Smashbox Golden Hour Cover Shot Eye Palette Review, Photos, Swatches
Golden Hour
Smashbox Golden Hour Cover Shot Eye Palette ($29.00 for 0.27 oz.) is a small, travel-friendly palette that features a warm, gold and plum-themed color scheme across eight shades. What I liked about this palette was that each well was large enough for regular eyeshadow brushes, and there was enough product across each that nothing felt skimpy. It actually is a more realistic amount of product, where one can finish and work through it, particularly for those of us with less modest stashes!
The formula is supposed to be “highly pigmented” with a “beyond blendable” texture. The eyeshadows in this palette had good to great pigmentation, softer, slightly dustier textures that were blendable but a couple shades were more prone to sheering out without a primer underneath. It did seem like a formula that I would not wear without a primer, but it was workable on bare skin. The wear was between seven and eight hours, depending on the shade, which is about average for me. The biggest issue I had when I worked without a primer was just that the formula was more prone to fallout during the application.
The palette should release officially on December 7th.
Look Using this Product
Golden Hour
LELimited Edition. $28.00.
Dope
Dope is a light-medium peach with warm, yellow undertones and a matte finish. It had good color payoff with a soft, silky texture that was a little powdery that applied best by patting on, rather than tapping or sweeping. It wore well for seven hours on me.
Top Dupes
- LORAC Butterscotch (LE, $19.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Estee Lauder Vanille (LE, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- ColourPop Send Noodles (PiP, $4.50) is darker (95% similar).
- Disney by Sephora Flounder (LE, ) is warmer (95% similar).
- Inglot #328 (P, $6.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Huda Beauty Desert Sand (PiP, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- LORAC Nectar (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever M536 Milk Tea (P, $17.00) is darker, more muted, cooler (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Nudie (PiP, $19.00) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Viseart Peche II (PiP, ) is warmer (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Dope
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Hero
Hero is a light, yellowed beige with a matte finish. The eyeshadow had a really smooth, cream-like feel to it–very finely-milled and blendable–but it had a stronger white base, so it did not work as well with some of the deeper, warmer shades in the palette when blended with it (I used it on the brow bone), as it had a tendency to turn them a little ashy. I think a little pearl or perhaps a little less white would have helped it coordinate and work better with the other shades in the palette. It lasted nicely for seven and a half hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Dior Undress #2 (PiP, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- Huda Beauty Mauve #8 (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Viseart Absinthe #1 (PiP, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- Too Faced Rock Candy (LE, $16.00) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Full-Zip (PiP, $4.50) is lighter (95% similar).
- LORAC Cool Taupe (Mega Pro 4) (LE, $19.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Too Faced Heaven (PiP, $16.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Zoeva Nighthawks (PiP, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty Take a Memo (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Smashbox Vanilla (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
Look Using this Product
Hero
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Lights
Lights is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow-gold undertones and a soft, frosted finish. The pigmentation was good, though not fully opaque, paired with a soft, lightly dusty texture that sheered out a touch on the lid and had some of the shimmer fallout during application. It started to fade after seven and a half hours of wear.
Top Dupes
- Too Faced Coconut Sugar (PiP, $16.00) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Clarins Brown Sugar #1 (PiP, ) is cooler (95% similar).
- Smashbox Inside Scoop (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- NARS Hollywoodland (P, $28.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Guerlain Petrouchka #2 (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Dior Sundeck #2 (LE, ) is warmer (95% similar).
- Dior Sienna #1 (LE, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- Maybelline Beige-ing Beauty (85) (LE, $6.99) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Blaze (Beached) (LE, $19.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Milani Bella Sand (02) (P, $4.49) is darker (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Lights
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Hotline
Hotline is a soft, medium-dark coppery brown with warm undertones and a soft, frosted finish. It had good color payoff with a smooth, denser texture that applied well to bare skin and did not lose its intensity. The eyeshadow lasted for eight hours on me.
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Charmed Life (P, $6.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- ColourPop My Way (LE, $4.50) is cooler (90% similar).
- Marc Jacobs Beauty The Lover #5 (LE, ) is lighter, brighter (90% similar).
- LORAC My Castle (LE, $19.00) is darker (90% similar).
- Natasha Denona Star Bronze (139CP) (LE, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Kaja Gilded Chocolate (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Smashbox Liquid Fire (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Danae (P, $12.00) is more shimmery, brighter (90% similar).
