~Weekly Product Highlight~ Smashbox Photo Matte Eyes Travel Palette~

I have to be honest, I only signed up for the April Birchbox because they were offering this Smashbox Photo Matte Eyes Travel Palette (value $25) for free with a promo code and “new” subscription.

Thanks, Birchbox,  for the “free” palette, but sorry, I already canceled my subscription because you sent me terrible samples…If you want to read about what I got in my April Birchbox you can click HERE.

As soon as my sister in law told me about this great deal I signed up! I was very excited to try out Smashbox eyeshadows.  I have loved several other Smashbox products, but have never tried any of their eyeshadows.

This palette contains eight all matte eyeshadows.  Each shadow weighs 0.62 gram for a total of 4.98 grams.  These matte shadows can be used both wet or dry, with or without a primer. The palette has a good variety of both warm and cool shades. Because of the consistency of the shadows and the tone range the shadows could also be used to fill in the brows for so many skin tones and brow shades.

Packaging

The packaging is made out of a black matte acrylic with the words Smashbox #shapematters | eyes” embossed on the top.  It snaps closed and feels very sturdy. It also has a good quality “large” mirror that is the size of the palette packaging.  The hinges are strong enough that the palette stays open and the mirror stays propped up.  The names of the shadows are one the back of the packaging.

Palette Impressions   

• The shadows are soft, smooth, and buttery
• The pigmentation is great
• The pan sizes are tiny but large enough to get my eyeshadow brushes into without difficulty
• The shade selection is exactly what I use on a daily basis.
• A variety of transition shades, deeper shades,  lid/ brow bone shades, and brow filling shades.
• This palette can easily stand on its own and provide a complete eye look.
• It is the perfect size for traveling.
• I am overly pleased with it for $10 I paid for the cost of the Birchbox
• Because of the small size, I would NEVER have paid the $25 asking price for this palette.
• This palette is perfect for creating simple neutral everyday eye looks

Swatches

Swatches were applied with a dry flat brush to clean skin with a foundation base applied to the skin.

• Vanilla- soft light beige
• Wheat – soft warm brown
• Grounded- medium cool brown
• Rosehip- muted pink
• Desert- medium/neutral brown
• Earthy- warm brown
• Canyon- dark brown
• Haze-light gray

Dupes

As soon as I opened this palette I was immediately reminded of my Mad for Matte E.L.F. palette.  There are several shades that are absolute dupes for each other.  While I do really love my Made for Matte palette and use it in some way or another almost daily, the shadows in the Smashbox Photo Matte Eyes Travel Palette are a much better quality.  The Smashbox Photo Matte Eyes shadows apply and blend much easier.  One of my complaints with the Mad for Matte E.L.F. palette has always been that the shadows can tend to look a bit muddy when blended.

Simple Everyday Eye Look

These shadows apply and blend so easily that I accomplished this complete eye look in around 2 minutes.  Not bad!

• Wheat as a transition shade in the crease
• Earthy in the crease
• Rosehip on the lid
• Grounded on lower lash line
• Vanilla on the brow bone
• Canyon to fill in the brows

I love this palette!  If this is what the quality of all Smashbox’s eyeshadows are like, then I need to get some more!

What does the Smashbox Website have to say about it:

What it is:
A mini eyeshadow palette with eight versatile matte shades, including stay-put shadows that double as liner to brow powders and go on as shadows.

What it does:
This petite palette has eight matte wet/dry shades that can be used as liner, shadow, or brow powder for any look—from understated to amped up. Featuring a step-by-step guide for six eye and five brow shapes, it’s everything you need for creating eye looks on the go.

This palette contains:
– 8 x 0.35 oz Matte wet/dry eyeshadow in Haze (light gray), Rosehip (muted pink), Grounded (medium cool brown), Wheat (soft warm brown), Vanilla (soft light beige), Desert (medium/neutral brown), Earthy (warm brown), Canyon (dark brown)”

What about you?  Do you have the Smashbox Photo Matte Eyes Travel Palette? Do you love matte shadows? Have you used any other Smashbox shadows?  What do you think?

Also, do you subscribe to Birchbox, what do you think about it?  Have you gotten any decent samples? I would love to hear your opinion in the comments!

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