NYX Purple Smokey Look Kit

I love purple eyeshadow. Its different variations seems to suit the Pinay skin color best, which is why aside from neutrals you will see me wearing purples a lot. So when I heard about the NYX Purple Smokey Look Kit from my favorite blogger Karen, I was immediately hellbent on procuring one for myself. Aside from the palette being all about purple, the $11 price tag is just calling my name!

Well, since we don't have NYX in the Philippines, the $11 price for this palette is just a dream. I asked Armie of Carefreeshopper if she had the palette so she immediately reserved one for me. I only spent P725 including shipping - not bad, not bad at all! 

The palette has a small drawer containing the applicators and lip gloss

So how was it? Well, I am sad to say that I am disappointed. I really wanted to love this palette, but there were some things about it that I thought made it a "meh" product. 

What I love about it

• The bloggers weren't lying when they said that this palette's eyeshadows are extremely pigmented. One layer is all you need to get a good color payoff.
• Compact and nicely packaged. The sleek black plastic looks quite classy.
• Has a mirror, very useful for retouching on the go.
• Travel-friendly

What I don't like about it

• True, while the eyeshadows are pigmented, they look blah without a base. I don't know how to describe it - the colors look dull and lifeless by themselves.
• The texture of the eyeshadows suck. I have a hard time blending them and evening them out.
• The colors, while pretty, are monotonous. Sure it's a purple palette, but couldn't they have thought of other purple shades? You can see in my swatch that the nuances of each color differ, but once you wear them you will not notice them. There are 9 eyeshadows but only three variations of purples.
• Useless lipglosses and applicators. The lip colors are not opaque, and even if they were, doesn't look like something I would use. I think I'll pass on beige and bronze lip colors.
• Out of 9 eyeshadows there are only actually two looks you can do with them.

Recommendation

This is a must have if you love purples. Over a base, the colors are really stunning. Quality-wise though, you can definitely give the shadows and lip colors a pass.

Verdict

It's nice to have, but nothing I can't live without. Maybe I've been spoiled by Urban Decay eyeshadows, I don't know! I'm very particular about the texture of the eyeshadows that I use.

Does this look like something you'll try? Answer in the comments!