The Beauty Diary by Rebekah Scanlan: Reviews Conspiracy palette
YouTube beauty royalty officially “broke the internet” with a new $85 product that netted them an insane amount of money.
The internet was officially “broken” earlier this month and this time it wasn’t Kim Kardashian’s booty that caused it to come crashing down.
YouTube royalty Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star were behind the epic meltdown after the pair released a limited-edition make-up collection, ShaneXJeffree. If you’ve never heard these two names before, I’m guessing it’s because you’re over 25 because these American content creators are the creme de la creme of “influencing” and have a nation of young, loyal followers behind them.
Jeffree has a whopping 16 million YouTube subscribers who froth over his sassy product reviews and colourful make-up creations while Shane – an actor, script writer, producer and comedian – has an even bigger 23 million followers, who is best-known for his documentary length YouTube videos that explore wild conspiracy theories. Just to put that into perspective, Shane’s fan count is 1 million short of the entire Australian population. Woah.
As a result, dedicated beauty fans around the world literally “lost their minds” when the pair revealed they’d teamed up to create this limited-edition run for Jeffree’s beauty brand, Jeffree Star Cosmetics. So much so, every website stocking the items around the world crashed – causing Twitter to freak out.
You know you're internet GODS when a release has so many millions of people scramble to get it at release time that you crash multiple online retail outlets of your products at once, including your own that has just been beefed up for the expected traffic.#ShanexJeffree pic.twitter.com/iCsW2Bvhry
— ManiacalCrank (@CrankManiacal) November 1, 2019
It took me and hour of refreshing but I got the #ShanexJeffree pallette and I'm so happy🥰
— Jessica Coats (@jess_be_happy) November 1, 2019
P.S. @shanedawson how does it feel to crash the site before launch? 😂😂 so happy for your success and you deserve every bit if it!!!
The struggle was real 😂 I kept screaming every time the website would crash but it was WORTH IT 🤩 I’m so excited to try the conspiracy pallet !!! Congratulations @shanedawson â¤ï¸ðŸ· and @JeffreeStar 🥳â¤ï¸#ShaneDawsonXJeffreeStar #ShanexJeffree pic.twitter.com/gG4uIBATK3
— ValeriaaaðŸ‡ðŸ‡³ (@valerrriiaaa_) November 1, 2019
Lucky customers who’ve managed to get their hands on the range — which included an eyeshadow palette in XL and mini size, six liquid lip colours, a gloss and a lip balm as well as a bunch of accessories — are all raving about it. But it’s the $84.95 “Conspiracy” palette from Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star that everyone is obsessed with.
Despite the fact the internet temporarily came to a grinding halt, it didn’t stop the pair earning some huge dollars — a jaw-dropping $35 million (AU$52.5m) — in a matter of seconds on the “Conspiracy” palette, according to a report on DailyMail.com.
On Instagram there’s already over 20,000 posts under the hashtag #shanexjeffree and another 23,000 using #conspiracypalette, all from squealing make-up fans excitedly unboxing and trying out the highly-sought after palette.
But does it live up to the hype? Let’s find out.
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SHANE X JEFFREE CONSPIRACY PALETTE
Available at showpo.com.au (currently sold out)
Price: $84.95
There’s nothing average about this 18-shade palette, this baby is big, bold and here to be seen. The packaging makes a statement with a dome-type lid that hide’s a huge variety of colours, including a “flaming hot” red, a “cheese dust” orange and a seriously moody black. However, the top row is dedicated to six shades that are far less intimidating, some lovely nudes and chocolate browns that are right up my street.
If you think the price is a bit much, the justification lies in the details. Each colour pan is adorned with a symbol that matches its name (which totally puts me off wanting to dip my brush or fingers into it) however when I did, I found that for most of the pans I didn’t need much product to get the transfer I wanted as the formula is so pigmented. Each colour blends so soft and smoothly, giving a beautiful professional looking fade. There are some shades that need more product that others to get the same depth, such as the shimmery emerald green “Conspiracy” which I definitely needed more of. However “Sleep Paralysis” was so lush and thick on application, I only needed a little.
My favourite shade is “Just A Theory”, a stunning burnt bronze shimmer that you can definitely rock day or night and builds really easily. There’s defo a few colours I’d struggle to use, such as the “Food Videos” neon yellow, but hey – it does make it a very versatile palette.
