As a woman of color, it is hard for me to find shadows of this pigment that will show properly with or without a base or primer. This palette, the Beauty Gems Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette, shows up perfectly with or without the primer and base. I especially love the neutral tones that are included. As you can see in the picture above, I have really enjoyed the darker tones and a couple of lip stains. My only issue with the lip stains that are the red or pink colors are their bases aren't blue and they don't look very attractive. I've found myself having to take a little of the blue eyeshadow to use as a base then put the red on top of it. Other than that the only other con I have for this product is the extra fall-age when I apply the shadow to my eyes. Although it isn't a lot, because the pigments show up high once applied, it leaves a residue when I wipe the excess off. Other than that, this palette is one of my favorites and I plan to continue my use of it.
When I first opened the palette, I thought I wouldn't like it because the neutral colors seemed so understated. When I got home and decided to swatch the neutrals, I became pleasantly surprised at how well they showed up against my skin. I fell in love with them right then and there. I didn't necessarily worry about the other sides where they held the bright pop colors because I knew they would easily show up, but I still did a swatch and got the same results as I did from the neutral sides. The shimmer in the shadows is really noticeable in the light or sun and gives off such a fun, girlie feel to it. I have been known to go for darker lip colors so when I swatched the dark lip colors my heart burst with excitement. Unfortunately that couldn't be said for the brighter colors seeming as their bases weren't the correct tone for my skin. I also realized that the shine really didn't show so I would have to add a coat of clear lip gloss I brought from the hair store. Other than that, nothing else bothered me.
My favorite aspect to this palette is that I don't have to mix in shadows from other palettes when I am blending. I hate having to use several different palettes because then it becomes an inconvenience to me.
All in all, I give this palette a score of 8.5/10.
- Extra Fall-age
- Lip stain/gloss really doesn't shine like advertised
- Red and Pink lip stains don't look attractive without a blue base
- High pigmentation
- Affordable (paid $12.50)
- Easy to remove with water or make up wipes
- No irritation caused to eyes
- Has not been tested on animals
- Do not need to use other palettes when blending
Meet Leina (pronounced Lay-nuh)!! This beauty I found out about when researching this years NYX Cosmetics Face Awards and of course on youtube. I learned that she is a freelance makeup artist and might I add she is a very good one at that. Her youtube videos and tutorials are very helpful especially if you are just starting out when it comes to working with make up. Down below are a couple of my favorite videos that she's done.
