REVIEW: Shu Uemura Sweet Beige Brown Palette

Writing does come in bursts and I'm no stranger to this. Just look at how far apart my entries are here, LOL. And so once again, let me say that I'm back to regular blogging mode. Expect more regular posts and better photos (there's a learning curve but I'm trying my best!). I'm excited too as I progressively get a clearer idea of the identity I want for this blog. That deserves a separate post, though. And so before I digress any further, I will be writing today about what is currently my favorite palette. 

A good palette is indispensable and by good - we mean one with pigmented and wearable colors housed in travel-friendly packaging. I’ve found my favorite in the Shu Uemura Sweet Beige Brown Palette which I picked up in the Hong Kong Airport.

Packaging: 

- plastic refillable palette with mirror; palette is not heavy but does not feel flimsy either

- comes with a black leatherette(?) pouch with red lining; the pouch has a brush holder inside as well (really nifty!)

 Featured Shades:

NB1 – matte light beige

NB2 – shimmery light coral

NB3 – shimmery medium brown

NB4 – matte soft brown

NB5 – matte medium brown

NB6 – matte dark brown

(Top-Bottom: NB6, NB5, NB4, NB3, NB2, NB1)

I love how wearable the colors are. It’s not intimidating even to eye makeup newbies (like me). The colors are pigmented and buttery. Definitely no fallouts for me. *thumbs up* If I happen to pick up too much powder, I can easily blend it out. 

NB 1, a matte light beige, makes for a great base color. 

NB 2, shimmering light coral, is my highlight color. I also put it on my browbone at times for an instant lift.

NB 3, shimmery medium brown, is a highlight color as well. I usually put it on the center of my lid after blending the accent and base colors. 

NB 4, matte soft brown, reminds me of the Lorac Pro Palette's Taupe. I also use this as a base color sometimes. I haven't really tried it in my brows but it may work for lighter-haired gals. 

NB 5, matte medium brown, is my go-to crease color for instant definition especially during lazy days.

NB 6, matte dark brown, initially intimidated me (I'm slowly getting over my fear of dark eyeshadows)  but I have learned to love it as I now use it on the outer-V of my eyes.

The brush that comes with the palette is functional at best but can be better. It’s not dense enough but that’s just me. I use it only for retouches.

What makes the Sweet Beige Brown palette sweeter is that you can refill it with other Shu eyeshadows. Totally nifty when you’re on the go and have already planned a specific look.

I picked this up in Duty Free for 580 HKD (around 3,500php). That's like paying for 580 pesos per color pan. Not bad for six pigmented, wearable and blendable colors with no fallouts housed in a travel-friendly case. 

This is my rather amateur attempt to wear the palette. I definitely need to be more adventurous in application and to practice lots of blending!

There are already a lot of palettes in the market but this one's worth checking out. What's your favorite palette? :-)