Hello again readers!
I only feel a little bad about presenting this to you, because you can't buy it online. You should be able to find some in Ulta still, if they have them in stock, but I can't guarantee it. I'm just so happy to have it, and it was my really big splurge for myself for Christmas. I wanted to invest in a Lorac palette (I was going to get either the Pro 1, or Pro 2 Palette) and this one just stole my attention and I couldn't resist, so I bought it!
The packaging contains four mini-palettes; Queen, Countess, Princess, and Duchess. This is really great if you had in mind stocking stuffers, or if you were going to split this set with friends. I of course wanted it for myself because the colors were all so gorgeous I couldn't resist.
The palettes themselves caught me by surprise. The shadows are housed in cardboard wrapped in a velvet fabric. The look of them makes them look like luxury, with the dark velvet printed with gold print. They scream "Royalty", so there were good choices made there. It feels very luxurious, but I can assure you it gets dirty very quickly.
Each palette contains a mirror, and each mirror has a plastic coating over them to protect them from scratches. A great choice, really, since some travel palettes don't include a mirror at all, and if you don't have one at all... say hello to leaning awkwardly over sinks to get to the bathroom mirror.
They're not large palettes, but they aren't small either, each palette having .28 oz of product. And another great thing, is the feeling of the shadows were very similar across the board: very smooth, almost buttery or creamy in texture.
The only gripe I have on the packaging front, is I'm saddened there isn't a violet palette, due to the association of Violet and Gold as royal, regal color choices.
Queen
The Queen Palette has a satin nude, a peachy-pink shimmer, a burgundy shimmer, and a matte charcoal shade.
Satin Nude:
A very pink-toned nude, really. This is a highlight shade for sure. It doesn't do much for me in terms of pigmentation, because the color is so close to my skin tone I can't really tell. It catches light, but not as much as say a shimmer, so this would only work for me as a brow-bone highlight or a lid shade, not necessarily an inner-corner highlight. This would be a better shade for those with a tan or darker complexions.
Peachy-Pink Shimmer:
This such a beutiful shade. The pigmentation is really great, and it catches the light perfectly. A great choice for this warm-themed palette. This shade can get a little dusty, so watch out for fallout!
Burgundy Shimmer:
This shade is nice, but it does need a bit of build-up. It's a darker shade, so it's not unheard of to need another layer, but it's also a hassle and something I felt I should mention.
Matte Charcoal:
This was the most trouble for me, because it was matte. The pigmentation doesn't compare to the others, and it definitely needs build-up to get it to look opaque. I didn't use a primer under these swatches, so you can see that it needs a little something to help it look better.
Countess
This I felt had the most hodge-podge of them all. On the outside it seems like it'd bee cool, but the inside is mostly warm, and then they throw in a cool shade at the end. It's the most odd out of all four of the palettes, but it's not a disaster either. This was the only one out of the four that the tester palette was missing, so it was just a bit jarring to open the lid and see this. It contains a cream shimmer, a brass shimmer, a brown shimmer, and then a matte teal.
Cream Shimmer:
Now this is a highlight! It's light, but it shows up too and since it's a shimmer instead of a satin, it attracts more light. I can't really say much else about it, but I do like it as an lid shadow as well.
Brass Shimmer:
Just a beautiful warm shadow. I really really love this shade, and out of all four of the shades in this palette, this one is my favourite. It's the kind of shimmer that you can wear all over the lid and a bit extra in the crease, and be done with it. A no-nonsense shade.
Brown Shimmer:
This one is pretty unique. It has a shimmer, but instead of being a bright silver, it's a more subdued gold. It has the appeal of catching the light, without being too in your face. A more sultry take on the shimmer, that really works.
Matte Teal:
This is similar to charcoal, in the way that since it's matte, it needs a bit of a boost. Unlike charcoal, the pigmentation of this shadow is better! The biggest gripe I have with this, is that it stains! Definitely use a primer underneath, and remove makeup carefully.
Princess
The neutral palette of the bunch. I can never turn down a neutral palette, I have a bit of an addiction. It contains a satin cream, a warm gold shimmer, a copper shimmer, and a deep chocolate brown.
Satin Cream:
This shade I can get away with using as a highlight and a lid shade. It's pretty pigmented, and being a satin doesn't deter it from being great.
Gold Shimmer:
I had to ask a second opinion from my sister, because I considered it a gold, but it's such a warm gold I was unsure. It has the look of gold, and the benefit of being warm. I can't put my finger on it, but it's just such a great pick, though the pigmentation could be better, it duals as a shade that can stand on it's own, or be popped in the center of a lid to get the halo effect.
Copper Shimmer:
You can never go wrong with a copper shade in any palette, they're just so great! It's warm, and so pigmented it's almost crazy. Very great shadow.
Chocolate Brown Shimmer:
This one is just such a ringe,r with the introduction of gold shimmer again to add a sultry effect to it. It's great as an all-over-the-lid shade, or just to darken up the crease. It's a breathtaking shade, and I never thought I'd like it as much as I do.
Duchess
I was a littler nervous about this one, because I'm sort of over all the blue-shadows and prefer neutrals, but this paltte is just so great I'm slipping bakc into love. This palette contains a white shimmer, a platinum shimmer, a satin grey, and a matte navy.
White Shimmer:
A basic white pearl. It's not revolutionary, but it's nice to have it included in this palette. It goes with the theme, and it is a nice bright pop of shadow where you need it.
Platinum Shimmer:
Another shade that looks great on everyone and I just can't get enough. It's opaque enough to be noticeable, but it can be sheer enough to pop on the lid for the halo effect. I'm really pleased that the "metal" shades they included in these palettes are as versatile as they are. It's like a two for one!
Satin Grey:
It's almost a matte, almost. It has the cool tone of a matte grey, but I find it to be a little more workable since it's a satin instead. Matte greys can look ashy on certain skin tones, and I think this is a happy medium of a true grey, but without the powdery ash of a matte.
Matte Navy:
I will never tire of navy anything - ever. It looks fantastic on me, and it looks fantastic on so many other people and their vast differences of skin tones. A beautiful addition, a beautiful shadow. Even without a base, this shadow is pigmented, and goes on so well. With a base or a primer, this could be almost unstoppable. Well, maybe I'm getting just a little carried away.
If you can get your hands on this, I suggest you jump on it. Majority of these shadows are pigmented, and buttery smooth. Some may feel a little chunky, and some may need a little work, but across the board it's definitely worth having in your collection.
Thanks for reading!
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