bareMinerals Mix Master Palette - Review and Swatches

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

My poor wallet is starting to protest against all of my shopping lately, but it is just so hard to resist the fantastic sets and deals around the holidays.

One of the palettes that I knew I had to have was the bareMinerals Mix Master Palette. I love their Ready eye shadow formula, and the concept of the palette itself seemed really nice. Since I had a lot of Ulta Rewards cash to spend, it was really a no-brainer for me.

Price

This product retails for $48.

Packaging

The  packaging is something that sets this palette apart. Although it isn't completely unique, it is still relatively unusual.

The palette itself is nice and compact. It is made of black plastic and has a geometric pattern on the top. The finish would be easy to keep clean for those who are concerned about that sort of thing.

The way that this palette takes a detour from the usual is that each of the eye shadows can be popped out and rotated into the center of the palette, which can then be slid out of the rest of the palette. You've then got a customized eye shadow trio that you can take with you on-the-go.

I think the concept is fantastic! I also think the execution is pretty good. This is a lot less bulky than the Urban Decay customizable palettes. The only change that I would make is having the shadows lock in a little more firmly. As they are, they rattle around when I'm using the shadows, which isn't a huge deal. However, when I'm using the palette, I have to be careful, or else I'll press on the back of the shadows too hard, and they'll start to pop out of the palette. It isn't a huge inconvenience, but it does mean that I would be careful when taking either the whole or mini palette with you traveling. I wouldn't just throw it in a purse or bag without some other protection.

The palette comes with a dual-ended brush with a crease brush on one end and a flat liner brush on the other. For being a mini brush included in a palette, it actually feels really nice. The bristles are relatively soft, and I like the nice point on the crease brush end.

A pamphlet with three looks is also included. As I've mentioned before, I always like these because they give a good starting place for how to use the colors in the palette.

Product

The formula of these shadows is really nice, just like the other Ready shadows bareMinerals has released. They are smooth and creamy, and they blend easily on the eyes. They last all day over primer.

The eye shadows in this palette are all named and labeled with how they were intended to be used: base, crease, or liner. They are labeled on the back of each pan as well as on a clear insert included in the palette.

The base colors from left to right: Muse, Mixologist, Stealth, and Daydream.

Muse is a pale pink with a satin finish.
Mixologist is a satin champagne shade.
Stealth is a matte, dusty peach shade.
Daydream is a matte, soft brown shade.

The crease colors from left to right: Max Volume, Hot Commodity, Custom Made, and Embellish.

Max Volume is a shimmery green with a blue undertone.
Hot Commodity is a shimmery light bronze.
Custom Made is a shimmery medium pink.
Embellish is a shimmery cool-toned medium brown.

The liner shades from left to right: Perspective, Panorama, Maven, and In Vogue.

Perspective is a dark brown with really fine multi-colored glitter.
Panorama is a charcoal grey shade with the same really fine multi-colored glitter.
Maven is a dark navy blue that is completely matte.
In Vogue is a dark purple with the really fine purple glitter.

The fine glitter in both Perspective and Panorama practically disappears when applied. As you can see in the swatches above, In Vogue appears to have a bit of sheen but the rest appear matte.

I like the color selection in this palette, but I don't love it. I wish they had included at least one matte crease shade. I'm also not in love with Stealth. It's just not a color that I'm going to reach for very often. Since it is matte, it doesn't work very well as a lid shade when the crease colors are all shimmery. It's too dark for a highlight shade on me, and it's too orange looking to be a crease color for me. Beyond that, I do like that they tried to give an equal number of base, crease, and liner shades.

Final Thoughts

I really like this palette, and I'm glad I picked it up. It isn't an all-in-one palette for me because I would generally grab for a matte crease shade and my standard matte cream highlight color. The color selection is easy to wear on a daily basis, and the formula is wonderful. If you are a fan of neutral looks with subtle pops of color or are in love with bareMinerals Ready shadows, this palette is worth checking out.

Will you be picking up this palette this holiday season? Is your wallet about to start whimpering like mine is?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.