I’ve been a Juvia’s Place customer for three years now, but it wasn’t until 2019-2020 that I actually started using what I purchased. Most of my experience with the brand is through their eyeshadow palettes. The quality is great but the color stories always threw me for a loop. I never knew how to pair colors together in a way that I felt was cohesive and made sense. Depotting the shadows helped because it was easier to have access to other complementary shades. Now, I’m actually getting use out of them!
Lip Products
I’ve heard amazing things about Juvia’s lipsticks and lip liners that were released this year. I’m not very adventurous when it comes to lip products, so I had no intention of possessing any, but due to an error on Ulta’s part, I wound up with a mini Lip Duo.
Wahala Mini Lip Duo
A strange but unimportant thing I noticed is that the lip gloss in the set came with a plastic shrink band but the liquid lipstick did not. I don’t know if it’s just mine that was like that or if all of them are supposed to be that way.
Shakara is a gorgeous color, but right on the cusp of being too pale for my preference. Using a lip liner is enough to make Shakara wearable for me, but my favorite combination is pairing it with a lipliner and gloss. Petty Betty isn’t the kind of pink I normally gravitate towards, but it pairs well with Shakara and is still nice on its own.
Juvia’s Place Eyeshadows
I used to have the Saharan palette, but I gave it to my sister. I even gave my unused/unswatched Tribe palette to her because I was uninspired by the color story after seeing it in person. It wasn’t until I watched LonDen Makeup Artistry’s video that I suddenly felt the urge to give it a chance and repurchased it. I’m so glad I did!
The only eyeshadow palette I haven’t depotted yet is The Chocolates, but I intend to soon.
Juvia’s Place currently has 11 mini six pan palettes. Other than the Mariposa collab, the minis don’t have shade names. Whenever I’m referencing them, I refer to them from left to right by row. I’m missing shade number 6 from the Violets palette. It broke when I was depotting it and I wasn’t interested in that color enough to try and salvage it.
The shade names in green are from the Tribe palette, which has been discontinued. Blue is for the Magic palette, Purple for Masquerade, and lilac purple for the Violets.
What I like most about Juvia’s Place eyeshadows is the level of pigmentation. I never have to worry about shades not showing up on me. They also last a long time without fading. The mattes and shimmers are equally easy to work with. There are frequent 30-40% off sales on their website, and even periodically at Ulta, so you can always snag their products at a discount. So far, Wahala and Wahala 2 are the exceptions to the discounts. They’re already a great price. The only reason I haven’t purchased them is, once again, due to the color stories. Another deterrent is that Juvia’s Place has been putting a lot of pressed glitters in their palettes this year, which I try to avoid.
Blushes
When I said Vivid Azalea from Wayne Goss was the most pigmented blush I’ve ever come across, I completely forgot about my Juvia’s Place Blush palettes. When I saw these in person, I realized right away that they were not going to work for me. Both palettes have the most unique blush shades I’ve seen, which is a great thing in terms of bringing something different to the makeup world. However, this does make them less wearable to the average consumer, as only a few of these will look natural and on someone and not everyone is into wearing avant-garde blush looks for the remaining shades that are too bright, light, dark, or too different of a tone to give a natural flush.
The Saharan Blush Palette Volume 1
When I realized these blushes were a bit too out there for me, I utilized the palette by scraping some of the powder out and combining them with other brands’ blushes to create custom blush shades for myself. I intended to get more use out of these by using them as eyeshadows and depotting them into my magnetic palette with Juvia’s Place shadows, but I typically break every pressed matte shade from Juvia. That’s the only reason I haven’t done so already. I can always press them back, but I’ve contemplated whether it’s worth the hassle.
Abywas clearly far too dark for me, so the best use I’ve found for that shade was as a contouring-blush. I used a fluffy blending eyeshadow brush to slowly and lightly build the color into the hollows of my cheeks.
Neo is the most “natural” shade for me in this palette, though I’ve struggled to use a light enough hand to apply that shade in a way that I would feel comfortable wearing it. In the second photo above, I applied with a light hand but it was still incredibly pigmented. In the third photo, I used a Makeup Eraser cloth to remove some of the color in order to tone it down a bit.
Lila and Zara look very similar in the pan, but Lila has much smaller shimmer particles, so it looks less glowy and a little more subtle.
Zane was the most difficult to apply to the cheek without looking patchy. I kept over applying in the process of trying to get it to look smooth.
Toby was the easiest to apply evenly. However, I’m not a fan of this color blush on me.
The Saharan Blush Palette Volume 2
I bought the Saharan 1 on August 2019, and even though those shades were not what I expected, I still bought the Saharan 2 in December 2019 because I was hopeful that this palette would suit me better. In some ways it does, because I prefer a blush that’s too light over a blush that’s too dark on me. However, these are cooler-toned blushes. Warmer tones look better on me. There’s also the issue of Yara being invisible on my skin.
Tau is the most natural-looking blush of the bunch on me. I tried to apply a subtle amount like I did with all the other blushes, but I could have built up this shade more heavily. It’s very unique for orange, as orange is typically warm, but this one is muted as though it has a cool pinkish undertone to it.
I was happiest with the way Bee and Sola looked on me, as I prefer to wear standard blush colors on my cheeks. I expect a shade like Bee to be too light for me, but because it is so pigmented, it definitely shows on my skin tone and without a grey cast! Unlike Zara and Lila from the previous palette, which I would never use as blush or blush toppers (just highlighter), Sola works as a highlighter, blush, and blush topper. The only potential issue is that it takes some blending when using Sola as a blush because the shimmer doesn’t spread evenly. It’s as if the shimmer is still moveable on the skin but the base pigment stays in place.
I’ve used these blushes as eyeshadows. The mattes are heavily pigmented for blushes, but they need a little building up on the eyes for full pigmentation. This does make for easy blending though. The shimmers in this formula are a slightly thinner version of the regular eyeshadow shimmer formula. They don’t require glitter glue or wetting them, but those methods can be used to intensify them. In the eye looks below, I only used MAC Paint Pot.
Juvia’s Place consistently has great quality products at affordable prices. I do recommend giving them a try!
The Space Age line of highlighters from Kaleidos is known for having non-traditional shifty duo-chromatic shades like blue, bright red, green, etc. They even recently released a multichrome highlighter. As much fun as it would be to have colors like that in my collection, I’m not bold enough to rock shades like those regularly enough to get my money’s worth out of them. Instead, I chose to buy the two most traditional types of highlight colors: Solar Sailor, “a sleek and radiant satin gold,” and Ray Rider, “a velvety champagne sheen with a trace of peach.” Ray Rider was repromoted/reformulated during the launch of the Make Your Escape Collection. Although I don’t have the original shade to compare, according to Angelica Nyqvist, the new one is slightly lighter and smoother with a more translucent base. This change happened in June. As of November 2020, Ray Rider’s packaging was updated. However, it is not listed on the website as being a different from the original, unlike the shade Mars Melter which was reformulated with new packaging and is being sold as “Mars Melter” and “Mars Melter Original.”
The swatches are on bare skin. In the Solar Sailor photo I applied it under the brow arch and on the center of the lid. In both photos I have the highlighters on the cheekbones applied on top of a mixture of Love and Joy blushes from Rare Beauty.
These highlighters look glittery, which I usually despise, but because they blend a bit into the skin, they become a little more wearable. I used the tiniest amount of highlighter in these pictures, so a regular application would look much more intense! Ray Rider’s particles are a bit smaller, which I like more, but I prefer the actual shade of Solar Sailor on me. Because they are right on that line of glitter level that I like, I doubt I will wear them regularly, but they won’t be completely neglected in my collection.
The Futurism Eyeshadow Palettes
Futurism I: Sci-Fi Green
This was my first Kaleidos palette, but I purchased it from a third-party. I know I’m fortunate to have such low shipping fees as a US consumer, but having to pay for shipping still bugs me. I only wanted to try one palette to see if the eyeshadow formula was worth the hype and didn’t want to spend $8 in shipping to find out. The other three palettes, however, were purchased directly from Kaleidos.
Swatches over a light layer of MAC Paint Pot.
I do think these palettes are worth the hype. That black shade is incredibly rich and dark. Sometimes yellow shadows don’t stay true to color on my eyes, but I don’t have that issue with Radioactive. The shimmers have a wonderful slip to them and the mattes are pigmented and blendable. My only complaint is that although you can see the shade differences in the swatch, my forearm is lighter than my eyelids. On my dark lids, the two matte greens look almost the same. Glamora appears more yellow than green on my eyes, which makes it harder to distinguish from Nuclear.
Futurism II: Cyber Bronze
Swatches over a light layer of MAC Paint Pot.
I’d have to double-check my single shadows collection, but I do believe plasma is the best silver eyeshadow I own (though I don’t have that many silvers in my collection). It is shockingly brilliant and intense without even being applied wet or on glitter glue. Droid is my favorite shade out of all the palettes to use from the brow to the crease. Y2K and Carbon look a bit more subtle on my eyes because they’re closer to my natural crease and lid shades. I can still see them in person, but they aren’t as distinct on my camera. Quantum is an uncommon shade among my collection and I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it. Infared looks intense in swatches but for some reason, that shade of red doesn’t have the same vibrancy on my eyes. If you like shades like Infared, I highly recommend Salvatore, Blazed, or Homicide from Devinah Cosmetics. In my opinion, theirs are the best.
Futurism III: Astro-Pink
Swatches over a light layer of MAC Paint Pot.
This is my favorite of the four palettes I purchased! That blue-to-purple duochrome shade, Neptune, is gorgeous! The fuchsia shade, Nebula, isn’t a unique color but it is so incredibly smooth, pigmented, and easy to blend. It’s possibly the best-formulated version of that shade I have. Lightyear is just as brilliant as plasma, but with a light pinkish purple tone to it. It just looks silver on my eyes though. Cosmos is one of those sequin shades that usually drive me nuts (matte with a dash of glitter…just pick one shadow type!) but the glitter is so sparce that it’s mostly matte and I can use it as though it’s a plain matte, which is why I like it. And that shade is so pigmented and buttery smooth that I can easily use it as a powder liner. I’m not as impressed with Stardust and Lunar, purely because they don’t show up enough on my eyes, but they do give a rose-toned tinge under the brow and crease that pleases me to see in person, even if I know no one else will notice.
One interesting thing I noticed with the shimmers is that Nyx Glitter Primer, my tried and true product to enhance the impact of shadows on my eyes, doesn’t make much of a difference in terms of bringing out the pigments and sparkle. I still use it on the duochrome shades, but on the regular shimmers, in order to intensify the look, I dampen the brush with some MAC Fix+ spray. And even after that, I pack more shadow on top with my finger.
