The One with the Smashbox Drawn In. Decked Out. Shadow + Highlight Palette Set

Hello everyone!

First of all, I have to admit something. These pictures were taken back in September and I kept putting off this post because I didn’t want to just include swatches. I wanted to showcase how the shadows look on the lids, as well. While I did manage to play around with these palettes a few times, those times were almost always at 1 am and who can get a good picture at 1 am on an iPhone?! Certainly not me.

So, I decided to just say forget about it and write the darn post without pictures of myself. And let’s face it, I hate selfies anyways! I don’t mind getting my picture taken but getting a selfie I am actually happy with is such a tedious task. XD

Note: This is going to be more of a first impressions post than a full out review. I haven’t extensively tested out each shade enough to provide more than just first impressions.

*All prices in CAD.

Let’s talk about this Smashbox Drawn In. Decked Out. Shadow + Highlight Palette Set. For only $48, it came with 2 full size Smashbox Cover Shot eyeshadow palettes and a travel size Spotlight cheek palette.

• 0.17 oz/ 5.1 g Travel-Size Spotlight Palette in Pearl
• 0.21 oz/ 6.2 g Full-Size Cover Shot Eyeshadow Palette in Ablaze
• 0.21 oz/ 6.2 g Full-Size Limited Edition Cover Shot Eyeshadow Palette in Sultry

This set was such a steal! The cost of one Cover Shot palette is $35. For just $13 more, you get two additional palettes. I knew I couldn’t pass up this deal! I have been wanting the Ablaze palette for a long time and this was the perfect opportunity for me to buy it while also getting a few extras!

Let me also take a second to scream out that this set is in stock currently on the Canadian Sephora. Shocking, I know. Check it out here!

These palettes are teensy tiny. They are smaller than my iPhone! I’ve mentioned before that I dislike giant palettes and prefer more compact ones for storage reasons, so the size works for me. Each palette is plastic with a magnetic close and a mirror inside. They don’t stay open on their own very long, so taking pictures was definitely a challenge!

The design on the outside is different from the original palettes which feature a light or fire burst type pattern. These ones have a lenticular design (that shift depending on the angle you are looking at it) and is designed by Ana Strumpf who is an editorial illustrator. They’re much more cutesy looking and while I normally like cutesy stuff, I prefer the original designs much more.

This set also included a sticker sheet also designed by Ana Strumpf but to be honest, I misplaced them a long time ago and didn’t get a photo.

Cover Shot: Eye Palette in Ablaze

I’m starting with my favourite of the trio and the reason I jumped on this deal in the first place! I always thought this would be the perfect palette for me because of its warm colours that complement my blue eyes. I absolutely love the reds and copper shades included in this palette!

In total, there are 8 shades with an even amount of mattes and shimmers. All the shades are very pigmented and blend nicely. The shimmers perform amazing when sprayed with Mac Fix+. They’re not as impressive without but that could also be because I don’t own any amazing flat shader brushes.

One shade, the deepest red (Nirvana) appears to have specks of shimmer in it in the pan but comes across matte on the skin. The lightest shade, Relaxed, is pretty much the same colour as my skin so it doesn’t show up well in the swatches. I find all the shades to be extremely buttery and creamy except Nirvana which was drier (but I do like how it applies).

Cover Shot: Eye Palette in Sultry

This is a limited edition palette only available in this set! While Ablaze covers the warm side of the spectrum, Sultry is there to please the lovers of cool toned smokey eyes. This palette has 5 mattes and 3 shimmers, and features some grey and taupe shades in addition to the purples.

Honestly, I don’t find this palette as impressive quality-wise as the Ablaze palette. I think it is decent but not as good. I think maybe because it is limited edition, they didn’t spend as much time on it. It’s just not as pigmented and some shades are a bit patchy. It could be my brushes or my technique, so keep that in mind. I know this palette has been given good reviews elsewhere.

I’ve always heard good quality matte purples are difficult to make which is one of the shades I have an issue with (Black Currant). While I’m able to swatch it ok, building it up on the eye was tough. It’s also one of the 2 shades (the other is Glitz) that aren’t creamy to the touch. The rest of the shades are very buttery, though.

I have to admit, I love purple eyeshadow so I was pretty intrigued by this palette. But I’m just not sure if I like the looks of dark purples on me and other smokey shades. It’s weird because I have cool toned skin but it just looks off for some reason. So unfortunately, I’m not as excited about this palette as I was in the beginning, especially after not enjoying the quality of it.

Spotlight: Cheek Palette in Pearl

This was such a great inclusion to this set! I never actively seek out buying highlighters so it’s a nice addition to my collection. This is a travel size palette. The full size costs $40 for 8.61 g which makes this palette worth $23.69!

This palette was co-created with Casey Holmes, the YouTube makeup guru. It has 3 shades – Turn It On, Crank It Up and Blow a Fuse. I really like all the colours! These aren’t blinding highlights but can be built up. I find the first two shades to be very creamy in the pan and apply very nicely. The last shade is more glittery.

Overall, I really like this palette and the shades that are in it. They work really well for my light skin tone.

Conclusion

That’s all for my first impressions “review” of this set. I mainly wanted to be able to showcase this set because it’s quite beautiful and of course, the deal is insane. Again, I want to reiterate that this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive review but simply some quick thoughts and a chance to showcase swatches!

If you’re like me and wanted to buy the Ablaze palette anyway, I would really recommend this set. If you’re considering it mostly for the Sultry palette, I would suggest passing because I think you will find better quality elsewhere!

Do you own this set or any of the palettes included? Let me know what you think!

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