Product Review -- Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette

It's been a long time since I last tried products from Sephora's own makeup line.

I've never had a really bad experience with any of the items I have tried -- which were mainly confined to single eyeshadows, eyeliners, and lipsticks -- but there are just so many other brands and products to try that I sometimes forget about the house brand.

During the recent VIB sale, though, a Sephora Collection item caught my eye and I figured that it was as good a time as any to give the range another try.

Everything about the shades in the Mixology Eyeshadow Palette screamed my name, so it was kind of a no-brainer.

The palette is divided into six 3-shade color combinations, for a total of 18 shades overall.  While the colors are grouped in trios, the shades are designed to be mixed and matched so the possible looks with the palette are pretty much endless.

The shades also include 9 matte and 9 shimmer shadows, so it's nicely balanced in terms of finish.

The palette comes in a black plastic rectangular compact. The name of the palette is on the lid in cool metallic copper lettering, and inside the compact, there is a decent sized mirror that stays open by itself so it's ideal for doing your makeup with if you're on the road.

Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette

A double-ended brush is also included -- there is a fluffy blending style head with natural bristles on one end, and a pointed, pencil style head with synthetic bristles on the other.

Brush from the Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette

The shades in the palette are unnamed, but include: a matte cream, a matte warm tan, a shimmery peach, a matte ivory, a shimmery black brown, a shimmery gold, a shimmery taupe, a matte black, a shimmery sliver, a matte pale pink, a matte dark brown, a shimmery purple-y taupe, a matte neutral tan, a matte warm mid-tone brown, a shimmery reddish brown, a shimmery pale gold, a matte dark warm brown, and a shimmery bronze-y brown.

Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette

The shadows in the palette all have a really nice formula. Both the mattes and shimmer shades are nicely pigmented and blend easily so they're a dream to work with.

As I mentioned, I love the color range -- there are mostly warm tones, but there are some cooler or neutral shadows included as well so you can create a wide range of looks with the palette.

First trio from the Sephora Collection Mixology Palette

Second trio from Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette

Third trio from Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette

Fourth trio from Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette

Fifth trio from Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette

Sixth trio from Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette

I like the design of the palette aesthetically -- all of the trios are contained in pans that are interlocking circles with the third shade in the center, overlapped section -- but it's not always all that practical. Once or twice when using the palette, I've accidentally gotten one of the other shades on my brush while trying to pick up the center shade -- and once I didn't realize it until it was too late and I spread a way too dark shade where I didn't want it.

My favorite trio in the palette is probably the first one, which contains a cream, warm tan, and peach shade. I also love the palette's taupe, reddish brown, and bronze-y brown shades, though they're all lovely and wearable.

If the shades in the palette speak to you, then I definitely recommend checking it out -- I haven't been disappointed at all.

The palette retails for $34 at Sephora.

Have you tried the Sephora Collection Mixology Eyeshadow Palette? What shadow palette have you been loving lately?