Futurism VI: Lunar Lavender
Swatches over a light layer of MAC Paint Pot.
I don’t enjoy being critical. I love gushing about good makeup, but I have to talk about issues that arise while using them. This palette gave me flashbacks to the Nomad Cosmetics Harajuku Tokyo palette that was a nightmare to use.
The top photo shows the patchy issues with MAC Paint Pot when trying to blend. The bottom two photos show how they look better on top of the Nars eye primer but despite that one being a wetter base, it still didn’t stick properly to the eyes and were blending away.
Unlike that formula, which worked better with a wet white base, I find these mattes work better on a dry white base. Because these shadows have more pigment than the Nomad Tokyo mattes, they are still usable and visible on the lids. This formula isn’t as bad as that one, but I don’t have the patience to try and make them work with continued use in the future. Even the two duochromes, though they work the same as the other Kaleidos duochromes, reminded me of the Nomad duochromes in terms of how they feel to the touch. But there’s no comparison in terms of performance and overall look. Kaleidos still wins on that front.
My improved eye looks using this palette when combined with a little of the Anastasia Beverly Hills eye primer.
Here are additional eye looks using shades from any of the 4 palettes.
Futurism V and VI are part of the new Fresh Fantasy collection, so I don’t know if there has been a tweak in the formula. As beautiful as the duochromes are, I cannot recommend anyone spend $24 to get just those two shades. $6-$8 CAD duochromes from Clionadh Cosmetics are still more intense, sparkly, and shifty than these.
I have since decided to depot these and put them all together (excluding the Lunar Lavender mattes) in one large custom magnetic palette. I know I wouldn’t get as much use out of them if I kept them all in their separate smaller palettes.
For anyone interested in ordering from Kaleidos, I recommend checking out the bundle section on their website. That’s how I was able to get any three palettes I wanted (excluding the limited edition Futurism IV) for $59 instead of $72. There is free shipping at $70, so I only needed to add one more item to my cart. There are also affiliate codes that can be found from different YouTubers, but the codes don’t work on the bundle.
Also, you can expect a long wait once your order is placed. I completed my order on September 9th and it arrived October 13th. 24 of those days were in transit as it was shipped directly from their factory/manufacturer in China. It roughly took a week to travel from Shanghai to LA, a week to clear customs, and another week from Compton to my address.
I believe I covered everything. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. Thank you for reading!
I already posted about the Fenty Sun Stalk’r Bronzer here and the Cream Blushes here, but these are additional photos of those products. Mocha Mami is in the first picture alone and in the second photo is a lightly applied mixture of Strawberry Drip and Rose Latte along with Mocha Mami. I’m a fan of all three products.
Today, I will be focusing on the other Fenty Products in my collection!
Fenty Glow – (shimmering rose nude) I have this shade in the full size. During the initial launch, the gloss bombs were, and I believe still are, very hyped up. Fenty Glow is specifically marketed as a universally flattering shade. I do love the way it looks on me! The gloss bombs are thick without being goopy. It’s the kind of formula that clings to the lips and will last longer than thinner gloss formulas. If your hair gets in your face, it will stick to the gloss, but when I open and close my mouth, I don’t get that sensation of my lips getting stuck the way some sticky glosses can. The sparkles in this are nice and fine. All three of my gloss bombs have a sweet fruity scent.
Cheeky – (shimmering bright red-orange) I have this in the mini size from the mini gloss bomb set that was released for Holiday 2019. I wanted Cheeky and Hot Chocolit the most, so I gifted the other three shades. Cheeky is available in the full size exclusively on the Fenty website.
Hot Chocolit – (shimmering rich brown) I expected to love this shade the most, but it’s my least favorite of the three. I tend to only wear it on top of another lip product that is too light of a shade in order to deepen it up. Hot Chocolit has bright red glitter, which is pretty in the tube, but I don’t like it on my lips. Also, the glitter particles in Cheeky and Hot Chocolit are larger and more noticeable on the lips, which is not my preference.
I wish there was a bit more color pigment to Cheeky and Hot Chocolit. I was tempted to get this year’s mini set, but because the shade differences are so subtle on my lips, I don’t think it’s worth getting more when the current ones I have will suffice. Tower 28 glosses have now reached the hype of the gloss bombs, so I’m more likely to try those in the future than get the new gloss bomb mini set. The gloss bombs are still my favorite glosses in my collection and my overall favorite Fenty Beauty product.
Griselda – (bold burgundy) I have this Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick in a trial size. It had the Fenty logo on the bullet, but I cut off part of it to be used in some DIY lip projects of mine. It’s such a beautiful color, and although mine is getting old and the consistency isn’t quite the same, I remember enjoying how smooth it was and thinking that if I wore lipsticks more often, this is one of the shades I would get for some gorgeous vampy looks. I tend to prefer this kind of purple with a red tone over more blue toned purple shades.
Match Stix Matte Contour and Shimmer Skinsticks
Espresso – (contour for medium deep skin tones, cool undertone) This was my favorite contour product in 2019. It’s creamy and blends out nicely. Even though it’s described as cool, it pulls a little warm on my nose which is why I only used this for contouring other areas of my face.
Caviar – (contour for deep skin tones, cool undertone) this is one of the two deeper shades that were introduced to the line in 2020. I bought this because I wanted something cooler-toned, but I underestimated how rich of a color it is. Contour products are ideally only a few shades darker, so this one is too intense on my complexion. It’s not that I can’t wear it at all, but it takes a lot of extra time to sheer and blend it out so it won’t look too harsh on me.
In the photo on the left, I’m wearing Espresso. I’m wearing Caviar in the middle picture and in the last one I have the two shades blended together. I still like this product, but love the Uoma Beauty Double Take Sculpt + Strobe Duo Stick even more. #3 Bronze Venus is a better shade match for me and the formula is creamier, which makes it easier to blend. Bronze Venus is neutral-warm for a contour but it’s deep enough to still have a chiseling effect, even without having enough grey to create an actual shadow effect.
With the contour sticks, I typically draw a line and blend it out with a dense synthetic brush or the mini Tati Blendiful. Occasionally, I blend with a damp sponge, which leads to gorgeous results but I’ve never gotten into the habit of using a sponge consistently.
Blonde – (glimmering gold) I’ve only used this twice and never in public. I like some strong yellow-based highlighters, like Becca’s Champagne Gold, but this one I feel stands out in an unflattering way on my skin tone. It also has very noticeable glitter up close.
Rum – (gilded bronze) This is my favorite of the three because it blends in well with my skin tone and is a traditional highlighter shade. Because it matches so well, the glitter is less noticeable. It just has the appearance of a shimmery sheen. Unlike the contour sticks, I prefer to apply the shimmer sticks to my face by rubbing some of the product onto my fingers and dabbing it onto my skin. I think it looks more seamless when I use a sponge, but I dab the product onto my cheeks first with my finger, just to place it, and then blend with the sponge. When I rubbed the sticks directly onto the sponge and then blended it onto my face, I felt that I ended up with a thicker area of highlighter than I normally would have. I was also unsuccessful in being able to completely remove the stain from Chili Mango off my sponge.
Chili Mango – (sun-kissed orange sheen) I bought this during my search for the best traditional orange shade of blush. I don’t really like how it looks as a blush on me (more sheen than base color), but I do like it as a highlighter.
I have to admit that although these are three very distinct shades, the differences aren’t as pronounced on the cheeks. I always knew this was the case logically, but as I’ve taken a closer look at all the highlighters in my collection (especially Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors which I have plans to blog about in December), it has finally begun to sink in that most highlighters will look the same. Variety is extremely limited in terms of color and being able to identify what brand or shade a highlighter is by the way it looks on the face.
Killawatt Freestyle Highlighters
Trophy Wife – (3D hyper-metallic gold) Sometimes I want things because they are pretty, even though I know full well the product isn’t something I would actually like to use. This highlighter is the perfect example of that because it is the epitome of glittery. It’s an intensely more sparkly version of the Blonde Match Stix.
I wouldn’t wear this as a highlighter, but it makes for a beautiful eyeshadow.
I wear it dry over Nyx Glitter primer and the glitter remains textured but highly reflective. If I use a damp brush, Trophy Wife turns a lighter and brighter yellow but smooths out and looks more metallic. I wore it dry on one eye and wet on the other, and was surprised to discover the difference was immediately recognizable in a video chat. It looked like I used two different yellow eyeshadows. Even my boyfriend (who I was in the chat with) noticed!
Mimosa Sunrise (metallic tangerine) / Sangria Sunset (metallic magenta) – This is from the Foil version of the Killawatt Freestyle Highlighters. It’s not glittery the way Trophy Wife is; it has more of a satin texture. I bought this for the orange shade when I was looking for that perfect orange blush.
I think they’re pretty, but I don’t like them on my cheeks. They’re too dark for highlighters but I can use them as eyeshadows and they are stunning together! They’re actually not the most opaque. They give a wash of color but I can see my skin underneath unless I build up a few layers. To use them as eyeshadow, I recommend dampening the brush. Since this is specifically in the Foil line, the name suggests that using the wet brush to foil it is expected of the product.
Snap Shadows Mix & Match Eyeshadow Palettes
6 Smoky – I love the concept of these palettes with their convenient packaging, but the eyeshadows are lacking for me. The pigmentation level is okay, but the tones are so soft and subdued, which is just not my preference. The difference between Tan Lines and Chestnutz is so minimal on the eye that I don’t recommend bothering to use both at the same time. Also, despite these having warm sounding names, those two shades are way cooler toned grey instead of brown. Patti Cakez was less purple than I wanted and had more of a brown maroon tone. The mattes overall are okay and blend fine, but if I use glitter glue to get the shimmer shades to show up a little better on the lid or try to foil it, it changes the ability for That Deep to build on top of the shadows. To avoid this, I apply That Deep first but if I accidentally cover too much with the lid shade, it’s very difficult to build That Deep back up. The other mattes have the same issue, but since I only use them in the crease, I’m less likely to get my lid shade on them. Second Date is the only shadow that exceeded my expectations. It’s like a sequin shade done right. It feels dry like a matte but there’s so much glitter in it that it looks like an actual shimmer shade on the lid without any sparse areas. The downside to this shadow, at least for some people, is that it’s made with the plastic-type of glitter (Polyethylene terephthalate) and not synthetic fluorphlogopite or other plastic alternative glitters.
Swatches were applied over Nyx Glitter Primer.