- NARS L'Amour, Toujours L'Amour #6 (DC, $25.00) is lighter, brighter (90% similar).
- MAC La Vida Mocha (PiP, $17.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Hotline
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Turned On
Turned On is a soft, light-medium coral-pink with a frosted, golden shimmer. The pigmentation was fantastic–totally opaque–with a soft, blendable texture that ran a little drier and looser in the pan, so there was fallout to contend with during application, but it was easy to diffuse the edges and layer over other shades. I noticed fading after seven and a half hours on me.
Top Dupes
- Fenty Beauty Mamacita (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Smashbox Cascade (PiP, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever S814 Light Rosewood (P, $17.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- ColourPop Over It (P, $4.50) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Huda Beauty Mauve #2 (PiP, ) is darker, brighter (90% similar).
- Urban Decay Rest Stop (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever D750 Frosted Peach (DC, $21.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Light Up (LE, $6.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Buxom Glitz Factor (P, $12.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Dior Bayadere #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
Turned On
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Psyched
Psyched is a medium-dark, reddish-brown with warm undertones and a sparkling, frosted finish. It seemed to have a bit of sparkle/micro-glitter to it, but I didn’t notice significant fallout over time from it. The eyeshadow had rich, opaque color coverage, while the overall texture was soft, blendable, and just a touch dusty. It wore well on bare skin for seven and a half hours.
Top Dupes
- MAC Dynamic (LE, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Off Duty (LE, $19.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Ludwig (P, $8.00) is darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop Close Up (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- ColourPop High Strung (PiP, $4.50) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- ColourPop Fancy Face (PiP, $4.50) is darker (95% similar).
- KKW Beauty Blossom (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Viseart Scala (LE, ) is darker (90% similar).
- Clinique Ample Amber (P, $17.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- NARS Chiang Mai (Right) (DC, $25.00) is lighter (90% similar).
Look Using this Product
Psyched
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Rock Stars
Rock Stars is a deep plum with warmer undertones and a pearly sheen. It was intensely pigmented, and the color applied with true-to-pan intensity while still being blendable and easily diffused along the edges. The texture was soft without being too firm or too soft in the pan, which made it one of the easier shades to work within the palette. This shade started to fade on me after eight hours of wear.
Top Dupes
- Pat McGrath Blue Blood (PiP, $25.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- NABLA Cosmetics Offline (PiP, ) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
- NARS Blind Date (DC, $25.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Bobbi Brown High Octane (P, $38.00) is more shimmery, more muted (90% similar).
- Make Up For Ever #17 (P, $23.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Charlotte Tilbury Bejewelled (Dream Glow Smoke) (LE, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Metropolis (LE, $25.00) is less shimmery, darker, more muted (95% similar).
- Pat McGrath Amnesia (LE, $25.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (85% similar).
- Dose of Colors Turbosan (LE, ) is more shimmery (85% similar).
- Urban Decay Shockwave (DC, $20.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
Look Using this Product
Rock Stars
PiPPermanent in Palette.
Stare
Stare is a subdued, medium-dark brown with subtle, warm, golden undertones and a pearl finish. It had great color payoff that went on evenly on the eye. The texture was soft, denser without being too firm in the pan, and it blended out without issue on the skin. It lasted for eight hours before fading on me.
Top Dupes
- NARS Unbuttoned (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
- Too Faced Merci (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- ColourPop Noontide (PiP, $6.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Ember (PiP, $19.00) is more shimmery (95% similar).
- Burberry Gold #1 (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Chanel Entrelacs #3 (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar).
- Smashbox Bronze Shimmer (P, $25.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Viseart Bijoux Royal #6 (LE, ) is darker (90% similar).
- ColourPop Howdy (PiP, $4.50) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- theBalm #8 (P, $6.50) is less shimmery (90% similar).
I just LOVE the shades in this palette.. I know it’s not terribly unique… but these are mah shades!
Happy to hear it!
Oh nice, love the Plum in that kit. With the bronze and peach shades, I can see this as being a nice eye kit for summer time, then you throw in the plum, and it turns it into a fall/winter look.
The palette is very cohesive!
Finally! A purple shadow that gets a decent score!
Wonders never cease!
Very nice and portable! I love these type of on-the-go palettes for convenience. And this one *almost* makes me think bargain priced TF Honeymoon quad, color thematic anyway. The plum and reddish shades being lighter, though, than Honeymoon.
I like the size overall – small, compact but not ridiculously small.
Not really my colors, but very pretty!
