Morphe Live in Color (25L) Artist Palette Swatches & Initial Impressions
Morphe Live in Color (25L) Artist Palette ($20.00 for 1.41 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette where 100% of net proceeds are donated to The Trevor Project (between June and July 2019). In a sea of brands celebrating Pride, there are only a few that are hitting that charitable aspect on a high note, and Morphe is one of them. Additionally, they’ve also set up a way to donate directly to The Trevor Project at checkout (on any purchase) for $1, $3 or $5. On their website, there’s a detailed breakdown of the names used, which I thought was a nice touch, and they also have video stories from 12 LGBTQIA+ individuals.
The palette is sold out online, and I last saw Morphe comment via social media that it was still available in some stores. It doesn’t seem like they plan to do any restocks, so I don’t know that I’ll end up doing a full review, but I did try it a few times (and struggled) so I can share some of that initial thoughts. I had higher hopes for the palette, as it swatched quite well, but I found a lot of the shades difficult to work with and end up attempting and removing twice before producing the looks shown above (which aren’t perfect or where I wanted them to be at by any means).
There was a fair amount of fallout with the matte eyeshadows, while the shimmers are thicker/denser and were better applied with fingertips or wet brushes. I don’t think the palette works well with regular primer (like Urban Decay Primer Potion, MAC 24HR, NARS Smudgeproof, etc.), let alone over bare skin, and needs a tackier, thicker base like a white, cream eyeshadow or concealer. I had issues where the more I built up a matte shade, it eventually started to erase itself, and this also occurred when I tried to add a darker shade on top (like something to deepen the crease). I also experienced heavy fading (within four to five hours) with the mattes on their own. It was, unfortunately, a poor experience for me, even though it seemed rather promising when swatched.
You can always donate $5 or $10 to your favorite LGBTQIA+ organization directly, in case you thought about supporting this product but did want something of higher quality. On the other hand, if you use a white base and don’t mind fallout and some extra effort, enjoy it as well. I just didn’t want to share swatches, which look promising, without sharing that experience was wildly different (in the wrong direction).
Morphe Live in Color (25L) Artist Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color (25L) 25-Pan Artistry Palette
Morphe Live in Color | Look Details
Morphe Live in Color | Look Details
Morphe Live in Color | Look Details
I’m quite excited to receive this palette, and it was a gift for my birthday from my mother… which at the time was monumentally important to me, because I’m a trans man that still loves makeup (I don’t know why so many people from the LGBT+ community eschew trans men that enjoy makeup or feminine things, yet can say “yass queen” to feminine born-male men. I love when anyone is just being themselves and adoring that self without actually harming anyone in the process).
However, I just discovered this morning that my mother’s and father’s “support” of any bit of me was a farce and I had to leave to my partner’s house only hours ago (we weren’t living together yet, and I didn’t want to rush anything). My dog is still with my parents, and it breaks my heart. He’s my therapy dog. I suppose I’ll just have to treat it like a divorce; like he’s my child.
I have to pretend things are fine, and that they can use my birth name. With everyone else, I will use my preferred name and gender+pronouns. I’m planning on legally changing my name, soon. I now don’t know if I’ll keep my birth name as an additional middle name after discovering I was never accepted in any way by my family.
My mother must have felt disturbed as she bought this palette for me. She lied to me when she said she was proud of me. Used my “status” to make herself seem more “pitiable” and “impressively empathetic” to her church members, I’ve found out. I used to sing for that church, although I’m an atheist. I enjoyed so many of the choir members. I loved the choir master. He was like an uncle to me, and I was lead soprano, for I’m not on testosterone yet.
I can never sing there again it seems. I still want my parents to be happy and for no one there to know my part of the story.
This all makes me… so sad. And I’ll have to pick the palette up from their house. But I have to visit them for Father’s Day, anyways. I hope they won’t “accidentally” destroy the palette before I get there.
So strange. I’ve always tried to do my best for them.
My apologies for the personal off-topic story. I’m reeling so much that I’m faint from it all. I thought… I had been accepted. It’s been more than a decade that they knew I was “different” in numerous ways. I love my parents dearly. But they made it clear they had never accepted me, and their “love” for me was always off. They always said and did horrific things and I had to fight for apologies.
I’ll keep making donations to good causes like this where I can, no matter if they benefit me or not. Thank you so much for being a true ally and vocal one at that. I’ve always loved and enjoyed your reviews, and the fact that you are so honest with them.
You put in your best, and I strive to do the same in my life. You’re always an inspiration to me. You help me keep on. You are so much more than just a makeup review blog.
