Maybe I should just let the pictures do the talking on this one? Say hello to Stila's In the Light palette and my new obsession. The shade selection is what immediately caught my eye and swayed me into spending even more money on eyeshadow (but I'm so so glad I did!) The palette contains the perfect mixture of 6 shimmers and 4 matte shades that can be worn dry and wet. The swatches below are all taken dry but the shadows transform into even more pigmented and opaque shades when applied wet (applying the matte shades wet really improves their pigmentation and staying power!)
The eyeshadows themselves contain talc, an ingredient that initially concerned me as it can often make the shadows powdery or crumbly. The Stila shadows, however, feel rather creamy and leave a smooth, velvety finish on the lids. As for colour pay off, the shimmery shades are extremely pigmented and so beautiful. The shimmer shadows are quite soft, so you should use a gentle hand to apply and I find that Kitten and Bubbly appear almost metallic with their light-reflecting finish. I immediately found the matte shades to be less pigmented than the shimmers but the formulation of the shadows does help you build up colour nd blend easily. I also haven't noticed any fallout, even from the shimmery shades, which is something even the Urban Decay shimmer shadows do!
The selection of shades and finishes make this a truly versatile palette - there's really a shade for every kind of eyeshadow look. Overall, the palette contains more warm toned shadows but there are a few cooler shades mixed in. You can create an all matte look with the 4 shades Bare, Bliss, Sandstone and Ebony and there are endless amounts of day and night looks you can experiment with. I'm completely in love with Kitten, the most perfect champagne shade and I think it even rivals my favourite over the lid shade by Too Faced - 'Silk Teddy'. The beautiful blue shade Night's Sky was a colour I admired from afar but assumed I wouldn't really use it. However it completely surprised me by becoming one of my most reached for shades and I can't stop wearing it - even during the daytime!
Below are two of my favourite combinations so far:
~ Kitten all over the lid, Bare in the crease, Sunset as a transition colour and in the outer corner with Sandstone along the bottom lashes.
~ Kitten all over the lid with Night Sky in the crease and Ebony in the outer corner.
The palette also contains a Smudge Stick Waterproof Liner in Damsel, a very wearable dark brown shade. It glides on easily and smudges nicely but begins to set quite quickly - if you want a smudged effect I'd blend it out quickly. This staying power is due to the liner being waterproof which makes it perfect for the waterline and, as I often struggle with finding liners that stay put in the waterline, I was very impressed at how long the Smudge Stick lasted! The only annoying thing about the liner it comes in a retractable form without a sharpener so creating a sharp point is quite difficult if you were looking to create a fine line on the lid!
As for the packaging, my photos don't really show how beautiful the rose-gold palette is. It's pretty yet minimalistic and the lid contains a huge mirror underneath which is very handy! The only criticism I would have is that the palette is made of cardboard and, even though it's not bulky,I do worry about how well this will wear in my bag - although this was a concern of mine when I reviewed the Balm's Nude Tude palette and I've never had a problem so maybe cardboard is more sturdy than it initially appears!
Stila's In the Light palette retails for £25 which I think is a wonderful price - especially as it contains a Smudge Stick and the famous shade Kitten. You can purchase it online from Stila, Marks & Spencer, Feel Unique and other various beauty stores (if you're a member of Birchbox it's available on their shop too - I used my points to purchase mine!)
Have you ever tried Stila's In the Light palette?
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