Smashbox Rapture Holiday 08 Ultimate Beauty Palette

I read about this palette a month or so ago on one of the beauty forums that I regularly lurk around on – and I knew I had to have it.  I attempted to order it online, but it was sold out.  Boo.  On my subsequent trip to Ulta – behold – there it was, in all its glory.  The Smashbox Rapture Ultimate Beauty Palette:

You know I love palettes, right?  I don’t go for the cheapo mega palettes though, I am not that into palettes.  I love a quad from MAC, I love the DuWop eye palettes – normally that is what I go for.  But, this is Smashbox.  And I really adore Smashbox.  I was blown away when I saw what this palette contained:

• 70 eye shadows
• 8 lip glosses
• 8 cream eye liners
• 6 brow tech powders
• Brow Tech Wax
• 4 lip colors
• 2 blushes
• Soft Lights
• Bronze Lights
• Brushes – Cream Liner, Brow Tech, Eye Shadow, Lip

Ok, so I really have an affinity for Smashbox brow tech and I really love their eyeliners.  I love their eyeshadows too – they are absolutely a very close runner up to MAC eyeshadows (sorry, they really are my perennial fave!).  This palette has all of these things in it.  Granted, I won’t use 4 out of the 6 brow powders, and there are a handful of eyeshadows in this palette that I probably won’t ever use.  But, you should see my makeup case when I travel.  That isn’t one thing that I slim down much.  With this palette, I will have everything I need besides mascara and foundation.  Everything.  And I hate just taking one eyeshadow palette with me on a trip, I just like to change things around every day.  Crazy, I know.  :)  But there is no eye look I can’t do with this palette – really. 

One of the comments I read on that forum (I’m sorry, I honestly can’t remember which it was – maybe QVC?) about this palette was regarding the quality of the eyeshadows – I have found them to be really lovely.  Fully pigmented, as are the regular eyeshadows from Smashbox.  Another comment was regarding the cream eyeliners.  They are drier in palette form than they are in the regular jar form – that is true.  However, they work just as well, and are the same formula.  There is no need to add anything to them to make them creamy.  In fact, as I have no doubt mentioned before, I just keep a pot of each of my favorite colors (black, brown and purple at this writing), and refill the palette when it gets empty.  Yep they dry out a bit, but yep, they work absolutely just as well as straight from the pot.

I just ordered this palette yesterday for someone who I know adores makeup almost as much as I do.  It is in stock at Smashbox.com and is $59.  And they have speedy shipping too, just in case you’re like me, and a last minute kind of girl.  Or guy – your girlfriend will love this too.  And pick up one for yourself, it really is quite a great value.