Review -- Sephora Disney Collection Storybook Eyeshadow Palette Vol. 3 in Ariel

I wasn't sure if I should do this review because I know that at the time that I'm writing it, the Disney Collection Storybook Eyeshadow Palette Vol. 3 in Ariel is no longer available on the Sephora website.

However, the palette is also available in stores -- and inevitably at a jacked up price on eBay -- and I thought it might be helpful to share some photos, swatches and my opinions on the palette so you can decide if it's worth it for you to go hunting at all the Sephora locations in your area or pay an arm and a leg for it on eBay.

Now, before we get to the nitty gritty, I feel like I should put this review in proper context.

I'm not the biggest Disney fan in the world, so I wasn't all that tempted by the previous two Storybook Palettes despite how pretty they looked. Don't get me wrong -- I love "Cinderella" as much as the next girl (not so much with "Aladdin," if I'm being honest), but not enough that I really felt the need to purchase a collection of shadows in shades that I probably already have in my collection.

On the other hand, I absolutely, 100 percent, with all of my heart, adore "The Little Mermaid."

It may not be my favorite Disney movie ("Sleeping Beauty" holds that honor), but it is a close second and I dig Ariel like nobody's business. In fact, when I first decided to dye my hair red all those years ago, she was half of the inspiration for the change. (In case you're wondering, Scully/Gillian Anderson from the X-Files was the other half.)

So as soon as I heard that there was going to be an Ariel inspired palette, I knew that I was going to buy it.

And because of my affection for Ariel and the movie, it would take a lot for me to be disappointed in the palette.

Because honestly, whenever I take it out and look at it -- the packaging, artwork, and eye shadow colors and names -- it just makes me smile.

Back of Exterior Box -- how cut are the little Ariel heads?

Front of Ariel Palette

Back of Ariel Palette

The attention to detail with the palette's packaging is really impressive. It resembles a storybook and features pretty silver embossing along the front cover, with a lovely underwater image of Ariel in the center. The shadows are housed in a "drawer" inside the cover that you pull out with a neat little ribbon tab.

Ariel Palette's "drawer" with shadows

The cool thing is that the actual palette that contains the shadows can actually come out of the bulky drawer, so you could transfer it to slimmer packaging for travel if you were so inclined.

Ariel Palette all pulled apart

(I refuse to believe that anyone would want to get rid of the exterior packaging completely.  It's just too pretty!)

And all of the shadow shade names are directly inspired by the movie. 

So it's definitely worth the $55 for me.

I think anyone who loves "The Little Mermaid" will feel the same way.

If you're not a big fan of the movie but just a serious makeup junkie, is the palette really a must-have?

Honestly?

I'm not sure.

Having never purchased the Disney Collection Storybook Palettes before, I had no idea to what to expect when it came to the qualities of the shadows. Way back in the day, I did buy one of those giant eyeshadow palette things that Sephora (used to?) puts out at the holidays, and while they weren't awful or unusable, the shadows certainly weren't that great. 

I have to admit, I was kind of expecting a similiar experience with the Ariel Palette.

And in that regard, I was definitely pleasantly surprised.

These shadows are actually quite nice -- they're pretty pigmented, soft, and easy to blend. As with any palette, there are some shades that are weak links.  The matte formula is a bit powdery and maybe a bit less pigmented, but they're easy enough to work if you build them in a couple of layers.  One or two shades also have chunky glitter that can cause some fallout, but I find that if I use a cream or sticky base underneath the shadows, I can minimize that.

Now, beyond the formula, I will say that I think Sephora did an outstanding job choosing the shades.  They definitely tap into the color palette of the film and capture it really well.

Ariel Palette

(Though it does seem like a glaring omission to not have a bright red shade to match Ariel's hair. Sure, I would probably never use it, but I still kind of want it in the palette to really complete the movie's color palette.  Am I crazy?)

There are 20 shadows in the palette: Blue Lagoon, a turquoise with silver shimmer; Scuttle, a shimmery golden champagne; Flounder, a matte yellow-y beige; Sebastian, a matte peachy pink; Flotsam, blackened blue with blue and purple shimmer; Sea Shells, a shimmery white; Les Poissons, a shimmery light golden brown; Caspian Sea, a shimmery blue green; Your Voice, a metallic silver with chunky silver glitter; Unfortunate Souls, a matte light purple-y blue; Atlantica, a shimmery light green; Fins, a dark green with silver glitter; Sick of Swimmin', a shimmery white with blue duo chrome; Ursula, a shimmery eggplant; Sha La La, a matte cranberry; Triton, a shimmery gold; Wanderin' Free, a shimmery light bronze; Jetsam, a shimmery dark green blue; Sea Witch, a shimmery deep purple; and Treasures Untold, a shimmery pale gold with pink duo chrome.

Ariel Palette First Row Shadows

Ariel Palette First Row Shadows (l. to r.): Blue Lagoon, Scuttle, Flounder, Sebastian, Flotsam

Ariel Palette Second Row Shadows

Ariel Palette Second Row Shadows (l. to r.): Sea Shells, Les Poissons, Caspian Sea, Your Voice, Unfortunate Souls

Ariel Palette Third Row Shadows

Ariel Palette Third Row Shadows (l. to r.): Alantica, Fins, Sick of Swimmin', Ursula, Sha La La

Ariel Palette Fourth Row Shadows

Ariel Palette Fourth Row Shadows (l. to r.): Triton, Wanderin' Free, Jetsam, Sea Witch, Tresures Untold

There are some really lovely colors in this palette -- to my surprise, my favorite shade is Atlantica, such a lovely light, fresh green that looks beautiful on the lid. -- and I think it's a good combination of shades, with plenty of bright, eye-catching colors and some wearable options as well. There's also a good balance between light, mid-tone and dark shadows, so you can put together a variety of looks with this palette.

In addition to Atlantica, the other standouts in the palette include Caspian Sea, Sick of Swimmin', Jetsam, and Ursula.

But as much as I'm impressed with the quality of this palette and the prettiness of the shades, I honestly think that most of the colors are dupe-able. In fact, you may already have similiar shades in your collection if you're a makeup junkie.

So with that mind, I don't recommend that the average makeup fan, go out of their way to track this palette down or pay big bucks on eBay just to have it in his or her collection.

If you are an avid "Little Mermaid" fan, though, the trouble of seeking this palette out will probably be worth it for you. 

I would hit all my local Sephoras to try to track it down if I didn't already have it, that's for sure.

I'm not sure that I'd pay the asking prices on eBay, though.  Most were up around $120 at the time of this writing, which is just coo coo bananas if you ask me.

(Though I've certainly paid out the nose for makeup items I missed out on on eBay, so I certainly wouldn't judge...)

Did you pick up the Ariel Palette? Are you as burned out by all these limited edition collections from various makeup companies as I am?