Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or haven’t been on the Internet for the last few months), you know that Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star launched a makeup collection on Nov. 1. So many people were on sites selling their products that they all crashed within minutes after the launch. I was one of those people frantically refreshing these sites all day.
After watching Shane’s 12-part Youtube series documenting the process of creating his makeup collection in collaboration with Jeffree Star’s cosmetics company, I was invested. I wanted to be a part of this historical (at least within the realm of online makeup and retail) event, so I bought a Mini Controversy eyeshadow palette for $28. I only have one $4 eyeshadow palette, so I convinced myself that this purchase was justified and completely necessary. Amid the chaos, I was able to buy a mini palette and weeks later, she finally came in the mail!
On the left is the box the palette came in and on the right is the actual glorious palette. The package was stuffed with this hot pink wrapping paper in the background.
MY INITIAL THOUGHTS:
The palette has 9 shades (6 mattes, 3 metallics) and comes with a mirror!
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The palette was heavier and the mirror it came with was bigger than I expected. This made me feel like it was made of higher quality materials and the details were well thought through.
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I could imagine myself using the warmer colors easily in everyday looks, but not the blues and purple.
WHAT I’VE GATHERED FROM USING THIS PALETTE:
Here are all the colors swatched.
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PROS:
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The pigmentation of these shadows is crazy good, especially of the burgundy, purple, dark blue and light blue shades. I was shook by how these swatched just as well as they did in the YouTube series.
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The shadows last all day. My cheap eyeshadows fade by the end of the day, but this Mini Controversy Palette’s shadows did not budge and looked as if I’d just applied them when I checked at night.
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All the colors blend so well. Even the metallic shades can be buffed out to make a gradient on their own or mixed with other colors seamlessly. The particles that make up the shimmer are so fine, making the shadows super smooth.
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Great wearable shades are included. My favorites are the warm medium brown Diet Root Beer and the burgundy My Apology.
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The attention to detail is nice. I love the cute stamps each shadow has (like the tea cup symbol), the fun names under each shade and the little logos on each side of the mirror.
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CONS:
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The darker colors will lightly stain your skin. I don’t think this is a big deal, but I was surprised to see faint color still on my eyes when I removed everything.
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The shadows are very soft, which creates fall out. It’s nice how effortlessly you can pick up the shadows with a brush or finger, but this also means that you can easily pick up too much. You’ll want to make sure to tap off excess powder before putting the shades on your eyes.
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Look at the cute stamps on these babies!
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The blues and purple are not the most wearable colors. Shane and Jeffree’s intention with these colors is to push users out of their creative comfort zones, which I appreciate, but I just can’t see myself using them everyday and getting the most bang for my buck.
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Some of my attempts at using the blues of the palette.
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Cancelled, the incredibly bright blue, will only retain its brightness if you pack it onto a concentrated area. If you blend it out on its own, it’ll turn into a greenish shade (at least that’s how it looks mixed with my skin tone).
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THE VERDICT:
The lil palette fits perfectly into my hand.
This Mini Controversy is worth getting if:
You’re invested in Shane and Jeffree’s series, you want to see the products for yourself, you’re into makeup and want to try blue and purple shadows or you want a Shane x Jeffree product but don’t want to spend $52 on the big Conspiracy Palette. (Although everything in the collection is currently sold out and you’ll have to wait many months before you can get your hands on anything.)
She’s not worth buying if:
You don’t want any cool colors, you’re not willing to pay $28 for eyeshadow, you’re not particularly interested in Shane or Jeffree’s work or you don’t want to wait for restock in 2020. You can probably find more affordable palettes of more wearable colors elsewhere.
I’m pretty happy with my purchase, personally. I really like the quality of the shadows and am excited to challenge myself to make blue and purple eye looks. So, if you see a kid with really bright eyeshadow around campus, know that it is not a clown, it’s just me trying to figure out a new look.
*All photos by the author unless otherwise noted.