Makeup palettes are hot this Fall, aren't they? They're everywhere! I've been looking for ages for the perfect eyeshadow palette: it would have a few neutrals, a great taupe (my favorite!), and one or two darker or accent shadows.
Take a look at LORAC's new eyeshadow palette, Private Affair. It seems to fit the bill, doesn't it?!
Keep reading to see swatches, more pictures, and read the review!
Moving on...
Description:
"Be a smokin' sensation with LORAC's Private Affair Smoky Eye Palette! This mini palette includes six highly pigmented eyeshadows of shimmering neutrals, silvery grays, and sparkling purples. It also contains a compact drawer that holds a mini eye primer and double-ended brush (blender and smudger). Sizzle with sexy, smoky eyes at all your Private Affairs with LORAC!"
Packaging:
A fairly coffinesque rectangular palette in faux burgundy croc skin. The six shadows (also rectangular) are housed in the top of the palette, which also has a mirror and a magnetic closure. There's a divided drawer that comes out under one of the small sides of the palette. This handled drawer holds a small shadow primer and a dual-ended brush. The sides and area surrounding the shadows is satin; the "croc skin" is on the top
Appearance:
The colors are unnamed (I hate that!), so here are the descriptions (from left to right in the palette):
- Champagne gold (shimmer)
- A slightly darker, slightly peachy champagne gold (shimmer)
- Mid-tone beige bordering on taupe (shimmer)
- Midtone taupe (shimmer)
- Deep plum (shimmer, but less so than the first 4)
- Blackened plum with bright burgundy glitter
Performance:
Well, these colors are gorgeous in the pan. And they swatch great, too. Sadly, I can't make them some of them pull together and cooperate in a look. They first 4 shades are very soft. Like miscalculate a milimeter and you've gouged out a divot soft. Like brush it with your fingernail and lose a chunk soft. Like get heavy-handed with your blending and make a brand new shade of mud soft. The darker two shades, which should be perfect for lining or for darkening the outer "V" or crease, just don't do much of anything. Oh, and they're almost as soft as the first ones.
Comments:
The brush is scratchy and stiff, so I refuse to use it. Of course, I almost always toss brushes that come with palettes, so that's not a huge strike against this product. The primer isn't bad, but it's not great, either. Certainly not selling me on a large tube of it (which is why they're there besides being "a convenience"), but it's fine for travel. If you have dark skin, you might want to try before you buy on the primer, since it's fairly light and not transparent.
The shadows were partially a disappointment. I find that they're better for using one at a time. In fact, I really love the colors of the first 4 shades. None of the colors are terribly original, but do they really have to be? Paired together in this palette, they come in handy for traveling.The two champagne colors are lovely, and I find the lightest one (really, both) to be great for highlighting the tear duct and under the brow. Of course, they're both fine on the lid, too. The two midtone shades are lovely when used alone, too, or even great with the lighter shades as highlight. Just don't blend too much! Pat the highlight on and leave it alone.
The darker shadows are where it all falls apart. I should be able to swirl these on the outer portion of the lid, wet them to use as a liner (or hell, even use them dry!), or swipe them into the crease. Well, surely I can do those things, but there's no point in doing so since the colors have little-to-no impact on the eye. I have tried to use them wet, dry, over this primer, over other primers, and with my fingers crossed -- no luck no matter what. The darkest color, by the way, shows no glitter once it's on the eye. This is a shame, because in the pan these two colors were the most promising!
As you'll see in the looks I did with these shadows, the two darker colors are okay when used on the lid, alone, or as a liner. But they're not great. Again: doable for travel, but not something I'm going to grab on the daily.
I had a little fall-out under the eye from the darker colors (on the right you will see a picture of my formerly white shirt). If you aren't great with eyeshadow or tend to sweep color on (instead of patting it or pressing it on) tred carefully. My advice is to do your eyes first, clean-up, then do your face. These shadows are SOFT, and not in a good way.
Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that the palette won't stay open for anything. You have to hold it open! (See my fingers doing so in the pictures?) VERRRRY annoying. And the satin gets really dirty, too.
Price:
This is sold at Sephora for $38. It's advertised as being a $136 value.
Since I will only use the first four colors and not the darker shades, brush, or primer, well this just seems like a lot of money.
Who Should Buy It:
Hardcore LORAC fans; people who like the 4 light shades and don't mind either not using the dark shades or don't mind the minimal color payoff.
Who Should Skip It:
I would think carefully over this palette if you are someone who demands high color payoff from your darker colors. If you prefer a high-drama eye, this isn't for you. Also, the colors are fairly cool-toned, so if you have uber-warm undertones you may want to pass. If you have dark circles, pass; this can accentuate them.
Rating:
I'm going to post my looks on another entry, because this is getting a bit pic-heavy. I'll link it up in a few minutes, when that post goes live. Click here to see the looks.
This product was furnished for consideration by the manufacturer or a representative thereof. Please read our review policy on our About tab for more information.
So, what do you think? Do you have this palette? Like the looks of it? Need more drama from your darker shades? Do you have any tricks for working with soft shadows? Do you think all shadows should come in a coffin?
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