Review & Swatches: Smashbox On The Rocks Photo Op Eye Shadow Luxe Palette

Outer Packaging of Smashbox On The Rocks Photo Op Eye Shadow Luxe Palette 

The ULTA-exclusive Smashbox On The Rocks Photo Op Eye Shadow Luxe Palette retails for $42 and contains a limited edition eye shadow collection of 28 party-perfect shades! There are a variety of finishes from mattes to glitters in lush neutrals to dazzling jewel-inspired tones. 

Exterior of Smashbox On The Rocks Photo Op Eye Shadow Luxe Palette

The exterior of the palette has beautiful diamonds which reflect light wonderfully and would make for a delightfully glamorous gift. The palette itself feels a little pillow-esque when you push down on the top and it seems ideal for traveling, even though it is slightly larger than a typical travel palette. 

My only qualm with the Smashbox On The Rocks Luxe Palette is that there is an overlay that has the color names which I'm never a fan of, I would rather that they were printed next to the shade names (though I can see how that can be difficult with the diamond arrangement). The layout of the shadows saves a decent amount of space and you have 28 full sized eye shadows in a medium-sized palette. I love the diamond in the center, I don't know why but it makes me giddy with delight when I open the palette!

Names of Eye Shadows in Smashbox On The Rocks Photo Op Eye Shadow Luxe Palette

The palette seems to be set up from left to right as follows: leftmost there are nudes transitioning to earthtones and greens, in the center region above the diamond there are purples and below there are blue tones, on the rightmost side of the palette there's a mixture of smokey eye bold shades (grays, deep burgundy, dark brown). I appreciate that this isn't a random assortment of shadows because I find that some palettes can be too overwhelming to look at when there is no rhyme or reason to their placement.

Swatches of Nudes/Earthtones (Left side of Smashbox On The Rocks Luxe Palette)

From the left side of the palette, you can see that the shades are neutrals and earth-tones. Most of these shades are buttery, creamy and swatch absolutely perfectly but I found Midas to be weakly pigmented on the secondary swatch and it doesn't transfer well out of the pan. I was very pleasantly surprised with Zoom (mint green with gold shimmer) and Roast (dark brown with sparse gold sparkles). Ambient is a good dupe for Amber Lights from MAC, I own both and there isn't a major difference between them when worn on the lid.

Swatches of Shades around Diamond (Center of Smashbox On The Rocks Luxe Palette)

The shades in the middle of the palette perform fairly similarly, with Purple Mist not being very pigmented at all and easily brushing off the skin while pastel is rather dusty and too similar to my skin tone for me to wear as a unique shadow. Sapphires needs to be built up for maximum intensity which can be great for beginners or those who are afraid to go overboard with a dark shadow. Navy is slightly darker and a little less blue-toned. The standouts are really Lavender, Juniper, Peacock and Lilac, all of which are very smooth, easily blended and quickly reach full opacity.

Swatches of Smokey Shades (Right side of Smashbox On The Rocks Luxe Palette)

On the right side of the palette you can see from the swatches that the shades become darker and more smokey, even featuring some great highlight shades (Snow, Babycakes and Moonlight). The most bold colors are Frambroise, Asteroid, Royal, Smoke and Cabernet, all of which perform as expected. I was a little bit disappointed by Mink and Babycakes because the colors were just too soft and the shadow's pigment lacked a "stickiness" which keeps it adhered to your lid so it's harder to build up. Mostly, the shadows perform beautifully and are better than expected!

Smashbox Photo Op Luxe Palette "Get The Looks" Booklet

Included in this palette is a booklet with 6 looks that you can create from the shades, they are listed underneath and you can use them as a guide for your holiday parties this year! 

If you find that this palette is too big for you there is a smaller, original version of the palette called the Smashbox Photo Op palette. However, I would strongly suggest for you to pick this up, if not for yourself, then at least to gift to the makeup lover in your life!

The quality of the eye shadows is consistent and there is such a wide variety of unique shades that aren't usually found in palettes that pushes this palette to a must-buy!

Happy shopping and Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!!