 oz) is one of the two new additions to the permanent line from the Spring 2012 collection. At the first glance, I thought I had something "similar" in the stash. Honestly, it looked rather boring in the pan. Pale Barley turns out to be an original and gorgeous shade. Beautiful. Truly versatile. Easy to wear.  

 

It's hard to describe Pale Barley (to me). It's a brown beige fused with delicate golden and champagne shimmer, creating a nuance and understated sheen on my lids. It might sound like "just another neutral" and you might picture a subtle beige on your lids. But Pale Barley delivers the unexpected. It blends in with my skintone (medium warm undertone) without looking plain. I imagine it would pop out more on lighter complexion and even work as a highligter on darker skintone. Interestingly, the more intense the layering, the more golden it becomes. You can use this to add more drama to the look or tone it down to just a wash of golden sheen on your lids. Burberry executes this shade beautifully! I can't say enough how impressed I am.

I wore this fresh and clean look, pairing Pale Barley with Midnight Brown. I also used Taupe Brown at the outer corner for some depth. Below are some comparision swatches with some of my favorite Dior quints that contain certain shades I thought would be similar to Pale Barley and Burberry Midnight Brown. 

Like other Burberry eyeshadows, Pale Barley glides on the skin smoothly. The texture is buttery soft without being powdery. No fall-outs was detected through the day. It stays fresh for at least 10 hours with a standard primer like Urban Decay Primer Potion. If you still hesitate to try Burberry eyeshadows, I urge you to visit a Burberry counter! Or take a chance to order online;) You won't be disappointed!

Bottom line. Love so much! Phenomenal color and quality. Extremely versatile. If I could only have one Burberry eyeshadow, I would pick Pale Barley.