8 Pastel Frost – In bare skin swatches, the shimmers are lackluster, and using MAC Paint Pot does nothing to improve the way they look. I used glitter primer to get them to show their maximum potential in these swatches.
Swatches were applied over Nyx Glitter Primer.
Using the two blues next to each other looks like the same shade, except that Durty Denim is more reflective/sparkly. I have some eyeshadow looks coming up which demonstrates this issue. Lei’d Up and Mula-La also look too similar on the eyes, as well as Ice Cream Kisses and Lady Pimp. If these colors weren’t so soft, perhaps this wouldn’t be as much of a problem. Another thing that bothers me about the shimmers is that although I enjoy eyeshadows with dimethicone or other silicone derived ingredients which give it some slip, since I have to use glitter glue, the two products combined actually become too slippery. If I manipulate the shadow too much, it moves and I end up having to apply layer upon layer of eyeshadow to make it opaque. I even tried this over the Anastasia Beverly Hills primer, which typically works very well to make pastel shades show up better. This works with a very thin layer and just patting it on instead of blending (plus you have to apply it wet). However, I learned that applying too much ABH primer just makes these Fenty shadows turn even lighter and harder to see.
Being softer colors isn’t inherently bad, but it drives me nuts that unlike other brands of eyeshadows, trying to intensify them via glitter primer and wetting my brush only has a minor impact. It’s only slightly more improved. I also don’t like the fact that trying to make the shimmers pop prevents me from being able to easily go over those shades again with mattes.
I’ve heard that the new palette additions 9 and 10 are a bit better quality, though they still have shades too close to each other. When you only have 6 eyeshadows in your palette, you don’t want interchangeable shades. It’s not just me that doesn’t like the Fenty Snap Shadows. I tried selling both these palettes at a combined $25 price with free shipping included. I had this deal for 4-6 months and no one wanted it, even at 50% off. It’s one of the only makeup products I’ve been unable to sell on Mercari, even in used condition and even during the pandemic. Softer colors are not my preference, but even that aside, I don’t believe these palettes are worth $25 each. I recommend the $3 ELF quads over Fenty Snap Shadows.
Additional Notes
Fenty launched with foundations, but I don’t own any. According to Sephora’s shade matching Color IQ system, 420 is my shade. However, it was slightly too dark and too orange on me when I tried it in-store. 400 and 410 were still too orange or red, despite them being listed as my undertone. 390 was my closest match, but the matte formula was too drying on my skin. I was very excited when Fenty released their hydrating formula, but when I tried the shades in store again, I ran into a similar shade matching issue and for some reason 390 was more on the pink side than the matte formula. The hydrating foundation still wasn’t hydrating enough and emphasized texture on my face, so I gave up trying.
Although I didn’t have success with the foundation, the product this brand has been highly praised for and made a huge impact on the cosmetics industry, I’m glad I’ve been able to find other products from Fenty that I love. Even when certain products aren’t made for me, I’m always excited to hear about the new launches from this brand.
Since my previous Pat Mcgrath post, I’ve purchased 3 additional palettes. Sephora’s Holiday sale event is going on, so I thought it would be the perfect time to talk about these in case anyone is considering purchasing either of the palettes for 10-20% off.
Pat Mcgrath Mega MTHRSHP Celestial Divinity Palette
The two left columns are shades from the Star Wars Dark Galaxy MTHRSHP palette. Because I knew I wasn’t getting use out of that palette, I decided to sell it while the going rate was still high (and before it could come back). Had I known that for once limited edition packaging would actually stay limited edition, I might have kept it.
The last two columns are shades from the Star Wars Galactic Gold palette, which I love. I ultimately decided to buy the Celestial Divinity palette because I wanted the 6 new shades in the center columns, I loved the design of the outer packaging, and I wanted an option in case I decide to sell Galactic Gold and still be able to have the eyeshadows I loved from that palette.
Finger swatches on bare skin with no primer.
The quality of the shimmers is the same as one can expect from all of Pat Mcgrath’s palettes. They are beautiful and pigmented, though I find their full potential is revealed when used on top of glitter glue. The three mattes swatched beautifully, but the natural oil from my fingers (despite being clean and dry) created a film over them which impacted my ability to use the shadows properly after. They applied perfectly smooth in one dip of the brush then patchy the next.
The mattes worked better after I lightly removed the top layer. I know that this can happen with matte products, but I hadn’t experienced this before with other Pat Mcgrath mattes. Now that I’m aware of the issue, I will avoid swatching those shades with my finger again. And because I have naturally oily lids, I will set my eyeshadow base with powder before I use these mattes. Venusian Orchid still doesn’t show very well on my eyes. When I pack it on to the pigmentation level I want, it darkens and blends into my skintone anyway.
One of the other popular topics of discussion about this palette is the price and how it is surprisingly low for Pat Mcgrath. This is true based on price per gram. While investigating this point further, I actually realized that among the 3 Pat Mcgrath pan sizes, there are varying weights from palette to palette.
The smallest pans are available in the Mini Eye Ecstasy palettes. They are listed as 1 gram each. The medium pan size is in the Celestial Divinity palette. It’s much larger than the Mini Eye Ecstasy pans yet the amount inside is nearly the same at 1.1 grams each. The largest pans vary greatly in the amount of product. For example, Divine Rose 1 has 1.32 grams each, the initial three Blitz Astral quads have 1.5 grams each, The Celestial Divinity quads are 1.88 grams (Risque Rose) and 1.98 grams (Interstellar Icon), and the Rose Decadence palette has 2 grams each. So, even though the larger pan sizes all look the same, the weights are different.
I’ve seen a lot of concerns as to whether the lower price is indicative of the shadow quality being lower, as is often the case with holiday releases. From my experience with this palette, I don’t believe the quality has suffered. When I compared the ingredient list between Celestial Divinity and the 6 Galactic Gold eyeshadows, Bronze was the only shade with a slight difference in ingredients. There’s no PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) but there’s more Boron Nitride.
Where I think the quality is lower is how the palettes were assembled. The shade name sticker on the back of my palette is slightly off-center and one corner of the sticker was already scrunched/lifted up when I received it. I’ve seen a few other pictures across social media with minor flaws as well. While this may sound like a trivial complaint, if you think about how this is a $78 luxury brand palette with cosmetic flaws when there are $5 Profusion palettes and $20 Colourpop palettes that never have packaging issues, it makes you wonder what the quality control is like at Pat Mcgrath Labs. Flaws like crooked stickers can be used to spot a fake product in the beauty and fashion world, so to receive an item that’s already messed up can make you feel like you’ve been ripped off. Luxury products are exorbitantly marked up because you’re paying for a high-quality product with luxe packaging to create the ultimate customer experience. Even if the eyeshadows are fantastic, if the experience is ruined then you’re already not getting your money’s worth. Also, my order on the PMG website was finalized and completed 2 minutes after the launch. The palette, the only new item released that day, still hasn’t sold out and yet it took 10 days to receive my shipping confirmation. If they were flooded with orders I could understand the delay but this doesn’t seem to be the case. It appears that the efficiency issues the brand had a year ago are still ongoing.
That being said, the actual product quality is there. I recommend Celestial Divinity to anyone who doesn’t already have both Star Wars palettes, especially at a discount. I did some eye looks using 12 out of 18 shades in my previous Pat Mcgrath post, but I created some new ones which you can find at the end of this review.
Pat Mcgrath MTHRSHP Rose Decadence Palette
Fingerswatches from Top to Bottom: Pink Champagne, Peach Dusk, Fuchsia Flame, Hedonistic Rose, Scandalous, and Golden Honey.The primer used is MAC paint pot in Groundwork.
This is another palette that lured me in by the idea of using it for eyeshadow, blush, and to highlight.
I used Pink Champagne, Peach Dusk, Fuchsia Flame, and Hedonistic Roseon the eyes. I also used Peach Dusk as blush. For my highlighter, I used Nabla’s Amnesia with a little bit of Golden Honey.
I couldn’t resist the outer packaging and although the shades are pretty, by this point the gold, pink, and orange shades from Pat Mcgrath feel redundant. The color story is pretty enough, but this palette lacks that wow factor. If you already have Divine Rose 2, I don’t believe you will be missing out on these shades. However, if you skipped getting Divine Rose 2 and are looking for a more curated version and lower-priced alternative, this could be a decent option. I personally would still choose the Celestial Divinity palette over this one because of the greater variety. Here are some shade comparisons between Rose Decadence, Divine Rose 2, and Celestial Divinity.
Finger swatches of the shimmer shades on bare skin. Brush swatches of the matte shades on bare skin.
Pat Mcgrath Blitz Astral Quad in Nocturnal Nirvana
This quad was released last year during the holidays, but I didn’t purchase it until the end of August when it was $25 off. The purple shade felt dried out to the touch and is hard to pick up product with my finger and brushes. I’m not sure if it was meant to be like that or if mine has an issue. It’s so pretty but a pain to use. The others aren’t like that and feel the way I’m used to with Pat’s “special” shades, the last 4 shades in her 10 pan palettes. Despite the discount, this quad wasn’t worth the price for me. VR Emerald is an absolutely stunning shade though and I’m glad to at least have it in my collection. It reminds me of Verte from Clionadh Cosmetics, but without as strong of a shift. If I use this quad again, it will be purely for VR Emerald.
Eye Look Examples
As a makeup collector, I see all these shades so similar they may as well be repeats (plus all the actual repeat shadows), and I can’t help but be disappointed. However, I’ve come to realize that perhaps Pat Mcgrath shouldn’t be one of those brands people try to collect every eyeshadow palette from in their line. Maybe I should look at them like Clionadh shadows. Clionadh has similar looking multichromes with blue, purple, and green together in one pan, but one may have a stronger teal shift, green shift, or purple shift. It’s intended for people to possess the perfect shade they’ve always dreamed of, not to feel compelled to own them all when you’ll probably only use a few. I already had my ideal pink palette in Divine Rose 2, but I didn’t stop there. I should have skipped Rose Decadence, but I learned a valuable lesson and will remember this when future palettes launch.
I placed my very first order with Sydney Grace in November 2019, but the majority of my collection was purchased during their annual Christmas in July sale. The deals were so good, I couldn’t pass them up!
Along with the eyeshadows, I will also discuss one of their blushes and their empty magnetic palette. Overall, Sydney Grace makes beautiful high-quality products. I believe they are worth the prices as is, but if you’re looking for the best deals, they happen on Black Friday and in July. You can also find affiliate codes on many different Youtubers’ videos for 15% off year-round.
