March 9, 2011

Stila Garden Bliss Review, Swatches, Photos

Ahh the Stila Garden Bliss Collection. Introduced late last month this was a special preview selection from Stila which is gone from their site now but still available from HSN if you absolutely can’t wait to buy it after hearing this review (Update, I wrote this post last week and the kit is now back on Stila’s website).

The set includes lipglaze, mascara, a bag, and the Stila Garden Bliss Palette aka what I’ve dubbed, “Another Travel Girl Palette…”

Let’s check it out!


A set featuring the Stila Garden Bliss Palette, mascara, lipglaze, and a makeup bag!

So let’s recap for a moment….You’re getting the Stila Garden Bliss Palette with this collection plus a generously sized gold makeup bag and Stila Glamoureyes Mascara and Stila Lip Glaze in Guava. Both the Lipglaze and the Mascara are mini size however the lipglaze size is .05 oz which is the normal size included with their gift sets, so it isn’t super small but it isn’t the normal size either.

The entire set is $32 and I think Stila re-finds its roots with this price, because for the amount of product you’re getting, depending how you’re looking at it, that could be a tad expensive. Personally since the shadow formula is very good (unlike the $10 Travel Palettes) you may, like me, find that you aren’t too turned off by this price. Considering it’s been an up and down experience lately with pricing and quality at Stila fans of the older selections will love that Stila is back to creating quality shadows however some of the fans of the budget options might feel a little let down that the price does raise because of this.

The Garden Bliss Palette is brilliant. A step way above the $10 Travel Palettes in formula and pretty much the traditional Stila formula you know, love, and appreciate it. Velvety smooth like butter and plenty of pigment comes housed in these four shades. Don’t get me wrong those $10 palettes are pure joy however the shadows in the Garden Bliss Palette are a step way above those selections in terms of quality and you can easily see it upon application thanks to the smoothness of each shadow which feels like creamy, loosely packed pigment.

Shades include:
Enchanting (champagne beige)
Whimsy (frosty gold)
Splendid (copper-y brown)
Fete (deep chocolatey brown)

I was delighted they did away with the Convertible Color they have been including in these palettes and instead included a powder blush in the shade Bloom which is a delicate peachy pink creation.

Both the blush and the shadows simply mesh so well together that I felt a little giddy simply staring at it! You have to admit some of their past palettes in the same design have had some really weird shadow combinations and I personally experienced hardships contrasting these shades. Not the case with Garden Bliss, everything just melds together perfectly for a lovely, light neutral look!

The Lipglaze in Guava is also thee perfect selection to go along with the palette. This a dusky nude peach that has a guava scent and flavor.

I’ve reviewed Stila Glamoureyes Mascara before so won’t go into a re-discussion of it, you can see the review here.

The final piece in the collection is a gold bag which folds over with a magnetic closure. I actually liked it the least because…


It didn’t feel as nice as their past bags included in sets. It’s very lightweight and the material feels very thin plus the fold over magnetic closure doesn’t guarantee makeup will stay around in side of you’re moving around alot and have this tossed in your bag.

  • Anyone who loves Stila’s more traditional offerings (the palette is brilliant and lives up to the old Stila we know and love).
  • Anyone who wants a wearable selection of nudes for Spring.
  • Anyone who adores the Stila girls (I love the Stila girl packaging).

  • Those who want a cheaper price tag (if you’re used to paying less for Stila you might be a tad disappointed that this will set you back $32).


Overall, the Stila Garden Bliss Collection was a pure win for me. The selection of colors meld beautifully, the quality of both the shadows and blush is perfect, and personally I didn’t think the price was too bad as it ranges a little over $10 per item not counting the bag you get.

I loved the Travel Girl Palettes but I felt they were a step way down on the Stila quality rung and Garden Bliss brings back the more traditional shadow formula so you’re getting what you pay for here and that would be a superb shadow formula.

This is a fabulous little set for Spring if you love nudes! The blush shade alone should tempt you into a purchase as it’s really quite lovely.

Very Muse Approved for purchase!

It won’t be back on Stila’s site until later this Spring but you can get it from beauty.hsn.com plus it’s on sale for $26!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Bliss

    I really want this palette but my biggest fear is that it will be just as generic as the travel palettes. I bought three all in the same purchase and was seriously displeased. I don’t even use any of those palettes so it was a waste of thirty bucks!! 🙁 Maybe I can try this somewhere in the store. Let me know girls what you think, if you decide to purchase. I’ll be checking back. 🙂