Venus XL 2 Pressed Powder Eyeshadow Palette

3 Reviews

1. 

   enviousCordial2

   Reply

   The Venus XL2 palette is described as being “the earthly rebirth of the ultimate grunge eyeshadow palette”, and as being a ‘new nudes’ type of colour story. It contains the following shades: IN BLOOM: Muted rose (matte), CROWN: Icy champagne (foil), SAGE: Sage green (matte), THORN: Cocoa with blue sparkle (metallic), RIPE: Warm terracotta (matte), FORBIDDEN: Peachy copper (metallic), STELLA: Pink champagne (metallic), MYTH: Silvery green (foil), EVE: Mauve rose with multi color sparkle (foil), LAUREL: Olive gold (metallic), RADIANT: Peach pearl (sheer iridescent), IVY: Glazed green with pink sparkle (metallic), WEST: Warm brown (metallic), OBSCURE: Soft neon green (sheer iridescent), MYSTIC: Soft blush (metallic), PHOENIX: Rust (metallic), LOCUST: Green-brown shift (metallic) and CLASSICAL: Plummy brown (matte).

   I think that this is another solid entry in Lime Crime’s Venus series and is something that can be used both for ‘everyday’ and for special occasions; XL2 has a cohesive & unique colour story, paired with great easy-to-apply & all-day-wear formulas. Not only are the shades pretty alone, buy like with the first XL palette, you can mix the matte ones together to create many more options (that’s why there’s only one deep shade – there’s no real point in putting the same basic shades into palettes over & over, when you have what you need to customize your own perfect tones).

   If you want a quick & easy one-and-done palette, then you may not enjoy XL2 as much as someone like me does, as you need to be a bit more creative with mixing shades. However, I personally can’t see any faults with this palette; the formulas are excellent and I’m not paying for a sprinkling of shades that I already own elsewhere.

   I first thought of the fresh and lighter colour story as being something that I’d only wear over the spring and summer months, but I have been reaching for it over the autumn and as we transition into the winter. This is one of my favourite purchases of the year for sure.

2. 

   puzzledSalt3

   Reply

   Heh, I need more eyeshadow like a hole in my head, but this palette “ambushed” me (I came across it in the store without looking at it). I’d been avoiding looking at it online, but I couldn’t escape the beautiful shades in this in person, in particular the beautiful and unusual greens.

   This is not a all-in-one palette (highlight, transition, crease, lid, etc); most of us who buy this type of makeup have PLENTY of those already. (I have more matte cream and black eyeshadow than I could use in several lifetimes.) NOT having these is a plus for me!

   I’m neutral-cool and don’t do well with warm shades, but there are only a couple here I can’t use. Fortunately, I do look good in pink eyeshadow (I also have and love Venus III). IME of using these, as with most if not all glitters/metallics, it’s important to use foiled or with glitter glue. Note that some shades (Obscure) look very different (better!) on skin than in the pan. Venus palettes are niche items, not workhorse palettes for everyday neutral looks (I’ve got plenty of those).

   List of shades from my spreadsheet:
   In Bloom, matte medium dusty rose
   Crown, light pink with silvery sparkles
   Sage, matte medium dusty sage green
   Thorn, metallic mauved pink
   Ripe, matte mahogany
   Forbidden, metallic orange-copper
   Stella, pale soft gold
   Myth, pale silvery green
   Eve, metallic warm pink
   Laurel, yellow gold
   Radiant, yellow pink
   Ivy, metallic golden pale green
   West, metallic warm golden brown
   Obscure, satin pale green
   Mystic, satin rose
   Phoenix, coppery pink
   Locust, duochrome green-bronze
   Classical, matte deep burgundy

3. 

   vengefulPaella1

   Reply

   Bitterly disappointed with this palette. I have the original Venus XL palette, which is a pink/red based palette and the quality of this is such a contrast. All the colours are bland. The shimmers are very poorly pigmented as are the mattes. I honestly wonder if I got a pallette which has a fault, it’s that bad. There is no dark colour, nor is there a suitable transition shade. A lot of the colours look the same on the eye, they don’t blend well or disappear quickly. Everything that is bad in a palette, you will find in this one. For the price of £56 I wish that I could send it back, but for us in the UK it’s never an option. I feel robbed. I also give this two stars for packaging, because the corners of my pallete seem to not be glued as well as the original and some of my pans aren’t straight. I have to add, I bought this from a reputable on line beauty site so have no reason to think it’s a dud or fake…but it still annoys me nonetheless. Don’t buy this….you will regret it. Buy a Huda Beauty palette or am Anastasia one instead. Edited: have also since realised that the formula of these shadows are different to the formula in the Venus XL original. These now include talc. If I had realised that I certainly would not have purchased this, as I try to stear clear of talc in eyeshadow.