Flower Knows Swan Ballet Series Eyeshadow Palette

(This article was posted on the old blog on November 11, 2023)

Hello. This is Mikoto Mashita.

It has suddenly become cold recently, but I hope you are not feeling unwell. Your health is the most important thing.

Well, today is the second installment (?) of my popular series: a full-on cosmetics review. The response to my previous review of the new UNMIX cosmetics was amazing, and it recorded a surge in traffic that I don't usually see... I realized that UNMIX is a brand that is truly loved by all of you.

This time, I will be reviewing this eyeshadow that I discovered while wandering around a variety shop.

From the top:
・Flower Knows Swan Ballet Series Eyeshadow Palette 01 White Swan
・Flower Knows Swan Ballet Series Eyeshadow Palette 02 Black Swan

No, wait, I think everyone is already thinking this, but isn't the packaging insane? It's so beautiful and so artistic that I was a bit taken aback at the store. It's at the point where I'd buy it even if it were empty.

That said, I am a cosmetics geek after all. Buying it just for the packaging without checking the contents is a bit too adventurous, so I opened the tester, but...

Wait, the contents are too beautiful too!!

I looked it up and found that Flower Knows is a Chinese cosmetics brand. It is true that Chinese cosmetics often feature delicate patterns that go beyond mere embossing to become what you might call sculptures. I wonder if the reason we don't see such sculptures in Japanese cosmetics is due to technical issues or cost issues... In any case, I love this kind of cosmetic.

Actually, there was also a color called "03 Pink Swan," but I decided to pass on that one this time. The reason is that I am a novelist, and the first full-length novel I wrote was based on the ballet Swan Lake, so I have a special attachment to the White Swan and the Black Swan. Also, given the state of my wallet at the time, I could only buy two, so I decided to purchase the White Swan and the Black Swan (by the way, I also love the movie Black Swan).

(By the way, I don't think the first full-length novel I wrote will ever be released due to quality issues at this point, but I liked the ideas and each episode itself, so it would be nice if I could fix it and release it someday...)

As usual, the introduction has become long, but I did my best to do the swatches this time too, so please take a look.

(As an aside, I have three small moles near my wrist on my left arm where I usually do swatches. Last time I avoided the moles, but this time, because I am introducing palettes, it became difficult to apply them while avoiding the moles, so I am using my right arm. In other words, I am using my non-dominant left hand to apply the eyeshadow, so please forgive me if the application is a bit clumsy... I am seriously considering having the moles on my left arm removed just for the sake of swatching.)

Sorry for the long digression.

01 White Swan

Now, let's take another look at the photos of White Swan.

Oh, it's beautiful... It's a very usable palette with a pink-beige base. You might not notice it unless you look closely, but the ballerinas' tutus on the left and right are actually different.

Can you tell? Due to the size of the glitter particles (which I'll mention later), the pattern on the left is inherently harder to see, but the overall silhouettes are also different, which I think is a very fine detail.

Now, for the swatches you've all been waiting for. How does this eyeshadow, which scores full marks for artistry, perform in reality?

Oh, it actually looks quite easy to use... Thank goodness. I applied it according to the palette's layout, and the ballerinas on the left and right are glitter shades, while the four in the center are matte.

From the left: large gold glitter, top center-left is a pinkish ivory (matte), top center-right is a sheer orange-beige (matte), bottom center-left is a neutral brown perfect for defining (matte), bottom center-right is a dusty pink (matte), and on the right is a delicate beige glitter.

The glitter on the left is quite dazzling, and this is what it looks like when you blur the focus.

It's beautiful... Perhaps because it's a large-particle glitter, the engraving doesn't show up as clearly as it does with the finer glitter.

If you only use the center-left shades, you could probably get away with a natural look for a strict workplace or school. In a more relaxed workplace (or school), you could probably use the orange-beige, dusty pink, and the glitters on the left and right. On days when you want to boost your mood, you have no choice but to wear the glitter on the left.

So, I'll wrap up White Swan quickly. You'll understand why soon.

02 Black Swan

Now, here is the Black Swan you've all been waiting for. Let's review what kind of palette it was again...

Isn't it too black? Halloween is already over, so I wonder if I can actually use this eyeshadow.

Pulling myself together, I'll go ahead and photograph the differences in the ballerinas' tutus here as usual.

I feel like the difference in the engravings is easier to see here than with the White Swan. It looks like the left one has a large ribbon in the center, while the right one is decorated with a swirling ribbon.

Wait, does this right side have blue glitter in it? (Blue Glitter Police, Mikoto Mashita)

Everything will be revealed in the swatches—so, here are the swatches for the Black Swan.

Um, well, it really was an incredible color. I'm shaken. I didn't know eyeshadow could be this pigmented. It's a pigment monster. I was caught off guard because the White Swan had some sheer colors. The phrase 'it's sheerer than the packaging, so it was easier to use than I thought' has been sealed away.

As for the composition, just like the White Swan, it has glitter on the left and right, and four matte shades in the center.

The left is a large-particle gray-silver glitter, the top-center-left is white (matte), the top-center-right is charcoal gray (matte), the bottom-center-left is a gray that is as close to black as possible (matte), the bottom-center-right is a dull red with a blackish tint (matte), and the right is a delicate glitter mixed with pink and blue.

Here is a close-up of the glitter on the left side.

I see silver glitter often, but I don't see much gray mixed in, so if you are a glitter collector, please go check out the tester. A surprise awaits you.

And here is a close-up of the glitter on the right side, which I suspected of being my favorite blue glitter.

It's so ephemeral... I guess this is what 'yumekawaii' (dreamy cute) looks like in glitter form. This alone makes the palette worth buying.

Now, about how to use it. Oh, what should I do? I've been trying to apply it to my eyelids hoping to explain how to use it, but every single color is such a pigment monster that I can only laugh. Even the white, which was my only hope, is so pigmented that if you make one wrong move, you'll look like a gal from the old days (said the person who applied it to their tear bags and lived to regret it).

I suppose the optimal solution would be to apply the right-side glitter to the top and bottom to tone down the pigmentation of whatever you apply afterward, then use a fluffy eyeshadow brush (definitely do not use a firm brush; it's a monster) to apply the charcoal gray about 5mm from the lash line, then gently layer the red toward the outer corner of the eye, apply a hint of red to the lower eyelid as well, use a very thin brush to pick up the black and draw a line as an eyeliner, and finish by layering the silver-gray glitter to your liking. (That sentence was so long I'm out of breath.)

Well, you could just admire this without using it, and since every color is unique, if there is even one shade you've been looking for, the chances of finding similar ones in the future are quite low, so I don't think you'll regret getting it. I have absolutely no regrets.

As an aside,

Neither of these two colors has any artificial fragrance; instead, they have the scent of the raw ingredients. I'm mentioning this just in case it bothers anyone.

In closing,

Somehow, I ended up writing 3,000 characters again. Do I love writing cosmetic reviews too much?

I'm even considering removing the moles on my arm for the sake of swatches; is it time for me to seriously try to call myself a professional cosmetic reviewer?

I've already passed the Level 2 Cosmetics Certification, but I haven't taken Level 1 yet, so I'm thinking of starting my studies for that as a first step.

Of course, I will still write novels!!

Everyone, please stay warm. Well then, until next time.

Mikoto Mashita