According to Juliet Capulet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Name and packaging aside, is the Sigma Beauty Cor-de-Rosa Eyeshadow Palette just like any other warm-toned eyeshadow palette? Keep reading for my honest thoughts on this rose-themed eyeshadow palette.

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A Little About the Brand

Dr. Simone Xavier and Rene Xavier Filho, a molecular bacteriologist and civil engineer, respectively, founded Sigma Beauty in 2009. In fact, the brand relies heavily on their founders’ science-driven background.

The capital Greek letter Sigma is a mathematical symbol that means ‘sum’ or ‘the addition of several variables’. With our background in science and engineering, we wanted a name that would summarize the core values of the company we created, the things that set us apart. Quality + Function + Innovation = Sigma Beauty.

Dr. Simone Xavier, Chief Creative Office & Co-Founder of Sigma Beauty

Sigma Beauty creates a range of brushes, cleansers, and makeup. However, the brand is most well-known for their high-quality synthetic brushes. Also, the brand’s brushes are 100% Vegan. Additionally, each brush comes with a free 2-year warranty!Finally, Sigma Beauty is a Brazilian-owned, indie beauty brand.

Sigma Beauty Cor-de-Rosa Eyeshadow Palette Claims

Read what Sigma says about the Cor-de-Rosa Eyeshadow Palette:

Blossom in beauty with this bouquet of warm matte, shimmer and metallic shades. Inspired by our best-selling Aura Powder Blush, Cor-de-Rosa, this palette epitomizes the beauty, love and joy of roses. Cor-de-Rosa, meaning “color of the rose,” features 14 eyeshadows in buildable, blendable formulas and a dual-ended brush for looks that embody classic elegance.

More specifically, this palette contains 9 mattes, 3 shimmers, and two metallics.

Matte	Metallic	Shimmer
Veranda (malted milk)	High Society (vibrant marmalade)	Bell of the Ball (beige)
Damask (soft pomegranate)	Dark Night (wild maroon)	Sunsprite (bright marigold)
Shakespeare (dramatic maroon)	Campfire (warm sandstone)
Bare Root (dark umber)
Medallion (russet brown)
Summer Song (burnt orange)
Cor-de-Rosa (earthy rose)
Apricot (muted honey)
Hybrid (pinky orange)

Packaging & Price

Without a doubt, the Cor-de-Rosa Palette is one of the prettiest palettes I’ve laid my eyes on. This 14-pan palette comes in peachy-coral cardboard packaging. The outer design features an intricate rose detailing on the front.

However, despite being made of cardboard, the palette feels ultra-luxe. In fact, this palette feels more weighted than some of my luxury palettes. Inside the palette, there is a large mirror.

Also, below each shadow is a clear label. Each shade in the palette features the brand name imprinted in the pan. Additionally, the shade Cor-de-Rosa features a stunning rose design imprint.

I typically complain about the double-sided brushes that come inside many prestige eyeshadow palettes. However, given that Sigma makes brushes, I am happy to receive a double ended brush. One end of the brush features the brand’s E38 Diffused Crease Brush, while the other end features the E54 Medium Sweeper.

Finally, the Cor-de-Rosa Palette retails for $49.00. At 16.24 grams, the unit cost is roughly $3.02 per gram. To note, the full-size brushes would cost $33.00 alone. Therefore, at $49.00 buyers are getting a really great deal.

Is Sigma Beauty Cruelty Free & Vegan?

The Cor-de-Rosa Eyeshadow Palette from Sigma is Cruelty-Free, Gluten-Free, and Lactose-Free. Although all Sigma Beauty brushes are Vegan, the Cor-de-Rosa Palette is not Vegan. A number of the shades contain Carmine. The non-Vegan shades within the palette are Veranda, Damask, Shakespeare, Bare Root, Medallion, Summer Song, Cor-de-Rosa, and Hybrid.

With the above said, Sigma aims to slowly transition all of their makeup formulas. The brand aims to be 100% Vegan in the near future. To note, the palette is talc-free.

RELATED: Check out my ultimate roundup of affordable Cruelty-Free brands.

Is Sigma Beauty Clean?

