I bought MAC Cranberry eyeshadow in autumn last year, to branch out from my usual gold and bronze smoky eye colours I usually wear. I've absolutely loved using it, and it even helped me with a Bloody Mary costume once.
I bought MAC Star Violet eyeshadow just before this summer, to create pink/rose looks instead of buying the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette.
When I unpackaged it at home, I immediately noticed the similarity between Star Violet and Cranberry and felt silly for buying essentially the same colour. But then after using them both, and swatching them I realised they are in fact not the same colour.
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| Star Violet (left), Cranberry (right) |
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| Star Violet (left), Cranberry (right) |
Star Violet has a much more pink (bordering onto purple territory) undertones, and is a more subtle addition to a look compared with Cranberry.
Cranberry is more pigmented, and can often require a lighter application to avoid the 'I've just been crying look' that nobody wants.
So these two eyeshadows have their differences, but should you buy them both? The answer, I think, is no. If you're specifically looking for a red eyeshadow for autumn/winter and want to create generally darker looks then get Cranberry. If you're looking for an all-year-rounder red/pink eyeshadow that is more wearable then get Star Violet.
Cranberry is more pigmented, and can often require a lighter application to avoid the 'I've just been crying look' that nobody wants.
So these two eyeshadows have their differences, but should you buy them both? The answer, I think, is no. If you're specifically looking for a red eyeshadow for autumn/winter and want to create generally darker looks then get Cranberry. If you're looking for an all-year-rounder red/pink eyeshadow that is more wearable then get Star Violet.
