Product Review -- Storybook Cosmetics x Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Storybook Palette

Like many makeup enthusiasts, I'm always stalking Instagram for photos of new makeup products, makeup looks, and any other makeup-related goodies that I can find.

Over the past year or so, I've seen plenty of photos of beautiful products from Storybook Cosmetics. 

If you're not familiar with the brand, it's a company that offers makeup products and brushes inspired by storybooks or other works of fiction.

It's kind of a genius idea, if you ask me.

And Storybook Cosmetics always stood out to me for their outstanding packaging -- their palettes are all designed to look like actual books, and they offer brushes with heads that look like roses and handles that resemble wizard's wands.

It's seriously cool.

But I'd resisted picking anything up because most of the products that had been released were inspired by the Harry Potter series, and I know it's probably blasphemy, but I'm just not a fan.

However, when I saw that Storybook was putting out a palette inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, I knew I had to pick it up.

(I'm especially a fan of the 1971 movie inspired by the book, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring the fabulous Gene Wilder, but I love the book as well.)

Like the other Storybook palettes, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Palette comes in sturdy cardboard packaging that resembles a book. The artwork on the cover, which depicts Charlie and Willy Wonka, is absolutely adorable, and there's "Golden Ticket" tucked inside, which is a really fun detail for fans of the story.

Storybook Cosmetics Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Storybook Palette interior

Adorable Golden Ticket that comes with the palette

It's definitely the kind of palette that you'll want to leave out on your vanity to display because the packaging is just so lovely.

(Storybook also includes a bookmark with their orders that thanks you for your purchase, which I think is a nice touch -- and there's a cool purple satchel that the palette comes in too!)

Storybook Cosmetics goes above and beyond with their packaging and presentation

Love the included bookmark with the palette!

Inside the palette, there's more adorable artwork featuring candy bars, as well as a decent-sized mirror. The palette doesn't stay open by itself, though, so you'll need to prop it up against something to use it to do your makeup.

The palette contains 12 shadows, which are a combination of matte, frost, and metallic shades.

The shades include: Charlie Bucket, a white gold frost; Snozzberries, a matte orange berry; Augustus Gloop, a matte light milk chocolate; Mike Teavee, a matte teal; Willy Wonka, a metallic berry purple; Oompa Loompa, a matte orange; Fizzy Lifting Drink; a glittery gold; Veruca Salt, a matte beige; Everlasting Gobstopper, a matte deep bubblegum pink; Violet Beauregarde, a glittery berry violet; Wonka Bar, a matte dark chocolate; and Golden Ticket, a metallic yellow gold.

Storybook Cosmetics Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Storybook Palette

The color scheme of the palette fits the story so very well, in my opinion, though I'll admit that it's a little out of my comfort zone because it features so many bright shades. Still, I've had fun playing with it and pushing myself to use colors in ways that I normally don't.

From l. to r.: Charlie Bucket, Snozzberries, Augustus Goop, Mike Teavee, Willy Wonka, Oompa-Loompa

From l. to r.: Fizzy Lifting Drink, Veruca Salt, Everlasting Gobstopper, Violet Beauregarde, Wonka Bar, Golden Ticket

I particularly love Willy Wonka, Everlasting Gobstopper, and Violet Beauregarde, and those shades, along with some of the golds, are perfect for creating a pretty sunset eye.

I'll admit that I was a little worried that the shadow quality would be off with the palette since the packaging and story inspiration seem to be the main selling points -- but Storybook actually has a pretty nice formula. A couple of the matte shades, like Oompa Loompa, feel a little dry, but for the most part, the shadows are all smooth and creamy, so they apply and blend well.

They're nicely pigmented too, and overall, they're nice to work with.

The palette retails for $55, which is rather pricey, but that's to be expected considering that Storybook likely has to pay some sort of licensing fees for use of the stories and characters that they draw inspiration from.

I would definitely purchase another palette from the brand if something catches my eye in the future. They have an amazing one inspired by the movie Mean Girls, which is another favorite of mine, but that features more bright colors, so I didn't think I would get much use out of it (and I don't love Mean Girls quite as much as I do Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.)

You can purchase the palette on the Storybook website.

Have you tried the Storybook Cosmetics x Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Storybook Palette? Have you tried any other products from Storybook Cosmetics? Which are your favorites?