November 8, 2013

Sephora Makeup Academy Blockbuster Palette Review & Swatches

This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

Sephora Makeup Academy Blockbuster Palette 22

Sephora Makeup Academy Blockbuster Palette ($49.50) is Sephora’s traditional Holiday monster palette that features 130 different products for eyes, lips, and cheeks! Concealer, eyeshadow, blush, lipgloss, lipstick, you name it and this monster palette has it.

Now I admit my first intro to the Sephora Makeup Academy Blockbuster was in August when Sephora had a preview launch for it. I didn’t indulge but seeing the promo images I thought it was a bit bulky and a bit too much. But it’s actually a bit smaller than you think and the contents are a whole hecka of a lot better than I had imagined.

Take a look!

Sephora Makeup Academy Blockbuster Palette is $49.50 regularly but during Sephora’s VIB Event this week you can get it for 39.60. At this price it makes it almost as cheap as the new Wet n Wild Jetset Palette plus way better quality. So if you are heading into the purchase of a monster palette at the moment I’d consider this as a go. Especially if you want to gift a teen or someone just starting out in makeup with a variety of products to start their journey.

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The palette isn’t nearly as big as I thought it would be. I’d say you’re looking at about 8 inches in width and five inches high. It has vintage secretary desk feel in the fact it slides open and upwards to reveal a stand up mirror thus making it possible to sit at your desk and apply your makeup. As you slide the top off you’ll find the eyeshadow and two compartments on the right and left hand of the palette slide open to reveal the eyeliners, concealers, shadow primer, lipsticks, and gloss so the powder and cream portions are completely isolated from one another although the blushes are housed with the eyeliner shades.

I didn’t swatch EVERY single shade in the palette but I did a few of each item so you can get a feel for the pigment and texture! I hope this helps!

Sephora Makeup Academy Blockbuster Palette Swatches

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Shadows

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Eyeliners

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Concealers

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Lipglosses

It contains 72 eyeshadows at 0.014 oz each in a variety of finishes. Matte, shimmer, sparkle, pearl, you name it they cover it. Sephora recently revamped their eyeshadow formula and that quality translates well in this palette. Although each is very small (smaller than a dime) you can fit a brush or sponge applicator easily into the wells. I think I automatically assume on such a large palette that quality might be a bit remiss here but the shadows all apply beautifully! The satins have a smooth, buttery texture, the shimmers apply with minimal fuss and fall out, and the mattes aren’t dry in the least, these have a silky texture. And yes, there’s quite a nice pigmentation to all the shades. Even without primer the colors look (as applied in my photos below) intense and beautiful plus they wear without creasing or fading for most of my day.

I’d typically navigate to the shadows in a palette of this size but what surprised me most was the lipgloss. You get a total of 28 lipglosses and they all have an incredible texture. Glossy, shiny, pigment rich, thick yet not tacky or sticky! Most can easily pass as lipsticks due to the pigment as you’ll see below on my lips. They were a surprise. I expected dense and perhaps sheerer but what I got was creamy, beautifully textured pigmented glosses.

I was disappointed slightly with the blushes. Although silky and nicely pigmented I find the wells a touch too small! You get 7 total blushes at 0.029 oz each in size. Wriggling a blush brush into a well that’s smaller than the size of a quarter proves a little difficult. They also placed the blushes right next to the eyeliners so you have to be careful of kicking up dust into your liner colors.

The eyeliners are nicely pigmented with a creamy texture but they are a tad emollient so they slip around a bit during application. Take this into consideration if you have oily lids. They set well for me and I see a fairly good wear time of about six hours before some fading occurs but no smudging just a loss of intensity in color.

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Sephora even includes applicators, concealer, shadow and lip primer so you’re pretty much covers across the board for your face here just add your own foundation and you’re golden!

I gotta admit I had fun with this palette. There’s just something about a palette that has such a vast amount of colors to play with it! It’s like a big box of crayons on the first day of school! If you’re a no nonsense girl and not a hoarder of makeup this is an excellent way to get a fairly good amount of products that you’ll likely use daily in makeup looks. It isn’t travel friendly by any means but it is easy enough to set up on your vanity or desk for makeup application in a snap. The shadows all perform beautifully and the glosses, I can’t rave enough about those!

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In the above photos I did three different looks using the shadows in the palette. One is a lighter, fresher no make up look, one is a smoky eye look, and the other a natural, nude brown eye look. In all the photos I am using shadows and lipgosses from the palette.

For those on a beauty budget that want more for a lot less the Sephora Makeup Academy Blockbuster Palette brings it!

It’s available now at Sephora and Sephora.com.

Anyone purchase or play with it yet?

Do share!