They are!
Hi Christine! Love the new post layout. Is it possible to have the slideshows default to the swatch photo first, rather than the eyeshadow pan photo? Wondering if anyone else has commented the same thing. Thank you for the great review!
Hi Kelsey,
The way we organize photos is to have the product photo first, sorry! It’s not something that I would change at this time. Thank you for your feedback!
Hero, Turned On, and Rock Stars are my fave here.
Yay!
Beautiful but nothing new.
True!
This is a really lovely set from Smashbox, who haven’t always produced the goods in the recent past. The shades have been thoughtfully chosen to provide a cohesive look and the plum shade is beautiful. It is the right size too to be used when travelling or as a go to in the morning rush.
Beautiful eye look, as always, Christine.
Thank you, Genevieve!
Christine, love the look you put together. I bought this palette when it released for VIB Rouge. I didn’t experience any fall out and the shadows blended very nicely. I did, however, experience an allergic type reaction. I’m not normally sensitive to eyeshadow so I’d be interested to hear from anyone else if they’ve experienced any problems.
Oh no!! 🙁
I’m sure you checked…Sephora didn’t put up ingredients. That annoys the wazoo out of me. And it’s too new to be on cosdna, likely. My guess would be carmine, pretty common, and there’s a fair amount of red in these, in the background. It’d be good to know what sensitized you, so you don’t repeat the experience. Copy the ingredients list before you take it back, and go from there. I’ll look on the Smashbox site for ingredients to check for the usual suspects. You can figure it out, with online tools and process of elimination.
Thanks for the info. I’m a bit stumped by it. I wear eyeshadow every day and pretty much every brand from drug store to high end and this is the only brand I’ve had this problem with.
Hi! I have crazy allergic skin but I love make up. I know not everyone is allergic to the same things and I have not yet tried these eyeshadows. But, things that HAVE irritated my eyes, eye lids and lashes and that aren’t in every eye shadow are: anything seaweed or algae related which included carrageenan and chondris crispus (sorry if I spelled that wrong) and any formaldehyde releasing preservative like DMDM Hydantion. Lanolin in all forms including alcohol also caused me major issues. I enjoy all kinds of make up but I have to be careful. Hope this helps even a little.
Michelle, thanks for sharing. I did return the palette, but I think I’ll avoid smashbox shadows from now on. They are the only ones I’ve ever had a problem with so obviously there is something in them that I’m reacting too. Again, thanks for sharing.
Hard to believe, but there are three colors in there that I don’t have.
And two more that I have dupes for but are staples and could use more of.
Hmmmm…
And!… I like the combinations as a whole.
Now I’m curious if you’ll get the palette!
Very nice! Will keep an eye out on the other palettes!
Yay!
Want! Neutral and yet interesting, not boring. It’s going on my list. Lovely look you did with this.
Thank you, AB!
Ooh such a pretty eyelook! And a pretty palette!
All of the colors are really pretty, and I like that they performed well.
Thanks, Aj!
This particular palette didn’t catch my eye but I really, really love the look you created with it. Peachy shades look so lovely when paired with purple!
Thank you, Lulle!
It’s decided, I gotta have this.
Yay!
Hi Christine,
Thank you for your review of Golden Hour! Will you post your review for the other 6 Cover Shot palettes? If yes, please review Ablaze soon because I’m considering it for my $25 Sephora coupon 🙂 Thanks in advance!
I really want this palette. Haha I swear my hands were sweating when I was scrolling down because I was really hoping your ratings for each colour would be a decent enough to give me another reason to buy it. Seriously most of my purchases I rely on your reviews. I love how high and comprehensive your standards/ reviews are.
A B+ is great for a one the go travel palette. Definitely buying this one for my upcoming holiday.
I love that you created such a pretty and wearable eye look!! So much of what you see on Instagram etc now is ultra-creative, experimental looks, which I love to see in terms of how makeup really can be an art form, but when reading reviews on products, it’s so nice to see a lovely, wearable look that I could feasibly copy.
What I wanted to ask is how you feel this palette compares to past Smashbox palettes – most particularly, the photo-matte collection which for some reason just failed to interest me, and especially this double exposure pallette, because I have the mini version of it and don’t feel like the shadows are well pigmented at all – almost all of the colours looked completely different on my eyes than they did in the palette, and I felt it took a lot of shadow to get any definition between the different shades I was using, otherwise when blended, similar colours would just look the exact same.
Thanks!