Cruelty-free palettes I (almost) didn’t buy!

So, I’m kind of obsessed with eye shadow palettes.  I have an inordinate number, and I even have back ups of some of my faves (Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, I’m looking at you, kid).

That said, I’ve historically only purchased palettes in which I’ve liked every single shade.  I’ve been known to spurn palettes that had even one shade I wasn’t too jazzed about.  It just threw me off.  But, I’ve recently made exceptions for 3 palettes that I must admit I’ve ended up really liking, and I thought I’d share some of my fave looks from them.

First up, the Too Faced Star Dust by Vegas Nay Palette.  This has already become a bit of a classic in the internet beauty world and I can see why.  In addition to the palette, you get samples sizes of Better than Sex Mascara, Shadow Insurance, and the lovely Nude Beam Glamour Dust.  The shade that threw me for a bit of a loop in this palette was Follow Me, but I took the plunge, and I’m glad I did!

I was particularly swayed by Millennial and, of course, the gorgeous Double Tap.  So, the featured look for this palette includes both!  Millennial through the crease and Double Tap to deepen up the outer half of the lid.   Then, Selfie on the inner half of the lid to really brighten things up.

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Next up, my very first foray into the world of Anastasia Beverly Hills.  The Self-Made Eye Shadow Palette.  Keeping in mind my love of neutrals and deep jewel tones, you may have guessed that Isla was the color in this palette that had me a bit nervous.

I was tempted to give her a whirl for this look, but Pink Champagne ended up being too scrumptious to resist.  I tried my hand at a halo smoky look, using Hot Chocolate for the smoke and Pink Champagne for the light.  I ended up being pretty pleased with how it turned out.  And, I used the brush that comes with the palette, which turns out to be quite nice, to both apply and blend!

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Last but not least, the Too Faced Semisweet Chocolate Bar Palette.  Yes, I’m in lurve with the original, but Blueberry Swirl really scared the beejeezus out of me.  Very bright.

But, ultimately, how could one resist having yet another fabulous quality palette that smells like chocolate?  I mean, I’m saying you can still smell the chocolate while you’re wearing the shadows.  I even came up with a way to wear that brightness that suits my style.  Layer it over a dark base!  So, I started with Sigma’s Eye Shadow Base in Sculpt (very impressed by the pigmentation and blendability by the way), then layered on Blueberry Swirl.  I blended a bit of Mousse through the crease and topped it all off with some Butter Pecan.  Is anyone else in the mood for dessert?

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Alright, that’s it for this week.  Let me know if there are any other palettes I should stop being ‘fraidy scared of 😉

*These are only my opinions, formed through my personal experience as a consumer.  I am not a medical doctor, an aesthetician, or a health/beauty professional.  There is no guarantee what effect, positive or negative, these products may have on anyone else.

**All products were purchased by me from brands that, to the best of my knowledge, are cruelty-free.