Addiction Yellow Submarine

It was pretty difficult to single out a favourite item from the magical box of Japanese goodies the beautiful Liz recently helped me get my paws on. But Addiction Eye Lacquer WP in Yellow Submarine (¥2625) might just be it....

(Hey, how often do I let the look do most of the talking?)

Base Mehron Celebre Professional HD Foundation LT-1 [bit too light; will revisit in winter], Burberry Sheer Touch 01 under eyes, Rouge Bunny Rouge Sea Of Tranquility to highlight. Browlash EX Natural Brown pencil in brows.
Cheeks Addiction Amazing powder, taken up temples, subsequently eaten up by camera. *kicks camera*
Lips Guerlain Rouge Automatique Champs Élysées
Eyes Addiction Yellow Submarine, GOSH white kohl, Fasio Ultra Curl Lock Volume mascara


Many Anglophone bloggers have reviewed the Addiction Lacquers by now (links below) so I'll just drivel that they are indeed bombproof and very cool-feeling but they do set extremely fast so it's best to go in with a clear idea of what shape and opacity you want, work one eye at a time, and do not try to layer more lacquer over itself to avoid patchiness or 'bald spots'. If you need precision and neatness, especially a perfectly even application across the entire lid right into the lashline, these probably aren't for you:

See, kinda patchy in close-up, and especially gnarly around my eyelid folds. Not that it's at all visible when my eyes are open -- hoods have their advantages....

The finish of Yellow Submarine (and I believe Aventure) differs from the other seven shades in this range.

Taken from the Addiction site, these aren't bad for official swatches and show the textural difference between Yellow Submarine /Aventure and the other shades

While my other Addiction Eye Lacquer, Swimming Pool, is very similar to the darker/more pigmented sides of the Paul&Joe Eye Gloss Duos  [Addiction and Paule&Joe are both under the Kosé umbrella], Yellow Submarine is more properly, well, a lacquer: an oddly rubberized finish that looks satin-matte in low light and gleams smoothly indoors, it's only in close-up and at certain angles that you can catch the sparse ultra-fine microshimmer (mostly blue and green) scattered throughout.

And while we're on it (disgruntled letter-to-the-editor time), those Paul&Joe 'Glosses' aren't glossy any more than most of these Addiction 'Lacquers' are lacquered; they're both like sparkly gels that, once set, feel like mattes -- if you haven't tried them the closest analogues I know are film-forming lipsticks like the Rouge D'Armani or Lancôme Rouge In Love, or MAC Face&Body foundation. While at certain angles and under certain lighting in studio photography, glitter may translate as 'glossy', in the real world they look like sparkles, dammit, Cullenesque sparkles. And you know what looks like an eye gloss? An actual eye gloss like Rouge Bunny Rouge Angel's Play.

Therefore, while Yellow Submarine is more of a lacquer than its sisters, and has barely any visible shimmer, it still is not a gloss. Okay? Yes, I know I am crazy. Just agree with me about this so I can stop breathing irefully into this paper bag.

Above, Yellow Submarine, blended out, Bottom: RBR Angel's Play

The only shot out of twenty in which any sparkle in YS showed up. Direct sunlight. 

Textural rant out of the way, here's a colour comparison to demonstrate just how well-balanced Yellow Submarine is tonally, and also how obnoxiously bright, especially in the full swatch :D

Suqqu single eyeshadow 12 Usukiiro and Shu Uemura M Yellow 300 [second-gen], are pastel powders, both discontinued.

Sugarpill Buttercupcake is a warmer turmeric.

Catrice John Lemon is closest to the blended swatch of Yellow Submarine, but a little paler and warmer, lacking the unabashedly artificial cool green tinge YS owes to its blue and green microshimmer.

I don't know of any shade close to the opaque swatch of Yellow Submarine, and I've been hunting for years. Thanks again to darling Liz for making my very old makeup dream come true.

For more swatches and reviews:
Aucuparia Brumalis
Beauty of Interest
Makeup and Things
Rouge Deluxe
So Lonely In Gorgeous
and finally Sakura Lovely has swatches of all nine shades together, and a different take on Yellow Submarine (it looks gold on her!)