Review: The Stila Breathtaking Beauty Palette

Watch my review and see me use the step by step guide included with the palette, here:

Having been a devout Stila girl for around 10 years now, I was excited to check out their new range of E! Red Carpet Palettes.


Considering the fact that a Stila Lip Glaze alone is $22 - $24, I thought that $25 for this palette was an almost too-good-to-be-true deal.  The Lip Glaze, the colors, the price, and the fact that this particular palette included an All Over Shimmer Powder in Kitten sold me! Kitten is my all time favorite (and most versatile) eye shadow color, and it should be a staple in any Stila makeup collection.  I didn't have a Kitten powder, so this combination was just too good to resist!

I promptly ordered the Breathtaking Beauty Palette!

Stila Breathtaking Beauty Palette.

Stila Lip Glaze in Guava is included!

When I got the palette, I was concerned, because the palette is made in China!  After my disastrous experience with the China-made Smashbox Wish for the Perfect Palette I have vowed to never purchase Smashbox again.  EVER.

At least the Stila Lip Glaze is made in Belgium.  I really thought that this palette would be made in the USA. The last Stila palette I purchased was a Stila Kitten It Girl Trio palette, and it was made in the USA.

At first glance - The Stila Breathtaking Beauty Palette.

The Palette is on the small side.

The eye shadows are silky.

Kitten is gorgeous, as usual, and Breathtaking compliments the guava pink in the Lip Glaze.

Close-up of the Stila Eye Shadow Base colors.

Close-up of the Stila Eye Shadow Lid colors.

Close-up of the Stila Eye Shadow Liner colors.

I found Academy to be my favorite pick from this palette.  It is a simply irresistible gold shade, perfect for highlighting the brow bone area.  

Stila Breathtaking Palette Academy swatch.

Cinema and Theater and the lip colors are matte and the rest of the palette is shimmer.  But bear in mind that this is supposed to be a "Red Carpet" inspired palette.  I experienced a noticeable amount of fall-out from the darker eye shadow colors.  

The colors are easily blend-able, and even though I didn't use an eyelid primer, both the base colors and the lid colors lasted all day.  Academy on the brow bone could have been touched up a little if I had been planning to continue to wear the look after around 7 o'clock.

In addition, I was surprised by the Convertible Color in Breathtaking.  I love the Convertible Color formulas, and when I first got a look at this palette I was a bit surprised at how pinky/orangey it appears.  But once you apply it, it's a pretty guava-pink that compliments the Guava Lip Glaze perfectly.

Stila Convertible Color in Breathtaking

I do think that Guava and Breathtaking were strange choices to combine with the rest of the colors in this palette.  To me, the eye shadow shades here beg for bold red lips, or, nude lips.  Guava and Breathtaking are perfect for a fresh summer look, and I couldn't imagine anyone really wearing these colors on the "Red Carpet".

Eye Shadow: 

• Cinema - pale nude, base shade
• Best Picture - shimmery lavender, lid shade
• Film - black with shimmer, liner shade
• Academy - pale gold, base shade
• Theater - shimmery brown, lid shade
• Drama - rich purple, liner shade

Powders and Lip Colors:

• All Over Shimmer Powder in Kitten
• Convertible Color in Breathtaking
• Lip Glaze in Guava.  Guava is a deluxe travel size.

Pros:

• Unbeatable Value for Money at $25!
• Blend-able, silky eye shadow that is Stila's trademark.
• Staying power.
• Compact.  Will easily fit into even the tiniest of purses.
• Mirror.
• Makeup instructions inside.

Cons:

• Strange (but beautiful!) summery lip/cheek color choice to pair with the more dramatic eye shadow shades in the palette. 
• A little fall-out from the darker shades.
• Small amount of actual eye shadow product.  The 6 eye shadows combined is only .23 oz./6.45 g.

Verdict:

I absolutely love this palette!  After I got over the small size, I realized how practical and compact it is.  It was easy to throw in my purse and very easy to use, especially with the built-in mirror.  Also, if I continue to use the palette regularly, it should last several months before it's finished (I have a thing about using up all of my makeup!), and by then I'll be bored with it anyway, and it will be time to move on to the next collection.

I'll save the gorgeous guava-pink lip and cheek colors for summer.

Simply put, the value for money is extraordinary for the number of looks you can create with this palette. 

There are two other palettes in this collection - the Stunning Starlet Palette, and the Glamour Goddess Palette, also at $25 each.

You can find them online here.


- The Sassi Wench