Be warned though, go easy with your brush as there is a little fall out in the pan, which is a tad annoying. But the colour pay-off is huge so just treat it carefully, don’t jam your brush in there, and this gorgeous product will last you ages.
MORE SERIOUSLY IMPRESSIVE NEW PALETTES
TARTE UNLEASHED PALETTE
Available at Sephora
Price: $55
For a palette that contains 15 XL pans of colour, it’s actually really compact, especially when you compare it to the ShaneXJeffree one above. The metallic pink case features a holographic lid with rainforest print that’s definitely designed to be as pretty closed as when it’s open.
Before you even get to the colours, you’re hit with a scrumptious smell of vanilla caramel when you clip it open, and I just love it when my make-up doesn’t smell like chemicals – so I loved that. Another winning element is the HUGE mirror which is the entire size of the palette, making applications on the go easier. No one likes trying to stuff their face into a teeny tiny mirror.
However, it’s obviously the colours that are the true heroes here, a gorgeous mix of tones that you’ll struggle to find a reason not to use. The brand is proudly vegan and cruelty free and they’ve channelled that love of animals into the theme, giving a range of earthy and totally tropical colours. You can easily create a subtle smoky look with the matte and metallic nudes or go bold with the emerald green or the midnight blue.
The pigmentation isn’t equal across the board though, with the lighter colours not transferring as well as the darker ones. The “Party Animal” blue for example paints on super smoothly and will go over any base, while the “Toad-ally” green will take you a couple of layers. There’s virtually zero fallout though, which is great.
MORPHE 3502 SECOND NATURE ARTISTRY PALETTE
Available at Mecca
Price: $36
You’ve been able to buy this budget US brand online for a while, but in September Morphe became available in Mecca stores which was a very exciting moment for those who prefer to play with their products before buying. This cult-brand has a huge following overseas and works with some mega influencers and celebrities to create special ranges, but this one is from the brands artistry collection, aiming to please those who are serious about blending.
I’m not going to lie, when this first landed on my desk I wasn’t sure what an earth I’d do with so many shades of brown. But actually when I thought about it, the fact it costs $36 — which compared to many other large palettes is extremely good value — you can afford to have a play with the chocolate rainbow and not stress too much about not using every inch of the 35 colour pans.
Product wise, I have been seriously impressed with the formula which blends like butter on my lids. The pigmentation also delivers but you definitely will need to build with the lighter shades as they initially go on quite opaque. Despite my initial freak out about the fact there’s so many similar shades — you can see a difference between them. I love that there’s a mix of matte and shimmer shades too (because you know I love a little sparkle).
If neutral tones with a fiery undertone aren’t your jam, there’s actually a huge range of different colour palettes in the same range, all for the really affordable $36 price.
And if you were desperate to try the Shane Dawson and Jeffrree Star collaboration but missed out or couldn’t afford it, Morphe have also just dropped a “Jeffree Star Artistry Palette”, which is available in Mecca. It’s a little more expensive at $50 with 30 shades, but it’s a great starting place and really reflects the YouTube King’s colourful rainbow personality. My favourite is definitely the gold glitter and the metallic bronze, both of which are super vibrant eyeshadows that I will definitely be cracking out over Christmas.
PAT MCGRATH LABS MOTHERSHIP VI DIVINE ROSE EYESHADOW PALETTE
Available at Sephora
Price: $216
The first question anyone will ask about this product is quite rightly, “Is this worth the money?” Because this certainly isn’t cheap — especially when you consider there’s just 12 shades on offer. However this baby has serious substance behind it.
The formula grabs so easily, whether you’re using your finger or a brush to apply, and the shades are such great quality, it applies like paint to a wall. So you definitely don’t need to use a lot of product to wear. It’s filled with a stunning collection of metallic, matte and shimmer shades, some of which are like nothing I have ever seen before. The “Iridescent Peak 003” is like rolling around in fairy dust while the “Love Lace” looks as if liquid bronze has been poured all over you.
Despite being from a far-from-shy colour scheme, you can actually create day looks really easily as the dusty rose and pale matte browns are gorgeous daytime shades and make a change from the usual neutral we all tend to go for. “Velouria” is a lush mix of pink and brown that would suit so many skin tones while “Skinshow Nude” is a subtle nude pink shimmer. Of course, the packaging is — to use one of Pat’s own words — sublime. A sturdy, sleek black case with a large mirror that will protect the precious cargo inside. Without a doubt worth the cash, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll probably have to get it on Afterpay.
This column is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad free.
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