After trying out the over hyped BH Cosmetics palettes (what seems like eons ago), I had since steered clear from bargain makeup palettes. But then the Morphe palettes came along. I admit, I was tempted at first, but also skeptical – BH Cosmetics had been hyped up just as much by Youtube vloggers back around 2010, though, our standards have also changed since then – or so I’d hoped. Either way, I was still on the fence until one of my favorite Youtuber’s shared an amazingly positive review of the 35T, so I finally caved (only I went for the plum one) – here’s my review and thoughts on the Morphe 35P Plum palette.
The Morphe 35P palette comes with 35 eyeshadows shades – ranging from deep plums, bright shimmery violets, and light lavenders, as well as more neutral taupes and browns. It retails for only $22.99 (USD), which brings each shadow to around $0.66. I figured even if I ended up liking only a fourth of the palette (at $2.50 per shadow), it still would be a steal in my mind!
Swatching the palette from left to right was an interesting experience. At first, disappointment started to hit me when I swatched the first row. The second and third rows brought me back up a bit, but they were still only average – the pigmentation was alright, but the shades were still a bit chalky. Fortunately, it was all uphill from the fourth column on. With each successive column, the shadows applied smoother and were more pigmented – all the way until you get to the most stunning shades in the very last column.
Morphe 35P Plum Palette Swatches
1st Column
2nd Column
3rd Column
4th Column
5th Column
6th Column
7th Column
After swatching out all the shadows dry, I couldn’t help but wonder what they’d look like wet, so I experimented a bit using both matte and shimmery shades. When it came to the shimmers, I was amazed at how much smoother they applied, and with so much more pigmentation and intensity. The mattes also got kicked up a notch in intensity, however, it didn’t really help them to apply more evenly.
Overall, I’ve fallen in love with at least 15 shades from the Morphe 35P palette, mostly from the last 4 columns where the pigmentation really picked up. The first three columns, though, were somewhat disappointing. While I did find a few decent crease/transition shades, several of the shades were just too similar and lacking in pigmentation.
Summary
Pros:
- Budget-friendly (~$.66 per shadow)
- Wide variety of shades and tones, from wearable neutrals to vibrant/bold shades
- Nice mix of finishes (palette has an almost equal amount of mattes and shimmers/satins)
- Can be used wet (makes all the difference when using the shimmery/glittery shades – it really helps to smooth them out and intensify the color)
Cons:
- A few of the shades (mostly the browns) look almost identical
- Some of the more neutral shades are chalky, with quite a bit of fallout
Overall, if you’re on the fence about picking up a Morphe palette, I would say go for it. While I’ve heard their palettes can range in terms of quality and pigmentation, the Morphe 35P Plum palette is definitely one worth grabbing. The quality of at least half the palette is amazing, and if you love purples and plums like I do, I think you’ll be especially happy with the last 3 columns!
Available at Cult Beauty, Bonanza, Beauty Bay, and Overstock.
Have you tried Morphe’s eyeshadow palettes? If so, what are your thoughts on the quality? If not, are you planning to pick one of these guys up?
