September 18, 2012

E.L.F. Studio Baked Eyeshadow Palette Review, Swatches, Photos

The new E.L.F. Studio Baked Eyeshadow Palette seemed mighty similiar to Sephora’s Moonshadow Baked Palette when I originally saw it. So I took some time out in this review to compare my Sephora In the Nude Moonshadow Baked Palette to the E.L.F. Studio Baked Eyeshadow Palette in California and I think you’ll be quite surprised at the outcome.

Take a look!

The new E.L.F. Studio Baked Eyeshadow Palette is $10 and is available in two shade selections of a cool and a warm palette. I indulged in the California Palette which is a nude, natural selection of shades.

The palette comes in a simple black compact with the E.L.F. logo in small print on the cover and a full size mirror inside. At a glance, side by side, the Sephora and E.L.F. palettes look very similiar however the Sephora one seems to have a bit more sparkle and vibrancy in the colors than the E.L.F. This is particularly noticeable on the second level of eyeshadows as the E.L.F. ones seemed drown out where as the Sephora show a nice intensity.

However, after swatching a few shades side by side they are VERY similiar if not exactly the same right down to amount of shadow you get, the way the palette is shaped, opens, etc…and even the colors which are borderline dupes for each other.

The main difference?

Sephora charges $30 and E.L.F. a mere $10. It is possible that Sephora and E.L.F. simply have the same distributor and that’s why the two palettes are so similiar. I really can’t call it a complete dupe but they are VERY, very alike in texture, formulation, finish, and shade selection.

Top: E.L.F. Palette Bottom: Sephora Palette

Left: E.L.F. Right: Sephora

Left: E.L.F. Right: Sephora

Both have sheer but easy to build formulas that apply more dramatically when wet. They apply easily on lids with some fall out that can be avoided with the use of a sponge application. Blending shades together is a little difficult since they tend to run on a looser shadow formulation resulting in shades contrasting poorly and looking muddy applied together. However, on their own they create very nice, natural eye looks.

Swatches above are a few shades side by side taken from the Sephora and ELF Palette.� Swatches on the left are Sephora’s shades and the right are from the E.L.F. Palette.

Overall, the E.L.F. Studio Baked Eyeshadow Palette is pretty much spot on for Sephora’s version and quite a good deal nicer price wise. If I knew about this palette prior I’d probably have saved my $30 and just got this one instead. But as I mentioned above Sephora does seem to have a better quality…the shades in their palette just seem more intense and vibrant with a nice bit of sparkle which the E.L.F. version seems to lack. However, swatching shades side by side and they pretty much look identical so yeah, I feel a little let down that I dished out $30 and could have saved $20 by indulging in E.L.F.’s version.

Get it.

It’s worth having particularly if you like nude, natural shades of eyeshadow in a baked formula. Hate baked eyeshadows? Don’t bother!

And def don’t bother if you already have Sephora’s version!

Likey!

Available now at www.eyeslipsface.com

P.S. I had friends over last night to play the new Arkham Horror expansion pack and we watched the Weeds finale. OMG Andy and Nancy didn’t end up together?

I has a sad!

I purchased this item.

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

  • Emily

    I think you meant “alike” not “unlike”?

    “Sephora charges $30 and E.L.F. a mere $10. It is possible that Sephora and E.L.F. simply have the same distributor and that’s why the two palettes are so similiar. I really can’t call it a complete dupe but they are VERY, very unlike in texture, formulation, finish, and shade selection.”

    • the Muse

      yup apologies emily, multitasking my way through the day ends in errors! sorry ’bout that all corrected!

    • Veri

      Wow, your comment is pretty… ignorant. You are not able to understand some things? That’s okay. By the way, it’s noticeable you have no real knowledge about cosmetic companies. Companies always copy from each other; patents are easy enough to mess around with. Also, P&G and L’Oreal own most makeup companies. Look it up.
      Also, to Muse, all cosmetics are manufactured by the same Big Three(Made In: Germanyu[biggest, most common], Italy[best quality possible], and France(most innovative)) companies and it varies who distributes it; they just seem different because the companies specify quality and ingredients and such and the manufacturers comply and add the brand name.

