Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes

I certainly didn't need another eyeshadow palette, but seeing as how the Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes is one of the most talked about makeup releases this season, I simply couldn't resist.

This is the second version of the Artist's Palette, and although I wouldn't be able to get my hands on last year's version even if I wanted to, this year's shades are much more up my alley. Neutrals with a few pops of purple? I'm sold.

The palette contains twelve 0.03 oz eyeshadows and retails for $48, which makes each shadow worth just $4. Can you say crazy good deal? To compare, Laura Mercier's single eyeshadows each contain 0.09 oz of product and retail for $23.

Close-up of the packaging

In general, all the shades are of really great quality - smooth, long-lasting, pigmented and blendable. The textures of a few of the shades like African Violet, Kir Royal and Primrose seem just slightly inferior to others, like Truffle, which is unimaginably silky and buttery, but the palette certainly does not contain any duds.

Half of the shades are matte (Plum Smoke, Violet Ink, Vanilla Nuts, Fresco, Truffle and Espresso Bean), while the others have varying degrees of shimmer (African Violet and Bamboo being the most shimmery). There is a fairly good mix of lighter and darker shades and neutrals and color, which makes the palette incredibly versatile. Day and night looks are equally attainable with the selection of shades included in this palette.

Today, I'm wearing the first five shadows in the bottom row - Primrose all over the lid, Fresco through the crease, Bamboo and Truffle on the outer third of the lid, and Vanilla Nuts on the brow bone.

If the shades in this year's Artist's Palette are your cup of tea, you really can't go wrong with having this beauty in your collection. It's an excellent deal, and the quality of the shadows is fantastic.

For those who are able to partake in Sephora's VIB sale that ends tomorrow, online stock of the Artist's Palette seems to have been depleted several days ago, but I would recommend checking in stores. My local Sephora had at least three palettes still in stock when I checked earlier today - Good luck!

Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes is available from Sephora (no longer online) for $48.