Best Things in Beauty : Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow No.22 Pale Barley.

Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow in No.22 Pale Barley was an addition to their beauty line for Spring 2012, now that i'm talking about this the Summer products are already out but anyways - it came to stay and you can still purchase Pale Barley regularly.
when i saw preview pictures of it, i thought it would be a bit lame, lacking a special twist and just similar to some of their permanent light neutrals. it was Sabrina's (The Beauty Look Book) early review and swatches that convinced me of the opposite and put this little shadow on top of my wish list instantly. since it wasn't released to Burberry Europe back then and i don't have a counter near me, i asked my friend Maureen to order it on my behalf.
in the mean time i often heard Pale Barley being compared to MAC Patina (which is one of my favourite shadows by MAC) as a much superior alternative, so i was even more eager to receive it.
it contains 2,5g and costs 29$ (don't know at which price these retail in germany).

so this shadow comes in the regular shiny hefty compact inside a cheapish synthetic pouch with signature Nova Check pattern inside and out and everywhere, and a negligible applicator. i don't like with these compacts that you can't open them more than those approx. 95°. but it's okay - i'm all about what's in the pan. and that is something marvellous, let me tell ya.
i am so in love with my only Burberry eyeshadow until then, No.21 Midnight Brown, which i considered to be the most beautiful shade of the range, and i'm overly happy that No. 22 Pale Barley has that same luxurious, soft and smooth and weightless texture. more than that, Pale Barley is not a plain shimmery medium neutral for the lid, it has an amazing luminosity and such a beautiful subtle golden-champagne opalescence that puts the cherry on top of the cream for me and maybe Pale Barley on the top of my Burberry-ranking. definitely a must-have.

i love it as an all-over lid wash, it's not too light or frosty so it would make my eyes appear smaller but it's that tad bit darker than my actual skin tone and melts with it beautifully. it creates a candle-lit glow on my lids and makes me look seamlessly polished. it's also a perfect partner with dark, dramatic shadows (LOVE it with Le Métier de Beauté Bordeaux!!!).
it has good pay-off and blends effortlessly. with a primer underneath, i didn't experiment creasing/fading issues all day long.

tihilw

so eventually, how does it compare to other eyeshadows, especially MAC Patina? to me, they are similar in terms of the same colour intensity - both medium neutrals. but not more than that. i don't think Pale Barley is as special as Patina. it's an amazing colour, i adore its golden pearlescent glow, but Patina is so dear to me because it's golden but cool toned at the same time, plus most importantly it has that pink pearl which i have only seen with some deeper browns but i love so much. surely MAC should take Burberry's luxurious texture as an example, though.
in my collection i have not found a perfect dupe for Pale Barley, i think it's inbetween Patina and NARS Cyprus.

comparison