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I first talked about the Smashbox Always On Mood Board Eyeshadow Palette in Earthy Vibes ($39) back in May of this year. In my post featuring that palette, I mentioned that the palette was worth the discounted price that I paid for it ($23), but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for the retail price of $39. Over time, I was also able to buy the other 3 variations of the Smashbox Mood Board Palettes at the Cosmetics Company Outlet, an outlet store for brands under the Estee Lauder Companies’ umbrella, for 40% off. If you are unfamiliar with the line, they are mini palettes featuring 8 shades in a mix of matte, shimmer, and metallic finishes. The packaging is a combination of paper and plastic, has a mirror, and a click closure. There is nothing fancy about the packaging, but it is along the same lines to me as **Smashbox’s 4-pan Halo Sculpt + Glow Face Palettes, and their long-discontinued CoverShot Eyeshadow palettes. The Cali Contour Face Palettes feel a little bit more substantial, but I think that is due mainly to the larger size. Smashbox is a cruelty-free brand and lists these palettes as vegan. Although they don’t mention it in the marketing, I don’t see talc listed as an ingredient on any of the boxes.

Swatches – Smashbox Mood Board Eyeshadow Palettes: Bougie Vibes, Cozy Vibes, Earthy Vibes, and Fiery Vibes Swatches

The **Smashbox Always On Mood Board Eyeshadow Palettes worked well with both natural and synthetic brushes, but the application with natural hair was more pigmented. They picked up on brushes easily, though. Applying the shimmers with my fingers also worked well. I haven’t had any issues with creasing or wear time, regardless of the primer I’ve used, and I find them easy to use. Cozy Vibes and Fiery Vibes have the best quality among the four, but overall, the mattes are loose and powdery (although not dry), some of the more impactful shimmers can be flaky, and fallout can be an issue with some shades. The Bougie Vibes Palette was the worst-performing and had some harder-to-use shadows (more building and smoothing out), but I did like the colors. The Earthy Vibes had shades that I didn’t prefer on myself, but I had an easier time using all the shimmers than I did with the Bougie Vibes Palette. Not every matte eyeshadow kicks up a lot of dust, but I would still describe them all as loose. They don’t feel powdery when you swatch them, just when you dip a brush in the pan. I am careful to tap off my brush if it looks overloaded.

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	$ 39.00 Sale Price $ 39.00 Regular Price
Smashbox Mood Board Eyeshadow Palette in Earthy Vibes at Nordstrom

When I consider the pricing of the Smashbox brand as a whole, I don’t think the **Smashbox Always On Mood Board Eyeshadow Palettes are overpriced. However, considering the smaller size of the eyeshadows and texture shortcomings, I would suggest waiting at least until they are 30% off (which the Smashbox website often offers). I don’t think these are bad eyeshadows, and I do believe they are better than some close in price (Clinique Quad, MAC 6-pan) and less expensive (Colourpop, Wet n Wild, Milani) offerings on the market. Those examples I’ve given are based solely on my opinion of the formula. For example, Colourpop Palettes share some of the same shortcomings as Smashbox, but they also offer a wider range of textures and color options. Although I think the Smashbox formula is better, you may still want to opt for Colourpop for that reason. But are the Smashbox Mood Board Palettes so much better that I’d recommend spending $39? No. But if you can get them in the $23 to $27 range, I’d say go for it.

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Thanks for reading 🙂

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If you’d like to check out more of my content, here are some places to start. 

• Blush Index
• Brands A-Z
• Bronzer & Highlighter Index
• Brush Index
• Concealer Ranking
• Eyeshadow Index
• Foundation Round-Up
• Lipstick Index
• Makeup Storage and Organization Ideas
• My Favorite Makeup
• Powder Round-Up

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