The Body Shop won me over more than once with their skincare – first with their Oils of Life Sleeping Cream, and again with their latest collection of face masks. But it wasn’t until recently that I ventured over to their makeup line, starting with a few quads from their Down To Earth Eye Palette line.
The Body Shop Down To Earth Eye Palettes
The Body Shop’s Down to Earth range includes 5 eye shadow quads and one larger 8-shadow palette. The quads include Black, Gold, Plum, Brown, and Grey, while the larger Down to Earth Eyeshadow Palette contains a mix of tones (including 5 repeat shades found in the quads).
8-Palette Shades: Sahara Dune (also in Gold Quad), Aztec Gold (also in Gold Quad), Provence Ochre, Bengal Granite (also in Plum Quad), Peru Clay (also in Brown Quad), Kilimanjaro Rock, Zawar Zinc, Black Canyon Onyx (also in Black Quad)
All of the palettes feature neutral shades inspired by nature (with names to match), and are designed to work with all skin tones and eye colors. They also offer a nice mix of finishes, including mattes, shimmers, and sparkles/glittery finish, which can be used both dry and wet.
Formulated with Community Trade sesame seed oil, Babassu oil, and Marula oil, these shadows also provide skincare benefits by helping to nourish and hydrate the eye area as you wear them. They’re also 100% vegan and cruelty free.
Each set of eyeshadows are housed in a thin, sleek, and sturdy casing, complete with a built-in mirror. What’s even cooler is that the shadows are interchangeable and can be popped in and out of the casing, which allows you to switch up shades and create your own custom palette.
Here’s a look at three of the quads, including Gold, Plum, and Black.
Down to Earth Eyeshadow Quad Gold
The Down to Earth Eyeshadow Quad Gold (01) features 4 warm eyeshadow shades, including golds and browns:
- Sahara Dune – matte pale beige
- Aztec Gold – satin pale gold
- Essaouria Bronze – satin medium brown/taupe
- Amazonian Earth – matte dark neutral brown
Down to Earth Eyeshadow Quad Plum
The Down to Earth Eyeshadow Quad Plum (04) features 4 eyeshadow shades, including a mixture of plum, mauve, and taupe shades:
- Attica Marble – matte ivory
- Petra Sandstone – medium taupe with silver shimmer
- Penrhyn Slate – satin medium purple-taupe
- Bengal Granite – dark plum with purple shimmer
Down to Earth Eyeshadow Quad Black
The Down to Earth Eyeshadow Quad Black (05) features 4 eyeshadow shades, including a mixture of grey, blue, and black shades:
- Scandinavian Steel – satin light blue-grey
- California Lapis – rich navy blue with blue shimmer
- Australia Quartz – dark blue-grey with silver shimmer
- Black Canyon Onyx – matte black
The Body Shop Down To Earth Eye Palettes Review
Seeing The Body Shop as primarily a skincare brand, I wasn’t sure what to expect quality-wise when it came to their makeup. But after swatching the first palette, I was immediately impressed. The textures of the eyeshadows are buttery smooth – almost cream-like – and blend effortlessly a completely seamless look. (I don’t even bother with a primer!) They’re also quite pigmented with great color payoff. The Black quad in particular quickly builds stunning intense color, even dry (and it’s easily my favorite out of the three!). The most amazing thing I didn’t experience any creasing when I use them on their own, over a bare lid.
Now, only downside is that there can be a bit of fallout from the sparkle shadows (the rest are fine), so I tend to try and tap off all the glitter before applying. But other than that, these The Body Shop shadows offer amazing pigmentation in a creamy, buildable formula that’s consistent across all three palettes. They’re also very long lasting – no primer required!
Final Thoughts
Overall, if you’re new to The Body Shop’s makeup line and a lover of neutral eyeshadows, I would definitely recommend picking up one (or more!) of these palettes. If you aren’t sure which quad would be best, or just want a mix of shades, I’d suggest going for the larger 8-shadow palette. It contains the same amount of product as two quads, yet costs $12 less, plus it comes with a wider variety of tones if you want more room to experiment.
Available at TheBodyShop US ($24 USD for quads, $36 USD for palette) and TheBodyShop UK (£15 for quads, £22 for palette).
Have you tried The Body Shop’s makeup line? What are your thoughts on their makeup products?
