TM(yself)O: The Carli Bybel Palettes

Part of the reason I began this blog was to document my makeup journey. Part of it was also to participate in the ever-growing online discourse of consumerism and consumer-awareness. I do enjoy a good "TMO" or talk-me-out-of a specific product, and today I am going to cover both palettes that Carli Bybel (a fellow Jersey girl) and BH Cosmetics have produced.


As of now, the original Carli Bybel palette from BH Comsetics is on sale online at Ulta for $10.00. That's a pretty good deal, and the reason I am including it in my TMO is because it is so affordable and tempting. Let's take a look:

PROS: 1) These are trendy, neutral colors, with colors that appeal to me. I feel as though many low-maintenance, yet glam-pretty looks can be made from this. 2) This palette will disappear soon, so the collector in me sort of wants to try something before it disappears forever.

CONS: 1) I don't believe that BH Comsetics highlighters can be fully used as eyeshadows. 2) There is not a whole lot of color variation in this palette, and I am seeing a lot of beige. 3) I am not seeing, for my skintone at least, many transition/mid-toned colors.  4) BH Cosmetics mattes are suspect 5) The deluxe palette contains some of these shades also.

Bottom Line: Not going to purchase. I have many of these colors, and the palette does not offer anything new or interesting for me at this point. It is affordable, but if I do not use it, it is still a waste of money.

The deluxe palette, meanwhile, is currently being sold by BH Cosmetics for $19.50. Right now there is a site-wide sale going on, but of course it does not count for the deluxe palette. That palette is pictured below, and please click on it for full size.

PROS: 1) More mid-toned shades 2) more subtle, wearable colors, for both mattes and shimmers. I am eyeing the gold-pink duochrome, as well as that blue-tinged white highlighter. 3) The palette has an abundance of both highlighters/bronzers for a range of skin-tones, as well as many eyeshadows 4) The colors themselves are still neutral, but more unique 5) $20.00 is still a reasonable price for a palette 6) The formula is reported to be improved upon

CONS: 1) I will never use up the highlighter, nor will I wear them as eyeshadows. 2) All I really care about are 2-3 shimmers (including that pink)- I can always look for a single to get the same effect 3) Did I mention that is far too many (6) highlighters???

Bottom line: The deluxe one is more tempting to me than the original. But I wish I BH Cosmetics could chop the palette in half- have one highlighter palette for $10-$12 and have one eyeshadow palette for $10-$12. I could see myself buying the eyeshadows that way, because the palette would seem less colossal, and I would get more product that I would actually use.

Or, they could even release some of those shimmers as singles, but that is unlikely. 

Ugh....I know I am not going to get this palette. I do agree that it is an improvement in color from the original, but the sheer amount of highlighter is unnecessary, and does not add to the quality for me. Aside from two or three shimmers I have my eye on, I have a lot of these colors already. So there is no need to purchase.