It’s available now for a limited time at Sephora and Sephora.com.

This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

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

  • Renu

    Oh Muse, the Blockbuster and I have a heartbreaking history. In 2010, when I was getting into makeup, I was in Seattle and the SA at my first Sephora asked me to buy a Blockbuster. I assumed a lofty look of contempt and told her in my nerdiest tones that I would never need a tenth of those things. She laughed and said I would live to regret it. I have. Every year since then, I rush to a Sephora in a different country each November/December to be told the Blockbuster “sold out yesterday/an hour ago.” I don’t live in the US, but if I ever visit again, I’m going to go to the Seattle Sephora and get that SA to predict my entire future and listen to her for the rest of my days. I neeeeeed these glosses (trying the Sephora in Dubai this year. Fingers crossed)!

    • the Muse

      oh noooooo! 🙁 I’m sorry Renu! I felt the same way so I was a little skeptical about it at first. I cracked it open started using it and was quite surprised how much I liked it! I surely hope your future holds a Blockbluster Renu 🙂

  • Renee

    I bought this a few weeks ago & I love it! I read some bad reviews on the website b/c people thought it would be much bigger, it IS much smaller than it looks, but in truth, I wouldn’t want it any larger! I love the fact that I can play with so many different colors and I think the quality is exceptional for the $50 price-tag. Think about it–1 Guerlain lip color or this pallet. Not knocking Guerlain, I Love their products, but this is very budget friendly, perfectly for playing with different looks, and for gift-giving.

    • the Muse

      couldn’t agree more, larger would be horrible…smaller is much better 😀

  • Joanna M

    I honestly was no expect the pigmentation to so intense. Not bad at all for the price tag.

  • AnniLau

    I admit that I’ve looked at the palette several times, but since I still have last year’s version sitting in a drawer, completely unused…

  • Sev

    I’m awfully tempted to get this. It’s sitting in my online cart right now, just waiting for me to hit go.

    I swatched the black in store and was shocked at the pigmentation. I think the revamp of the formula is great.

    Is it just me, or is the quality of the Sephora house products getting better every year? It seems like 5 years ago the mega palettes were such rubbish…

    • the Muse

      I think sephora has def improved in the last several years Sev ;-D there makeup, le products, and general palettes are quite good!

  • Aea

    I just pre-ordered from an online store here where I live. I have to wait patiently for it to arrive (about a month wait time). I’m quite excited to see so many colors in the palette. At first I was in doubt whether the quality of the eyeshadows were any good.
    After reading your review, it kinda ensures that this would be one heck of a good investment I shouldn’t have a cognitive resonance. Thank Muse for making me stop pondering, should I or shouldn’t I?

  • Darlene

    I bought this for my daughter when we saw it on display in JC Penney. She loves it! The problem, though, is we threw away the description that is on the box itself. That makes it difficult to know what everything is used for. Does anyone have that breakdown of what is located where on this palette?
    Thanks!

  • Sarah

    I made the right decision by buying the palette last month. There was a big sale in Sephora Singapore and I asked my friend to buy it for me. The palette is an all-in complete package! Awesome!

  • Neisa

    Do you know what the lipstick colors are or how to find out what they are? I went to the store, but the sales woman was not very helpful.

    • Isabella Muse

      they aren’t named and aren’t available in the general catalog Neisa. Anything they put into the palettes is typically not offered in a full size.

      • Jeni

        Thank you for this! I just ordered this palette and decided to view some reviews. Based on this review I’m even more excited. And I also won’t be disappointed by the size because I did think it would be bigger. But the pigments look so lush. Thank u for modeling them!

        • Isabella Muse

          yay let me know what you think when it arrives jeni 🙂 aw my pleasure I hope you like it!

      • Camila Correia

        I’m having the same issue here but instead of the lipstick, with the concealers. the middle one is the perfect tone for my skin, and i really want to buy it (since mine is almost gone) but don’t know the name of the color 🙁

  • Shifa

    Hi
    Where can I order this Sephora academy palette?
    Please if you could help..
    Thanks a lot

  • Cassie

    Shifa I just orderd my first makeup academy on Poshmark there are a few more left at great prices. Still waiting on mine. Haven’t been this excited about mail since childhood lol

  • SERENA C.

    I was gifted this pallete when it released and when I knew nothing about makeup. I still have it and I sanitize it with alcohol spray every now and then, but I was thinking about tossing the palette. I barely used this. I think it took me years later to realize there were side compartments and I couldn’t tell what was in them. Now in 2021 and in addition to my excessive makeup collection and knowledge, I’m glad I found this review. I will keep the palette since it has sentimental value and is actually still good quality. I may start reaching for this palette.