review: master palette by mario (anastasia beverly hills)

There are many things that make me happy. A few examples include Anastasia Beverly Hills and the Kardashians. (If you have been reading my blog for a while then you likely know about my obsession with the Kardashians. From inspiration photos to tutorials and hauls....they have definitely been featured here a time or two!) So of course, I had my eyes on the new limited edition palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills. The Master Palette by Mario was created by Mario Dedivanovic, Kim Kardashian's makeup artist. The man who has perfected the art of smokey eye looks and expertly contoured cheekbones has released his very first makeup product. And it is amazing.

My husband and I did a bit of shopping downtown on my birthday weekend. That of course included a quick stop off at Sephora. Going in, I was trying to be good. I knew about the palette but was determined not to shell out the $60 (CDN) to get it. Then I saw it. Swatched it. Fell in love with it. While I hmm-ed and haww-ed endlessly - it was as if there was an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other - my husband made the final decision. He told me to get it. Not only was there a Kardashian connection, he reasoned, but these were all the eyeshadow shades I loved most. Sold!

Before I get into my full review of the palette, let's take a closer look inside. Here are all of the shades and the swatches...

As you can see from the photo above, there is a great shade range here. The palette includes twelve shadows altogether (three matte and nine shimmer) that are warm, earthy, and easy to wear. There is a great combination of light shades, mid-tones, and deeper colours. That makes it easy to create that Kardashian inspired smokey eye look! 

These are swatches from the palette (all without a primer). From left to right they are: Hollywood, NYC, Kim, Muse, Marina, Claudia, Lula, Isabel, Violeta, 5th Ave, Bronx, and Paris. I love that the shades were named after the things that inspired Mario....the people and places he adores. So cute!

Now to dig into the full review. As you can probably tell from my review so far, I am a big fan of the shade selection. I love metallic colours, warmer tones, and bold neutrals. This has all of that and more. These are amazing every day eyeshadows that can be worn to work, out to lunch, or on a girls night out. It has the versatility to take you from day to night and work for a variety of different skin tones. Each shade was definitely well thought out. Something to keep in mind, though? If you do not like shimmery eyeshadows then this is something you should skip, as most of them have a shimmery finish. (Which is something that makes me happy. I love a good shimmery shadow!)

The packaging is sleek, simple, and sturdy. It has an elegant logo on the front, a magnetic closure on the front, and a small mirror inside. This palette also comes with a double ended brush. It has a fluffy blending brush on one end and a denser brush on the other end.

As for the texture of the eyeshadow shades? Incredible. They are so soft and buttery smooth. Each one applies like a dream and is super easy to blend. I haven't experienced any fall out whatsoever (even with the darker shade, Claudia) either. The pigmentation is another standout aspect of this palette. All of the shades, both shimmer and matte, are highly pigmented. Needless to say, I was very impressed with the quality of these eyeshadows!

The Master Palette by Mario is not just a good eyeshadow set. It is one of my all-time favourite makeup items. The quality is so high, the shadows are so wearable, and the formula is incredible. There is absolutely nothing about this palette that I would change. It was completely worth the price tag....and I am so glad my husband urged me to pick it up.

Have you tried this palette? What do you think of it?

xo Shannon