Makeup Masterclass Palette by Smashbox (2012 Limited Edition)

The end of the year nears, winter vacation approaches and all hell breaks loose with the makeup companies, with makeup palettes being released willy silly, left and right and literally blowing our minds away. You look at them and you say you need every one of them. But that's pretty impossible for the vast majority of us. So then we look at reviews online and if one is to be bought, we see the pros and cons, the quality and variety of products in the palette versus the price. Of course these are not easily available in the Middle East but if you're lucky enough to have someone who could being one down for you from The States or Canada, like I was last year, then you're in for a treat. And so to my utmost delight I got this one which really did blow my mind away!

The outside of the palette, it flips open and inside you find:

A whopping 28 shadows in various finishes and all types of colors.

8 cream eyeshadows which can be used as bases.

2 blushes

3 highlighters

4 lip glosses

Without  the plastic flap.

Price: This general sized palette that come out every year with about the same products plus minus a few costs with the 55-60 dollar range. Considering its Smashbox quality and the amount of products you get including the variety its so worth it.

Packaging: Not well put together. This palette tends to stay slightly open since there is no clasp or magnet to keep it shut, therefore impossible to travel with or even to keep outside. I keep it tucked away in a drawer with elastic bands around to keep it shut. Also the lip glosses tend to get fall out from the powder products on top. Its regretful, for otherwise it would have been so perfect. I wouldn't have minded if they hadn't put in the glosses at all, but in all fairness, as a complete palette, the glosses can be handy in a rush. The plastic cover keep falling over on me too..its so irritating flipping it up again and again and if you twist it backward, the palette is difficult to lay flat. They should have done a better job, but hey, this year I think they have. There is a little paper with ideas on a couple of looks.

Product: 

1. Eyeshadows: Ace Smashbox quality, buttery but with slight fall out in some shimmery ones. Very pigmented and overall it has various finishes for a whole collage of different looks.

Lets examine these 2 rows at a time, these are the swatches:

The first row is an all neutral highlighting one. Vanilla is a skin toned matte color, Frost is a light pinky shade with a hint of frost, Butter is also matte but yellow based and Parfait is a medium toned matte pink. 

The second row gives you a pop of color with Ambient which is a beautiful shimmery copper, Frambois- a fuchsia pink with a satin finish, Peacock- which is a mix of green and blue with silver mixed in, and Cabernet which a deep wine shade and its matte..one of my favs.

The third row is again very colorful with Serpent- a deep green with a lovely shimmer through it (another fav), then Aubergine which is your ideal matte eggplant color, Azure which a dark blue also matte, and Nectar- a matte medium gray shadow.

Coming to the fourth row, again neutral with opal a peachy white with a satin finish, Linen- a yellow based cream color which is matte and Flirt which is a frosty light brown with some fine glitters and finally a peach color ideal for transitioning called Nectar which is matte.

Moving on to the fifth row: Granite- a matte light gray, Golden Orchid- a peach shade (ideal for all over the lid) with a satin finish, Dusk- a cool toned deep brown ideal for the crease and Cinnamon Toast which really describes it well, a burnt golden shade with a lovely shimmer.

Now we get some nice deep shades for the crease and which can be used as liners also. We have your classic black matte which is called Blackout, Chestnut a red based slightly shimmer brown, Haze- a brown gray matte, and Roast- a shimmery reddish brown that has golden glitters. This is so beautiful.

The last row: Bliss which is slightly darker than Vanilla- matte, Bare which is again the matte version of Frost, Sable and Sumatra are medium and dark browns both matte.

2. Eyeliners/ Bases: These are not very creamy and I find them difficult to work as liners but as bases they work so well. They are long lasting and waterproof and so convenient to have in a palette with shadows you can build up with.

First Row: Ivy is a shimmery teal. Gilt is light golden also shimmery, Picasso- a matte navy blue, Lava- a shimmery gray.

Second Row: Midnight Purple- a deep matte purple, Image- a shimmery olive green, Midnight Brown- a deep matte brown and finally Caviar- a matte black. 

3.Lipglosses: The lip glosses are also swatched above: Buff- a neutral, Bitten- a mauve pink, Guava- a coral and Mulberry which is plummy.

4.Blushes and Highlighters: There are 2 decent sized powder blushes and 3 highlighter shades.

From the left: The pink blush called Posy Pink is a very bright berry pink. You really have to use a light hand with this, but sheered out it looks lovely and blends well. There is a warm apricot color called...you guessed it- Warm Apricot. Both of these satin finishes...not shimmery or glittery.

The highlighters are also beautiful. Lens is peach based and slightly shimmery, Prism is an almost matte but not all matte pale pink and Shimmer is a...well...shimmery neutral shade.

Marks: For this palette I have to break up the marks for packaging and product:

Packaging: 3/10

Product: 9/10