- Purchased
- Gifted
- Affiliate Link(s)
You can save using my code LEGALLYBLACKBEAUTY at Devinah Cosmetics (affiliate). Thank you for your support!
Sometimes you can’t stand to see a swatch party end. Thankfully, the good ol’ Internet allows us to relive the past — for better and for worse. But let’s focus on the “for better” side of things for now (we can always chat about those embarrassing photos from 2007 that just won’t die in the comments!). A few months ago, I hosted a Devinah Cosmetics matte eyeshadow swatch party — whew, that was a mouthful! — on Instagram. It was such a good time that I wanted to be sure to include those swatches here for the launch of website.
Let’s get this party (re)started!
Most of Devinah’s mattes are buildable, not instantly impactful. Some of the mattes feel gritty to the touch, although I have never found them overly dry on my eyes. Other mattes are more smooth and more powdery.
Here, Metanoia is the smoothest shadow. All of the shadows perform well for me and can be built up to the opacity I desire.
- Meraki: Vintage dusty rose
- Passion: Cherry cola with a soft chocolate splash
- Sura: Orange with hints of red undertones
- Ilithyia: Ripe red with nuances of a pink undertone
- Laramie: Red with a mauve undertone
- Lucretia: Deep brick red
- Nemesis: Brown with burgundy undertones
- Iduna: Mid-toned orange
- Naevia: Muted orange with hints of yellow undertones
- Metanoia: Pale yellow
These photos show why Devinah is so unique. They are masters of grungy-toned eyeshadows. Bright mattes like Grinch and Viridian are rare in Devinah’s repertoire, and even those can’t help but be a little bit grungy. Kalon is the grittiest matte in this group. Overall, the greens perform well, with Fossick being perhaps the best performer.
Note I noticed some micro flecks in several of my mattes. I do not know if they are technically glitter or shimmer particles. I have never noticed them on my eyes, likely because they disappear with blending. I actually did not notice them until I started editing my photos.
- Toska: Banana yellow
- Kalon: Light brown “peanut”
- Darena: Yellow-dipped brown
- Juncea: Mustard green
- Elphaba: “Witchy” yellow-green
- Courtney: Pea soup green**
- Grinch: Mid-toned green
- Patina: Rusty yet vintage green
- Viridian: Muted minty green sea foam
- Saudade: Muted vintage green
- Fossick: Dirty olive green
This was probably my favorite group to swatch. The formula of all of these was great and the colors are gorgeous. Naval is one of the softer, more powdery formulas. The rest of the mattes perform and swatch very well.
- Ludic: Mixture of blue, green, and grey
- Thisbe: Dark military green
- Khadra: Green with blue undertones
- Envy: Green with a hint of blue
- Jaded: Blue green / darkened teal
- Candy: Bright blue**
- Naval: Bold and stark blue darkened with a black-undertoned base
- Remi: Blue periwinkle
- Push: Blue purple
Naz and Vixen look similar on me, although Vixen appears darker in the pan. This is another group where I noticed the micro flecks in the mattes. Again, I have not noticed those specks when wearing these shadows on my eyes.
- Naz: Pink taffy
- Vixen: Bright pink violet
- Kaia: Medium orchid
- Aria: Blends of violets and indigo
- Tacenda: Vibrant berry
- Desma: Dark and vampy burgundy plum
- Virago: Plump plum
- Crixus: Brown with olive undertones
- Freya: Deep brown with olive undertones
Esme is one of the more powdery, ver soft formulas. The others in this group are of the more buildable formula, though I wouldn’t say they are noticeably gritty or dry. I also really loved this group of shadows (which is why it is so well-represented!).
- Bambi: Tanned brown
- Manic: Deepened brown
- Frisson: Vintage mauve grey
- Esme: Dusty plum
- Elysium: Red-blue shade of grey
- Zane: Deep plum navy
- Patrina: Dark plum with purple and blue undertones
I’ll admit, I am not always eager to try matte shadows from new-to-me indie brands. It took me almost a year to give Devinah’s mattes a shot. Luckily, they did not disappoint — unlike some other recipients of my shots…
If you prefer creamy mattes with intense payoff, these are probably not the formula for you. There are definitely some outliers (as noted above), but the majority of the mattes from Devinah are buildable. Personally, I like all kinds of mattes as long as they show up on my skin, don’t have me looking like there is a lotion shortage, and aren’t patchy.
I hope you all enjoyed these swatches of the mattes. Get ready for the shimmer swatch party because it will blow you away!
I can see myself repeatedly returning to this post. I only have a few Devinah mattes and I know I’d like to order a few more in the future. This is very helpful and I look forward to seeing what you post next!
I’ve yet to try any Devinah matte shades and this is a push to make it happen sooner than later!