Drugstore Eyeshadow Palette Haul

Towards the end of last year, I did a little haul and stocked up on some eyeshadow palettes from the drugstore. Whenever Boots or Superdrug have a 3 for 2 offer across their entire makeup products, I always take advantage. I don't just go wild and purchase things for the sake of it; I get products I have had my eyes on/swatched/tested at some point. In total, I picked up 5 eyeshadow palettes and made some savings so I am very thrilled. Right let's dive in.




Sleek Rockstars Collection (Limited Edition)
As a rule of the thumb, I always pick up Sleek Makeup i-Lust Eyeshadow Palettes (especially their limited edition ones) because they are so good and I love their compact size. In 2016, I picked up not just one but two palettes with no single regret. Who doesn't like a bargain? For a good while I didn't realise there was a second palette in the Sleek Rockstars Collection. I believe the Diamonds in the Rough palette is exclusive to Boots while the Hidden Gems is exclusive to Superdrug. Both palettes can be purchased from Sleek Makeup website of course which is a good thing and they are currently reduced to £5.24. I can't find the Hidden Gems Palette's link on Superdrug's website but I have linked to the Sleek Makeup website.




Sleek Makeup Eyeshadow (i-Lust) Palette in Hidden Gems //Link //£7.49 (reduced to £5.24)
As already mentioned, it is almost always a given that I'd purchase any limited edition eyeshadow palette from Sleek Makeup because I love their pigmentation. They definitely make one of the best drugstore eyeshadows and they are even better than some high end eyeshadow palettes I own. I am so pleased that Sleek launched two eyeshadow palettes this time around (as part of their Rockstars Collection) and I could not resist them. The first one I picked up was the Hidden Gems. It was at the top of my list and was always sold out in-store at my local Superdrug. I had swatched the tester so I knew I totally needed it in my life. I love neutral palettes but when I see colour, I go a little bit crazy especially with colours I know work well with my complexion. Inside the Hidden Gems Palette, you get 6 eyeshadows in the following shade (from L-R): Emerald City, Amethyst Sky, Amber City, Sapphire Blues, Ruby Tuesday and Diamond Dust. I love the names they chose and I feel they suit the eyeshadows so well. I can't think of any eyeshadow in this palette that I would not wear at all which is why I purchased it in the first place.



The texture of the shadows are easy to work with and while I did get some fallouts, it was nothing alarming. Their pigmentation is amazing as expected with Sleek Makeup eyeshadows and I love the perfect metallic shimmer finish. Some of the eyeshadows have some glitter in them but they don't look unsightly when applied. My least used shadow is the Diamond Dust (first from the right) although it works well as an inner tear duct highlight. I am in love with this palette and I know it will serve me well all through the year.



Sleek Eyeshadow (i-Lust) Palette in Diamonds in the Rough //Link //£7.99 (reduced to £5.24)
The Diamonds in the Rough Palette is slightly more expensive than the Hidden Gems one and I cannot for the life of me figure out why (I know it's only 50p but still!!). Inside this gorgeous palette, you get six eyeshadows like the Hidden Gems and the shades include the following (l-R): Radiant, Marquise, Asscher, Princess, Trillion and Solitaire . Four of the eyeshadows are powder eyeshadows and two are cream eyeshadows (the first and last eyeshadows). Previously, I was not a huge fan of cream eyeshadows that come in powder eyeshadow palettes but I do find that they work so well with the powder eyeshadows.  I particularly find them useful when you want to create a custom eyeshadow colour or when you don't have an eyeshadow primer at hand.



 Again, the pigmentation of these eyeshadows are superb and I love their texture. They are  baked eyeshadows so they are a dream to apply. Their finish is a high intensity one and they can be used as highlighters. If you layer some of the shades they come off looking metallic which is one of my favourite finishes. This palette is a winner for me because it looks so gorgeous on my complexion and I know it will suit so many other skin tones (maybe not all the shades). If you love rose gold, champagne and pink shades, you'd adore this palette.




I thought this palette may be similar to the Sleek Makeup Gold Standard Palette (review here) launched in 2015 but I did a side by side comparison and they are different. They do share some similarities as per having powder and cream eyeshadows in the same palette. However, the Gold Standard Palette is more on the warm gold radar while the Diamonds in the Rough has more rose gold/pink undertones. I love both palettes and I can't wait to see what Sleek Makeup have in store for the end of this year.

                                       Bourjois La Palette Eyeshadow Palettes
I have to say I don't buy a lot of makeup products from Bourjois because they never seem to have products that suit my complexion especially their powders, concealers and foundations. It's quite annoying because I know they have amazing quality and they are also owned by the same cosmetic house that own Chanel. Anyway, I have tried their eyeshadow products in the past and I do love them. I saw that they had launched a La Palette collection and I was intrigued. I already own all the La Palette eyeshadows from L'Oreal so I wanted to see what Bourjois had to offer. To be honest, I wanted to get these palettes mainly because their packaging is so gorgeous. I love the design and I don't think I own any palette that rotate through 360 degrees. For the design alone, it's a pleasure to have. I wish their powder in a similar design had a shade for me, I'd pick it up in a heartbeat.






