Thursday, January 22, 2015

i have an irrational fear of wasting a smokey eye on an insignificant day.


This is a review I have been working on for some time. Why? I wanted to get a good feel for this palette before I posted anything. The palette in question is the fairly new, Maybelline The Smokes. After being rather happy with their previous The Nudes palette, I instantly made a grab for this super smokey eyeshadow set. If there is one thing I love in a makeup look, it is a little drama around the eyes. I absolutely adore smokey eye looks - and they tend to be my go-to. Which is exactly why I was so thrilled that there was finally a drugstore palette devoted to the dramatic.

What was it like? Did this palette meet my expectations? Before I get into what it did or didn't do....let's take a closer look at the shades themselves. It included some blues, greens, purples, silvers, browns, and even a black. Colour wise, the shade selection was perfect. The set included some great smokey eye colours. There was enough variety there that you could easily put together a number of different looks. Here is a peek at the palette - along with some swatches.


While I applaud Maybelline for bringing palettes to the drugstore.....this was a miss. And I really didn't want it to be a miss. As you can tell from the swatches above, the pigmentation is a hit or a miss. Some shades are absolutely beautiful. Some shades take a lot of work to use. The lack of consistency is what kills this palette. It isn't something I would take with me on a trip or store in my makeup bag simply because I can't make good use of all of the shades included. Such a disappointment!

The highlight? That sparkly silver shade. It looks absolutely gorgeous and is super pigmented. Quite frankly, this is the only stand out eyeshadow in the palette. There are a few decent ones included - but this is the only one that actually wowed me. The low point? The black shade. When I use a black eyeshadow, I expect it to look black. Not kind of grey. Not sort of dark. Black. This does not. It is very difficult to use. I have found myself applying the silver all over the lid and then using a black shade from another palette to complete the look.

Despite the negative aspects of this eyeshadow palette, I was still able to create a decent make look using it. Take a look and let me know what you think:


Overall, Maybelline The Smokes was a miss for me. There were some lovely shades....but more often than not, I was left wanting more. They failed to offer the same consistency that their previous palette offered. And that is a real shame. Would I recommend this? No. There just isn't enough bang for your buck here.

Have you tried this eyeshadow palette? What did you think of it?

xo Shannon

23 comments:

  1. What a great review, Shannon! I saw this at my local Target and almost bought it! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. ps. I love the title of this post! :D

    xoxo, Diana
    www.mytrendyheart.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous palette and wonderful review! I adore the title of this post as well and I can definitely relate to it!

    <3

    ican'taffordmylifestyle

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've never tries the palette before. I love your makeup, you did an awesome job

    itsjustshalay.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. oh wow! very nice smokey! and I love the palette colors!

    Lyosha
    Inside and Outside Blog

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, so beautiful colors, great post. ^^
    Have a nice Friday, dear...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow. lovely shades, I think i need to buy something like this and learn how to put it. :D

    xx,
    Jewel
    www.jewelclicks.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. It looks perfect on you! http://adribohocloset.blogs.elle.es/sorteo-entradas-080-barcelona-fashion/

    ReplyDelete
  8. So happy I stumbled upon your blog! Loving this post!

    xo, Hayley

    www.dailydoseofdarling.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. lovely palette! you looks so flawless dear <3

    rheapunya.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great paletee and amazing make-up!!!!
    Happy friday!
    Kisses, Paola.

    Expressyourself

    My Facebook

    ReplyDelete
  11. aww i love this palette!! and you did a great make up :)

    xoxo,
    Alice's Pink Diary

    ReplyDelete
  12. I find Maybelline eyeshadows aren't strong enough, but you totally rocked it!
    xo Annie
    New England Romance

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your eyes do look great even if the palette was a miss. Thanks so much for the review!! Hope you have a great weekend!

    Jayme & Mendi @ Her Late Night Cravings

    ReplyDelete
  14. the colors look really nice & your makeup looks great!

    xx danielle // shades of danielle // bloglovin

    ReplyDelete
  15. I don't know that palette but it looks beautiful! Where is your sweater from? It's gorgeous! Kisses

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have the same irrational fear with outfits loll! Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts on the palette! I love the colors, but too bad it left you wanting more! Either way your makeup turned out so pretty! :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love the second row, oh that silver!

    ReplyDelete
  18. This palette looks very nice!
    xx
    www.theblackblush.blogspot.pt

    ReplyDelete