Can you believe it? I’m actually writing a post about makeup. What is this? 

The Viseart Theory Palette in Cashmere retails for $60 CDN and comes with 0.42 ounces of product. The eyeshadows are large so they aren’t atrociously expensive on a $ per gram basis; the palette works out to $142. 86 per ounce which isn’t much more than Urban Decay Naked ($110 per ounce) and is much better than the Anastasia Soft Glam ($196.43 per ounce). Viseart describes the palette as a”unique, compact, six-pan eyeshadow palette with matte and shimmer shades and removable pans that also fold into a working easel”. They also claim that the unique colours in the range provide “unparalleled coverage, pigment, and all-day, long-lasting colour”.

You could argue that some of the colours aren’t super-unique but that could be said of any neutral palette in existence. I would say that the pigmentation and longevity is fantastic – and I’m not someone that eyeshadows naturally stay put on particularly well. The pans are magnetized and removable, which allows you to create a custom palette if you purchase multiple shade offerings or to easily remove them into a magnetized palette for ease of use. These six shade palettes typically consist of a 50/50 shimmer and matte mix, which is a change of pace for Viseart, as they typically do one finish palettes. For those who are curious, the eyeshadows are cruelty-free, gluten-free and silicone-free.

The eyeshadows have great pigmentation and longevity but their greatest asset is how easy they are to work with. The shimmers are a bit sheerer than the mattes but less sheer than they tend to be in the larger Viseart palettes. The colour payoff is excellent and there is minimal fallout. I really like this palette as a standalone neutral offering that leans a bit smoky and offers versatility. The shade selection could only be improved on my moderately fair skin if there was a shade in between the matte pale ivory and medium brown shades for blending in the crease. Because of the lightest two shades in the palette, Cashmere would be the most versatile on fair to light-medium skin.

The formula does not feel as buttery as silicone-laden formulas nor does it swatch as impressively, but the performance on the eye is even better and there’s little fallout and excellent longevity without creasing. The Theory Palettes are an excellent way to sample the Viseart eyeshadow formula without committing to the twelve pan palette.

The Shades

1. Shade One is a pale ivory matte shade with a smooth formula and it functions as an excellent matte highlight on fair skin. It’s similar to many shades but oddly, I own few of them. It’s one of those base shade or brow bone highlights on fair/light skin.
2. Shade Two is a medium-dark brown with neutral to warm undertones. It has a great creamy texture for this shade with its matte finish and is practical to use blended out into the crease, in the outer corner and along the lower lash line. This shade is really close to Dark Brown from the Lorac Pro 3 Palette with an even better formula but is slightly lighter.
3. Shade Three is a matte deep blackened taupe with an impressively smooth, workable and pigmented formula for being in the black alternative family. It’s an excellent shade to smoke out the outer corner and v, smudge liner and to add general smokiness. I don’t think I own anything similar because I never ever buy matte eyeshadows.
4. Shade Four is a smooth, sheeny pearlized whitened pale pink-champagne with medium payoff. It’s excellent on fairer skin as a pale lid shade or inner corner highlight. I’d describe it as a lighter version of Urban Decay Sin.
5. Shade Five is a light-medium warm taupe with more obvious shimmer and smooth light-medium pigmentation. It’s a unique warmer and more shimmery version of MAC Patina and it’s really close to Gitte from Viseart Sulty Muse.
6. Shade Six is a medium-toned shimmery mushroom taupe with a warm lean and smooth medium-strong pigmentation. It’s a darker and more intense version of MAC Satin Taupe. It’s a nice smoky lid shade or shimmery crease colour.

I’ll end this review by talking about the uniqueness factor on this palette. It might not seem unique or worthy of the splurge but I think it’s impossible to be both unique and versatile as a six shade neutral palette that can easily be used on its own. The nice subtle nuances of colour and the ease at which you can customize your own palette make me want to recommend this palette to others if you’re ready to invest.

Any thoughts?
Maggie, x