Make Up For Ever Star Lit Glitter Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Star Lit
Make Up For Ever Star Lit Glitter Palette ($45.00 for 0.30 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that features six glittery eyeshadows. The formula is different from other finishes from the brand within the Artist Color Shadow range (and its previous Artist Shadow range as well), but it’s one that other brands have used in some capacity (Urban Decay Moondusts, Tom Ford/Charlotte Tilbury both have similar formulations in various palettes, MAC Dazzleshadow, etc.), though I’d argue the Star Lit formula’s strength is pigmentation with moderate glitter/sparkle rather than lots of glitter/sparkle and less base color. This makes them workable as layering shades as well as standalone eyeshadows. There were two shades that were sheerer, while four were quite pigmented, and that was where the palette lost points (as the brand states these have “intense color payoff”).
The texture has a smoother, almost wet feel with some slip and enough substance that the glitter and base color adhere together onto the lid without lots of fallout during blending or application. These types of sparkles tend to lay flat and stick well to the skin, but they can be harder to remove at the end of the day, and there was some migration over time, though certainly not tons and still impressive for something as glittery as this formula without using an adhesive base or spray. I swatched all the shades dry and damp, and I found dampened application to be largely unnecessary.
One thing note is that each shade doesn’t contain as much product as you’d think, given the size of the palette. It has that bulky, oversized feel, which may be a deal-breaker for some and a non-issue for others!
Reflection
Reflection is a cool, pale white with silver and pink-to-lavender shifting sparkle. It had semi-sheer pigmentation and was better as a layering shade or applied as a wash of sparkle over the lid to brighten. The eyeshadow felt almost wet when I touched it, but it was smooth and adhered well with good sparkle distribution on my lid. It wore well for eight and a half hours with slight fallout over time.
Top Dupes
- Make Up For Ever 103 Pink White (P, $26.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Colour Pop Wavelength (LE, $8.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- MAC Mirrorball (PiP, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Viseart Coy #4 (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Madreperla (P, $8.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Raw Jade (Left) (LE, ) is brighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Stila Admiral (LE, $30.00) is warmer (85% similar).
- Colour Pop GRLFRND (LE, $5.00) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (85% similar).
- Urban Decay Leo (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery (85% similar).
- Dior Mellow Shade #2 (LE, ) is less shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
- More dupes -- click to see the full list!
Prism
Prism is a brighter, medium plum with warm undertones and a multi-colored, sparkling finish. It had rich color payoff in a single layer, and it applied better dry than with a dampened brush (more opaque, more sparkly). The consistency felt almost wet to the touch with a smooth, lightly emollient texture that adhered evenly to bare skin and was best applied in pressing/patting motions rather than swept on. This sahde stayed on well for eight and a half hours with slight fallout over time.
Top Dupes
- Sephora Vampire Lovers (368) (P, $8.00) (90% similar).
- Milani Biggest Flirt (PiP, $5.99) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Hedonistic (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Colour Pop Firecracker (LE, $7.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Girl Crush (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Juvia's Place Nomad (P, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Huda Beauty Fling (Remastered) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever ME840 Pink Chrome (P, $17.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- MAC Boom Boom Room (LE, $18.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Sephora Be Chic (329) (P, $8.00) is less shimmery, more muted (90% similar).
- More dupes -- click to see the full list!
Spark
Spark is a light, peachy gold with warm, yellow undertones and copper lavender pink sparkle. The consistency was a bit drier compared to the other shades in the palette. It had sheer coverage, which meant it worked better as a layering shade rather than an intense lid color, though it seemed to be somewhat buildable (to medium coverage). It wore well for eight and a half hours and had some fallout over time.
Top Dupes
- Dose of Colors Just a Kiss (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar).
- Too Faced Fairy Tale (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Stila Sandstone (LE, $18.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Nude Awakening #3 (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Surratt Beauty Starr (P, $20.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Colour Pop Oracle (LE, $5.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Blaze (Beached) (LE, $19.00) is darker, brighter (85% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury The Uptown Girl #1 (PiP, ) is lighter, brighter (85% similar).
- MAC Spun from Gold (LE, $18.00) is darker (85% similar).
- Colour Pop Bow Wow (LE, $5.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
- More dupes -- click to see the full list!
Flame
Flame is a medium, reddish bronze with warm undertones and a metallic finish paired with flecks of pink, copper, and gold sparkle and pearl. It had opaque pigmentation in a single layer with a smooth, almost cream-like texture that wasn’t too dense or stiff to work with, so I had no trouble applying it with a flat, synthetic brush or fingertips. The color blended out well and lasted for eight and a half hours with minimal fallout.
Top Dupes
- Colour Pop Fancy Face (PiP, $5.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Glare (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Huda Beauty Smokey #3 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Natasha Denona Bronze (P, $28.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar).
- Chanel New Moon (97) (LE, $32.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Colour Pop Money Trees (LE, $5.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Ciate Flare (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Off Duty (LE, $19.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Sephora Choco Excess (297) (P, $8.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Viseart Grande Pro (Vol. 2) #6 (LE, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- More dupes -- click to see the full list!
Flicker
Flicker is a medium, muted orange with warm, brownish undertones and a metallic sheen and a faint, peach-to-pink sparkle that was more apparent at certain angles. The texture was smooth to the touch and felt almost wet, as it had some slip, but it wasn’t thick or difficult to apply. The eyeshadow sat well on my bare lids and stayed in place for eight and a half hours and did not seem to have fallout.
Top Dupes
- Natasha Denona Peach (P, $28.00) is darker (95% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Club Tropicana #1 (LE, ) is lighter, brighter (90% similar).
- Dior Volcanic #3 (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Supersonic Girl #2 (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (90% similar).