Tiny Marvels Palette by Mel Thompson
The quality of the shadows in this palette is the same you can expect from Sydney Grace’s singles. Every shade has a high level of pigmentation. The mattes feel soft and perform like Viseart shadows on the eyes, making them easy to blend, but with the added bonus of swatching well too. Some important things to note are that Scarab is called Red Chameleon as a single, but the other 14 shades are exclusive to this palette. Flutterby seems to be more fragile than the other shadows because it was the only shade that came with a piece cracked off in my palette, and I saw a few others on social media where that was the only broken shadow as well. Pressing it back with liquid works to an extent, but I recently learned in an interview on Behind the Beauty that the binders Sydney Grace uses in their matte shadows are powder only (no liquids)*. So this makes their mattes perfect for the dry-press fixing method.
*July 4th, 2021 UPDATE: I was browsing the website and noticed the ingredients of the mattes I saw had fractionated coconut oil listed, which is a liquid. I don’t know if this is the sole exception to their original statement or if the addition of liquids is a new formula change.
Lastly, Jewel Bee is the only shadow in the palette that I feel underperforms. It looks great on those with lighter skin tones, but there isn’t enough depth in the shade to make an impact on me. It admittedly still works slightly better than pastel purples from most other brands.
*October 1st, 2021 UPDATE – I felt compelled to update this post to say that although I didn’t know Mel Thompson personally, she will be missed dearly. As a subscriber of hers on YouTube, it hurt my heart to learn of her passing and I can only imagine how much worse it has been for her friends and family. I treasured those few moments I had communicating with her via Instagram and the comment section of her YouTube page. It means even more to me now. May she rest in peace.
Chase Your Dreams 9 Pan Palette
This is a great smoky eye or companion palette. The color story isn’t exactly what I expected after seeing photos online versus what it looks like in person, but it is still fairly versatile. The two red/pink and two orange shades are a bit redundant to me, so I foresee myself depotting this into my larger custom palette. The only reason I haven’t yet is because I like the purple glitter print packaging so much.
Eye Swatches: Palettes, Bundle Exclusives, and Individual Shadows
All the eyeshadows come from the Danny’s Dream Bundle, Autumn’s Reign Bundle, Chase Your Dreams Palette, Tiny Marvels Palette, and all the individual shades I own. In the arm swatch portion that I’m including later in the post, I have it noted which shades are part of a collection.
I used MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork for all of the eye swatches (excluding Beauregarde and Chamellionaire which are over Nyx Glitter Glue). If I used a primer with a white base, perhaps certain shades would look less similar. In my opinion, Sydney Grace is the most consistent brand I know in terms of eyeshadow quality. So, when it comes to choosing which eyeshadow to purchase, it’s more about the particular color and less about performance. However, I will note that Queen of the North and Lemon Cream were a little patchy on me. I don’t plan to keep them in my collection after this review.
This brand makes arguably the best green eyeshadows (though nothing tops Forbidden from Coloured Raine). Among this batch of shadows are Chamellionaire and Beauregarde, two out of the three pressed multichromes Sydney Grace currently offers.
Compared to Devinah, Clionadh, Terra Moons, and other brands’ multichromes, I honestly like these the least. All multichromes show their black bases/look darker in too much direct sunlight or with flash on. These are beautiful in the right lighting but are the most finicky to capture in photos and the least forgiving in the Florida sunlight. These were the first multichromes I ever owned and the difficulty of use made me better appreciate the formulas of the other brands’ multichromes I tried later on. The texture of these are a bit strange. I don’t know how to describe it. They don’t pick up very well on a brush and they look terrible over bare skin or regular eyeshadow bases I’ve tried. Applying them with my finger on top of Nyx glitter glue is the only way I’ve found to successfully show off their beauty.
I have to admit, I bought certain eyeshadows purely for their names! I know it’s silly, but there were enough shades I wanted that were named after the 12 Days of Christmas song that I decided to get all the ones available on the website: Pear Tree, Turtle Doves, French Hens, Geese a Laying, Maids a Milking, Ladies Dancing, Lords a Leaping, and Pipers Piping. I have no idea if Calling Birds, Five Gold Rings, Swans A Swimming, or Drummers Drumming are discontinued shades in Sydney Grace’s collection (or Feather River Body as they were formerly called) or if they were just never made.
In addition to powder multichromes, Sydney Grace also has cream shadows and cream multichromes. Though I don’t like the pressed multichromes, I can vouch for the cream formula being much nicer to work with. However, I’d still prefer to use a Clionadh pressed multichrome over the cream and pressed ones I’ve tried from Sydney Grace.
When I bought the Alexandrite cream multichrome, it came in a 10 ml tube for $25. The period after opening (open-jar symbol) was only six months. Since that time, the brand has released smaller 5 ml tubes for $15 and they say it has a longer shelf life. Shelf life and period after opening are different terms, so I don’t know if they mean to say that the p-a-o date is longer. It’s great to know that they can stay in inventory and be unsold for longer without any fear of it expiring or drying out before you get a chance to purchase them, but I would be curious to know if it still lasts 6 months before it goes bad after you first open it. In any case, this is quite competitive pricing for Natasha Denona’s new Chromium liquid eyeshadows at 2.5 ml for $28 and the same 6 month p-a-o.
It took me so long to do this post that, unfortunately, I have no good photos of Alexandrite. The blurry picture in the bottom right corner in the eye swatch gallery above is what it looked like while the shadow was still good. I only have that photo from my former cell phone with terrible quality megapixels and lighting. Hopefully, you can see that it was smoother while it was still good. My tube of Alexandrite lasted 9 months before it started to have an odd fish oil smell so I stopped using it (excluding this one time for this review). So, on the bright side, it does last a little longer than 6 months after you open it. The other two eye swatches of Alexandrite show what it looks like after 11 months. That’s why it looks strange and scaly. And yes, now that I finally finished this post I have thrown it away. I wanted to at least show that in this instance, regardless of your skin tone, the shade will look pretty much the same on everyone.
Official Swatch Picture From the Sydney Grace Website.
Arm Swatches: Palettes, Bundles, and Individually Sold Shadows
I tried to group these swatches together by color but Celebration and Starfish are not with the other greens because I had already decluttered these two shades (and remembered to rescue them just before making this post). The base color in Starfish was too dark for my liking. As for Celebration, I like it as much as Sutter (and actually think it looks more flattering on me) but I thought they were too similar to keep both. Also, back in January when I only had 30 SG eyeshadows, I asked 8 of my guy friends which purple and green shades they liked the most. Although their responses might be different if they saw my entire collection now, the shades that got 4 or 5 out of 8 possible votes were Totally Worth It, As If, Flannel, Evergreen, Thrilled, and Sutter. Between Sutter and Celebrate, Celebrate only received 1 vote. That’s why I chose to declutter that one, but I have now returned it to my collection!
Eyeshadow Looks
Thinking of You Blush
I didn’t have the self control to take a photo of this blush before swatching it. It’s such a pretty, soft, pigmented, and blendable blush. If I wasn’t already swimming in blushes I would be tempted to try more shades from the brand. This reminds me of MAC’s powder matte formula, which I love, but this only costs $9 as opposed to MAC’s $17 pro pan-only blushes. MAC has had at least four blush sales this year at 30-40% off, so I have been able to get some as low as $10.20.
All blushes in the “Deep” category on the brand’s website are currently sold out. Sydney Grace is still a small company, so it takes them a while to restock items. Due to COVID-19, there are also delays in pigment manufacturing and just a shortage of certain pigments in general.
Sydney Grace Large Custom Palette
I have this Large 40-48 pan Sydney Grace empty magnetic palette on top of my 96 pan Coloured Raine palette for comparison purposes. It has a mirror inside and the outer design has light-reflective rose gold lettering. The same print is sold in 9 pan and 12 pan palette sizes. Since I have too many SG shadows to fit in a palette of this size, it’s currently holding my non-Stained Glass Clionadh eyeshadows. I’ve had no issues with it so far.
Favorite Shadows
I mentioned at the end of the arm swatch segment which shades were the favorites among my guy friends, but my favorite Sydney Grace shadows are a combination of shades that I think look most flattering on me, as well as shades that are just flat out gorgeous and/or unique to my eyeshadow collection.
Geese A Laying – “A medium matte yellow bright matte”
*The Dream – Warm Gold
Mango Tea – “Yellow with an orange undertone”
The Greatest Gift – “Light pink with a green shift”
*Mantis – Deepened pastel green
*Granny Smith – Vibrant grass green
*Sweetsop – Medium green with gold shimmer
The Shallows – “Green with a blue shift”
Evergreen – “Medium green”
Thrilled – “Dark matte teal”
Fierce – “Medium blue with purple undertone”
JB – “Royal blue”
*Supreme Harvest – Dark terracotta
*Be Bold – Vibrant terracotta-orange
Lords A Leaping – “Deep red brown matte”
*Bug-A-Boo – Matte maroon
Magnificent Chestnut – warm metallic golden brown
Golden Rose – “Medium pink with a gold shift”
Maids A Milking – “Bubblegum pink with a strong blue shift”
Forever Enough – “Medium burgundy red with a satin finish”
Orange Slush – “Vibrant Orange with a metallic finish”
Golden Peach – “Deep peach with a golden shift”
Lost Princess – “Red with an orange undertone”
*Amber Jewels – Metallic Cranberry Red
*Don’t Quit – Metallic Burgundy
Flannel – “Bright medium purple”
*The Drive – Warm purple
Magenta Dreams – “Magenta with a blue shift”
Deliverer – “Vibrant violet with a red undertone”
Celebrate – “Yellow Green”
The final important note is that if you’re interested in purchasing from Sydney Grace and are trying to find specific shades via the search bar, just note that it’s extremely inconsistent. For example, if you type “Deliverer” you will get that shadow as the only result. If you type “Orange Slush” exactly as the shadow is called, you will find it on page 4 of the search results.
Since the end of 2019 until the time of me starting to work on this post, the collections from Colourpop haven’t been dark-skin friendly (or at least the items I’ve wanted haven’t been). Today, I’ll be discussing the bits and pieces from different collections I have purchased that work for me, to an extent.
GARDEN VARIETYCOLLECTION
Garden Variety Palette
The design of this collection is so beautiful! Colourpop really excels at that. The succulents and lettering on the cover of the eyeshadow palette (and even the carton) are raised! I love the packaging and don’t see myself ever getting rid of it, even though I am not a fan of the shadows inside.
The color story is what I expected from the product photos. However, I made the mistake of not recognizing Herbivore, Over the Bloom, Succa 4 U, and Clay Day are a sequin formula, which I despise. It’s unfortunate because I love the base matte color of those shades. I just cannot stand the random “pearl” glitter specks embedded in the shadows.
