fab or fail? disney moana heart of te fiti eyeshadow palette

Lately, my mind has been all Disney all the time. Even when it comes to makeup. Especially when it comes to makeup. A while back, I picked up an eyeshadow palette from Hot Topic. Though I tend to skip over palettes from this store on a general basis (because you can't test it out)....this was one that I could not resist. The Disney Moana Heart of Te Fiti Eyeshadow Palette stood out for a few reasons. One, the bright and beautiful packaging. Two, my total addiction to all things makeup and beauty related. But mostly it was because I have a complete and total obsession with Moana.

It's true! Moana is easily my most watched Disney movie. And that is certainly saying something. I don't know exactly what it is about this particular film, but I absolutely adore it. It has been viewed literally hundreds of times in my household. (Which explains why so many Moana themed t-shirts and accessories have made their way into my wardrobe.) So when makeup and a movie I love come face to face, it simply must become a part of my collection. This particular palette was originally priced at $20 CDN but I managed to get it at a discount so it only set me back $8. While the price was right, how did the palette actually perform? Was it fab or a total fail?

Disney Moana Heart of Te Fiti Eyeshadow Palette Review

First thing is first: how cute is the packaging? In terms of the actual packaging, I would certainly say this falls on the fab side of things. Despite the fact that it comes in simple cardboard, I love the Moana themed colours, pictures, and designs. There is a small round mirror inside (which is always a bonus) along with incredible cartoons and even a little picture of Hei Hei and Pua in the corner. It is downright adorable. I also really love the fact that the highlight included in this palette comes in the shape and design of the Heart of Te Fiti. The names of the shadows are also perfectly themed. The overall theme and design are wonderful and definitely capture the spirit of the film.

Now for the products themselves. Let's start by focusing on the shades included. On the left side there is: Manaina Toa (a warm gold), Tamatoa (a soft purple), Fish Hook (sage green), Atua O Sami (a deeper purple), Te Ka (shimmery white), and Mini-Maui (aqua). Then in the centre there is Kakamora (deep grey) and a large green highlight called the Heart of Te Fiti. To finish things off, there is the right side which includes: Motonui (a glittery dark green), Pua (shimmery beige), Stingray (champagne), Maui (dark purple), Hei Hei (bright pink), and Tiki (soft pink). Here are swatches of each of the shades....

Eesh. As you can see from those swatches above, there are an awful lot of inconsistencies happening there. Some shades have okay pigmentation and others have none at all. Some shades are fairly smooth while others are patchy and dry. While there are a few eyeshadows in here that are workable (like Manaina Toa, Maui, and Hei Hei) - most of the shades are disappointing. It takes a lot of work to try and build up any colour whatsoever. Another issue is that when you try to blend the shadows using a brush, most of the shadow fades away entirely. I found it best to apply the shadows using my fingertip rather than a brush. Not exactly a winner. 

There is however, one star in this sub-par palette. That highlight, the Heart of Te Fiti is shockingly pretty and pigmented. The shade has a soft green tint and a ton of shimmer. It looks fabulous on the cheeks and is actually something I've been adding to my makeup looks a lot lately. While the eyeshadows aren't overly impressive, that highlight absolutely makes the palette. 

Though it was difficult, I did manage to create a decent look using the eyeshadows. I used Manaina Toa in the crease with Hei Hei on the inner part of the lid and Tamatoa on the outer third.

Rating: 1.5 / 5

Overall, this palette is sadly a fail. Though the packaging is adorable and that highlight is stellar...the large majority of the eyeshadows are poorly pigmented and difficult to work with. It's a shame! That being said, I'm glad that I took a chance and gave this Disney eyeshadow palette a try. 

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