Review: Sephora Blockbuster Palette

One of my most frequently asked questions is about my Sephora Blockbuster Palette. "How pigmented are the shadows? Do you think it's worth the money? How often do you use it?" Rather than repeat myself several times, I thought I'd do a formal review.

My palette happens to be the limited edition 2007 Holiday version. It's most likely not available in stores and it's no longer on Sephora.com. However, the Classic Blockbuster Palette is available online (and maybe in store) for $48. They also have a new limited edition Summer Blockbuster Palette for $30, containing less shadows and what not. The Classic and Holiday palettes contain the same number of items, but different shades. My Holiday palette also includes cream shadows (where the X forms). I believe the face colors are exactly the same in both and only the shadows & lip colors vary from each other.

What the Classic and Holiday palette includes:
* 64 eyeshadows
* 32 lip colors
* 7 blushes
* 1 translucent shimmer powder
* 8 applicators (4 shadow, 2 lip, 2 blush)

For $48, you get a large variety of colors and choices. It is pricey compared to the 88 shadow palette and 78 shadow/blush palette from Coastal Scents, but the Blockbuster palette contains a total of 104 colors. It is also more of a "brand name" product. The palette is a square shape with a rubbery outside feeling (like NARS or Smashbox). Inside, there is a pretty large mirror and tiers of product that slide out.

The first tier is eyeshadows. Of the 64 shadows, 16 of them are cream shadows (X). Truth be told, they're not all that creamy. They're a bit firm and don't swipe easily. Once you get them working, they're decent to use as a base. Note, that the Classic palette only has powder shadows and no creams. The remaining 48 shadows are your standard powder. They are pretty pigmented and are slightly bigger than the size of a dime. Some shadows are matte, others shimmery, and a few glittery. My color choices can basically be categorized into purples, brown & golds, greys, blues, and a couple of greens. I like the colors, but it doesn't have all the colors of the rainbow like the 88 shadow palette. I am happy with it though because 64 shadows is still plenty.

The second tier is comprised of 32 lip colors. There are some very gorgeous shades ranging from pink to deep brown to nude. Some have a very frosty finish, others semi-shimmery, and some completely matte. Some are also more pigmented than others, but I absolutely love the variety! It's fantastic, because I'm not much of a lipstick person as I am gloss and with this, I have 32 shades at hand! My only complaint is that they're not as creamy as I'd like. Being less creamy makes for difficult application. However, I don't have a proper lip brush and that contributes to the difficulty. The lip brushes provided are crap, as well as the other applicators. I figure with a good lip brush, I should have a far better time applying the lip colors. Also, I don't think they are super moisturizing either. I always apply balm first anyway, so I'm not too bugged by it. They are the same size of the shadows, slightly bigger than a dime.

The last tier is my favorite! It's 8 face colors! I may be a little bias since I'm a blush addict, but I love, love, love the blushes. It has 7 different beautiful shades! They are lightly shimmery and very pigmented. It's nice to be able to mix and match, all in one convenient palette. The last face color, really isn't a color, but a translucent shimmer powder. And it is exactly what it is named. It's just a shimmery highlight. I like it because, I don't have anything like it. All my highlights have tints of color, while this doesn't. If I use a matte blush, I can glam it up instantly with this. These are bigger than a quarter, probably more the size of the old $1 coins (not the newer, gold ones coins) if not bigger.

Overall, I love my Sephora Blockbuster Palette. It's compact and offers plenty of choices. It's great for travel, containing 3 different types products. Rather than packing several individual shadows, lipsticks, and blushes, you can just take this palette since it has a multitude of colors. Plus, it's got a good sized mirror inside. It's neatly packaged and everything is decently pigmented. It's also great for makeup beginners or those that just want variety. I mostly utilize the brown & gold shades for neutral looks and the blushes. I know some of you may not be convinced with the high $48 price tag, but this is how I think of it:

If I bought 8 MAC blushes, it would cost me cost $144. (I just noticed on the MAC site, the price increase of blush from $17.50 to $18!)

If I bought my palette for the blushes alone, it would have cost me only $6 per blush. That's relatively inexpensive compared to high-end brands and even cheaper than some drugstore (ex. Milani Luminous, $7).

It is more of a splurge item, but not nearly as expensive as buying things individually. If it's out of your budget, maybe give the 78 shadow/blush palette from Coastal Scents a try for $20. Remember though, it doesn't come with any lip colors! I've been thinking about getting one of those palettes since they're so wallet friendly, but I'm pretty satisfied with my Sephora Blockbuster Palette for now.