{Review} Sephora Color Play 5-in-1 LE Palette

This is a review for my very first Sephora Palette, the Limited Edition Color Play 5-in-1 Palette. Now, I've always been hesitant with Sephora makeup. I feel like it's hit or miss. Sometimes I love the products, other times I absolutely hate it. This palette, though I do have some issues with it, is a hit!


On the back of the box there are several diagrams, one of which shows what is what.


The other diagram shows how to use the to-go palette, a special feature of this palette. Simply pop one of the palettes out, stick it into the to-go case and you're ready to go!

The actual palette:

I'm not a big fan of Sephora packaging, but this palette is really nice. It is a bit thick/bulky, but it has a sturdy feel to it. A lot of palettes that I've bought in the past that are of similar size feel a bit flimsy/bendy, as though if you hold it just the right way you might make some of the shadows crack. Not with this one. It is a bit on the heavier side, but it feels very secure.


The design is also nice. It doesn't have many embellishments that you sometimes find on cheaper palettes. It's very simple, sleek, and sophisticated.


In terms of thickness, it's slightly thicker than my enV Touch cell phone, so not too bad.


When you turn the palette over, you'll notice that there are some wells. This is where you would push to remove the palettes. They pop right out.


Then all you would do is put one of the palettes into the travel case and you'd be good to go. The travel case is why the palette itself is a bit thicker than normal. Other wise, the travel case wouldn't fit and that's one of the things that makes this palette so great.

The colors are a bit washed out in the pic above, but I will post individual pictures of the mini palettes below so you can really see the shades!


The travel case, like the palette itself, is very sturdy and simple. It has a good closure so I don't have to worry about it coming open in my purse, especially since all of the palettes have glosses that could potentially leave a purse very messy if the travel case should open. I really love this feature of the palette. I've never had a palette that allows me to take the colors with me. I've used palettes like the Costal Scents ones and I would hate that they weren't more portable.

Now, onto the actual shades!


A Nod To Mod


Black Is The New Black


Angelic Boudoir


Classics Never Die


Boho Bombshell

I will be posting swathes of all the palettes all next week!

Eyeshadows: You get a very good selection of shades. You get a bit of everything: some matte, a lot of shimmer, darks, lights, warm, and cool tones. They've had palettes like these before, just with different shades, but this one is a bit more sedate. There are wearable shades in every palette, along with some brighter ones. As for the quality of the shadows, it is expectably so-so. While the colors are pigmented, the brighter shades are less so. The shimmer shades appear to be very pigmented, but apply a bit on the sheer side, and the same applies for the bright shades in the A Nod To Mod palette. The colors also tend to turn a bit muddy (the darker shimmery shades) when blended, so be careful. The formula of the shadows also isn't the greatest. They are a bit powdery, so I would be careful when using brushes because I find that with these shadows you get a lot more fall out and then the powder left behind gets into the glosses. Also, you definitely need a primer with these shadows. They do migrate and crease, especially the shimmery shades. And using a pigment does get the colors to apply more vibrantly. Now, although I have a lot of issues with these shadows, I can't deny the value of 50 shades for 30 bucks. And with the right primer and some sponge tip applicators these shadows aren't that bad. The color selection is great for all skin tones and all occasions, so for these reasons, I think this palette is pretty good.

Blush: The blushes and glosses surprised me, especially the blushes. I know that in the past people complained that the blushes were too light, but in this palette they're really great! I've never been much of a blush person, I usually wear bronzer, but I've been wearing blush everyday since I bought this palette. There's a good mix of colors. Three more natural blushes, a deep blush, and a bright blush. Except for one light pink blush, most of them are very pigmented! Three of the blushes are matte, for which I give Sephora kudos because a lot of times in palettes like these the blushes are very shimmery. The two shimmery shades don't have chunks of glitter. The shimmer is very fine and just gives a sheen to the skin when applied. All of the shades are very smooth and butter soft, so I highly recommend! There is a blush to suit just about any skin tone!

Lip Gloss: The lip glosses were another surprise! I normally hate the glosses that come in palettes like these with a passion. They tend to be gooey, sticky, and putrid smelling. And while these glosses do have a plastic-y scent to them, in general they aren't that bad. They are very smooth and non sticky, but also shiny. You get a variety of finishes, as well! Of the 10 shades, 7 are shimmery, but 4 of those 7 are barely noticeably shimmery. You also get a very good variety of shades. You get a clear shimmer, a coral-y pink, a very nice nude shade, a garish purple pink, a burgundy, a red, etc. There are ten shades that are on the sheer side, but very wearable. I really like the red and the burgundy. The colors are a bit sheer, but since people often have a hard time pulling these shades off, I actually like that they are a bit sheer because it makes them easier to wear. You can mix and match the shades to your liking, so you have an even greater variety. I really like these colors and they wear fairly decently.

Pros:
-Good variety of shades.
-Good variety of finishes, both shimmer and matte.
-Fairly good color pay off.
-Lots of shades of eyeshadow, blush, and gloss.
-Good price.
-Nice packaging.
-To-go option.

Cons:
-Lip glosses smell a bit like plastic.
-Eyeshadows are powdery.
-Some of the shadows blend a bit muddy.
-Some of the shadows crease/migrate easily.
-Not as many bright shades as sedate shades.

In general, I really like this palette, and not just for the shadows. If you're starting out in makeup and want to experiment with a lot of colors or just need a good all in one travel palette, at only $30 this is a solid choice all around!

Info:

Price: $30

Ingredients: Listed on the Sephora website. Click HERE to view.

Disclosure: The product featured in this post was purchased by me for the purpose of my personal use. If you have any questions about disclosure, don't hesitate to ask in comments!