When Stila named this palette the “Happy Hour Eyeshadow Palette,” we’re sure they were imagining the rollicking good time people have after work, surrounded by friends and a few shots to lighten the mood. Instead, after using the palette, we were left wondering if whoever created these had a little too much at Happy Hour, and then decided to go ahead and put together an eyeshadow palette for public consumption.
Honestly, the only good thing we can say for this palette is that the glitter shades are actually pretty great. The shimmers compose two-thirds of this palette, so their quality is actually pretty crucial to the overall quality of the palette. The shimmer shades in this collection are actually bolder colors that set this palette apart, so we’re very happy that they actually work quite nicely.
But unfortunately doesn’t make us feel that this palette is, in any way, worth it. This palette still has matte shades, and those just don’t work out too well. They barely leave a trace when applied, and because these will probably serve as the bases for many of the looks you can create with this palette, this doesn’t bode well for the rest of the shades. The shimmers, on the other hand, while looking gorgeous, also have abundant amounts of fallout—enough to make you want to scream because the glitters get everywhere. We also feel really let down by the overall blendability of the formulas in this palette. While the colors go together pretty well, what concerns us more us that it’s so difficult to make them look like a cohesive whole because of how tough the formulas get once they’re applied to the skin. It’s almost as if Stila didn’t think we’d have to soften to edges of the colors to make the look come together. Also, the cherry on top of this sad cake is that these eyeshadows don’t even hold up for good periods of time.
Despite its name, we definitely weren’t “happy” at this eyeshadow palette. It’s plagued with issues, almost as if it were created as more of an afterthought. As a consumer, you’d be much better off just looking for a different palette where all the included shades work as intended.
SUITABLE FOR: All skin types.