The shade “Don’t Leaf” is a supershock formula. This was my first time experiencing a supershock shadow in a palette, so that was fun! This particular shade doesn’t make much of an impact on my lids though.
Although I knew the palette would lean on the light color spectrum, I figured I would be able to use them anyway due to Colourpop’s usual pigmentation level. However, these are not as pigmented as I’m used to and I find the shimmer quality to be lackluster compared to my other Colourpop shadows, even the oldest ones. The mattes are better, but they don’t deepen up the look as much as I need in my eyeshadow looks.
From my disappointment, inspiration struck! I decided to swap out most of the shades in this palette for similar, yet better performing Colourpop shadows. I am much happier with the selection I chose!
Whole Nine Yards Blush
I purchased the darkest shade of the four blushes in the Garden Variety palette. It looks extremely subtle on camera, but it shows enough in person that I can use it. I appreciate that despite being so light, it doesn’t have a grey tone or leave a cast on me. I do wish this was matte. It’s a “warm pinky terracotta with gold pearl,” and the gold specks are larger than I’d like in a blush. I prefer smaller refined pearl pigments like the kind in MAC blushes, but I’m glad Colourpop chose gold rather than silver glitter for this blush. Also, Whole Nine Yards is similar to a sequin eyeshadow in the sense that it is primarily matte when applied to the skin, as most of the glitter gets brushed away when blended. So, it isn’t enough to make me stop using it. It just isn’t going to be the first blush I reach for. Plus, I like being able to see the beautiful flower imprint in the powder. That kind of thing gets me every time!
Whole Nine Yards on the cheek with no highlighter, bronzer, or contour. Just the blush over Nars Sheer Glow.
She Grown Pink Jelly Much Eyeshadow
This “warm peachy pink with a gold shift” eyeshadow is stunning! On the innermost part of my arm, which is lighter than my eyelid, you can see the pink tones a lot better. In direct sunlight, it looks even darker pink than in swatches, but on my eye, the peach and gold overtake the look. I still love the way it looks. It takes a little finesse to smooth out the shadow in a nice even layer of product, but the effect is worth it.
The left column shows what it looks like upon initial application. The right column shows how it looks 8 hours later.
I noticed it first started to break apart around the six hour mark, so I would only use this if I was making a quick trip out or didn’t plan to stay long at an event. Of all the products mentioned today, I’ve used this the least, so I don’t know if there are tricks to make it last longer. I will continue experimenting to find out, but I’m happy with this item as it is.
There are three other Jelly Much shades in this collection, but She Grown was the most unique to me.
SAILOR MOONCOLLECTION
Moon Tiara Ultra Glossy Lip
I purchased the Daylight kit, which included Moon Tiara and Usagi. The Moonlight kit has cooler-toned versions of these shades. Moon Tiara is described as a “Yellow Orange with Gold and Pink Pinpoints.” I was worried this would look milky, but thankfully it does not. I still wouldn’t wear this on its own, but I enjoy how it looks over more pigmented lippies.
The formula is a bit sticky and has a pleasant sweet smell. The brush tip applicator was so stiff that I thought it was a solid bit of plastic until I used it enough times for the bristles to loosen up. I don’t mind that it’s not a doe foot, now that the brush tip is more flexible.
Usagi Ultra Blotted Lip
The designs on these lip products are so pretty! I rarely buy lip products because I’m mostly a balm or gloss kind of chica, but I couldn’t skip out on this packaging! Unlike the gloss, this has a doe-foot applicator. Usagi is a mid-tone pink, and I honestly didn’t expect to like this. I’m very picky about lip colors and this is almost too bright of a shade, but it’s right on the cusp. I could wear this on its own without feeling insecure, however, I prefer the way it looks with Moon Tiara on top.
This is my first experience with the Ultra Blotted Lip formula. It is intentionally sheer. To my knowledge, it was originally marketed with the popsicle lip trend in mind. Now, their selling point is that it’s a “buildable diffused matte.” Even though it dries matte, it feels comfortable on the lips.
It’s an interesting formula that I do like. One thing I learned is that if I accidentally touch my lip while it’s half dry, trying to cover the bald spot back causes an oddly noticeable demarcation between the newly covered spot and the surrounding area that overlapped with additional product. What you see in the image above of the blotted lip alone is the best I could do to cover the naturally darker spot on my lower lip. I have extremely dry lips that are difficult to care for without a consistent lip care routine. This blotted lip formula isn’t something I would use on its own if I haven’t created a completely smooth canvas that day. That’s why I like pairing it with the gloss because the shine distracts the eye from noticing color inconsistencies and hyperpigmentation.
Moon Prism Power Glitter Gel
This is pretty. This is also a jar of evil. I’ve complained in the past about my dislike of glitter, but using glittery eye shadows and highlighters this year made me start to like them a little more. However, using this product three times now reminded me why I used to HATE glitter. When I think it’s all off my face, I find more.
I bought this with the intent of using exclusively the larger crescent moon and star shapes. I thought I would be able to separate them from the jar easily. My assumption proved incorrect. This would be fine if I could successfully remove the glitter from my face without finding little specks everywhere for the rest of the day and even the next, despite multiple face scrubbings and showers.
In the photo below, I kept the glitter to the outer corner of my eye. I didn’t want to take a chance putting it anywhere closer to my eyeball since I am a contact lens wearer and the glitters are not eye-safe. By the time I finished taking pictures, the glitter somehow moved to the inner corner of my eye, my cheek, my chin, etc. I will continue to use this in the future, but on very special occasions or special eye looks. This is just my personal issue. This isn’t a bad product. If you like glitter, you will probably enjoy this.
Cat’s Eye Blush
Right away, I have to talk about how cool the packaging design for this blush is! I don’t recall what this type of image effect is called, but it shows three different images when you turn it at different angles. It’s so fun! And the imprint of Luna in the powder is ridiculously cute! I bought both shades, but From the Moon looked too light for me, so I sold it. It’s unfortunate because that shade was matte and I generally prefer a matte blush. Cat’s Eye is a, “pearlized rosey pink with silver pinpoints.” The color is warm, which I like, but the silver glitter isn’t as flattering. I don’t mind because I just wanted this for collector purposes anyway. I have enough blushes that I won’t miss using this if it’s strictly for display only.
Cat’s Eye on the cheek.
MULAN
Gold Lip Mask
The multicolored pattern on the jar is a reflection of the shirt I was wearing when I took the photo. It’s actually a beautiful mirrored gold shade. The mask itself looks pretty in the jar and goes on the lips clear with fine gold sparkles. It does not have a scent. Even though the consistency is thicker than the Moon Tiara gloss, it’s less sticky and feels lighter on the lips. I use this like I would any other balm by wearing it alone.
Jasmine Face Milk
I was initially annoyed that I couldn’t get the lip mask without buying it in the set with this, but I’m glad I finally tried the face milk formula! It’s lightweight and feels hydrating on the skin. The jasmine scent is mild, which I’m glad about. I don’t enjoy heavily scented skincare. I liked this product so much that I bought a different full-size face milk!
CUSTOM PALETTE AND FINAL THOUGHTS
Aside from my Kathleen Lights x Colourpop So Jaded palette and the Garden Variety palettes which are currently holding eyeshadows in the color stories of my choosing, I put all my depotted and single Colourpop shadows in one gigantic magnetic palette. The depotted palettes are: Semi-Precious, Element of Surprise, All I See Is Magic, It’s My Pleasure, Lilac You A lot, Blowin’ Smoke, Blue Moon, Just My Luck, and Uh-huh Honey. The unused shades from the So Jaded and Garden Variety palettes are here as well.
My reimagined So Jaded palette.
I respect Colourpop for staying with the trends and for their business savvy, marketing, and ingenuity. However, my last few purchases have been purely for packaging. I want to keep my collection manageable and buy things I will actually use. Colourpop has made it a bit easy to stay away while they aren’t making things brown-skin friendly. However, I am actively going to try and limit my purchases from them, as I’ve never been blown away by Colourpop’s quality. It’s okay or good most of the time, but I have too many products from other brands of excellent quality to want to settle for just “okay.”
Devinah is one of my favorite indie brands. As a favorite, you can expect their products to be pigmented and beautiful like all the other shadows I love. What helps set them apart is that their price point for duochromes and multichromes are on the less expensive end. Their shadows are also a unique texture, unlike any other brand’s shadows I’ve experienced. Some of the mattes give some resistance when you try to rub your finger in the pan, yet they apply so smoothly to the skin. Some shimmers give resistance too, some are smooth, a few are dry, and some feel like a putty without moving around like a putty. The closest similarity would be to a Colourpop Supershock shadow, but without as much of the dimethicone/silicone feel to them. Devinah’s feel “heavier.” It’s hard for me to explain. The textural element is important to note because when I purchased the XPLODERS Collection, the Everlasting Gobstopper shade shrunk.
As you can see, it was unbroken and still in a perfect circle, just loose and sliding around in the pan. When I contacted them asking how this happened, they explained that the formula enables these shadows to be pressed back into place without breaking. They still offered a replacement or store credit, even though mine technically didn’t break, so their customer service is definitely top-notch!
It took very little effort to be able to press the shadow back together, and it looked like nothing had ever happened to it! I’ve been able to do this with Clionadh shimmers when I accidentally dropped them, and other soft shimmer shadows, but Devinah’s shadow is the only one I’ve been able to press back and have it look brand new using my fingers alone! Again, I think this goes back to the near putty-like texture.
As for Devinah’s multichromes, like the shades in the Butterfly collection, they feel closer to a traditional shimmer eyeshadow (still with some slip) in terms of texture. I apply the inner corner of shimmer shades with a brush, but I use my finger everywhere else on the lid. This is why texture has become an important element for me, since it adds to my enjoyment while using them, and why I felt it was important to delve into this much detail about it.
I use MAC Paint Pot for Matte shadows and Nyx Glitter Glue for the glittery/sparkly shadows. The more satin/metallic shades that shine without use of glitter have enough slip that I don’t think a primer is even necessary, but I still use MAC Paint Pot with them anyway.
SUGAR DROPS COLLECTION
The Sugar Drops are semi-transparent shifting glitter eyeshadows. Devinah recommends using a glitter glue to help the shadows adhere. They make great topper and highlighting shades and are recommended to try over white and black bases.
Cake Bomb – This shade shifts green and blue. On me it looks like seafoam green to powder blue.
