bareMinerals READY Eyeshadow Quad in The Happy Place - Swatches & Review!

You probably already all know, from many reviews, that my eyelids are pretty oily. I always, always need to use a primer (my fave of the moment being Make Up For Ever's Eye Prime) and the use of primer doesn't always keep some of my MAC shadows from creasing (Vex, Copperplate, Club are the culprits here).

So when I tell you, that this bareMinerals palette lasted 15 hours on my lids, without creasing, would you believe me?

I kid you not, this is what happened. I applied these eyeshadows to my eyes (after primer) for a full day of work, which included traveling, sweating (aka, lugging stuff from a van in heels) and general running around. When I got home, at about 11pm, I barely had any creasing. The only spot the shadow moved at all was on the outer corner of my eye. And that was probably from rubbing. I was absolutely floored.

If you have oily lids, or have problems with shadows not lasting on your lids, this is the palette for you!

 

Peace has a bit of shimmer in it, and is of a beige/pink color. Imagine is a rose shimmery shade, à la MAC All that Glitters, but much better and smoother. Exhale reminds me of MAC's Copperplate but is more pigmented and more taupe. I don't think I own anything like Euphoria, and I absolutely love it.

From left to right: Peace, Imagine, Exhale and Euphoria

These swatches were taken under new lighting (my lightbox!) so they might look a bit different than usual. But rest assure, they are pretty color accurate!

The texture of these shadows is very soft and smooth. But unlike Sleek shadows, they do not have the tendency to crumble (being too soft). You do not need to load up your brush with product to have these show up on your lid. You only need a tiny bit of the shadow. If you put too much on your brush, you might get a bit of fall out, so be careful!

I honestly can't say anything wrong about this palette. The shadows are smooth, pigmented, not dry, creamy, and they are ridiculously long wearing. I guess the only tiny little thing I'd say is that they are so pigmented that it might take someone who isn't used to wearing much makeup, a bit of getting used to. But honestly, my mother has one of their palettes, and while she'd not a makeup pro of any kind, she absolutely loves it.

There are quite a few variations of these palettes available at Sephora if The Happy Place doesn't float your boat. I purchased mine of Ebay because I do find them quite expensive (C$38). I would've gladly payed full price though, had I known The Happy Place was this good! It could also make an excellent Christmas gift. Too bad my mom already has one!

Hope you're having a good week! Don't forget to enter my 100 follower giveaway here! Only a few days left to enter!

May I just inform you of something...

Last week, I decided to order the Bare Escentuals The Playlist palette. I was looking for something more portable than my MAC 15 palettes but also for different shades than what I currently possess.The Playlist won over The Cocktail Hour palette after a long debate and extensive shade comparison.

I must say, I really really do not regret my choice. This palette is excellent. The shadows are buttery soft - but not too soft that there's fallout when they are applied. Even the more sparkly shades applied like a dream. They are incredibly pigmented - only a tiny amount is needed. And they are all contained in a cute little palette that is very sturdy!

Disclaimer: I don't know what it is about my skin chemistry, but my eyelids are very oily. I NEED a base (usually Two Faced Shadow Insurance) in order to have my eyeshadow stay in place all day. Even then, shadows like Club and Copperplate by MAC will crease by the end of the day. So is my curse. With a base, the shadow in The Playlist palette called "Louder" stayed on all day, with ZERO creasing. That's pretty amazing to me.

Here are some swatches!

 From left to right, 1st row: Pumped, Chart Topper, Max Volume, Louder
                               2nd row: One Hit Wonder, Most Requested, Remix, Speaker Box

After swatches - shows the texture of the shadows. Like I said, they are very smooth.

From left to right: Pumped, Chart Topper, Max Volume, Louder, One Hit Wonder, Most Requested, Remix, Speaker Box.

Some of my favorites include Chart Topper, Louder and Speaker Box. But they are all very beautiful. I must also say that my swatches are very light - a couple swipes. So they are quite potent even if it doesn't look too much like it in the pictures.

Here it is in action, in a poorly shot picture, because I have a shit camera. Louder is on lid, a tad of pumped in the crease and One Hit Wonder in inner corner and for blending.

 

The palettes retails for $40 on their website, but I purchased mine on Ebay. If you don't own a whole lot of eyeshadow and you're looking to expand, this is a great start. If you're an eyeshadow fanatic, and you can never have enough, you also need this. If you're kind of in the middle of both, like me, you probably most likely need this as well.