Review: Smashbox Heat Wave Palette

I picked up this palette for my birthday this year, and I chose it because it was more on the colorful side. I want to make sure you know what you're buying, because this is a pretty big investment (Retails for $48). So I have been using it for about a week or so and I'm here to tell you what I think!

First off, I want to mention that the texture of these eye shadows is amazing. They are so silky in the palette and on your eye. They have a different consistency than most eye shadows, and are almost like pressed pigments, in my opinion. What I mean by that is that most colors are rich and almost loose in the palette. Not like they are actually pigments, it's just they come off very smoothly. However, some of the colorful shades are a bit lacking in pigmentation. I feel like the neutrals come off strong, while some of the colors are too dusty/smokey and a bit lacking.

Next thing, is that I really like the packaging. It is literally perfect for travel because of its hard plastic casing, and NOT the cheap plastic. I also have the Naked palette and, for all of you who have one or who have heard the complaints, it is not ideal for travel, because it's fabric covered. So, I'll definitely be bringing this palette on trips instead.

Small end of brush

Fluffy/blending side of brush

 

This comes with a sample (I'm talking foil sample) of the Smashbox eyeshadow primer. It also comes with a double ended brush, which is really soft on the fluffier side, but it's double ended so it's hard to find a place to keep it. The smaller end of this brush is verrrry small (as seen above) and not as nice, and I'm not even sure what to do with it.

Pros:

~Nice formula

~Travel Friendly

~Beautiful shades

~Good variety in colors

~Mostly good pigmentation

Cons:

~Colorful shades come off less pigmented than expected

~Packaging is a little hard to open

~Brush is double sided (hard to store) 

~Small end of brush isn't as nice

In summary, I love this palette and think it will be great for the summer time. Hopefully, I'll find a use for all the colorful shades as well! I think this is worth the price, very much so.

Swatches:

Top row: Backwards (first color in palette is ↑ here)

Bottom row: Backwards, again (first color in row is ↑ here)