Product Review -- Viseart Theory Palette

Like pretty much everyone, I became pretty curious about the Viseart eye shadows a couple of years when the online beauty community was all abuzz about them.

Their normal shadow palettes are $80, and I think it's difficult for many of us to justify spending that much money on a single makeup item. As a result, it took me a while to actually get around to purchasing one -- which I did early last year with Christmas gift cards, and I still haven't gotten around to reviewing yet, if you can believe it.

I keep planning to and then a bunch of new or limited edition products come out, and it keeps getting pushed back.

This Christmas, I received one of the smaller Theory Palettes (from my very generous sister -- thank you!), and I decided to review this one before the large Eyeshadow Palettes because I thought it might be a better starting point for most people.

The Theory Palettes retail for $45, which is still fairly steep but not quite as jarring as an $80 price tag.

The palettes come in sturdy cardboard packaging that is fairly slim and small, so it's easy to toss in a travel makeup bag or any bag to take with you on the go.

Viseart Theory Palette

Inside, there are six shadows, three matte and three shimmer shades. The pans included are the same size as those in the large Eyeshadow Palettes, but the cool thing with the Theory Palettes is that the pans are removable so you mix and match the shades to create a custom palette if you'd like.

Viseart Theory Palette Theory I Cashmere

(Keep in mind that the pans aren't labeled, so if you're going to move them around, you may want to stick your own label on the back.)

I received the Theory I Cashmere Palette, which is a neutral color palette that's ideal for everyday use. There is a matte cream, a mid-tone caramel brown, a matte dark brown, a shimmery beige, a shimmery golden taupe, and a shimmery mid-tone gray taupe.

This definitely isn't the most exciting color selection in the world, but it is perfect for everyday wear and I feel like when you're spending a lot on a palette, you want to be sure that you're going to get plenty of use out of it.

Viseart Theory Palette Theory I Cashmere

The matte shades in the palette definitely feel a little dry when you swatch them with a finger, but they blend easily on the skin, even without primer. The shimmery shades have a creamier feel and blend just as nicely when applied.

Both finishes are nicely pigmented, and I find that all of the shadows have good staying power (though, in the interest of full disclosure, I always wear them with primer on my eyes).

All in all, I feel like these are really nice, wearable shadows so they're probably worth splurging on.

The Theory Palettes come in two other shade selections: Minx, which includes warm, golden tones, and Chroma, which features gray, black, and smokier shades.

If you've been curious about Viseart shadows but a little leery of the $80 price tag on the larger palettes, I think the Theory Palettes are a good place to start.

(Or the new Palette Petit Pro, which is only $30. I just picked this one up too, so I should have a review coming shortly.)

They retail for $45 and are available at Sephora, Muse Beauty, and Beautylish.

Have you tried the Viseart Theory Palettes? Which shade selection is your favorite?