Soda Swamp – This looks like a peachy pink to pinky-purple shift, but I mainly just see the peach-pink. I didn’t like the way this looked over white and black bases. Though the black base made the sparkles stand out more, it turned cooler-toned, which isn’t as flattering on me. Over the white base, I couldn’t see the shift anymore.
Puffles -This looks like a pink-blue-green shift. Of the three, this is the one I like most because it makes the biggest impact.
XPLODERS COLLECTION
This is the only Devinah Collection I have in its entirety. I bought them all because I couldn’t decide between the shades! The brand recommends using a glitter glue with this one too. They remind me of the sugar drops but with more of a base color.
Everlasting Gobstopper – I can see purple-pink, a goldish green, and light blue. Blue is the dominating shade though in most types of lighting. I love how easy it is to see the shifts in this, though I wouldn’t wear a shade like this on it’s own.
Nerds – This has a blue-green-gold look, but on my eyelids the greenish gold is all I see. I don’t see blue, even though that’s the main color in the pan.
Swudge – This shade is blue-green with a purple shift, though strangely on my eyes the purple is more prevalent. This one I would feal comfortable wearing alone.
Pixy Stix – This is a pink to gold shift, but there’s no visible pink on my eyelids when glitter glue is used. Over a white base, the pale pink tones show and it looks similar to the shade Gelicide. Over a black base, it turns a darker gold.
Kazookles – This has a pink to purple shift, but on my eyelids it looks like there’s a bit of a gold shift as well.
Marshmallow Pillows – This is a pink to purple to blue shift. The blue and purple pop more on my eyelids, which makes this my favorite of the XPLODERS.
Runts – This shade is a lilac to purple with pink glitter, though the purple is so light that I can barely see it in person (and not in photos).
NEWEST MULTICHROMES
I bought two of the three new eyeshadows as part of the galaxy dust shifters collection. With these shadows, they recommend using glitter glue and trying them out over white or black bases.
Tucana – I would call this a rose gold shade, even though it shifts from golden peach to pink. Or maybe it’s rose gold to pink. I’m really not great at describing shades.
Centaurus – I describe this as a shift from yellow gold to a more orange-gold.
GALAXY DUST SHIFTERS COLLECTION
Whereas the Sugar Drops and XPLODERS are more on the iridescent side, the Galaxy Shifters have a lot more pigment to them. They remind me of Clionadh’s glitter and hybrid multichromes from the Stained Glass collection.
Celesta – This shade is like a vintage gold to olive. There isn’t a significant difference when used over a white base, as it just makes the shade lighter. Over a black base, it makes the green a little more apparent.
Skyla – This is like a fuchsia to purple with blue reflects.
Asteria – This one is a pretty cranberry to mint.
CANDY CAKES COLLECTION
The Candy Cakes shadows remind me of the Galaxy Dust Shifters, but without a shift. They’re like very pigmented duochromes. If there is a shift, perhaps I can’t see it because the shifting color is too close to the dominant one.
Rainbow Blossom – I really like this shade. It’s a beautiful fern green and gold.
Confetti Kisses – This is not my type of shade, but I was so curious about it that I had to get it. It’s like a bright sky blue with pink and purple shimmer.
Sweetie Sunbeam – I think this shade has a rosy base color but is mainly a coppery gold.
BUTTERFLY KALEIDOSCOPE COLLECTION
The Butterfly Multichromes have the most pigment and strongest shifts. These are the closest shadow comparisons to Clionadh’s Jeweled Multichromes, but without the black base.
Morphinae – The cool purple to blue shift is strong, but on the outer edges you can faintly see warmer purple too. A white base tones down the shade. I expected a huge impact when using a black base, but I didn’t get that. It did turn this shade smokier and intensified it slightly, but still nowhere near Clionadh or Sydney Grace’s multichrome level. That being said, not everyone wants that level of intensity. Some makeup lovers aren’t into deeper smoky colors and will possibly like these better. I love the ones with black bases, but I admittedly don’t always go for that look either.
Parthenos – The more obvious shift goes from a lighter green to a darker green, but the outer edges have a little aqua blue or cyan.
MULTICHROME MADNESS COLLECTION
Nacarat – This shade has a subtle shift from darker to lighter orange. I was surprised to discover this grouped in with the multichromes, since it’s so difficult to see any shift at all. I was also surprised to see both white and black bases dulled the intensity of the orange, though the black base showed the lighter orange shift better in the outer corner. Though it doesn’t show as much on camera, over the white and black bases, I also noticed a slightly pink tinge to the shade as well.
Pavonine – When I think of common duochrome and multichrome shades, this one comes to mind as a dark berry/burgundy with green-blue shimmer. Even though this isn’t a unique shade, I don’t have that many in my collection, so I decided to buy it anyway.
UNBUNDLED MULTICHROMES/DUOCHROMES
Gelicide – This shade was a lot lighter than I expected. It’s like a light baby pink with champagne shimmer. Strangely enough, I like it and think it would make for a great inner corner or inner third lid shade.
Empress – This shade reminds me of Sunbeam Sweetie, which I will compare later in this post. I love this one so much! Most pinks I encounter are cool-toned, which isn’t as flattering on my complexion. However, this one is deeper and warmer, so I love the way it looks.
Charmed – This type of purple duochrome (with the light to medium blue shimmer) is a very popular eyeshadow shade, but it tends to be on the sheerer side. I’m glad I bought this one because it is the most pigmented purple of this kind I own.
Vicious – This eyeshadow is looks purple in the pan, but has a cool blue tone to it on the eyes. When I wore this in a video chat, it looked completely blue on camera. Over a white base, this shade looks relatively similar to what it looks like on a clear base, but the blue is slightly brighter and less silvery. Over a black base, this makes the purple dominate. This is probably my least favorite eyeshadow in my Devinah collection, with the exception of the shade it turns over the black base. That kind of purple is what I was hoping it would be from the beginning.
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW SET
This collection was inspired by the Wizard of Oz. I love that so many of Devinah’s shade names are inspired by different things, for example, the types of butterflies in the Butterfly Kaleidoscope collection, the Willy Wonka theme of the XPLODERS, Salvatore from the Vampire Diaries. The owner (DeAndra) mentioned in an instagram post that she likes horror and murder mystery genres. With shade names like Homicide, Criminal, and Devious, it is very apparent. I’ve also seen Egyptian inspirations, the show Sparticus, etc.
Upon first impression, I despised these two shades because of the fallout. These were among my first the few Devinah purchases, when I had gotten accustomed to their regular shimmer and metallic formulas where using an eyeshadow primer wasn’t a necessity. I had used them over bare skin and then MAC paint pot and they looked so dull. Once I used them over a glitter glue, my opinion completely changed. Glitter fallout was no longer an issue and they looked a lot more opaque and impactful. I highly recommend using a glitter glue with the shadows in this Somewhere Over The Rainbow formula.
Are you a good witch – This is a sparkly dark purple with pink glitter.
I’ll be tender, I’ll be gentle – This shade is a deep teal with aqua glitter. It reminds me of the Lapis Lazuli shade I love from Pat Mcgrath.
PRESSED SHIMMERS
I don’t have much to say about the shadows in this formula, beyond what I mentioned in the introductory paragraphs. They perform well, have longevity, can work without a primer but I like them with my MAC Paint Pot (not as much with glitter glue though). Some of these are shimmers but some have more of a metallic feel with some slip. It’s as though each shade has its own tweaked formula to maximize its effectiveness and beauty.
Sphinx – I like this very pretty bright yellow shade.
Nefertiti – I don’t have any shade in my collection quite like this one It’s very metallic and the shadow even feels wet. I would describe the color as a yellow-orange brass.
Cleopatra – I think of tangerines when I see this color.
Ambrosia – I honestly bought this shade purely because of the name. I have this weird infatuation with the term. I think because I love mythology (Greek especially) and ambrosia was the food of the gods. I’m happy I actually like the way this caramel-bronzy shade looks on my eyes.
Paramour – This is another one of my favorite Devinah eyeshadows. I would describe it as a festive crimson shade that can be built up to look a little deeper.
Salvatore – This looks to be a true red shimmer.
Starlet – This shade is a dark slightly red toned purple, like a wine color.
Purple Kush – This shade is a dark blue toned purple.
Avalon – Is this blue? Is this purple? Another blurple?
Lurican – Purples are my favorite eyeshadow color and greens are my second favorite. I really like this green shade with gold shimmer. It’s similar to Rainbow Blossom without the intense glittery sparkles.
Ferly – This shade is the reason I didn’t buy Clionadh’s Lineage multichrome, as it reminds me so much of it based on swatches. It’s a very pretty almost minty green with gold shimmer. This is another favorite of mine.
Chimerical – I’d describe this as a mossy green with brighter green shimmer.
Alew – This is a blue-ish green shade with gold (and maybe even a little silver) shimmer. It reminds me of a slightly more green version of Hydra from Sydney Grace.
Odium – This color reminds me of Coloured Raine’s Forbidden shade (my favorite eyeshadow of all time). Coloured Raine’s single shadows are being discontinued, so I’m glad I have this as a close replacement.
Briseis – Talk about bright! This shade is so vibrantly ocean blue! Or Turquoise? I don’t know but this blows Coloured Raine’s Malibu shade out of the water!
Midnight – In pictures this looks mostly black with a slight greenish blue tinge. In person, the blue (or deep/darkened teal) is easier to see.
Hydra – Again with the insane vibrancy! I don’t have anything close to this shade in my collection. I would call this an Egyptian Blue shade.
PRESSED MATTES
Toska – I like this shade of yellow but it takes a lot of building up to look opaque on the lid.
Passion – I love this rusty orange. It was one of the first shades I bought from Devinah.
Runa – This is a more pigmented terracotta version of Passion.
Kaia – This is more of a pastel purple that isn’t the worst I’ve tried, but I don’t like this one as much. It might work better over a white base, but I haven’t tried that yet. And at least I can get it to look opaque.
Courtney – This is a very popular shade among Devinah customers. I can see how this type of grungy yellow-green would be liked on others, but it’s just okay for me.
Desma – This rich reddish brown is so nice! It’s rare that I wear just mattes on my eyes or even one-and-done eyeshadow looks, but I would feel comfortable wearing this on its own. It’s my favorite of the mattes I have.
Here is a gallery of some comparison swatches to each other from Devinah and examples of other eye looks.
I would normally post more complicated eyeshadow examples, but Devinah’s shades are so unique and special on their own that in my everyday routine I just put a neutral shade in the crease, add a darker eyeshadow in the outer corner for smokiness, and let each shade shine on the lid on alone. This is why I decided to do the 50+ eye swatches rather than posting just hand swatches. Each eye swatch is already a look I would do.
