Review: Sephora Collection Mono Eyeshadow

Back in November, I was out beginning some Christmas shopping and I decided to pop into SEPHORA just for a look around. I have never tried the SEPHORA Collection eyeshadows, and I was interested because they offer quite a few shades at a fairly reasonable price. I was having a look around the different shades trying to decide what I would be most willing to waste $ on if it turned out to be a bust when my eyes caught sight of one of my favorite beauty packages...a mini set. I LOVE mini sets, they allow me to try out products for a fraction of the price and I don't feel like I'm throwing my money away on a full sized item. I bought the SEPHORA Collection Mini Colorful Mono Eyeshadow Set - $20 (pictured below).

The set came with six different shades which were smaller versions of the SEPHORA Collection Mono Eyeshadow. Below I have a swatch of each color in the numbers listed here:

#1) Made in Manhattan N°55  #2) Engagement Ring N°01  #3) Aspen Summit N°23  #4) Midnight Kiss N°34  #5) Sweet Candy N°28  #6) Swimming Pool N°37

I find the overall texture to be fairly smooth, with the exception of Engagement Ring, mostly because it has silver glitter specks in it so it is slightly more gritty. I really do like most of these eyeshadows, and it is such a disappointment to me the one I don't. I was really excited  to try the  4th color, Midnight Kiss. It is such a stunning purple in the pan with an almost blue iridescence, but on the skin it seems to have very little pigmentation and requires several  layers to get a decent color pay-off. Apart from the purple the other 5 colors have something that I really love about each one. Made in Manhattan is a fantastic neutral gray that is a fabulous crease shade while Aspen Summit is a beautiful frosty highlight color. It is very pigmented, however, and unless you're going for that "white, up to the eyebrows, drag queen" look, use VERY  little on the brush and lightly dust under the brow bone. Again Engagement Ring is a great silver if you're looking for a dramatic finish, but the glitter in this color tends to create quite a bit of fall-down so be careful with this one unless you want glittery cheeks! Sweet Candy  is just a soft satin pink and looks beautiful with a light brown in the crease for an everyday look. And last but certainly NOT least is Swimming Pool. I love this color again in the pan, and I like it on the skin, but I find it takes a few layers of application to really live up to its potential. One applied tho, its a beautiful  turquoise that doesn't disappoint.

My overall impression...if I were investing in single pan eyeshadows, I would spend $2.50 more and buy MAC, but I wouldn't say don't purchase these at all. At $12 for a single eyeshadow, they aren't a bad price, nor are they a terrible product so if you are in SEPHORA and see a shade you love, I would say to pick it up without regret.