Full disclosure: I bought this palette expecting to be completely underwhelmed. I wanted it for the colours – all the warm reds and browns that I can’t seem to get enough of right now – but had this sneaky suspicion it wasn’t really going to wow me like every single Instagram/YouTube guru insisted it would. There was just SO much hype surrounding this palette that I figured it couldn’t possibly live up to it all.
But now here I am, with my foot in my mouth. Because this palette is awesome. Actually, correction – the SHADOWS are awesome. The palette itself is utter garbage. Mine arrived dented on the outside, was assembled crookedly on the inside, and was overall so cheap looking that had I not bought it myself from Sephora I’d have worried it was a $2 China copy.
You can actually see it in this photo if look at the mirror panel.
Once you get over the packaging quality however, colours are as beautiful in real life as they are in photos, the pigmentation is wonderful and the shadows are soft to the point where blending is just effortless. One thing to note is that the shadows are SO blendable that they almost limit you to hazy, blown-out looks. Which is fine, and definitely what most people want when they’re working with tricky colours like orange or red…but it’s something to be aware of if you like shadows that give you intense, concentrated depth since these will definitely blend out before they build.
As you can see, it’s a very complete palette for warm eye looks, though the top row of colours is somewhat cooler overall than the bottom. I like that it has multiple options for highlight and transition shades in addition to the darker lid colours. The one colour I feel it lacks is a true, rich gold like Urban Decay’s Baked.
Though I bought this palette primarily for its gorgeous red and pink shades, it gets bonus points for easily producing a beautiful brown smokey eye. I love palettes or quads that I can do a quick, bold, neutral eye look with and this really checks that box over and over.
You’ll be seeing more of it for sure, or at least as much as I can work into this Advent Christmas Challenge that I’m currently trying to do! This FOTD doubles as my first entry, since I paired it with a tube of MAC Angel lipstick my mother gave to me a few years ago. It’s one of those goes-with-everything nude shades that I really need to remind myself to wear more.
Face: Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation in Y225, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX03, Koh Gen Do Loose Powder // Cheeks: BECCA Blush in Wild Honey, Anastasia Beverly Hills Gleam Palette – Starburst // Eyes: Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette, Make Up For Ever Excessive Lash Mascara // Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz // Lips: MAC Angel
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