Sonia Kashuk Starry Eyes Eye Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Holiday Makeup: Subtle Glam?
Sonia Kashuk Starry Eyes Eye Palette ($14.99) is a mix of six eyeshadows–three glittery, three matte–for the holiday season.
My favorite part about this palette is the outside casing — it’s this shimmery, sequin-y black case that sparkles in the light. It’s really stunning, and it’s probably one of the best holiday-themed packaging jobs I’ve seen in awhile. Unfortunately, the inside of the palette, which is more important, just fell a little flat for me.
While I liked Sonia Kashuk’s Showstopper Eyeshadow Quad, which had the same shimmery shadow texture, these colors just seem drab–muted. They’re so muted and subtle and yet have so much shimmer, it seems contradictory. The texture is smooth, and they look wet when applied and have surprisingly little fall out (though there is some). For me, the colors don’t jump out at me, so I’m just not excited over it.
Included in the palette are three glittery shades: a muted warm-toned medium-dark brown, a glitzy warmed up champagne gold, and a muted mauvey-brown, along with three matte shades: a cool-toned chocolate brown, a dusty white, and a plummy mauve. The matte shades didn’t feel chalky or dusty, though they were a little sheerer than I’d like–overall, they felt smooth to the touch.
I did like how the shimmery shades were coordinated with the matte shades – almost like reflections of each other. I think I liked the actual shades of the matte colors more than the shimmery ones, though!
Bottom Line: This just isn’t the palette for me, but it’s still a quality palette. The shadows were smooth, had decent color pay off, and they’re shades that can definitely be worn by many. Though they’re muted and subtle (and inexplicably, it just didn’t work for me in this palette–because I know I can appreciate a subtle color palette!), they would make for some more nuanced, less in-your-face holiday looks for sure.
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- Product: 26/30
- Value: 9/10
- Ease of Use: 4/5
- Packaging: 5/5
Recommendation: If you enjoy more subtle, muted shades, you might like this!
Availability: Target
See swatches…
That would look nice with the shimmer on the lid, matte in the crease. The matte cream color looks great at a highlight. I would do shimmer purple, matte brown, and the matte highlight. :]
It’s funny, I think these palette is winner for all the reasons you didn’t. LOL.
Because it is subdued, it would be appropriate for daytime conservative holiday functions and I like the idea of a monochromatic eye with pops of texture rather than colour. It’s also a palette that could be of use long after the holidays are over. I also liked the idea of shimmer without having a bold base colour.
I wish they sold SK where I live, because i would certainly pick this one up.
I keep telling myself all those things, but I just couldn’t get excited over it, LOL. I didn’t rate it down just based on my preferences, though 🙂 I rated it based on quality and all that in the end!
I noticed that, that’s why I love this blog! Your rating system is the only one I tend to trust in beauty-dom.
Thank you 🙂 It always frustrated me when I’d read a review that would rate a product negatively just because the shade wasn’t good on them… it doesn’t mean the product sucks, and it’d be more helpful to hear “I’m warm toned, and it was just too cool” instead. But yeah, I digress!
Same here! Awesome. I adore it.
I also love it for its muted appearance. I love monochromatic make up based on light and shadow. I so wish this brand was available in France and I so wish I could buy it! I would pick this palette without hesitation if I could but this will remain a fantasy. Oh well!
I fully agree with Kristina… I like that the glittery shades are more subtle… sometimes it is nice to have that kick of something sparkly without going full on disco ball or high impact colors… this looks sophistocated and def. office christmas party appropriate glitter… I would rather like this palette
I really the colors from this palette. I could really use the glittery ones during the Holiday season and the matte ones with other occasions. But browns are among my favorite shades for a perfect makeup.
i liked the look of this palette as well. for the price the packaging is gorgeous and doesn’t look cheap to me. if i don’t already have NARS pleasures of paris (which has similar purple, brown and white shades), i would definitely have gotten this one.
This looks like the MAC’s “Smoke and Mirrors” palette that came out of the Magic, Mirth, and Mischief Holiday 2009 Collection
very pretty, like it, but maybe not for me
Thanks for your honest review! =D
I have a lot of similar colours in my existing collection. Although, these colours can be worn anytime after the holidays, it doesn’t have the holiday vibe to me. I like the packaging though.
the colours actually really remind me of MAC’s Smoke & Mirrors or Sorceress Palettes…
I think the colors are gorgeous! For whatever reason I’m strongly attracted to shimmers and neutral palettes. I’ll definitely have this one on my radar on my next trip to Target.
I totally love the glittery colors but I am not into matte ones, damn 😉
My, my, I love both the eyeshadows and the brush set in the same sequin evening purse styles. Unfortunately I can’t get them in Malaysia…but I will put it on my wish list!
Wow, this looks like a pretty bunch of neutrals! Drool.
I don’t like the colors that much but maybe they would look good if I would try them.