Hi Ziek,
I’m really sorry that you’re going through such a rough time right now, and if you need any resources for support, let me know and I’ll try to pass some along, but hopefully, your partner can be a huge source of strength for you. I very much hope you’re able to get your dog from your parents, too, knowing how important therapy animals for their owners and that this won’t become worse for you.
You are very kind and generous to wish your parents continued happiness in this moment! Keeping you in my thoughts today and hoping for the best outcome for you, your pup, and your partner! ??
Churches should be open and affirming. Find one, and sing your heart out, in whatever range you stabilize. God, or however you understand the Great Spirit, affirms rather than denies. As to your parents, much luck. They should be thrilled that their son is self-actualizing, will be happy, and will continue to be honest and productive. Choose the name that resonates best with you, and maybe have a surrogate parent, as well. I have a ‘surrogate child,’ whom I had as a student. She hasn’t made conventional choices, and her parents have always been overtly disapproving, since she was 12. She’s 47 now. And above all, get the dog back next w/e! Our dogs understand love and support, registered as therapy companions or not. And enjoy the palette!
Hi Ziek,
I’m so sorry your parents are being like this. I think my mom pulled something like the “feel sorry for me, my daughter is a freak” at church at some point, but she has improved a ton since then. Families of choice are where it’s at in my opinion. Your partner is just the beginning, there are tons of people in the community who’d love to be your aunties and uncles.
It’s true that there aren’t too many things out there for femme FTM trans folks, but I don’t think it’s so much eshewing as you’re kind of rare, but there was one in my ballet class in Oregon a bunch of years ago (and he was so so so good, omg), and there’s you, so you’re obviously around!
Good luck and Lots of love,
Reka
Ziek,
I’m so, so sorry you’re going through this. As a parent, I can’t fathom treating one’s child this way. As a child of truly awful parents, I sympathize with you on how heartbreaking it is to be manipulated and told how they’re not happy with you. You did nothing wrong, and I hope they see the light someday.
I hope you can get your dog back soon. I’m assuming if you have a therapy dog, you have a therapist. Make good use of them for this situation.
Build your own family, choose whatever name makes you happy, and know there are people in the world who accept and love you even though they’ve never met you. Consider me one of them.
If you’re on Facebook, you might want to join the Phyrra Nyx makeup group. We’re very accepting and have several trans members. There is also an off-shoot group for personal support and chat.
Hi Ziek: Brave are those who are guileless amongst those who sit in judgement. No one should have to experience betrayal by those closest to them. Draw solace and inner strength from knowing there will be people along your path who will uplift you, help you to pick up your broken pieces, and celebrate the beauty of you without judgment or expectation. They exist. Believe. ? ?
Not an off topic story at all.
Get your dog back as soon as possible, dogs are the best, they are always true to the real us. They see us without any prejudices and love us for who we are.
It made me sad, reading your story, I can never understand how parents can be so bad to their children, my mother is quite awful and I try every day to be the opposite to my own child.
Stay true to yourself and be you, chose a name you love and be proud of who you are.
I’ll keep you in my thoughts.
100% of the net proceeds go to charity? That’s fantastic! Too bad it didn’t perform well. But like you said, just donate to a good LGBTQIA charity.
Yep! I feel like they did a pretty good job on raising awareness and supporting LGBTQIA+ with the launch – like it definitely didn’t feel like a cash grab at all. The only room for improvement would be to include a card/info sheet on the names + cause with the physical palette, though you can only buy in their stores or online, where they have the messaging so anyone who buys it would likely know about the donations and why.
It’s a shame this didn’t work better because it’s for such a good cause.
I know! I thought it was a nicer arrangement of colors/finishes, too – such high hopes. I was sooo bummed!
They’ve really kind of gone all out on this, it’s pretty damn great (and with a seriously geeky-historical take on the rainbow flag! Apparently Gilbert Baker designed this one with all its color associations in 1978). I also really appreciate their choice of the Trevor Project (suicide hotline for the LBGTQIQA+ community) as I have far too many dead friends (my generation is more suicide than AIDS with all the new treatments now available).
Incidentally, I’ve only once run into someone who suggested that the suicide rate was because there was something wrong with us rather than something wrong with the way we are/were treated, but I was honestly shocked. The person was 12 and is now a GLBTQIQA+ adult herself, but she heard it at home where it can do the most damage, so spread the word!
I really feel like they thought it through, not just with the charitable contribution, but they seemed to take time to really highlight The Trevor Project and encourage straight donations, too (even on other orders!).
Oh wow, that’s great. The add $1 for a donation to …. pushes work really well in general and now that the palette is sold out, it’s especially helpful.
I think this a fantastic cause and good on Morphe for donating so well to it.
