Quick Reviews: Palettes I've Purchased @ TJ Maxx

I have talked before about the lure of TJ Maxx. I have admonished myself for falling prey to the discount and accessibility of products that normally I would not see in person. And despite all of this, I have in my stash three palettes from TJ Maxx. I'm going to review them for you today quickly by stating my thoughts, how I've used these products, but forego my usual swatches and looks.

First up is the infamous Subculture, purchased for about $22.00:

I actually have used this palette quite a bit, and think there's a lot of potential here. The darker shades are excellent to pack along the lash line, and the lighter mattes work really well on the lid and crease. Part of the failure of this palette comes from the two shimmers Cube and Electric. As you can see with my palette, these sealed up pretty badly, rendering them unusable. 

Some bloggers have reported success with the two shades I mentioned, but I know ABH has different batches floating out there in the world. I didn't do my research, it seemed, and should have looked up the batch code prior to making the purchase. That being said, the strength of this palette is how it adds depth and coolness to looks, and works well with other palettes. 

The next is my most recent purchase, the Bon Bons palette from Too Faced, for $20.00:

Right of the bat, I am shocked- SHOCKED- that at one point this palette was sold for $49.00. Only some of the mattes- like Mocha and Bourbon- are blendable and have impact, others get pretty muddy. I have been enjoying Satin Sheets as an inner corner highlight, as well as the cream matte to set my primer. I think the two standouts are the two brown shimmers. 

To me this palette is a sign of the times and the beauty landscape of 2015, which included extremely neutral shadows, and formulas that were meant to go with techniques that are not used as commonly- like shimmers and satins in the outer corner (which I believe is making a comeback). Though I do think this is a pretty palette, and the smell of it is divine, I do believe this thing is completely superfluous.  I'll take the L there. 

Finally, we have the most inexpensive palette in this trio, and the one that I have the most to talk about, the Marvycorn palette from BH Cosmetics, which I think I got for about $6.00. 

Let's first start with the highlighters. They are super creamy and could possibly run the risk of being chunky, though the formula is not dense, nor tightly packed. All three do contain micro shimmer. They look pretty on the skin- the darkest one I have to use as an eyeshadow, though. 

For me, the standouts of this palette are the neutral mattes- I know that is ridiculous, but still. They blend really smoothly. My personal favorite is Flodder, which is a really cool yellow neutral beige. I don't have anything else like it. 

The shimmer eyeshadows are a bit disappointing- thin formulas and not high-shine. The only one worth anything, the one that does not require glitter glue or any additional help- is the fourth shade in the top row- the slightly duochrome red-copper shimmer. That one is quite metallic and creamy. 

The packaging, of course, is a major draw. It is prone to getting dirty, but I don't mind. I don't use this palette every day, but I do pull it out every so often and I enjoy it every time. 

Looking at all of these palettes, do I have a life lesson? Yes, stop it. Not the most helpful advice. But I let curiosity get the better of me- especially with the Bon Bons palette. If I had really thought about what my collection looked like, I could have easily realized I didn't need it. The goal is to be a bit more thoughtful next time. 

So that's all I got for today! 

Thanks so much for reading.