There’s so much right with the Illamasqua Vanitas Palette but also so much wrong. I’m always impressed with the historical references that Illamasqua translate so well into their products – the Vanitas collection is all about 17th Century still-life paintings. So think Girl With A Pearl Earring kind of art. The Dutch totally had this style of painting locked down in that period with intense and rich pigments – much of the still life art of that period used subjects that we’d never want on our walls now – skulls in a bowl of fruit with a side of dead rabbit sort of thing but it was an important time for experimenting with colour.
So, yes I get the lavish pigment and the rose gold surround. I can’t fault the intensity of pigment either that has been infused in a smooth, non dusty formula. BUT, the palette is cardboard and feels bumpy, with loose and wonky colours. It’s a great idea badly executed.
However, when you see the richness of the colours, maybe it’s forgivable. Actually, no, it isn’t – but it might not put you off as much as it might in a less exciting palette.
Similar to this
See what I mean? The shades are a mix of sheen and matte with a common thread of intensity. There are so many looks out of one palette here so you can go delicate or go all out dramatic and anything in between.
At £44 though, the execution needs to be perfect and it’s not. The Illamasqua Vanitas Palette launches on 7th July.
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11 comments
I have a full blown hatred for cardboard packaging. For £44 I would be expecting a hell of a lot more lol. Urban Decay & Too Faced are cheaper, and much prettier!
Erin || MakeErinOver
The colours look beautiful but I see what you mean about the pay off! 🙁 x
https://dreamingoffithavenue.wordpress.com
For a somewhat similar concept and price, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette is much better executed… some colors veer closer to pink / orange / red but there’s still enough browns, golds and nudes, so it’s quite versatile, the quality is superb and the packaging, while it’s cardboard with a velour finish cover, looks very solid.
Wow £44 for a cardboard packet?! No thanks! The colours look gorgeous but not sure I could pull off the bottom row.
JH | hellojenniferhelen.com
I have actually never owned any shadows from Illamasqua, but these look so pretty!
http://www.whynotblog.co.uk
The swatches look gorgeous but for £44, I would definitely expect better packaging.
The Abh modern renaissance seems similar in feel, look, and even inspiration. (Renaissance paint colors vs. 17th century Dutch). And it even comes with a brush! This is not worth it IMO.
I’ll be the odd one out, but I like cardboard packaging. Some of the Lorac palettes are an example. I travel a lot and heavier packaging just adds weight to your bag. I want the case to be supportive and not fall apart, of course. But I don’t want a lot of heavy bulk surrounding a palette.
Those are gorgeous shadows but the packaging is such a poor show- it looks so tatty and cheap. I adore illamasqua but £44 for ugly packaging is a big no in my book.
Cardboard doesn’t bother me, but Illamasqua’s really misses the mark. Their sculpting palette, which I otherwise love, has the same packaging except in black, and honestly it looks like the kind of DIY packaging you get from a true indie brand. Definitely bumpy and un-finished.
I’m in a mood with Illamasqua. They’ve gone too safe with their last few launches and you can see some slip ups in their usual quality and creativity with things like this, no idea why they opted for cardboard casing, it ruins an otherwise stunning palette. Such a shame.