RÓEN Beauty has caught my eye since its launch in 2019, primarily due to the unique textures of their eye color products. I hesitated on biting the bullet since these are definitely listed at a luxury price point but was ultimately convinced to take the plunge for the products I’d been lusting after most upon the release of their most recent Mood 4 Ever palette.
The 4-pan eyeshadow palettes retail for $46, while the singles retail for $29. When I purchase a luxurious product, I expect a luxurious experience, so I’m gonna give you all the details below.
PACKAGING
The products I purchased came packaged in a mailer containing this burlap material drawstring bag. While not overly large, I appreciate that this is what was keeping the products fairly secure in the mailer since it can be easily reused.
Within the bag, each product was then packaged in glossy paperboard, one of which (Mood 4 Ever) appeared to be coordinated with its respective color story. The boxes state the product name, instructions, ingredients, and expiration date (instead of just the expiry time once opened), which is a nice touch. Additionally, the eyeshadow palettes were contained in a velveteen sleeve within the box. Needless to say, everything was well-protected during transit.
The components themselves are a reflective graphite, and while they appear to be metal in photos, are actually plastic. They have a more gentle but still secure magnetic closure, so while the brand claims that the outer packaging is recyclable, I’m not sure how this would practically work since magnets can pose an issue there. This results in them being unexpectedly lightweight, which could be a pro or con depending on your preference. It is the kind of packaging that picks up fingerprints extremely easily – another factor that some people will care about while others won’t.
FORMULA
If you’re unfamiliar, RÓEN touts their Lid Illumes to be a unique formula, being right in the middle of the the spectrum between cream and powder. Personally, I would just call them creams – and very emollient ones at that, some of which actually feel a bit wet to the touch. In fact, the most emollient ones are such that when you pick up the product with a finger, you can see some of the lines from your fingerprint. The exception to this is the Disco single eyeshadow, which I’ll get into more below. The difference with these palettes is that they are produced with a kind of “seal” that you have to break prior to unleashing the product’s beauty. When you first touch the product, it will feel quite dry with nothing next to nothing picking up on your finger. You’ll need to press into the pans more firmly than you might expect, but once done, the product is quite malleable and picks up easily.
Because these shadows are quite emollient – the most emollient “cream” formula I’ve used without encroaching upon mousse territory – they will crease. Make no mistake about it. They stay creamy upon the eyelids without ever setting down, making them quite prone to not just creasing, but also migration and fading. They almost give the effect of wearing your eyeshadow all day long with no primer and subsequently working out or getting caught in extreme humidity/rainstorms, but in the most beautifully, editorially messy way. If you’re not into that, you will not be into these.
I find that the formula can be a bit variable, even among shades in the same palette, but not in a bad way – just something to be aware of. Each shadow contains what the brand refers to as pearl and reflex (as opposed to glitter) in order to achieve the high-shine finish. The reflex provide a larger surface area for reflection but are not all the same size, resulting in a really interesting light play. Due to the different particle sizes and base pigment opacities, you will have to manipulate the product a bit to get the most even application, but that’s very easy to do with your finger (which is the application method I find works best). It also contributes to the “undone” look.
PRODUCTS
75° Warm Eyeshadow Palette
I believe this product was part of the brand’s first launch and is the warm-toned sister to the 52° Cool Eyeshadow Palette. I chose this one because while I am a cool-toned eyeshadow lover, I thought the tones in this one would really complement my eye color beautifully, and I was not disappointed. The color selection in this palette contains a pure yellow gold (Obviously), warm taupe (Nikki Dust), bronzey dark brown (Facetime), and burnt orange with ever so slight pink tones (J’adore).
“Obviously” has a more sheer base with bright yellow gold reflex. “Nikki Dust” and “Facetime” are the epitome of the brand’s boasted formula, containing a good amount of base pigment and packed with reflex in order to give gorgeous coverage and shine. “J’adore” is the slightly more muted one out of this bunch, containing gold shimmer and no reflex. At first glance, “Nikki Dust” and “Facetime” appear to be too similar to have necessitated both within the same compact, especially since you only get four shades. However, as a big appreciator of color nuance, there is certainly enough difference in tone for me to be happy to have both. The warm taupe is exactly that, while the bronzey shade can almost have an antiqued look to it in certain lights.
Mood 4 Ever Eyeshadow Palette
This is the brand’s most recent release and has a more romantic vibe to it than previous launches. It’s also the first eyeshadow palette they’ve released without Nikki DeRoest leading the creative vision. The color selection in this palette contains an ivory with slight pink pearl (Crema), peachy-pink with warm peach reflect (Elated), icy taupe with pink and blue shimmer (Toasty), and a warm orangey-maroon base with pink reflect (Impressions).
“Crema” had a very different formula than what I was expected after playing with the 75° eyeshadow palette. It didn’t have much of a seal to break, if any, and was much thinner and silky feeling. “Elated”, “Toasty”, & “Impressions” all had the very creamy RÓEN formula seen in other palettes.
Disco Eyeshadow Single
As alluded to above, the Disco eyeshadow single has a different formula compared to the eyeshadow palettes. There was still a seal to break, but the formula is much more dry and flaky, not containing the same emollient consistency and having less substance. The product almost loosens up in “sheets” that can be broken apart with pressure. I find that the best way to use this shadow is by really working it into your finger (I did this on the back of my hand) and then applying it to the eye on top of a glitter glue, as this reduces the fallout during application.
It’s a beautiful light champagne shade with no detectable base color, making it very versatile.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I would say that these formulas are geared towards a consumer who appreciates a more editorial, slightly-messy-leaning-grungy look. They truly lend themselves to a special effect on the eyes. Additionally, the shades tend to be quite complex for these shadows, yielding a different look from pan to eye, and even more different looks on the eyes depending on lighting conditions. That being said, they’re also geared towards a consumer who doesn’t need the inside of their compacts to look neat and orderly. The emollient and sometimes flaky formula, coupled with the small pans, do not really allow for a clean appearance (as witnessed via the photos above where the seal had just been broken).
The brand was founded by makeup artist Nikki DeRoest, who somewhat recently stepped away from being involved. I’m really curious to see where the brand heads without her influence – time will tell if they’ll stick with these formulas or if noticeable changes will be made.
Have you tried – or been enticed by – RÓEN Beauty? Do any of their other products catch your eye? I would love to hear your thoughts!