PRICE: $22.99USD (Price on the Morphe Website)
So I am sure everybody knows that one of the most hyped about brands these days is undoubtedly Morphe Brushes. And of course one of the most popular items from them is the 35O Palette. (And I mean, the popularity is so justifiable considering the gorgeous shades and the hype!) With all of this said, you know that I would have to do a review on something that is so raved about.
I have had the palette for a while now, but it took me so long to get on the review wagon because I didn't want to write about something that is sold out. But since this palette gets sold out within hours of getting released, I realised (finally) that it will be impossible to time this perfectly. That aiming to get this post up while the product is in stock will be close to impossible. So I decided to finally just review it! It is constantly restocked so don't fret! If you keep a close eye on their instagram, they are always updating you on when the palette is about to be restocked (and it does happen on the regular)! So just keep your eyes peeled.
I know that they have the newer versions of the 35O (with the all matte and all shimmer versions), but I think this palette is still more popular so I think the review is warranted. I am doing the review with the 35K palette (because you know, 2 in 1 is always good)! They are somewhat similar and somewhat different palettes so I thought I would kill two birds with one stone in this post. So I hope you enjoy!
Okay so I will structure this post by just giving you an overall opinion on both the palettes. There are some things that both the palettes have in common. But then I will break down the review into specific reviews about each palette. I will also provide swatches of all the colours in the palettes.
Review of Both Palettes
If you want to purchase it off an Australian website, for my fellow Aussies, you can use the links above but they are able to be purchased off MakeupNet (link HERE) Beauty Bay (link HERE) or Beautyjoint (link HERE). (None of these are affiliate links. I am literally just linking you to the website).
As I said, there are a few things about the palettes which are similar. I will quickly run through these.
Pigmentation. Dang most of these are colours really pack a punch with the pigmentation! They tend to be insanely pigmented - the colour payoff is intense! So use a light hand if you don't want intense colour.
Patchiness. However, some of the colours are patchy. The satin/shimmery ones are not a problem at all - they are beautiful to apply. But one or two matte ones and any which have a chunky glitter are a little patchy and hard to apply. In total though, this is only 1-3 shades per palette so I couldn't say that is a massive problem.
Creaminess. Regardless of the pigmentation or patchiness, the shadows are all super super super creamy. I love it. I think nothing brings me more joy than a creamy eyeshadow (that is very sad I know, but it's true).
Colour range. I think that all the palettes have such a beautiful colour range. Depending on what you're after, I am sure that there is something that they offer that you will love. I can almost guarantee it. In each palette the colour range is also awesome in itself. The colours are not too dramatically different that they can't create a cohesive eye look, but at the same time they aren't so similar that there was no point to having all the colours.
Packaging. So obviously, the packaging is the same for both palettes. There are 35 shadows in each palette. It is in a black plastic package. The plastic is "cheap" feeling, but I don't think that you could be expecting anything "expensive" for the affordable price tag on these. There is unfortunately no mirror. It is also fairly big so it would probably not be something that you want to travel with. It is very light though and very thing so easy to store.
As I said, there are a few things about the palettes which are similar. I will quickly run through these.
Pigmentation. Dang most of these are colours really pack a punch with the pigmentation! They tend to be insanely pigmented - the colour payoff is intense! So use a light hand if you don't want intense colour.
Patchiness. However, some of the colours are patchy. The satin/shimmery ones are not a problem at all - they are beautiful to apply. But one or two matte ones and any which have a chunky glitter are a little patchy and hard to apply. In total though, this is only 1-3 shades per palette so I couldn't say that is a massive problem.
Creaminess. Regardless of the pigmentation or patchiness, the shadows are all super super super creamy. I love it. I think nothing brings me more joy than a creamy eyeshadow (that is very sad I know, but it's true).
Colour range. I think that all the palettes have such a beautiful colour range. Depending on what you're after, I am sure that there is something that they offer that you will love. I can almost guarantee it. In each palette the colour range is also awesome in itself. The colours are not too dramatically different that they can't create a cohesive eye look, but at the same time they aren't so similar that there was no point to having all the colours.
Packaging. So obviously, the packaging is the same for both palettes. There are 35 shadows in each palette. It is in a black plastic package. The plastic is "cheap" feeling, but I don't think that you could be expecting anything "expensive" for the affordable price tag on these. There is unfortunately no mirror. It is also fairly big so it would probably not be something that you want to travel with. It is very light though and very thing so easy to store.
