bareMinerals The Finer Things Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

Christine — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:00:13 +0000

bareMinerals The Finer Things Eyeshadow Palette

This Palette is One of the Finer Things

bareMinerals The Finer Things Eyeshadow Palette ($40.00 for 0.28 oz.) includes eight eyeshadows: Penthouse (black glitz), Custom Made (pink quartz pearl), Chateau (slate stone), Truffle (glistening chestnut), First Class (light silver sheen), Upgrade (hazy lilac), Five Star (white light), and Private Isle (cobalt sheen). It also includes a 0.05 oz. (half the size of the full-sized version) of Prime Time Eye Primer.

Each eyeshadow is 0.035 oz., as compared to the average full-sized eyeshadow, which is 0.05 oz. (and bareMinerals’ Ready eyeshadows in the duos and quads are 0.05 oz.). In duos, they’re $20/0.10 oz.; quads are $30/0.17 oz., and 8-pan palettes are $40/0.28 oz.–which breaks out to $200/oz., $176/oz., and $143/oz. I love that they give you a little more as you buy larger palettes. Just to put those prices in context, MAC single eyeshadows are $300/oz., while their duos are $275/oz. and quads are $210/oz.

Penthouse is deep matte black with subtle silver sparkle. It has really intense pigmentation, but it’s very blendable. I used the lightest dab of product to darken my crease when I was testing out the eyeshadows, which was plenty! If you tend to be a fiend for black eyeshadows, you probably have something similar, since it is a rather basic color (see the black eyeshadow swatch gallery). I noticed that the silver sparkles translated a bit more on the lid with this shade than they typically do (a lot of times they just get lost).

Custom Made is soft peach with a metallic sheen and a hint of pink to keep it from turning orange. As far as undertones go, this is almost cool-toned, which is hard to do in a peachy shade! It had rich color payoff, though the texture was a smidgen powdery. Le Metier de Beaute Nouvelle is less metallic, so it appears darker. theBalm Stubborn is more satin-y. MAC Nubile is more beige. Urban Decay Scratch is pinker.

Chateau is a medium-dark gray with a mostly matte finish. There are hints of brown in the color, but it’s not a taupe. The pigmentation was good, and it blended out easily. Urban Decay Desperation is a bit more red-toned. MAC Moody has more burgundy/plum in it. Urban Decay Asphalt is darker. Urban Decay Ace is darker.

Truffle is a coppery brown with a frosted, metallic finish. The color payoff was excellent, and the texture was very soft and smooth. This color is one that we have seen often, though, so you may have something like it already. Cinderella Drizella is more subdued. Dior Golden Savannah is browner, darker. Tarina Tarantino Amber is lighter. MAC Campfire is brighter, more orange. Make Up For Ever #12 is a bit richer. theBalm Meep Meep is very similar. MAC Amber Lights is a bit more orange.

First Class is a cool-toned pewter-gold with a soft frosted sheen. You might call it a dirty gold or platinum. It had good pigmentation, and it had a very smooth, finely-milled feel. Chanel Apprence is more golden. Urban Decay Maui Wowie is a touch yellower, lighter. Giorgio Armani #14 is darker, greener. Bare Minerals Chart Topper is lighter. Wet ‘n’ Wild Dancing in the Clouds is cooler-toned, grayer.

Upgrade is a subdued burgundy-mauve with a frosted finish. It had excellent color payoff with a silky-smooth feel. Inglot #423 is much darker. MAC Stolen Moment is darker and more purple. MAC Satin Taupe is quite a bit darker.

Five Star is a pale white with a satin finish. The pigmentation was spot-on, and the texture was soft without being powdery. Bare Minerals Cheers is cooler-toned. Bobbi Brown White is a bit cooler-toned and matte. MAC Crystal Avalanche is more shimmery.

Private Isle is a medium-dark blue with a very small tinge of purple. It has a satin-like finish, though there are very fine micro-shimmers (barely noticeable on). It had great color payoff, and it had a soft, smooth texture. This is an odd blue, because of the subdued nature of it and that it’s not full-onblue, which makes it hard to dupe. theBalm Sensational is lighter, bluer. Inglot #336 is kind of subdued, but it just looks so different. NARS Mandchourie has a similar vibe but ultimately looks unlike this.

bareMinerals has created a quality, cool-toned (overall) holiday palette that features a mix of neutrals paired with few hints of color. Custom Made seemed a little powdery initially, but I didn’t have problems with it once I used it on the eye. Chateau wasn’t as pigmented as it should be or as the rest of the palette, but it was only a little shy of that. When I wore the eyeshadows without a primer, they lasted a full ten hours without fading or creasing; with the Prime Time primer, they lasted ten hours again without creasing or fading.