Hi friends!
It’s been a while. I was taking a much needed break from writing to manage my work and family life. I also didn’t have much inspiration since I wasn’t really feeling any makeup launches. That is, until Jeffree Star teamed up with Shane Dawson. It all started with their groundbreaking docuseries “The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star,” which follows their lives and offers an inside look at the beauty industry through the process of making a Jeffree Star Cosmetics collaboration. This was very exciting because it created lots of buzz 🐝
This duo did everything right to create hype and excitement for the collection through their docuseries leading up to the launch (I even had issues myself, trying to get my hands on the palette on launch day ). Now the question is, did it live up to all the hype?
In this blog, I’m reviewing the packaging, colour story, pigmentation, application and wear of both the Conspiracy and Mini Controversy palettes to let you know what’s the real tea.
Packaging:
The packaging for both the Conspiracy palette and Mini Controversy definitely fuses Jeffree’s iconic brand with Shane’s unique style.
The Conspiracy palette comes in a sleeve with trippy black and white spirals, as well as gold embossed lettering.
The actual palette has a raised pyramid dome lid, darker spirals, locks and she THICC. The palette is heavier than your typical beauty guru collaboration and I think it showcases the quality that you are getting for the price point.
I actually like that it has such a hard case and has the locks. It adds a unique touch and prevents the palette from shattering if dropped (‘Cause let’s be real, ya girl is a CLUTZ).
All the shades are stamped with ICONIC symbols, which made me not want to touch this palette at all. So I stared at it like my precious for a few days before ruining it 😂
The mini controversy is exactly what mini implies…a smaller extension of the Controversy palette.
It’s lightweight so you can chuck it in a purse (but don’t chuck it). It comes in a box covered in static. The actually lid of the palette has iridescent, colour shifting holographic lines.
The packaging was flawlessly executed and definitely captures the spirit of the collaboration. Jeffree and Shane definitely snatched my ponytail extension with the attention to detail. It feels SO high quality and not flimsy. You can tell that the intention that was set in the docuseries to make a palette worthwhile, was genuinely executed very well.
Colour Story:
The colour story alone was a major reason I purchased. It’s unique and I knew I had to have it. While I am one to holla at bright colours, I think both palettes also appeal to anyone who wants to create a neutral look with simple pops of colour.
Especially that top row in the Conspiracy Palette.
I am by no Meens a trained makeup artist, but the colours compliment and work well with each other. The Conspiracy palette is especially going to be versatile for all seasons.
Swatches/pigmentation:
The colours of the Conspiracy palette look great on my skintone and from all the photos I’ve peeped on IG, they are universally flattering.
Yes, even the cool tones from the Miini Controversy look great on melanin!
In my honest opinion though, some of the shadows showed up more than others when initially testing. I experienced this with the lighter shades.
Some shadows also had minor fall out but nothing major. Anyway, I would suggest doing your eye make up first when using this palette to avoid smudgy disaster. I especially had fallout issues with the matte black, “My Ride’s Here.”
That being said, I would say that the quality is true to Jeffree Star Cosmetics – You definitely see the colour pay off and pigment.
Application:
Almost all of the shadows applied easily. I mostly had issues with Trisha (the bright sparkly pink,) as well as “Food videos” (the neon yellow,) but with a wet brush, it’s easy peasy lemon squeezy to get the colours to pop.
The pig-ment is there but for some shadows, a little more love is required – especially when dipping into the lighter shades.
For both of these palettes, I suggest going in with a light hand and building your look up. The formula of the shadows are definitely buildable and the shadows blend seamlessly.
Both palettes are easy to work with and can be combined! I used both the Conspiracy and Mini Controversy in the look below.
Wear:
I am proud to say that the wear is indeed Jeffree Star approved (Jeffree, please don’t come for me). Not only did the colour last, but the formula of the Conspiracy palette did not budge during my long work days as seen below:
The Mini Controversy also held up pretty well. Although, I personally experienced some more wear but still held up well compared to other palettes:
So is it worth it?
Overall, I loved the packaging, the concept and the quality of this whole collection ! You’re probably wondering though, should you get it when it inevitably restocks in 2020? I would say it’s worth it. I’m sure when it relaunches the formulas will be refined and the quality will be sublime! Plus, the Mini Controversy will be relaunched with a green shade named “Put it Back” that was eliminated from the preliminary palette. If you’re not a fan of colour, I think the Conspiracy palette would still work for you, with enough neutrals and a few colours to spice up your life.
The Conspiracy palette retails for about $69 CAD and the Mini Controversy retails for about $37 CAD. Of course it won’t be back until 2020 and there is no set restock day, so you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled to Jeffree Star Cosmetics! I know I will be heading over there to get more items from the Conspiracy collection – like the lipsticks and glosses.
If you ended up getting your hands on it, let me know what you think! Or if you’re thinking of getting it, be sure to let me know if you have any questions!
Until next time,
Cons-peer at my ig @byallmeens
– Meena
by all meens: 