very thorough auric smoke reflect review coming at you.
Youtuber Samantha Ravndahl recently launched her new cosmetics company, Auric Cosmetics. And since I’ve been an avid subscriber to Sam’s channel for years, I was really excited to get my hands on the products from the brand’s first launch. Auric, whose dictionary definition is being derived from golden, adheres to the belief system that we’re golden together and has put great emphasis on diversity in not only their product but marketing as well. The brand has also taken great strides to be a leader in luxury cosmetics and ethical and environmental standards. As the first edit of products, Auric released Glow Lust, a liquid illuminating face product, and Smoke Reflect cream and powder shadow duos. Here, we’re featuring an Auric Smoke Reflect Review.
If you head over to this post, a Glow Lust review, you’ll fin a ton of in depth brand information and some general thoughts about the brand and its initial launch. But to summarize:
- Glow Lust and Smoke Reflect were created as cruelty free alternatives to 2 bestselling products currently on the market: Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Flawless Filter* and Tom Ford’s Cream and Powder Eye Color*, respectively. I speak in detail about this and my thoughts on it in the Glow Lust review here.
- Auric was created and intended to be a standalone brand. While created by an influencer, I really feel like it was, and will, live on its own rather than an extension of Sam’s Internet personality.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive into this Auric Smoke Reflect Review.
the basics –
The Smoke Reflect Cream + Powder Eyeshadow Duos are … well … eye shadow duos consisting of two luxe and artistry grade formulas housed within one gorgeous package. Under the lid you’ll find a light-reflecting, micro-glitter shadow infused with high-shine pearls. Inside the glass, you’ll find a smooth, creaseless, longwear cream.
Smoke Reflect retails for $39, comes in 3 shades, and are cruelty free, paraben free, and gluten free.
shade information
- Temper – Rose gold – I really like this shade of rose gold. It’s not too golden, and it’s not too pink. It’s more of a taupe that leans pink. The shade is really pretty and easy to wear.
- Defiance – Bronze/gold – This is a pretty true bronze, and the powder topper is a neutral gold.
- Ego – Silver – This is an interesting silver, especially the powder topper. It seems to lean a little green.
The Smoke Reflect shades Defiance and Ego are vegan formulas. Temper; however, is not as it contains carmine.
I purchased the shades Temper and Defiance. I skipped out on Ego, because I just don’t wear silvers that often. The powder looks really pretty and unique, but I knew I wouldn’t wear that cream shadow.
similar products
Similar to what I said about Glow Lust, the Smoke Reflect is designed to pretty much mimic another product on the market, the Tom Ford Cream + Powder Eyeshadow Duos*. I’ve never tried those duos, but from other reviews I’ve watched and read, I’m gathering that the Smoke Reflect is about the same, if not better. I have also gathered that the Smoke Reflect packaging is significantly more luxe than that of the TF (and it’s about 1/2 the price.)
I’ve included a few options below that may help you achieve the same kind of glittery, textural look. Like I said in the Glow Lust Review, this is designed to be an alternative to an existing product, meaning you may already have something that’ll give you a similar effect.
the packaging –
To reiterate my 5 minute speech about the packaging in the Glow Lust Review, this packaging is absolutely stunning. If I were to create a brand, I think it’d share a similar aesthetic. I referenced it feeling like it really did represent the concept of modern luxury, and I have the same feelings toward the packaging on the Smoke Reflect.
Like the outer packaging on the Glow Lust, the outer packaging for Smoke Reflect is just as luxe, just a much smaller box. It shares the diffused matte black box with crystal screen printing and embossed golden lettering.
The product packaging for Smoke Reflect is sleek, to say the least with a luxurious mix of frosted glass and matte black. And like Glow Lust, the product feels heavy. There’s a beautiful weight to it that adds to the experience of using such a luxury product.
You twist off the black cap and find the cream shadow within the glass. It comes with a plastic tab that is intended to keep the product from drying out. And when you open the top, you find the powder topper shade and a high quality, albeit small, mirror.
some packaging qualms
This isn’t a deal breaker problem or really anything that effects my review of the product. But since this is a review of my experience with the product, I wanted to include it anyway.
I had a lot difficult opening the lid on the shade Temper only. After playing with it for a few weeks, it has loosened enough for me to open easily. But at first, it was quite difficult.
the formula –
Let’s start with the cream. The cream itself is very creamy and moussey, very similar to the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize*. And I love textures like that in an eye shadow. I find it’s flattering and looks nice on a lot of different types of eye. The finish of the cream alone is a flattering shimmer, but you’re not going to get a super reflective from only wearing the cream. The wet looking reflect really comes from the powder topper.
It’s a longwear cream shadow. I find that that creams definitely can wear and crease throughout the day. Personally, I don’t mind that usually, but with this product it isn’t an issue if you do hate creasing. Also, it’s easy to work with. Some creams force you to work incredibly fast before the dry down completely. This one dries quickly. But you have a plenty of time to apply it on both eyes and blend it out with a brush before it dries down. But once it does, it’s dried. I didn’t notice any creasing, and it really does last all day without losing its luster.
Now for the powder. It’s definitely hard pressed and stiff. This isn’t a creamy powder, I think it’s a little difficult to use. It’s a thin glitter. So if you want an intense metallic, glittery finish, I don’t know you’re going to get that from this. But if you want more of a glitter topper situation, you’ll get on with this well. That’s what I like about it. I can get a really pretty, widely dispersed glitter topper. The base color is quite sheer, so it gives a pretty, reflective, wet looking shimmer. It’s this scattered light kind of reflectiveness, and it’s truly beautiful as a duo.
are there differences between colors?
I can’t speak to the shade Ego, as I don’t have that one. But I do find slight differences between Temper and Defiance, particularly in the powders. Temper feels drier to the touch. It feels grittier when swatching, but it doesn’t feel gritty on the eye. The powder in the Defiance shade feels smoother when rubbing my finger in the pan and does apply to lid a little smoother.
They’re both beautifully reflective; however, I find the Defiance shade is more of that wet looking sheen. Where Temper is reflective but in a more scattered light type of way.
the review –
I think I like the rose gold shade, Temper, the best. Not that the quality is different, I just think that shade is a little more suited for me over the bronze shade, Defiance. And I only say that because it’s the one I think I’m going to reach for the most.
I have been using these a lot of different ways. I’ve used the topper shades alone, the creams alone. I’ve mixed the creams and the powder. And I’ve even mixed the colors. I use the cream as liner. And I think they’re really lovely products. They’re so easy to work with and work well with each other and with other products.
And the wear is amazing. They last all day, and that’s something I really commend these products on.
the bottom line –
Bottom line? I really recommend these if the colors interest you. I’m really interested to see if they come out with other colors in this product. I think a khaki or orange/gold colored duo would be amazing.
And that’s a wrap for my Auric Smoke Reflect Review. To conclude, I’m very happy I have these in my collection. I’ve been reaching for them a ton and loving the results I’ve been getting. And I’m extremely interested in the future of this brand. What do you think? Are you interested in the Smoke Reflect from Auric Cosmetics?
Be sure to click here to head over to the Glow Lust Review (& a ton of brand information.)
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