Every now and then, a product comes along that gets a whirlwind of hype in the bloggersphere, and a lot of the time, it's hard to know what's PR fodder or initial excitement, and what's true.
Recently, I've heard a lot of good things about the Stila Eyes Are The Window to the Soul Palette, and after watching this Hey Claire video, I made a decision. I needed me that palette.
So after much hunting, the damn thing was out of stock everywhere, I got lucky and found it on Beauty Bay with 10% off, and free two day delivery.
And holy mother of makeup dreams the thing is beautiful.
Firstly, the packaging is MUCH more practical that any of Stila's previous packaging which is either battered cardboard, or plastic that falls apart. I worry about how fragile it is but not many palettes are easy to travel with without fear of damage. It's so purrrrdy though.
So important stuff, we've got 12 shades, four mattes and the rest shimmers. It's worth noting that there are a fair few shades in this palette that also appear in the In The Light Palette under different names. Cheeky Stila.
The general tone of the palette is comparable to the Naked 3, they're mostly warm toned with a few pinky purpley shades in the mix. You get a decent amount of product in each pan which is nice to see.
TOP ROW: Light - a matte cream shade, perfect for highlighting the browbone or creating a base. Individual - a warm matte brown, great for in the crease. Being - a dark matte brown, perfect for deepening the crease, or using as a liner.
SECOND ROW: Kitten - the cult classic shimmery champagne, gorgeous all over the lid or as an inner corner highlight. Affection - a warm pinky mauve shimmer, gorgeous all over the lid for a warmer look. Character - a dark purple black with flecks of golden shimmer. Comparable to Urban Decay Blackheart.
THIRD ROW: Thought - golden shimmer, a great summery all over lid shade. Heart - a matte taupe, great for in the crease with the more taupey shades. Peace - a warm mauve purple shimmer, again, gorgeous on the lid or in the crease.
BOTTOM ROW: Vitality - shimmery pewter taupe, my favourite shade in the palette, gorgeous swiped over the lid on it's own. Substance - a blue toned silver shimmer, again great all over the lid. Essence - matte black, great for deepening the crease or as a liner.
What really strikes me about this palette is how versatile it is. At first glance the colours look quite samey, but in actual fact, there's a lot of range here, mauves, browns, golds, taupes. I know a lot of people don't like to see a matte black in palettes, but I personally find them really useful. I love the pewter shade, and the golden shades, I often find golds don't suit my skin tone, but these work great for me.
As someone with colour changing eyes, sometimes hazel and sometimes green, these mauvey shades really compliment them, and make my eyes really pop.
As far as formula goes, I'm not disappointed. Whilst they aren't quite up there with the likes of Urban Decay or Nars for me, they are pretty damn good, and with a good primer underneath, they hold up really well throughout the day.
For me, this palette is a total winner, I love it. And I think, considering the quality and diversity of the shades, it's a bit of a bargain too.
What do you think?
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