When it comes to major beauty purchases (which in my book are typically anything costing more than $20) I'm usually not one to buy on impulse. Being the blogger type I often will read lots of reviews, watch videos, and make a very well educated decision on where I'm going to invest my money.
Once in a great while, though, I'll stumble upon a potential gem, and without any prior research splurge on a whim. Sometimes my rash decision is a poor one (and those are times when I'm very thankful for return policies), but sometimes it's unintentionally brilliant.
Prime example? My latest Sephora haul.
I had a 20% coupon, and knew that there was a very limited window to place an order before everything got insanely picked over and hot ticket items became sold out. I had been perusing the website here and there before the sale started and had a vague idea of some things that I wanted, but I was feeling very indecisive and kept changing my mind. Did I really need 22 more mini bottles of nailpolish? Would I use enough of the lip products in the Give Me More Lip set to make it worth it? And before I knew it, the sale had started, and I realized I would have to pull the trigger.
After much filling and unfilling my shopping cart and feeling frustrated with myself, I came across the Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes. The reviews were spectacular, and the color selection looked right up my alley. I haven't bought an eyeshadow palette for myself since I invested in the Urban Decay Naked I, mostly with the rationale that I really don't need another. But, feeling impulsive and knowing that it was a L.E. product, I decided to go for it and give it a try.
I have to say, I am SO happy that I did. I've been using it pretty much every single day since it showed up on my doorstep. And have gotten a 20% off discount on it?
Winning.
It appears that this palette has unfortunately sold out on the Sephora website, but it's possible that there are some still available in stores. If you have a chance to get your hands on one, I highly recommend doing so.
The Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes contains 12 luxurious eyeshadows - 7 matte (Vanilla Nuts, Fresco, Plum Smoke, Kir Royal, Truffle, Violet Ink and Espresso Bean) and 5 shimmer (Sparkling Dew, Guava, Primrose, African Violet, and Bamboo) - in a variety of neutral and muted purple shades. They are all beautifully pigmented and have a soft, buttery texture. I really appreciate that the shimmery shadows aren't overly glittery or metallic. They add just the right amount of sparkle that is totally wearable both to work or going out for the evening. I also really appreciate that there is a nice variety of matte shades to choose from. That is perhaps my biggest gripe about the Urban Decay Naked Palette. The colors are all quite pretty, but they are all very shimmery.
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| From left to right: Sparkling Dew, Vanilla Nuts, Guava, Primrose, African Violet, Fresco, Plum Smoke, Bamboo, Kir Royal, Truffle, Violet Ink, Espresso Bean |
As much as I love this palette, it's hard to single out favorite shades. Vanilla Nuts is the perfect matte highlight to use under the brow or in the inner corners of your eyes. Bamboo is a beautiful everyday color to blend into the crease. African Violet has a gorgeous gold shift that makes it compliment just about any neutral shade. The possibilities of looks you can create with these colors are seemingly endless. Here's a quick one I'm wearing out tonight.
For this look I used the color African Violet on the lid, Fresco in the crease, and Kir Royal along the upper and lower lash lines and into the outer edges of the crease. I also blended a bit of Guava right above the crease toward the brown bone. I decided to finish of the look with a deep eggplant liner (I used Cailyn Line Fix Gel Eyeliner in Purple) and black mascara.
In the end, if you are looking for something with a little bit more variety than just your standard neutral palette, this is definitely the way to go. At $48 I know it may be a bit of a splurge for some, but I think it's really worth the investment. The quality of everything from the packaging to the shadows themselves are undeniably top notch.
Have you had a chance to try this palette? If so, are you as in love with it as I am? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Or, if you are a fan of any other Laura Mercier products, I'd love to hear about them too.
Until next time, stay gorgeous!
Lauren
