It's been a while since I've posted about this
brand, but Sonia Rykiel Beauté is still one of my underrated favourites of Japanese makeup. In particular, two of the core
eyeshadow quads,
09 and
10, have survived so many stash clear-outs that they now qualify as core items in
my wardrobe too
and introduce a new series of posts highlighting some of my older favourites:
Enduring Loves.
....which I tend not to post about paradoxically because I wear them so frequently, my brain somehow assumes everyone is as familiar with them as I am.... yeah, good job, brain. And with all the sugar I feed you, too. Thanks to a lovely reader email (hi Kathy :D And
sorry!) I present Sonia Rykiel 09 and 10 quad swatches! (And if you want me to write about / take pictures of other stuff I've mentioned in passing, please do feel free to administer a gentle kick up the arse.)
09
Clockwise from top left: (colour/finish; texture)
v. pigmented dark brown satin with lime, ruby and sparse cornflower microshimmer; creamy
pigmented taupe satin with sparse silver microshimmer; v. creamy
moderately pigmented metallic rust with lime duochrome; silky
sheer icy blue sparkle with silver and very sparse palest lime notes; silky
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| natural light, sunny |
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| flash pic to try and pick up some duochrome at bottom right |
Swatches are one-swipe with a sponge applicator onto bare arm:
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| natural light, sunny |
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| different angle, attempt to capture duochrome |
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| slightly fuzzy flash pic to show textural variation |
10
Clockwise from top left: (colour/finish; texture)
v. pigmented blackened green satin with lighter green and sparse white gold sparkle; creamy
pigmented warm metallic bronze with subtle cool silvery taupe flash; v. creamy
sheer icy lilac satin; silky
moderately pigmented cool candy pink shimmer with iridescent and white gold sparkle; silky
![]() |
| natural light, sunny |
Swatches: one-swipe with sponge applicator onto bare arm
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| natural light, cloudy |
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| angled |
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| sorry -- yellow bathroom light / flash pic to show texture |
It should be obvious why I love these: each shade is complex and in a quad add up to nuanced and inspiring combinations of textures, tones, temperatures and colours. The pigments (especially evident with the pastels) sit on a clear, not white base -- a distinction which Grace London crystallised for me only recently -- which makes them both inherently more flattering on my skin, and perfectly suited to layering for even more intricate effects.