- Melt Cosmetics Crimefighter (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
- BH Cosmetics Club Tropicana #6 (LE, ) is lighter (85% similar).
- Colour Pop Flipper (P, $5.00) is lighter, brighter (85% similar).
- Tom Ford Beauty Sphinx (P, $45.00) is lighter, brighter (85% similar).
- Natasha Denona Nude (P, $28.00) is lighter (85% similar).
- NARS Singapore #2 (PiP, $19.00) is less shimmery, warmer (80% similar).
- More dupes -- click to see the full list!
Beam
Beam is a medium-dark plum with warm, brown undertones and flecks of cooler violet and mid-tone plum sparkle and pearl. It had semi-opaque pigmentation with a smooth, lightly emollient consistency that seemed good at binding the pigmented base color and the sparkly bits to help them apply more evenly to bare skin and minimize fallout during application. It wore well for eight hours and had slight fallout over time.
Top Dupes
- MAC Can't Stop, Won't Stop (LE, $18.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Kevyn Aucoin Fuse (LE, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Corruption (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Viseart Petit Pro #8 (LE, ) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Shockwave (P, $20.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Colour Pop Wittle (P, $5.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Coloured Raine Queen Mother (PiP, $6.99) is less shimmery, darker (85% similar).
- Bad Habit Aurora (PiP, ) is lighter, brighter (85% similar).
- Natasha Denona Livid (146DC) (PiP, $29.00) is less shimmery, darker (85% similar).
- Colour Pop Revolution (P, $5.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).
- More dupes -- click to see the full list!
I was really hoping they would release the same palette as in Europe…This USA one is not worth the price in my opinion š Even if the shades are pretty!
Do you know if the 18-color palette of this will come to the US?
Sorry, I don’t have any information on that!
I really like the theme of this little gem and the fact that it is of better quality that lots of the other glittery palettes around. I only wonder why there was a brown shade in this palette, when perhaps a lovely grey would have suited the purplish shades better.
Oooh, I will have to swatch these in store, see if I should buy! I love the sparkles in these
I seriously didn’t think I would like this palette, but oh boy, was I wrong! This one is quite tempting actually! Now to talk myself out of it: low-buy year and that I have UD Moondust and Fenty Galaxy Palettes. Here’s hoping that reasoning works out for me!
It’s pretty, but I’ve recently discovered that my eyelids get itchy and irritated with the more chunky metallic and glitter shades. I’ve been trying to figure out if it’s a chemical and comparing ingredient lists abd such as the reaction feels pretty bad. I love metallics in theory but I’m ready for this trend to be a little over. I’ll take pearlescent over full metal shimmer these days, thank you.
I also have this issue with a lot of glitter shades, but I do not have that problem with this palette! They are super lightweight and you can not feel the glitter on the lids at all!
I have to admit that I caved and bought this about a week ago and was just hoping that it would at least review decently. I received it and have used it twice already. For me this works much better than say the Jouer Skinny Dip Palette. While I liked the Jouer palette it was hard to work with. I really had to work to keep the base and the glitter on my eyes. It was pretty when I succeeded but haven’t used it in quite a while. This is much easier for me and with a primer which I use everyday anyway, they stayed put and I didn’t have any fallout. I do wish that the palette was not quite so bulky and that a few more shades were included. I would have liked a couple of cooler shades such as a grey and/or pale seafoam. I don’t think it is going to be a good palette for travel.
Thank you so much for the comparison; it was very helpful!!
Wow! This is much prettier than I expected it to be.
I don’t understand why they didn’t include a pretty blue, green, or silver, unless they’re planning to release a more cool-toned palette later. Luckily I already have UD Moondust so that’s got my cool heart covered š
Albeit the decent quality, I donāt know what the heck is going on in the packaging and marketing department of makeup forever. Are they trying to appeal to the younger crowd with this cardboard, cheap-looking mess? What happened to their sleek black packaging? Their pro mua branding has seemed to give in to the need for ātrendiness.ā I hope they donāt continue down this route with this design because honestly…even Colourpop packaging looks better. Yikes!
This is so petty but I couldn’t understand why they wanted to put out something like this, with (for lack of better terms) less sophisticated branding than they typically put out. Especially this late in the trend. Combined with the not-that-great shadow relaunch I’m kinda like ??? wyd MUFE.
These do look beautiful though but as I was eyeing the launch (and waiting for your swatches) I was hoping those darker plum shades would be more of a duochrome rather than doing the trendier thing, which is a more stable base color + relying on the glitter for all the interest/shift. What’s wrong with a traditional duochrome, I’m always asking…
I purchased this a few days ago (before reading your review) and now I’m excited. I was hoping this palette would be a somewhat “refined” glitter palette, if that’s a thing, lol, and it looks like I will get my wish. I actually like every shade and think I’ll be able to wear them easily. I do not like the packaging at all, but, if the eyeshadows perform well and give the look I’m seeking, I’ll live. I also wish they had included more shades as there is quite a bit of empty space and a couple of cool-toned shadows would have been nice, but at least none of these seem like throw-away shades that I won’t use. Now I’m super-intrigued by the European Edition of this if it has a ton more shades. Hmmm, any Europeans here that can weigh in?!? Thank you for the excellent review, Christine!
I can’t deal with this packaging. There’s so much wasted space, and it feels like they are trying to fool people into thinking they are getting a better value than they are. It’s almost (but not quite) as bad as the Dose of Colors Hidden Treasures palette. I wouldn’t buy either simply due to the packaging. They would drive me crazy every time I opened them to use them. Pass.
I was waiting for your review of this!! I may have to purchase this one. It’s so beautiful. I adore my UD Moondusts, MAC Dazzleshadows, and Tom Ford Powder/Cream duos. They are top favorites in my collection so I really think I will use this often.