As far as their palettes are concerned, they are often up and down, so your experience Christine, doesn’t come as a surprise to me.
I know 🙁 I haven’t tried enough of their eyeshadow palettes to know how “normal” it is, but I definitely had better luck with the two I have tried (the original Jaclyn Hill palette and 32O2 I think).
I can’t get the thought out of my head that Morphe eyeshadows feel and perform almost exactly the same as my old Coastal Scent palettes from yeeeears ago.
Is it because your CS eyeshadows are old or that CS eyeshadows are equally poor? Inquiring minds want to know!
Kudos to Morphe for giving 100% of the proceeds and helping with donations. This is a really nicely conceptualized palette, which makes it extra sad that the quality isn’t very good. The swatched colors are really pretty, and show what might have been.
The color scheme seemed to have a nice mix of mattes/shimmers and depths!
So funny that this came up, as I have been seeing so many rainbow themed and/or pride marketed collections recently, that I was starting to have thoughts about Pride being the new Pink. It was you, if I remember correctly, who first spoke my own irritations with how breast cancer awareness was being hijacked as a marketing tool? I feel like the same thing is happening again.
If a rainbow bottle of something makes you happy, buy it, but if you’re buying something to show support, maybe just make a donation. And companies who aren’t doing things like this? Maybe step off the rainbow.
At least BCA products seem to accept that they needed to donate something and not nothing – some of the brands participating in Pride this year… aren’t doing anything at all (like Tarte – SEPHORA is now donating $1 but wasn’t when it first released!).
Man, I’m so sad this sold out (and also not sad, you know, because it went to charity!) But this seems like a great rainbow palette, and Im not a Morphe fan, but for it to go to charity (WAY more than other brands) I wish I could have bought this!
Yeah, that was my feeling – bummer it sold out so quickly BUT that does mean no money was left on the table to donate!
What a pity that this palette didn’t perform well. I could have bought it after seeing the swatches, they do look good.
I don’t think you have to do a full review of very disappointing makeup, what you said in this post is enough, I think.
It really is a pity that a colourful, well thought out palette, sold with 100% going to such a good charity isn’t perfect. It should have been!
(I’ll just go and order the anniversary Viva Glam, not the same thing, but I try to buy them all and sometimes they aren’t easy to find.)
As for Morphe, please get it together, you must be able to do better!
If it was still available, I might, but there are a lot of palettes on the plate to review at the moment, so I will prioritize those over something sold out! I was hoping they might do a restock but haven’t seen anything that indicated that they would (they’ve been referring people to check in stores).
MAC Viva Glam is still the best charitable campaign that I can recall; MAC has long supported the LGBTQIA+ community, continues to do so, and they do it 365 days a year. Viva Glam is always a good choice!
I ordered it (Viva Glam) about five minutes after I finished writing that I was going to get it. It should be on its way by tomorrow.
I am on a low buy and have enough lipsticks, but Viva Glam doesn’t count.
It’s Morphe. If anyone is shocked that the quality isn’t good, I’m shocked at that.
The two palettes I’ve tried from Morphe were decent – by no means best eyeshadow contenders, but they weren’t that hard to work with. I’ve actually really enjoyed some Morphe products, like their highlighters.
As a psychologist, I love that they are donating all the proceeds! Kudos to them… worth the price tag even if quality isn’t there.
All proceeds is always good to see!
I recently bought both this and the brush set, and my palette arrived with several shades (SF, Truth, Milk, and Liberation) shattered and contaminating the other shades. I was able to clean it up a bit, however, repressing the shattered shades really impacted their color and usability. Overall, I thought this one seemed a bit dryer and more chalky and chunkier, or maybe an easier way to describe it would be less creamy, than their other palettes. The colors were pretty but not so much pigmented as staining. I also recently bought the Morphe 35H Hot Spot Palette ( I think it’s an Ulta Exclusive) which had some similar colors and was much creamier and more consistent with the “better” morphe texture. I would suggest buying this palette or one of the BH Cosmetics Rio palettes and making a donation directly to Trevor’s Project for anyone who missed out.
Thank you for the insight on how it compares to other Morphe palettes in your experience! Sorry to hear your palette arrived shattered 🙁
This palette reminds me a lot of the BH Cosmetics Back to Brazil and Rio Edition palettes. I know you have so much current makeup to go through, but I would love if it you ever got the chance to swatch those and add them to the database!
Thank you for the suggestion! Right now, I don’t see any opportunity for that (just so you don’t think it’s coming soon, lol) – I am completely buried under with palettes right now in a way I really didn’t see coming, so I’m terribly underprepared and behind 🙁
I completely understand that. Thanks for all your hard work!