Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

As I promised you all last week, this post is going to be dedicated to the new, and thoroughly beautiful, Smashbox Full Exposure eyeshadow palette.

Ever since Urban Decay upped the bar with the launch of their original Naked palette, it’s been a domino effect for any smart brands out there who realise that these little beauties really do sell like hot cakes. Every beauty-lover is always on the hunt for the ‘perfect’ nude palette, and while (for me at least) all three Naked palettes have come close, none of them have quite hit the nail on the head due to one gaping hole in the line up…

not enough matte shades.

I was therefore internally jumping for joy when I caught wind of the full exposure palette… half matte, half beautifully eye-catching shimmers, ranging from warm to cool, it seems to have it all! Fourteen shades on total (more than Naked’s 12). What’s more? It comes with a double-ended brush. A proper brush, not a cheap, useless one or a sponge applicator. It also comes with a mini version of Smashbox’s Full Exposure mascara (which I already own and really like).

So it all seems good on paper. How does it fare in the flesh?

Well, it’s fair to say that it really is a thing of beauty. From the packaging to the shades, I can’t really fault it. The swatches showed up beautifully too, but when applied on the eyes, something about a couple of the shimmery shades just doesn’t translate as well as I would like it too (the khaki-toned one being the worst). I have to say that the formula of the shimmers isn’t quite as good as the urban decay alternatives.

The mattes on the other hand are beautiful and buttery soft. They are really smooth and perfectly blend-able. The palette on the whole is really nice, and I’m sure I’ll get a lot of use out of it, but it hasn’t totally satiated my hunger for ‘the perfect palette’. If you’re a fellow neutral-eye lover… it’s definitely worth taking a peek at this though, it’s available online and in larger Boots’ stores now, priced at £36.

The hunt continues…