I will admit to being sucked in by the packaging on this one. So pretty. But it turns out, after having used the palette for awhile, that I think the makeup is high quality as well.



I won't spend too much time on the mascara. It is there, it works, it is easy enough to remove (I've been using a dual phase eye makeup remover), and it does not irritate my eyes. It is not the most dramatic mascara I've ever used but it is serviceable. I tend to only use mascaras for a month or so before throwing them out (both for hygiene reasons and because I have 50 or 60 mascaras...). So the blush and eyeshadows will long outlive the mascara.



No brushes/applicators are included, and there is also not an eyeliner (unless you are going to use one of the dark shadow colors as liner), so while this is probably more compact for travel than, say, a separate eyeshadow and blush palette, you will have to bring a few things along. This does have a large-ish mirror inside the lid.



The blushes are great for me. They are not over-pigmented so I can apply them without a lot of thought and I don't get clownface (I have very pale skin). They are buildable to a degree but I did not test *how* buildable they were, because I wanted a more natural look. The blushes tend to be warmer-toned although the top left one is a bit cooler. They blended well with my foundation and finishing powder and did not irritate the skin. I tend to choose blush based on what I'm wearing for the day (since I have neutral undertones) and there are enough colors for me to do that here.



I really like the colors of the shadows. I don't use the bottom two rows a ton, except for a bit of an accent color here and there. (I am not too adventurous when it comes to eyeshadow and tend to avoid darker colors.) I will probably run out of the first three colors in the top row first, since they are good all-over highlights and as bases for blending. Surprisingly, the orange-ish color on the top right is my favorite. It has a nice shimmer and really good coverage.



These shadows do not irritate my eyes (important, since I have contact lenses as well as sensitive eyes). They blend pretty well (especially over a base shadow), the more pigmented ones definitely show up, and I'm not getting a lot of fallout. They are long-lasting, as well, though I have very oily eyelids so I wear a primer. Pretty much any old primer that works for you will do, as I've tried several. You probably don't need a "glitter glue" type of primer even for the shimmery shades. I have been applying these dry, exclusively.



Anyway, I think this was definitely worth the purchase. The shadows alone could have easily come in around fifty dollars in a palette, so to get the blushes and the mascara definitely more than makes up for the rest of the value. Will be enjoying this one for a long time.