Bourjois La Palette Les Nude Eyeshadow Palette //Link //£11.99
The La Palette Les Nude Eyeshadow Palette contains 8 eyeshadows inside and they do not have individual names.  I am not sure why they have named this palette Nude as it contains quite a few colours which I am happy about even though they are cool toned shades. Maybe, they should have named it La Palette Les Cool (or maybe Chaud). Anyway, you get four neutral shades in my opinion and three cool tone shades and I really do like this combination. The eyeshadows themselves have some fallouts but nothing too unsightly. The eyeshadows have glitter in them but they don't look OTT (over the top) when you apply them on the eye. For their pigmentation, I was quite surprised at how well they showed on my complexion. I didn't really think they will have such good pigmentation but they do. The shadows are definitely not as pigmented as the Sleek Makeup ones but they are really good for everyday wear. I always use a primer when I use them (not to improve their pigmentation) but to help them adhere better to my eyelids and last longer.





The packaging is white with lovely illustrations and I just feel so happy whenever I get to use them. It also has the lovely swivelling mirror design and I am so impressed at how well made (and sturdy) these eyeshadow palettes are. I am so thrilled I got this eyeshadow palette even though I don't use it as often as I should. When I purchased it, it was reduced to £8.99 and they had a 3 for 2 offer as well so it was a bargain for me. I would still have purchased it at the original price of £11.99 because I think it's worth it even just for the packaging alone.




Bourjois La Palette Les Smoky Eyeshadow Palette //Link //£11.99
As it was 3 for 2 and reduced in price, it would have been a crime not to pick up the La Palette Les Smoky Eyeshadow Palette. I feel that Bourjois absolutely nailed it with the name and shades of colours chosen in this palette. I am just getting into smoky eyeshadows and building up my cool toned eyeshadows so this palette is a welcome addition to my stash. Again, I love the black design and the lovely illustrations on the palette. Inside the La Palette Les Smoky, you also get 8 eyeshadows which are so gorgeous. There is a midnight blue shade, emerald green shade, greyish silver shade, dark purple shade and other gorgeous shades. The eyeshadows do have fall outs as a result of the glitters but it is not as bad as some other glitter eyeshadow palettes I have tried.



The pigmentation of the La Palette Les Smoky is very impressive and has a better colour pay off than the La Palette Les Nude. I use a primer with this eyeshadow palette but I can definitely get away without using one. The lasting power is also really good with minimal creasing. I do find that darker coloured eyeshadows always seem to have better pigmentation, intensity and lasting power. If you are into smoky eyeshadow looks, this is a lovely palette to own in my opinion.


                                   Barry M Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette
I think Barry M Eyeshadow Palettes are very underrated and I don't see enough posts about them. I know a lot of people rate their glitter shadows which I need to try.  I have tried at least 3 or 4 Barry M Eyeshadow Palettes and I have never been disappointed. They look lovely, apply well and have impressive pigmentation and lasting power.



Barry M Super Natural Eyeshadow Palette (Limited Edition)//Link //£6.49
I was looking for an eyeshadow palette to come home with me in my 3 for 2 offer when I spotted the Super Natural Eyeshadow Palette. I believe this is exclusive to Superdrug so if you planned to use your Boots point on this, it won't be possible. I can't believe I almost missed out on this eyeshadow palette as I had heard nothing about its launch. Let's just say it was love at first sight and I didn't even have to swatch the tester because I am familiar with Barry M's eyeshadow pigmentation. The packaging is made from cardboard which is common with many Barry M Eyeshadow Palettes. I do find them quite durable and the other 3 palettes I own have lasted for a few years now without any issues. Inside the Super Natural Palette, you get 8 lovely eyeshadows and I love that they have not included any other makeup products in it. I find that some previous Barry M Eyeshadow Palettes (usually the limited edition ones) contain either a highlighter or blush which is nice but I am happy this particular palette is strictly eyeshadows.

This palette contains a mixture of matte and shimmer finishes. The pigmentation is good on my complexion but these eyeshadows do need an eye primer. It is not a problem for me as I always use an eye primer even with the most pigmented eyeshadows I own. There were some fallouts particularly with the shimmer shades but I always tap off the excess eyeshadow before applying. I was wondering why this palette drew me in at first and then I realised it was reminiscent of the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette. In terms of the shades within the palette, I'd say it's a close dupe but not particularly for the pigmentation or application. It's a cheap and cheerful way to see if you'd get along with the shades in the Urban Decay Palette. All in all, I am so pleased I got this palette and it is so useful for everyday wear which is what I opt for during week days.



Overall Thoughts
I am so pleased I have finally reviewed these eyeshadow palettes as I purchased them last year and I have been testing them out these past few months. I am impressed to see that drug store brands are making better eyeshadow palettes than they were in past years. If they continue this way, they may give some high end brands a run for their money. My favourite from this haul has to be the Sleek Rockstars Collection because their colour pay off is most impressive and the shades are right down my alley. That's it from me today. Hope your weekend has been amazing. I am spending mine in Scotland and I enjoyed the intermittent snow from Friday. Have you tried any of these eyeshadow palettes?
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