Shu Uemura Art of Travel Palette

I've been looking for reviews of the Shu Uemura Art of Travel Palette, but it appears that they are few and far between. From what I understand, this palette is travel-exclusive, meaning you can only find it in airport malls. I find that sad because this is a great palette that's not only convenient for traveling - it can also do sophisticated day-to-night looks with its high-quality eyeshadows and pretty Glow On blush.

What I love about the product

• Four highly pigmented eyeshadows that I find well-picked in terms of color coordination and versatility. There are lots of ways to combine them for day and night looks.
• The cream base is a huge surprise for me. On the pan, it looks like a boring white cream base, but it actually applies as a gorgeous golden shimmer! It reminds me of Bobbi Brown's glitter eyeshadows. The shimmer is very, very fine, and I prefer applying it on top of eyeshadows to give the eyes that extra "oomph".

 

• The Glow On adds a pretty glow to my cheeks as promised. I've owned a Glow On previously, and I really love the effect on the cheeks. The blush doesn't have a name, but I guess it is very close to (if not the same thing as) the Shu Uemura Glow On in M Pink 33.
• You get a full-sized Glow On blush. In the Philippines, one Glow On costs P1,500 so I think I got a great deal with this palette.  
• Lasting power of blushes and eyeshadows are very good, even without a base.
• Everything is housed in a sleek palette with a bit of heft - makes it feel expensive (well, it is).
• The palette can be customized to house two full-sized Shu Uemura eyeshadows + 1 blush or in other combinations! How awesome is that. I can just remove the pans when they're used up and replace them with other Shu products!

Sadly, the colors are nameless

Applied with no base. Check out how pigmented and smooth the shadows are!

What I don't like about the product 

• While the rest of the products are amazing, the gel liner is very disappointing. It's very thin. I need several layers to get it as black as I want it.
• Useless applicators. The sponge applicator for the eyeshadows is just okay, but the double-ended blush and eyeliner applicators are no good. Since this is a travel palette, I expected the applicators to actually work well.
• Not easily available for those who are interested.

Neutral

• I got the Art of Travel palette from Duty Free for only $54 or P2,377 in current conversion rates. That's a great deal considering its quality and the amount of product in it. It's not cheap, but I find it affordable.

Recommendations

Looking for a great travel palette that will get your eyes and cheeks covered - gorgeously, if I may add? Pick the Shu Uemura Art of Travel palette! It can let you play with a lot of looks without having to go down the typical neutral route. The golden shimmer is also a great addition to any look. Use it as a base to give dimension to eyeshadows or use it on top to draw in light to your eyes!

If you happen to find this, don't let it go.

Verdict

I love it. It's very convenient, not to mention beautiful. In fact, this is my constant companion during the holidays since I stayed at my parent's home! I'm looking forward to using this a lot in the next year. I do hope to travel a lot! ;) In any case, this is a great palette period, whether for traveling or just for daily makeup at home.