Additional Information
As I mentioned earlier, Devinah’s prices are quite reasonable for what you’re getting. This is also the case when coupled with promo codes. When you initially sign up for their emails, you’ll get a code for 25% off. There are also influencer codes that can be found in different Youtubers’ video descriptions for 20% off. Also, after every purchase, I usually get an email with a coupon offering 25-30% off if I place another order within 7 days. The codes should work on everything except the Butterfly Multichrome shadows.
I’ve only been a customer with Devinah since they relocated/reopened in Oregon, so I’m not certain if they have regular sales throughout the year. I haven’t witnessed one yet, but the promo codes are a great deal as is. Shipping isn’t free and they recommend purchasing the $3.80 insurance as a USPS order upgrade to protect against loss, theft, or damage.
One of the other things I like about Devinah is that they’re interactive on Instagram and supportive of other indie brands, even liking posts that don’t have their own products in them. They recognize there’s room for everyone in the beauty industry. When you have a good product, it speaks for itself and people will notice.
Overall, I really like Devinah’s shadows and recommend them to anyone who has been thinking of trying out this brand. The glittery eyeshadows are a little more difficult to work with than Clionadh’s formula when dealing with fallout. The Xploders and Sugar Drops are particularly messy. I think this is because they are a little less emollient. However, this is the tradeoff because the shadows don’t settle into the lines of my eyelids as much as Clionadh’s can. Speaking of which, I still have a Clionadh Cosmetics post in the works. I just keep debating with myself whether to post it soon or just wait until I have everything I ordered (which would take a few more months).
2014 was the year my obsession with makeup really started, but my history with E.L.F. began in 2011 at the latest. My Aunt bought me one of their Smoky Eye books that had a step-by-step diagram of how to achieve a smokey eye. I don’t believe I used it that often but compared to the chalky eyeshadows I’d been experiencing at the time, I thought it was amazing. This was the period when I was still using sponge tip applicators and I’d never heard of actually blending eyeshadows!
Elf Cosmetics, and myself, have come a long way since then. They managed to produce some nice quality products at very affordable prices long before Colourpop. Despite having incredible Japanese brushes of the highest quality, I still use some of my ELF brushes that have lasted me years!
But I’ll try to keep this post on the short side for once. I have 4 out of the 8 Bite-Size Face Duos, the newest additions to their line of minis. I also recently purchased another Bite-Size eyeshadow quad, making my total of those 4 out of 8 as well.
At the cost of $3, they’re definitely worth checking out. I recently did a massive MAC blush and highlighter post, so the quality of these duos don’t blow me away when compared to MAC’s formula. However, the color combinations are pretty; they’re lightweight but still decently pigmented, and they blend into the skin nicely without being patchy. I can’t ask for more at this price point. An odd bonus point for me is that I’ll finally have the satisfaction of hitting pan on a blush because the pans are thin and I could definitely get through one eventually.
I will be posting cheek swatches, but because some of the shades are so light, I wanted to show what my bare cheek looks like with just foundation for comparison purposes. I’m wearing the Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing foundation with SPF in 440 Amber. In the grey shirt, I have the original ELF poreless primer. In the pink shirt, I’m using the MILK Hydro Grip primer.
Watermelon – This shade is too light for me, and it’s emphasized by the white/silver shimmer in the blush. It looks matte based on website photos, but it’s far from it. I was also disappointed by the highlighter shade, which is a beautiful salmon color in the pan but just comes off icy on my cheeks. I don’t see myself reaching for this one anymore, or even repurposing the blush because of the shimmer. Even though it doesn’t work for me, it would look beautiful on someone of a lighter complexion (especially neutral to pink undertone).
Guava – This is the only matte blush out of the four duos I have. It’s just dark enough for me to be able to wear this, but I think the buildable nature also helps me to pull it off. It looks brighter and more coral in the pan, but that doesn’t translate to my cheeks. In swatches, it looks very similar to Watermelon, but thankfully without the frosty shimmer.
The highlighter in this duo is the most flattering of the four for my complexion. The Guava duo is one I will keep using.
Pomegranate – This is the one duo made for darker complexions. On the day I wore the pink shirt, I wanted to show how sheer the blush could be applied, because I knew it was pigmented enough that I could actually overdo it. In the grey shirt, I used a denser brush for stronger impact with just a few swipes.
Even though this one is better suited for my skintone, it still comes off a little darker than I prefer. So, I’ll continue to use this with either a very light application or by combining it with a lighter blush nearer to/on the apples of my cheeks.
Coconut – This shade is a little harder to blend than the others, but the formula feels slightly creamier and less powdery (satin finish). I believe this shade was actually intended to be more of a bronzer shade for light-medium skin tones, rather than a blush for tan, dark, or deep complexions, but I decided to try it as a blush anyway. It reminds me a bit of the Format shade from MAC. I like this one, but I’d love it if it had a slightly reddish tone. I’ve worn this shade the most so far, but since I already own a similar shade that I like better (Format), if I continue to use it, I would use it as a blush topper over blushes with some red in it. For example, I’ve worn it with MAC’s Burnt Pepper shade to tone it down a bit, and it looked pretty nice once I was able to blend it in properly, which took a while. I haven’t decided if it’s really worth it trying to use up or not. TBD.
For some reason, the highlighter formula in this duo is different from the others. The glitter is much chunkier, and I’ve never liked sparkly highlighters. It’s a shame because gold is my most loved shade of highlighter among any brand. I was really looking forward to this one until I saw the texture in person.
Berry Bad – In my pictures wearing a grey shirt, I wore the lightest and darkest shades in this palette. The lightest one doesn’t show up on me. It’s a buildable shade but still not opaque enough. The second shade is a more metallic formula compared to the rosy shimmer in the third pan. When I put the two next to each other on my lids in the photo below, I could barely see a difference in person, let alone on camera. And the combination of textures when I applied both shades with a wet brush looked odd and did not blend together seamlessly, so I reapplied the rosy third shade with my finger all over the lid to get that original dull dry texture back. Then I applied the metallic shade wet to the lower lash line so I could still show it in this look, although dampening that shade made it look reddish copper instead of orange copper. In my crease, I have the darkest shade. Basically, the last two in the quad are the most pigmented, but still look very light.
For now, I like it enough to keep using the last three shades. It’s still better than the Acai palette, but not as good as the Jalapeño or Truffle. I’ve discussed the other three mini palettes in this post if you’re interested in seeing more about them.
ELF’s Instant Lift Brow Pencil was in my favorite products from 2019 post, and I still love it and have continued to use it consistently since then. I recently bought the Ultra Precise Brow Pencil with my ELF website order because Ulta only sells the 4 lightest shades.
The Instant Lift Brow is 0.006 oz. Not only is the Ultra Precise Brow Pencil much smaller in packaging size, it actually contains a third of the product at 0.002 oz. What I love about the Instant Lift is how creamy it is, though that also means it only stays put as long as you don’t accidentally rub your brows. The Ultra Precise Brow is a bit stiffer, as is necessary to maintain the precision, but it’s not as stiff as all the other brow pencils I’ve used. It’s also not quite as easy to remove.
Both shades are in Dark Brown. The Instant Lift is $2 whereas the Ultra Precise is $5. Despite the Ultra Brow being more expensive for less product, I never go through my brow products before having to toss them, so I think I will continue purchasing the Ultra Brow in the future because I really enjoy how sharp I can make my brows look! That being said, I still love the Instant Lift and will continue to use it up until it’s finished or it’s time to throw it out.
The original Poreless Putty Primer has been touted as the dupe for Tatcha’s Silk Canvas primer, but I can tell the difference. The ELF primer is more emollient and actually easier to blend into the skin than the Tatcha primer. On the smooth areas of my face, they perform similarly. However, my favorite place to put the Tatcha primer is under my eyes, because I noticed it helps my Tarte Shape Tape to look a little less dry and minimizes the look of creases under my eyes. They’re still obviously there, but when I tried to ELF primer under my eyes, within hours they drew attention to them in the worst way. It made the concealer slide away in some spots and gather up in the creases instead. It basically looked worse than if I’d used no primer at all with Shape Tape. I can still recommend this primer (and I will still use it) on the rest of my face, as it worked nicely everywhere except the under eyes.
I think the original is a great option, but I absolutely hate the Luminous Putty Primer. At the time I bought it, I didn’t realize the luminosity was due to shimmer particles; that it would leave visible glitter specks randomly dotted all over my face, even under the foundation, and look like I had glitter fallout from eyeshadow before even doing my eye makeup.
The Putty Eye Primer that I own is in the shade Sand. These eye primers are often compared to the MAC paint pots. It does feel similar straight from the eyeshadow pot, but as it’s applied to the eyes and dries down, it takes on a very stiff texture that is similar to the feel of the ABH eye primer. MAC paint pots stay a little more creamy on the skin.
I enjoyed the Putty Eye primer for about four months until my eyeshadows were no longer sticking to my lids as well when I used this product. The formula became drier over time and a week after I started writing this, I checked again and it’s even drier than before. I no longer have the original box to confirm, but I believe it has a 6 month or less period after opening suggestion. Some products perform well for much longer than the PAO number, but this one didn’t. There are youtubers I admire who like this product (though the videos were first impressions while the pots were still fresh), but I don’t think it’s worth getting when there are other brands who make affordable eye primers too which last longer.
Lastly, I have the Deep Chestnut shade of the 16HR and Hydrating Camo concealers, yet they look like different shades. The original camo concealer has an olive undertone, but the hydrating version is lighter with a very yellow undertone. This difference in color was also noted by Samantha March who wears a very different shade than me, yet still encountered this issue. When you look at the consistency of both concealers, the hydrating one does look more fluid and has a creamier feel under my eyes when it’s freshly applied. After it sets, it continues to look dewy but it feels just as dry as the original. This doesn’t seem to be the case for everyone, but it is for me. I was hoping at least one of them could be an inexpensive replacement for my Tarte Shape Tape, but I can’t find a color to suit me.
In addition, these concealers also have the problem of not lasting as long. Granted, they lasted longer than the PAO date, but still quicker than any other concealer I’ve purchased. The 16HR Camo concealer has spots where the color is starting to separate in the tube. The Hydrating Camo concealer, which I’ve had an even shorter time, is definitely separating. I only used it perhaps five times in the seven months I’ve owned it, so I can’t even say it’s due to overexposure of oxygen from opening and closing the tube. Even if they did last longer, I don’t like the formula of the hydrating one anyway. I do prefer the original, but the shades and undertones in the range are a bit strange to me. I will be tossing them both out, but I at least showed swatches in the gallery further up in the post, even though I didn’t demonstrate them under my eyes.