Review of 35O Palette
Now, the hype around this palette is so real. Even now (after the release of the all matte and all shimmer versions) this palette sells out within hours of being restocked on the Morphe website. And I mean, if we start with the colour range in the palette - you can see why it's so popular.
This is an incredibly warm palette - you have beautiful matte transition colours which are warm and neutral; you have gorgeous bright oranges; you have a range of dark browns, red-browns and cool/neutral browns; you have awesome middle of the range browns - from puke coloured yellow browns to cool taupe browns; you have shimmers and mattes, satins and glitters. So... that all to say, the colour range is absolute perfection and the range of formulas and finishes in the palette makes it obvious right off the bat (and right from the Instagram photos), why this is popular.
But let's be honest. The photos can be perfect, the colours can be perfect, but now we need to know is the product perfect?
I do want to comment on the packaging (although I did touch on it above). I think that because this is a rather large palette, and because it doesn't have a mirror, I am less inclined to reach for it. The packaging is very very light (which is good for travel), but just don't appreciate that the actual size of the palette is quite big. To be honest, the lightness makes it feel somewhat "cheap". But at the same time, it's important to remember that the actual palette is very affordable so... expecting something more luxurious (like a Chanel product) is a bit unreasonable. But I didn't want to neglect this point because I really think that it's interestingly something that really makes me less inclined to reach for this. It's a strange but influential factor for me personally.
As it says above, the pigmentation of these shadows are awesome (and you will see that this is true in the swatches below). The matte shadows are actually so incredible in this palette. They apply so pigmented and easily on the eye, and they are not a struggle to blend out (as long as you are gentle and quick). But the darker matte shades sometimes need a bit more effort to blend than more expensive shadows (such as the Viseart palette). However, I do think that they do end up blending into perfection if you try a little and it looks absolutely stunning when you do. One little tip I want to give is that if you apply a darker shade, then pick up a tiny bit of a lighter shade and use that on a fluffy brush to blend out the edges. This will make the application even more seamless. Most of the shimmery shadows are so buttery and creamy that when you apply it onto your eye, there is intense pigmentation and gorgeous application in one swipe. It's amazing. Particularly the ones that are more metallic. They make for such gorgeous lid colours or blending shades.
Swatches of the 35O Palette
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| First Row |
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| Second Row |
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| Third Row |
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| Forth Row |
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| Fifth Row |
Although most of the colours are also very creamy - interestingly enough, the very shimmery ones and the matte ones are more creamy than the sparkly ones. However I do want to point out that some of the sparkly shades are not that creamy and are quite patchy. In the swatches below, it is harder to tell. However I do want to point out that there were some colours that feel a bit more "gritty" in between my fingers, and when applied to the eye, they are a bit patchy, do not build up consistent pigmentation and are not very easy to apply.
The specific shades in this palette that I had issues with were the second shade in the second row (a duo chrome shade with a golden undertone and pink glitter) and the second last shade in the third row (a silver-y pink shade). These were as I said, "gritty" and I tried to do simple looks with them, but the colours were not that good on the eye and I really truly struggled to build up the pigmentation (I even used MAC Fix+ to wet the shimmery shade in hopes that the pigmentation would improve...but it didn't really help). But one thing to remember is that these are just two shades in a palette of 35. And since the palette is so affordable, two mediocre shades may not deter you from purchasing the palette because of it's other good attributes.
Now one other thing to remember is that some of the shades that appear matte in the pan are not. I thought that some of the shades were mattes and picked them up with my brush, but then when I applied it to my eyes, I realised that they were more satin in finish (with very slight glow and shimmer through it). In particular, the second shade of the first row deceived me. To me, this isn't a pro or con in the palette, just something to remember.
The specific shades in this palette that I had issues with were the second shade in the second row (a duo chrome shade with a golden undertone and pink glitter) and the second last shade in the third row (a silver-y pink shade). These were as I said, "gritty" and I tried to do simple looks with them, but the colours were not that good on the eye and I really truly struggled to build up the pigmentation (I even used MAC Fix+ to wet the shimmery shade in hopes that the pigmentation would improve...but it didn't really help). But one thing to remember is that these are just two shades in a palette of 35. And since the palette is so affordable, two mediocre shades may not deter you from purchasing the palette because of it's other good attributes.
Now one other thing to remember is that some of the shades that appear matte in the pan are not. I thought that some of the shades were mattes and picked them up with my brush, but then when I applied it to my eyes, I realised that they were more satin in finish (with very slight glow and shimmer through it). In particular, the second shade of the first row deceived me. To me, this isn't a pro or con in the palette, just something to remember.