Like many popular makeup and skincare brands, Sigma is placing a greater emphasize on providing consumers with clean beauty products. Similar to Sephora, the brand notes which makeup products they consider “clean” on their website. In fact, the brand even has a “clean” seal. Wen a customer sees the clean seal on the Sigma website, it means that the product is free from:

Sigma’s “Bad” List

Acetone	Synthetic Fragrances or Parfum	Octinoxate	Isopropyl Myristate
Acetonetrile	Talc*	Oxybenzone	Lanolin
Acrylamides	Animal Oils/Musks/Fats	Cadmium	Lead + Lead Acetate
Acrylates	Beeswax*	Carbon Black	Lecithin
Benzoisothiazolinone	Benzene	Carmine*	Mercury + Mercury Compounds (Thimerosal)
Hydroquinone	Benzyl Alcohol	Coal Tar	Methlycellosolve + Methyloxyethanol
Latex	Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA)	Cyclic Silicones	Nanomaterials or Nanoparticles
Methylene chloride, DCM or Dichloromethane	Beeswax*	Ethanolamine (ETA) Compounds	Palmitic Acid
Petrochemicals	Bisphenol (BPA)	Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA)	Panthenol
Resorcinol	Butoxyethanol	Acetaldehyde	Perfluorooctanic Acid (PFOA)
Retinyl Palmitate	Casein	Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate	Phthalates
Retinyl Palmitate	Avobenzone	Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)	Polyethylene
Synthetic Flavors	Benzophenone + derivatives	Glyceryl Stearate	Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) + PEG Compounds
Polypropylene Glycol (PPG)	Formaldehyde formaldehyde donors, or formaldehyde-releasing agents	Phenoxyethanol*	Propylene Glycol + Derivatives*
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)	Methylchloroisothiazolinone or methylisothiazolinone	Quaternium-15, benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride	Squalane
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)*	Parabens	Triclosan (TSC), triclocarban (TCC)	Stearic Acid
Styrenes	Bromostyrene	Sodium styrene/divinylbenzene copolymer*	Styrene Oxide
Suflates + Sulfate-Based Detergents	DEA-styrene/acrylates/divinylbenzene copolymer*	Styrene	Ammonium Laureth Sulfate
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate	Selenium Sulfide	Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)	Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
Toluene

I am not 100% sold on the core beliefs of some clean beauty advocates. However, I appreciate that Sigma takes the time to explain what ingredients they ban. Additionally, they provide a note briefly explaining the way the ingredients are used in cosmetics. Then, they clarify WHY the brand bans them. Nevertheless, I disagree with many of Sigma’s reasons for banning certain ingredients.

My Issues with Sigma’s “Banned” Ingredients

In many cases, the Sigma bans certain ingredients due to potential environmental concerns, non-Vegan sources, or potential irritation concerns. With that being said, there are many safe ingredients that Sigma “bans.”

Also, they ban a lot skincare ingredients. As a makeup brand, they are unlikely to use these in their makeup or brushes. For example, ingredients like BHAs, Panthenol, and Squalane are typically used in skincare.

Lazy Reasoning

First, it is bizarre to see so many ingredients “banned” because they may not be Vegan. To be clear, I am not against moving towards Vegan formulas. However, I am against banning ingredients that CAN be sourced from plants.

With that said, there are Vegan sources for quite a few of the banned ingredients on Sigma’s list. Therefore, to include these otherwise “safe” ingredients in this roundup feels lazy, irresponsible and misleading.

For example, Panthenol is a widely-known skin-soothing ingredient. In fact, Panthenol is wonderful for sensitive or eczema-prone skin. Sigma claims that this ingredient may not be Vegan. However, Panthenol can be sourced from plants. Read my review of IOPE’s Derma-Gentle Cica Cream for an example of a plant-based product with panthenol. Similarly, brands such as Biossance safely source plant-based Squalane.

With the above said, if I didn’t already know that I enjoy Sigma’s brushes and formulas, this list of ”banned” ingredients would likely turn me off.

Demonizing Safe Ingredients

I enjoy many clean makeup and clean skincare brands. However, I do not enjoy them simply because they label themselves “clean.” Many of these brands create effective products and promote sustainability or conscious consumerism missions.

Nevertheless, I am weary of the demonization of otherwise cosmetically safe ingredients. Moreover, nearly all ingredients have the potential to cause irritation or an allergic reaction. The dosage that is taken or applied often influences its potential as an irritant.

Ingredient Analysis

Normally, I share the top-10 ingredients in the products I review. However, eyeshadow formulas vary from shade to shade. First, I share 5 of the most common ingredients used in the matte shadows. Next, I share the 5 most common ingredients in the shimmer/metallic shadows.

