Smashbox x The Hood Witch Crystallized Eye Palette: Review and Swatches

When I saw the packaging for this collection, my inner magpie was screeching. I love geodes and crystals, but I would not consider myself one of those Instagram spiritualists. If belief in such things helps people in terms of the way they think, then sure. I am not entirely sure what The Hoodwitch does, but if she is in the business of helping people, then that is fine by me.

I have also never tried Smashbox eyeshadow or their Covershot palettes before. The price did not freak me out- $29.00- and the inside of the palette reminded me sort of a Pat McGrath palette, color-story wise.

Right off the bat, though, I was a little confused by the different names that were printed on the packaging. The front says Crystallized Eye Palette twice, but the gold foil side says "Rock Me!" Is that a name, too?

And it does not say anywhere on the packaging how long the product is good for upon opening.

Let's get into some pics and my thoughts. As always, click on the pic for better image quality. 

Such gorgeous outer packaging. It is a thick beveled iridescent panel secured to the lid of the palette. 

The packaging is a thick plastic, which feels so sturdy I thought it was wood at first. The lid is magnetic, and can be opened with the little groove. For people with nails, though, this might prove a little unwieldy.

Names are printed on the back of the palette, not on the inside. 

So, lets go shade by shade:

1.) Heart Healer, top left. A champagne/grey duochrome with a pink shift. This works really well in the inner corner.

2.) Sage my Name, top right. A yellow/green toned cream matte. The formula is very soft. I used this to set my eyeshadow primer. Performed as expected.

3.) Inner G, a matte mulberry. A very soft shade. I was very happy with it, because my love of matte mulberries is well documented. The softer and easier to build up, the better.

4.) Light Twerker, a pale pink duochrome similar to Urban Decay Fireball. It is more pigmented and metallic than Fireball, though. It can be worn over top of shadows, or on its own.

5.) All the Heals, a brown satin. This had excellent staying power and can be used to darken up the crease. Though I was not that used to using slightly shimmery satin shades to do that, I quite liked the results.

6.) Mystic Opportunity: a silvery gold light green metallic. This shadow is what swayed me to buy the palette. I have been on the hunt for this type of color for a while now, and this does not disappoint. It is best applied with a finger or on top of glitter glue.

7.) You're Grounded: a very light cool toned grey. I wish this was darker. Though it has a very soft formula, I can't use it on top of set primer. It is just very very light.

8.) Hex Appeal: a metallic gunmetal grey-blue. Same gorgeous formula as Mystic Opportunity.

Below, I wanted to compare Heart Healer with my other pink duochromes, Heart Healer is in the center, and Nabla Millenium is on the right, and 6 pm by Vanessa's Vanity on the left. Heart Healer is a bit cooler toned and brighter. 

Now onto the looks! For the look below, You're Grounded is in the crease, and Mystic Opportunity on the lid. I had to bring in a brown matte from the Maybelline Matte palette just to add more warmth and dimension to this. 

And below, You're Grounded in the crease, Inner G in the crease and outer corner, and All the Heals on the lower lash line. Light Twerker on the lid, and Heart Healer on the inner corner.

Final thoughts? In terms of a cool-toned palette that provides glamorous and interesting options for people, this certainly delivers. Though You're Grounded, the light grey, is a little underwhelming, it can be worked with. I would certainly use every shade in this palette, and I think it holds a secure place in my collection.

Thanks so much for reading!