Review of 35K Palette
Most of my opinions on this palette are the same as that for the 35O palette. The matte shades are gorgeous and pigmented. They are creamy and the blending also requires a bit more than expensive shadows, but do blend out seamlessly in the end. The shimmery shades also have intense pigment and are super buttery. There are also shades that are more glittery and not as easy to use/blend. In this palette, the two shades that I have an issue with that are "glittery" and feel a bit "gritty" are the third shade on the top row and the third last shade on the top row. Again, in the swatches, they will not seem that problematic, but in person and when you use the shade on your eye, you are likely to face some greater difficulty.
Again, the quam that I have with the 35O palette packaging applies also to this palette. It has no mirror, it is large, and it is light (and therefore somewhat "cheap" feeling). But again, this isn't something that really deters me from purchasing the palette because the price of the palette is so affordable, so a factor like this isn't a surprise.
Now there are some things that are different in my opinion. One of the most obvious differences is the fact that this is not the warm coloured palette like the 35O! It's a cool toned palette with more blues and more "ice-y" shades in the palette. There are also more grey undertoned shades in the palette. This is however very well-balanced with more warm brown shades. There are quite a few different red-browns or charcoal browns that are be used in conjunction with the cool-toned shades for a perfect eye look. I love that Morphe didn't just simply create a cool-toned palette, but they made a palette that has a good balance of shades. Enough diversity in the palette to ensure that you can use this palette, and this palette only, for the entire eye look that you may want to create.
Another difference with this palette and the 35O is that the 35K has a few more shimmery shades (I think). The cool-toned shades tend to be all more shimmery shades and there is a lack of matte shades in that part of the palette. This is a shame because a few cool toned or grey toned matte shades would have been nice for the palette. However, I do think that because the more warm brown shades are predominantly matte, you can use those to blend out the shimmery grey-tones. But this does confine the diversity in eye looks that you can do to ones with a warm brown through the crease and a cool-toned shade on the lid. So that is a little drawback - lack of cool toned matte shades, and how this can limit the looks that you can do using that region of the palette.
Now there are some things that are different in my opinion. One of the most obvious differences is the fact that this is not the warm coloured palette like the 35O! It's a cool toned palette with more blues and more "ice-y" shades in the palette. There are also more grey undertoned shades in the palette. This is however very well-balanced with more warm brown shades. There are quite a few different red-browns or charcoal browns that are be used in conjunction with the cool-toned shades for a perfect eye look. I love that Morphe didn't just simply create a cool-toned palette, but they made a palette that has a good balance of shades. Enough diversity in the palette to ensure that you can use this palette, and this palette only, for the entire eye look that you may want to create.
Another difference with this palette and the 35O is that the 35K has a few more shimmery shades (I think). The cool-toned shades tend to be all more shimmery shades and there is a lack of matte shades in that part of the palette. This is a shame because a few cool toned or grey toned matte shades would have been nice for the palette. However, I do think that because the more warm brown shades are predominantly matte, you can use those to blend out the shimmery grey-tones. But this does confine the diversity in eye looks that you can do to ones with a warm brown through the crease and a cool-toned shade on the lid. So that is a little drawback - lack of cool toned matte shades, and how this can limit the looks that you can do using that region of the palette.
Swatches of the 35K Palette
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| Second Row |
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| Third Row |
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| Forth Row |
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| Fifth Row |
Overall: These palettes are hyped about like crazy and overall, I think that they are really great palettes. The number of shadows that you get for the price is amazing. The formula is (more often than not) really good. The pigmentation is really good. The shade range is very specific in each palette, and the shade ranges within the palettes are awesome. However, the packaging is a bit of a downfall - no mirror, "cheap" and the palette itself is quite large. Also, there are always 1-3 colours in the palette which are glittery, and these shades tend to be somewhat chunky, difficult to use, less pigmented and not so perfect on application. Finally, one last tip for the blending of the matte shadows is to get a lighter shade (close to your skin colour) with a fluffy brush and blend blend blend with that! It will make it much easier to use.
Rating: 8/10
Rating: 8/10
still have not been able to get my hands on these! lol! DF xoxo
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Haha if you want an affordable palette with a lot of variety then I definitely do recommend them! ;) I have BH cosmetics palettes (the really big ones with tiny pans) and the quality of these surpasses those by a mile
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