Product Review: Stila Eyes Are The Windows Palette (Spirit)

Confession Time: I love eyeshadow. Shocker. I know. I have a weakness when it comes to them because it's the only place on your face you can completely be a nut. Usually, we wear colors on our face that enhance a color that could actually happen: Your lips could be a pretty pink, when you are flushed, your cheeks will fill with color, you enhance the black in your eyelashes with mascara, and your natural brow color with brow gels and pencils and powders...

But could your eyelids be green? Maybe if you had some strange disorder, but most likely, no. You can be completely unrealistic when it comes to your eyelids and color and that's why it's fun. I happened upon the Stila Eyes Are The Windows Palettes in the store at Sephora and I just had to go and play with them. I fell in love and left the store.

This is my policy.

If I see something I like, I leave it there and wait to see if I want it the next day. Well, the next day...

Even though it was a ridiculous $49, I went back for the Spirit Palette. The colors were too pretty when I swatched them on my hand and Stila's best-selling shade Kitten was in there. I could not resist. These palettes were created as a celebration of Stila Cosmetics' 20th Anniversary which is super cool! The other palettes are Mind, Soul and Body. Spirit had the colors I was most attracted to. The packaging is beautiful. It's rose gold (so is the band on my engagement ring, so I am partial) and very shiny. It's not super heavy, but it's a lovely quality packaging and the palette opens and closes with a magnetic closure. When you open it...it's breathtaking. And it comes with a ginormous mirror. 

Here are the swatches on my arm...this is where it starts to get disappointing...

Brush Swatches, No Primer

Finger Swatches with Primer

As you can see, the pigmentation is not that great even though the darker colors are nicely pigmented. The colors are densely packed and a slightly powdery texture, not a buttery texture that you get with some other brands. When I had my brush in the palette, I had to really get in there and powder got all over the pan. However, even though the colors are pretty sheer, they are buildable and you can apply more product to get a more intense color. They blend very well and they are fun to play with, but you have to really get in there with your brush and grab product.

The Verdict? Is this worth $49? Not really? The packaging is gorgeous, but you will get your fingerprints all over it. If you're looking for a super high quality palette, both Urban Decay and Too Faced make beautiful shadow palettes. If you have $49 to spend and you want to try it, go ahead! It's a gorgeous palette and perhaps it would make a great first palette for a beginner, as it's impossible to be heavy-handed with the colors here.

I'll personally be keeping it, as I enjoy it, but it's not worth the $49 pricepoint in my opinion. But, there's no doubt that it's beautiful and I finally have a Kitten Shadow! Anyone else tried any of these new Stila palettes?