Laura Mercier Smoky Suede Eye Colour Palette retails for $55 USD ($66 CAD) and contains five suede eye shadows (5 x 0.05 oz.) and a double-ended brush. This palette is limited edition and said to be "a palette of suede-inspired textured eye colors designed to deliver an airbrushed smoky eye."
* Noir [LE]
* Black Magic [LE]
* Graphite [LE]
* Slate [LE]
* Ivory [LE]
"Create sultry, silky lids and frame eyes with soft, cushiony color. The smooth texture of these cream-to-powder shadows allows for an easy application with no fallout. This set includes a range of colors for a perfect transition from day to night, and includes two full-size brush heads on one compact brush. The unique formula creates a flawlessly airbrushed effect and truly transforms eyes. The palette features a zebra-print motif in keeping with Laura’s wild holiday theme."
The packaging is a plastic compact that features a zebra print design and a mirror. The compact only opens to a 90° angle which can make it difficult to use the mirror properly. My main concern with this palette is the cream products drying out easily since the compact only has a snap closure (not air tight) and while it has an overall sleek look, the plastic feels rather fragile to the touch.
The duel-ended synthetic brush is great. One end is a flat, rounded shadow brush that easily smooths color across lids. The other end is a fine, pointed pencil brush that works great for creating a more defined crease or smudging shades into the lash line as a liner.
The formula is a cream product but has a velvety, smooth texture. The product is weightless and almost bouncy or sponge-like to the touch. When swatched, the shadows almost dry down to a powder finish. However, when applied to the lids, the shadows stay soft, blendable and can be transferred if touched.
This palette is definitely best suited to use as a base for powder products. During testing, I didn't set these with a powder or apply an eye shadow primer. Within the first hour the shades had faded significantly and lightly creased. *Note, I don't have oily lids and products fading is usually never an issue for me.
While these do blend together beautifully, I noticed application could be a bit tricky. Initial application to my lids was flawless and the colors faded into each other like a dream. When I tried to blend the product into my crease, even the smallest amount, it became difficult to get a diffused edge — even using my finger to help blend the product out. I found as soon as I carefully applied any product into my crease, all of the colors mudded together and that flawless fade completely melted away.
Noir is a dark grey black with cool undertones and a satin finish. The texture was soft, semi-sheer and has decent color payoff. This shade took many layers and quite a bit of building on the lid to get a strong wash of color. Noir lasted +2 hours before fading drastically and left behind a faint stain. (3/5)
Black Magic is a dark grey black with cool undertones and a multicolored micro-sparkle. The texture was soft, sheer and had decent color payoff. This shade took layering and building on the lid to get a mostly there wash of color. When applied with a finger, the micro-sparkle adhered beautifully to the skin with no fall out. When applied with a brush, the micro-sparkle was barely noticeable at close inspection. Black Magic lasted +2 hours before fading drastically. (2/5)
Graphite is a medium-dark, grey taupe with warm undertones and a frosted lilac sheen. The texture was soft, semi-sheer and had decent color payoff. This shade took layering and building the product increased the frosted finish rather than enhancing the color. Graphite wore well for +2 hours before fading and lightly creasing. (2/5)
Slate is a light-medium, muted silver rose with warm undertones and a frosted pink sheen. The texture was soft, sheer and had barely there color payoff. This specific shade was stiffer, like the product had begun to dry out — it didn't have that same bouncy, velvety texture like the rest. Slate wore well for +1 hour before fading completely. (1/5)
Ivory is a light silver white with cool undertones and a frosted finish. The texture was soft, sheer, had good pigmentation but was almost chunky at times like the product had dried in those areas of the pan. This shade took the least layering and building to achieve good color payoff and a frosted finish. Ivory wore well for +3 hours before fading. (3/5)
Overall, this palette would be excellent as a base for powder products. This product was a disappointment mainly because it was advertised as a standalone shadow palette. I feel like you end up using a lot of product and the design of the compact fails in keeping air away from the products, thus drying them out quicker over time. Although the shades are fairly basic in the palette, the undertones and micro-sparkle are very beautiful. I would love this palette if it set to a powder or was in powder form. Unless you like a very sheer wash of color and/or you intend on using this palette as a base, I would skip picking it up.
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