Hi Makeup Geeks! As you all know, every year around the holidays I go on my search for the best makeup palettes. I review each of them individually, then at the end I pick my favorite one of the year. What could make the holidays even better but all the palettes and goodies that get released each year? It makes shopping so much more fun! 🙂
In this review we are going to be looking at the Stila “Artist Essential Palette”.
Packaging
The packaging on this mimics a wooden artist box that carries all their essential paints and brushes. It’s has a sturdy cardboard construction and a silver latch that closes the box. The box opens to reveal 4 small eye palettes with four shades in each one with 0.14 for each shade. It also contains, 0.07 Deluxe Convertible Color Lip & Cheek Cream, 0.03 oz Deluxe Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick, 0.01 oz Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner, #9 brush and a how to card. This is a lot of product for the price of the palette. There is a removable black plastic tray that hold the makeup so you can store more in the box if you like. There isn’t a mirror on it which I dislike, but to mimic the artist box you would necessarily have one. I do find it somewhat cumbersome but the idea behind this is really good. The packaging for the eyeshadows is not good at all. The plastic holders is in no way sturdy and would break or crack easily.
Eyeshadows
Unfortunately, this is where the palette truly lacks. The eyeshadows are quite sheer and chalky. The pigmentation on these isn’t as good as I expected either. You will definitely have to use a base and work to build the color up. When you try to blend the lighter shades they will actually disappear and don’t show up at all. They did not preform well when you wear them. They began to fade very quickly and didn’t have any lasting power. The only person I can see this being good for is someone who is just beginning in makeup or trying to build a collection.
From Top to Bottom
Quad 1 (Pop Art)
- Parity – Shimmery Sand
- Irony – Golden Khaki Green
- Primary – Hunter Green with Gold Tones
- Edgy – Dark Blackened Green
Quad 2 (Surreal)
- Dream – Soft Nude
- Symbolic – Metallic Shimmery Beige
- Fantasy – Deep Taupe
- Reality – Matte Black
Quad 3 (Abstract)
- Illusion – White with Pink Undertones
- Vivid – Soft Lavender
- Visual – Deep Eggplant with Brown Undertones
- Linear – Dark Matte Purple
Quad 4 (Renaissance)
- Poetry – Shimmery Light Gold
- Perspective – Golden Bronze
- Fresco – Copper Shimmer
- Drama – Rich Matte Brown
Brush
This is a #9 blending brush from Stila. This is actually one of the nicer items from the palette. It blends well and creates a soft gradient effect to your shadow. I do wish it was a bit stiffer but overall it’s not bad. The handle is nice and it sits well in your hand.
Lips
Included in the kit is an All Day Liquid Lipstick in the shade “Patina”. This is a dusty rose shade that will look best on medium to dark skin tones.
Liner
You also get a Smudge Stick Waterproof liner in “Stingray” which is a charcoal grey shade. It wears good but it’s not the best I have tried.
Cheeks
OK, so THIS is the best thing about this palette! Stila adds one of their Convertible Lip & Cheek colors along with this in the shade “Peony”. It is a mini, but Stila does make great cheek stains. The color is a soft peachy/pink which will look best on light to medium skin.
Price: $59.00
Where to Buy: Sephora, eBay
I really don’t recommend this set. Although the idea behind the packaging is good, the quality of the eyeshadows is very disappointing. For the price I expected this to be much better quality overall. And since the shadows are the biggest part of this kit you would think this is what they would focus on being great quality. With so many companies releasing palettes for the holidays you can certainly find one in this price range with much better quality and attention to detail
Well, that’s it for this review. I hope you all are doing great! Bundle up and make sure and drink lots of hot cocoa (or Starbucks) to keep warm out there. 🙂
XOXO,
Marlena
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