That concludes this post! I hope it has been helpful. Thank you for reading!
I’m starting this post with a description of the palette to set the tone of what I was expecting: “Nomad x Tokyo Harajuku Intense Eyeshadow Palette. This poppy pastel palette of fun combines 10 high-pigmented eyeshadows and 5 unique multi-chrome toppers for a sheer prismatic color effect. 15 kawaii shades inspired by the wild creativity of the trendy Tokyo youth. Infused with Camellia Japonica Oil to make skin soft and silky smooth. Cruelty-free & vegan.”
Nomad’s website features Instagram looks from people who have used the palette. Someone please teach me this sorcery of how you get that purple and that blue on the eye compared to the swatches that Nomad themselves posted. Below are my own swatches which I don’t think are that far off from Nomad’s. So, the color intensity from my palette matches up to what I was supposed to get. Yet the site description and photos give the impression that the palette is much more vibrant than it really is.
Perhaps this is considered “intense” because it’s not a neutral color story. Maybe it’s “highly pigmented” for an eyeshadow palette as opposed to the color payoff it should have if it was a pigment palette. There are many times I’ve seen a photo on Instagram with a list of multiple branded eyeshadows used in a single look, yet one brand will repost the photo and make it seem like the whole thing was created using just their eyeshadows. So, it’s possible this person used more than the Harajuku palette on the eyes and that would explain the color differences. Or they used highly pigmented bases/paints underneath. It’s also possible someone used editing tools to turn up the color saturation and tweak the brightness, intensity, etc. I’m not saying it’s impossible to be talented enough to produce that kind of look from this palette. I just have no idea how to naturally do that regardless of what base I used. I tried seven different ones, which I will discuss further into this post.
This was the outcome of my first use of this palette, which I quickly realized has a learning curve.
These eyeshadows swatch beautifully! They feel smooth and glide across the skin nice and evenly. I swatched them on my MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork, yet when I used the same base on my eyes, they wouldn’t stick and kept dusting away. The reason I was able to pack three different colors on top of each other on my lid was because the previous two blew away and just left me with white powder on the lids. Patting motions produce decent results with some of these eyeshadows, but I have been unable to actually blend any shade besides that dark grey called Visual Kei.
Pastel shades can be quite tricky to use, particularly on darker skintones. While it’s true that I tend to avoid pastels because they’re time consuming to use if the formula isn’t suited for me, the pastels from Lethal Cosmetics and Makeup Geek show that they can be made to work for everyone.
What I learned from my failed attempts is that it’s not enough to just have a creamy base (MAC paint pot) or a white base that is dry (Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow primer), so I switched to the Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow base which is whitish-clear and emollient. Making this switch provided better results.
I still wasn’t satisfied though, so I continued to test things until I came to the realization that the Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk is the best base that I have. I was able to get every shadow to perform decently from the top two rows of the palette, excluding the two shades which I couldn’t get to work with any base: Hanami and Kuroi Niji. And the satin finish in Now is Forever is what helps me distinguish between that shade and Kakigori, even though they look different in the pan.
These are the results of my testing, which I hope better explains what I was trying to say. The difference between the lilac line and blue hearts is that some of the bases had the color show up but the shadows faded quickly. And even though the Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil worked the best of all, there’s still a learning curve to using this too.
Shadows do crease on me, but if I use too much of the Nyx pencil on my eyes the creasing becomes deeper and more noticeable. Using too much also prevents it from drying down, but too little and the shadows won’t stick. A few hours after I did that eyeshadow look, which had a little too much of the Nyx pencil, I accidentally rubbed my eye and a thick patch of eyeshadow left a streak across my hand. I’ve had shadows come off a little but not to this degree. So, it’s important to find the right balance.
As for the “multi-chromes,” the five sparkly shades on the bottom row have multi-colored shimmery specks but when I think of a multi-chrome, I expect a color shift. Perhaps it just doesn’t show as well on my skintone, but to my own eyes these are duochromes at most. That doesn’t take away from the fact that these really are beautiful and are the stars of this palette. They stick fairly well on their own, but Nyx Glitter Glue ensures that there’s minimal glitter fallout. They definitely stay in place, even when rubbed.
The base in Decora is the most pigmented, and therefore is the darkest one, especially with its darker purple glitter. That’s why I often pair it with Takenoko-zoku over Lolita or Gyaru when one of those two are on the other half of my eyes. Takeshita-dori looks darker in the pan, but the light purple glitter makes it appear lighter than Decora. The vibrant yellow in Zaku Zaku doesn’t translate to the eye and appears more of a peachy pink, which is why I pair it most often with Kawaii. Moshi Moshi looks mostly green with blue glitter. Otaku looks pink in the pan, but it just looks blue on me.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Now that I know the trick to making this palette work for me, I can foresee myself continuing to use it. Liking 9 out of 15 shades is a decent ratio for a premade palette. However, I can’t recommend this despite loving the packaging, the concept, the texture of the shadows, and the results with specific shades. The formula is too finicky. And although it didn’t work as well for me, I thought it was still worthwhile to post about for anyone wanting to see this on a dark skintone. If you have a lighter complexion or a more advanced skillset than I do, you may enjoy this palette more than I did.
After the excitement of getting my hands on the special pink chrome mirrored packaging of Divine Rose II, I felt inspired to take a closer look at all the Pat Mcgrath palettes in my collection. I don’t have many, but I’m very happy with the selection I own, as these are color stories that suit me without there being too many repeats or similar shades, as PMG has been known lately to do.
MOTHERSHIP VIII: DIVINE ROSE II
This palette somehow turned me into a pink eyeshadow lover! The shade Rose Seduction is considered safe in the EU, which is often ahead of the US in terms of cosmetic safety, but the FDA hasn’t updated their stance on eye-safe pigments, so this is an “artistry” palette rather than an “eyeshadow” palette. What sold me on trying this out is that Kinkysweat on Youtube suggested that Naked Blush and Rose Seduction could be used for blush, Skinshow Rose Opal as a highlighter, and Astral Pink Moon as a highlight topper. It turns out that both Rose Seduction and Naked Blush work as a blush for me since Naked Blush deepens up when applied to the skin. Rose Seduction also looks like it would be far too bright, but it’s subtle looking on my cheeks with my Chikuhodo blush brushes. I don’t like Astral Pink Moon on the cheeks because of how glittery it is, but Skinshow Rose Opal makes a fun pinkish gold highlight.
As I mentioned in my Eyeshadow Tag post, despite how nice the quality of these eyeshadows are, I still feel they’re a bit overpriced. However, the multi-purpose shades, the Sextraterrestrial Trichrome, and the limited-edition packaging made this palette worth getting. I am obsessed with the Sextraterrestrial eyeshadow! Clionadh Cosmetics’ Forge multichrome is a close dupe for the shade, though that one packs more of a punch based on the photo comparisons I’ve seen. Ironically, the color never interested me when I placed my Clionadh orders, yet when I actually tried Sextraterrestrial on my eyes, I suddenly saw the beauty and allure of the shade combination. At some angles it looks neutral on me but then the light catches it and suddenly BAM! You’re hit with a gorgeous color shift. It doesn’t pick up the best on camera but it’s so stunning in person. You can even see the shift depending on the lighting within the pan (and how it is reflected in the mirror of the palette).
The only disappointment I have is the addition of both Bronze Rose 005 and Gold Lust 001 because the differences in those two shades aren’t distinct enough on my eyes. Considering how specific this color story already is, and being limited to ten shadows, I would have liked the gold eyeshadow (which she has plenty of across all her palettes) to be replaced with something else. Also, Eleganza and Divine Dusk look similar next to each other on my lids as well. Regardless, I’m still glad I bought this.
MOTHERSHIPIII: Subversive and MTHRSHP Subversive La Vie En Rose
I’ve discussed the Subversive palette in my Eyeshadow Tag post, so I will just update that I’m still enjoying it very much. This was a new purchase this year, but I bought the smaller palette several years ago. La Vie En Rose is starting to near the end of its usability, as the shadows are starting to get crumbly. It smells fine, but textural changes are indicating it is time to stop using this soon. It was a limited edition product, so I cannot repurchase it. Purple Reign is the only color I would miss, but I do have extremely similar purples from other brands.
Star Wars Galactic Gold and Dark Galaxy
Aside from swatches when I first bought this, I haven’t done looks with the Star Wars palettes until this post. I originally felt a bit disappointed since the shades didn’t look how I expected in person, and I didn’t know how to pair these colors together. However, when I originally swatched them, it was on bare skin and I have since learned that several of Pat Mcgrath’s best eyeshadows require a sticky/tacky/wet base to show the true impact of the shade. I didn’t realize the shifts in some of these until I started working on this post. Now I am so glad I bought Galactic Gold! The duochromes make it a better purchase than Dark Galaxy because the shades in that palette aren’t the type I reach for that often and aren’t particularly memorable. These palettes were limited edition but anything limited edition with a high demand always comes back from this brand.
Also, I like that these palettes don’t have the flap top that the other 6 pan condensed palettes have because it’s easier to store, open, and keep open.
As for repeats, there is a shade called Corruption in the MTHRSHP Sublime Bronze Temptation palette and Smoked Amethyst in MTHERSHP Subversive Metalmorphosis palette that both appear in the Star Wars Dark Galaxy palette. The shades Bronze and Gold Standard from Subversive Metalmorphosis are in Star Wars Galactic Gold. Gold Standard is also in the Decadence Palette and Mini Eye Ecstasy.
Mini Eye Ecstasy: Subversive
I bought this tiny palette to try and satisfy my desire for the Decadence palette, which hadn’t restocked at the time and I also couldn’t justify spending so much on a palette without the “special” shades. The color curation is gorgeous, but I’m so glad this mini exists. For me, this was a much better way of getting the shades I wanted most without spending an arm and a leg.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoy these shadows for the luxury experience and performance. However, there are brands with a larger range of eyeshadows that don’t have as many duplicates as Pat Mcgrath does. Her collection is comparatively too small to have so many repeat shades. And besides using the actual same shades, there are still those with different names that are similar to each other as well. When you’re spending so much money on palettes, the last thing you want is to essentially purchase the same thing multiple times. So, that’s one of the reasons I’m very selective about which palettes I buy and why I spent so much time discussing comparisons in this post for those who want to avoid this issue as well. Aside from that, the quality of Pat Mcgrath shadows are very nice and in some ways worth the hype.
Lili's Beauty Blog 