review and swatches: the jaclyn hill palette

There was so much hype. Everyone and their mother was obsessing over the Jaclyn Hill palette from Morphe from the moment it launched. And continued to rave about it with each and every re-stock. Not to mention its recent appearance at Ulta stores. Basically....every makeup obsessed person seemed to have this palette or want to have this palette. I fell into the latter category.

Though I was curious to try out the Jaclyn Hill palette for myself (because I absolutely adored her collaboration with Becca), it just didn't seem to be in the cards for me. Why? I'd heard about palettes arriving broken in the mail and there are no Ulta stores in Canada. Reluctant to order online, I had pretty much given up on the idea. Until my recent shopping trip to Eerie, Pennsylvania. There happened to be an Ulta store at one of the malls we visited.

All I could do was cross my fingers that they had the Morphe palette in stock. They did! Though it still had the old packaging (they are being updated to be more durable, easier to clean, and have the shadow names printed inside)...I didn't care one bit. I just wanted to test out this buzzed about palette for myself.

So....how was it? Did this eyeshadow palette live up to the hype? Yes, yes it did. Despite the largely positive reviews online, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Often when something is highly praised, it fails to live up to the high expectations. And then I wind up feeling let down and disappointed. Thankfully, that is not what happened here. I went to do some sample swatches and literally gasped out loud at how pigmented some of the shades were. Many of them are intense. They have a seriously impressive colour payoff. Don't believe me? Here are the swatches!

The shimmery shades in particular are extremely bold. They also have a very smooth and creamy texture that gives this palette a luxurious and high end feel....despite it's fairly affordable price tag. ($32 USD). There are also a number of matte shades included in the palette. Though they have that same creamy texture, the colour payoff is a little less consistent. Some of the mattes are rich and pigmented while others are a little less vibrant. That is my only criticism of this palette, honestly. If the mattes were more consistent from one to the next, it would literally be the perfect palette!

Something else to mention? The variety of shades in this palette. Obsessed. There are both mattes and shimmers, light shades, dark shades, neutrals, warm colours, and exciting pops of colour. There really is a little something for everyone! I am especially into the warmer reds and that incredible turquoise. The more I play around with the colours, the more impressed I am. Though it is going to take me a little while to really go through them all....there is plenty of room to get creative.

Speaking of creative! The very first look I put together using the Jaclyn Hill palette was all about those reds. I used Creamsicle through the crease, Firework all over the lid, and a mixture of Hunts and Jacz to deepen the crease. Let me know what you think......

This is one eyeshadow palette that was totally worth the hype. It has quickly become one of my all-time favourite palettes. Gorgeous colours, intense pigmentation, and a luxurious texture. What more could a beauty lover need? This is certainly a winner as far as I am concerned.

In addition to this gorgeous palette....I also picked up plenty of other fabulous items on that shopping trip. My latest YouTube video shows you some of the highlights. From makeup to movies to accessories, holiday items, and more. Check it out below and let me know what you think!



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

xo Shannon