      • the Muse

        thanks for your insight veri but if you can refrain from calling others ignorant when explaining something that would be really helpful. I like keeping a friendly, civil environment around here and not attack each other for silly stuff. We’re all sisters/friends here, feel free to comment but do so in a friendly way. Thanks!

  • Karen M

    I love neutral pallets for my eyes so I will definitely be getting this. Thanks so much, Muse. 🙂

  • Leticia – Cosmetics Aficionado

    Did you try them wet? I use almost all of my baked shadows wet, and the pigmentation for them really seems to go up that way. I wonder if they would seem more comparable used that way.

    • the Muse

      yup they def come across more intense wet! 🙂 they are pretty comparable already just that sephora seems a tad more vibrant and shimmery!

      • Leticia – Cosmetics Aficionado

        OK I swear I read the whole post, and now I see how you mention using them wet. :/ lol Thanks for the response. 🙂

        • the Muse

          no worries! sometimes I skim too hehehe! they def look intense wet…the palettes are similar just not completely the same but I’d def go with elf’s 10 buck one versus spending 30 on sephora’s even though I really like the sephora version when it released!

  • Lisa

    I’m sad about Andy and Nancy too! When he decided he was done with her he was really done. Too bad they hooked up before he could finally walk away.

    • the Muse

      sigh…boo….oh well she did treat him like crap for ages and ages so it’s no wonder he gave up on her 🙁 the finale def wasn’t what I wanted for everyone but I understood they were kinda giving her a chance to wind down finally as she’s always been worried about where the next dollar was coming from. she wasn’t the best mom in the world but she tried hard!

  • Tiffany Martin

    Might be a good time to pick up the elf set, once people find out it’s such a close dupe maybe it will be hard to find it, lol.

  • Cindy

    Total spoiler alert! Haha, I’m just kidding. I don’t watch the show. But now I know what happens! I’m really excited about this palette, I usually don’t pick up baked eyeshadow often, but I was really interested in the sephora palette. Since I waited, I saved 20 bucks! Thanks Muse!

    • the Muse

      lol I got nervous for a sec there ;-D yay for saving $$$! It’s really a nice palette for the price and quite similiar to sephora’s version!

  • Miriam

    I was eagerly waiting for this review. I guess clicking on this post gave me a double whammy of sadness. One, I wasted 30 bucks on Sephora’s palette and two, Andy and Nancy didn’t end up together. I felt it realistically portrayed how in life some of us treat the ones who love us like crap and the ones that treat us like crap we love and most of the time when the realization hits you like a MACK Truck that the person who loved you is gone that it’s too late to convince them to come back. But on a happier note, Dexter is coming back and so is Once Upon A Time so my Sunday’s can be great again 🙂 I also went out today and picked up Loreal’s liquid pencil liner after reading your review and I have to say it sure is one very sexy dark black liner.

    • the Muse

      hey miriam I wouldn’t call it a waste chica, I felt like sephora’s was way more intense and shimmery ;-D aww exactly I still was hoping for happily after for them le sigh but she was so caught up in herself sometimes she never realized what she was missing out on! YES! can’t wait for dexter! Excited for Once Upon a time too but dexter more so ;-D fantastic so so happy to hear it, isn’t it intense? Swear it’s better than UD’s perversion ;D

    • the Muse

      i really don’t know fuu, elf never really lists what will be available in stores and online.

  • JenJ

    Awesome review *thumbs up* looks like I have some palettes to get from elf teehee 😀

    • the Muse

      thanks jen <3! glad you liked the review, I'd get it if you don't already have the moonshadow one!

  • Berenice

    The Muse: I must say I LOVE YOUR WEBSITE! I just discovered it and I am so excited to try so many of the products you show us. Thank you so much!!

  • Belle

    This is amazing review! I’m definitely getting myself E.L.F.’s palette because I don’t have $30 to splurge on sephora eyeshadow. I rarely even use eyeshadow! Will keep one just in case I needed esp on special occasion. 🙂

  • Karen

    I tried the elf baked eyeshadow and I love ❤️ it.
    It works better wet and I bought it at CVS