Matte Shadows

Ingredient	Makeup Benefits
Mica	Mica is a naturally occurring mineral dust used in makeup for its shimmery effect. However, there are ethical concerns regarding Mica mining.
Nylon-12	A powder substance used to enhance texture. Also, provides mattifying properties when used in high amounts.
Magnesium Stearate	When used in eyeshadow, this ingredient helps to mica in formulas to better adhere to each other.
Silica	May act as a thickening or absorption agent. Also, may be used to help pigment distribute more evenly.
Dimethicone	A silicone-based ingredient that is used to give products a smooth, silky feel.

Metallic & Shimmer Shadows

Ingredient	Makeup Benefits
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite	An ingredient that acts as a bulking agent in cosmetic formulas.
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2	An alternative to lanolin used as a skin conditioner or emollient.
Caprlyl Methicone	An easy to spread silicone fluid that provides a smooth, silky feeling to products.
Mica	See above chart
Dimethicone	See above chart

Product Swatches

As always, swatches are not a perfect indicator of quality. However, swatches provide clues about a product’s color payoff and ability to blend. The below swatches were done using my fingers on a bare arm. No primer.

It is ironic that the shade High Society‘s description is ‘vibrant marmalade.’ More specifically, it is shocking how lackluster this looked. In fact, this shade formed hardpan within two applications. As a result, High Society felt difficult to apply and the color payoff looked non-existent. Despite my easy method for removing hardpan, I still needed to take a spatula to scrape the shadow.

Aside from High Society, no other shades in the palette felt difficult to swatch. Overall, the beige shimmer, Belle of the Ball, looked the most breathtaking. Contrary to the bland description, this shade produced a wet-like shimmer. Moreover, the blue-green reflects in the shimmer particles truly dazzle.

Overall, the mattes in the palette felt soft and creamy. However, the shade Cor-de-Rosa swatched the best. Also, color-wise, this shade is my favorite matte. See the below chart for all of the shade descriptions.

Application & Wear-Time

Overall, the performance of the Cor-de-Rosa Palette impressed me. The matte shadows felt quite creamy and pigmented. Although they produced kickback in the pan, I didn’t notice a ton of fallout on my face. Moreover, the mattes blended in the crease with ease. Also, the mattes felt easy to sweep on the lids or pack onto the outer corder of the eyelids.

However, the shimmer and metallic formula varied. Again, the shade Belle of the Ball impressed. The wet-looking sheen mesmerized. In contrast, High Society looked as dull as humanly possible.

As a whole, the metallic and shimmer shades applied best with a finger. Nevertheless, brush application still works. When applied with a brush, the shimmers looked almost satin.

Additionally, I noticed that Dark Night emphasized some texture on my eyelids when looking up close in a mirror. However, the texture looked normal from afar. Therefore, individuals with textured or crepe-like eyelids may want to take note.

Finally, the wear-time of the Cor-de-Rosa felt standard. When worn over an eyeshadow primer, these shadows lasted 10-12 hours on my eyelids. I experienced no noticeable signs of fading, creasing, or smudging.

Cor de Rosa Demo Look

In the above look, I created a soft, smokey halo eye using the terra-cotta and golden tones in the palette. And I won’t lie – I thought about touching up my skin texture a little bit and removing the ”friend” right above my lip. But, honestly, skin texture is a thing. Let’s try to normalize seeing ‘real’ texture.

Where is the Sigma Beauty Cor-de-Rosa Palette sold?

Buyers can purchase the Cor-de-Rosa Palette on the Sigma Beauty website.

Final Thoughts on the Sigma Beauty Cor-de-Rosa Palette

Overall, I am obsessed with the Sigma Beauty Cor-de-Rosa Palette. Is this the most unique eyeshadow palette? No. It is a classic, warm-toned neutral palette. However, I love the beautiful, warm coral and red color story.

Also, aside from the shade High Society, these shadows are easy to apply. It is perfect for creating simple “everyday” looks or dramatic glam. As a whole, many beauty lovers sleep on Sigma’s makeup products when they deserve way more hype.

Given how frequently Sigma holds 30-40% Off sales, I feel confident recommending this palette to anyone who loves the color story and wants to try the brand. P.S. the normal brush prices, alone, make this palette a major steal.

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What do you think about the Sigma Beauty Cor-de-Rosa Palette? Have you tried any Sigma makeup or brushes? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.