Light Those Cheeks Up

Can't quite believe it's only a few days until Christmas but alas, here we are! While I didn't go ham with the holiday releases this year, one product that majorly stood out to me was the Smashbox Light It Up L.A. Lights Palette. This is my first product from Smashbox and it's definitely a brand I want to explore more (HEllooo Covershot eyeshadow palettes!). This palette contains nine face powders - a mix of blushes, highlighters and a bronzer - and is absolutely incredible value for money!  It contains almost 40g of product for a mere $57. That is like CRAZY good. Anyway - I'm here today to give you the full rundown on the palette! I probably left this a little late (sorry!) but maybe you guys need a last minute gift idea?? It seems to be out of stock online at the moment ( :( ) but you may still be able to find it instore at Mecca!

L-R: Rich Coral, True Coral, Highlight Coral

L-R: Rich Berry, True Pink Berry, Highlight Berry

L-R: Rich Bronze, True Flush, Highlight Gold

The palette itself is definitely large and not the most travel friendly. The packaging is super sleek though - it has a matte black finish that won't get grubby but will attract fingerprints! It also has a massive mirror which is amazing! It feels super sturdy and can sometimes be a bit hard to open - but then you know it's secure! Plus - you get this rad neon acrylic box which - granted - I don't know what I'll do with but it's cool and could come in handy for storing stuff! 

As mentioned, the palette contains nine shades: five matte blushes, three highlighters and a bronzer which are split into three colour families: coral, berry and 'natural'. Arguably Highlight Coral and Highlight Berry could be blushes on fairer skins or blush toppers. The formula among the shades is pretty consistent with only a couple of inconsistencies! The powders feel quite dry/hard to the touch so they don't kick up a lot of powder. That being said, they are still well pigmented and easy to blend - just not super soft and silky. My swatches have been built up a little bit but ultimately the colour is very strong (particularly with the bolder shades) and you really don't need much product! The formula between the Coral and Berry blushes is consistent, but I found Rich Bronze and True Flush to be a little drier and sheerer. I'm not sure if that's because the shades themselves are more muted, but I definitely find myself needing to build the colour up a little on the cheeks. Similarly, the Coral and Berry highlighters have a similar formula. They are both shimmery but aren't intensely metallic and work better as blush toppers in my opinion. Highlight Gold is a bit different as it's more intense and has more discernible glittery/sparkly bits. It's not too noticeable on the cheeks as it still gives off a gorgeous sheen! Just not the smoothest highlighter I've tried. Lasting power is pretty excellent, especially on the bold shades. They last basically all day with minimal fading.

Rich Coral is an intense coral shade - basically the perfect mix of orange, red and pink. Super bright and really livens up the face!

True Coral is a similar level of brightness but is distinctly more of a warm, hot pink. 

Highlight Coral reminds me a lot of Benefit Coralista. It's a pale peachy pink shade with a strong champagne shimmer.

Rich Berry is a deep wine-toned berry shade. Absolutely gorgeous and so saturated! I haven't gotten much use out of this yet but I know it will be awesome for the cooler months.

True Pink Berry is probably my least favourite shade just due to personal preference! It's a medium mid to cool-toned pink shade that, while not up my alley, is still very wearable.

Highlight Berry is not a shade I expected much from, but it is surprisingly beautiful! It has a pinky-lilac-berry base with a strong golden shimmer - it's almost duochromatic! So pretty!

Rich Bronze is the bronzer of the palette. It's a really great, wearable shade actually. It's not orange at all which is great, and it has more of a yellow/golden undertone. Works super well for bronzing the face, as well as adding definition.

True Flush is my favourite blush shade which is why I'm so sad it doesn't have the best formula! It's definitely the most muted of the palette which is probably why I've been getting the most use out of it. It's a warm-toned nude-pink-peach shade that is super flattering and goes with everything.

Highlight Gold is your basic gold highlighter - it's not too yellow and errs more on the champagne side rather than true gold. Very flattering and pretty! As mentioned though, it can be a little glittery and chunky.

So there we have it - in my opinion, the best deal from this years holiday releases! Did you guys check out this palette? If so, what were your thoughts and did you get anything else from the holiday collections?

ALSO - Merry Christmas if I don't speak to you before then! I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday season filled with good company and great food!