I want to start this off by saying I do not have anything against brightly colored eye shadow. In fact, I actually love it! Truthfully, I just used to be intimidated by it because it seemed unforgiving and easy to mess up. Recently, though, I've been having fun with makeup again, spending time in front of the mirror creating looks just for fun like I used to. For a while there, I got so busy and burnt out on makeup that I wasn't doing that, and I realized that it was time for a reset.
It also doesn't hurt that there's so much new makeup to try and love lately. It's made me excited to pick up my brushes again. One such masterpiece I'm completely in awe of is legendary makeup artist Danessa Myricks's newest limited-edition offering Lightwork VII: The Freedom Palette ($128). While this product is a bit of a splurge, I can say with my full chest that it's one of the most beautiful eye shadow palettes I've ever used. Not only that, but it's customizable, magnetic, stackable, and so pigmented I actually gasped upon first application. I know it sounds dramatic, but trust me, you don't want to sleep it. For all my thoughts on this stunning, futuristic-hued palette, keep scrolling.
Myricks is known for her artistry and creation of high-intensity, holographic colors. If you were wondering if this palette offers that, believe me, it is some of her and her team's best work yet. The Lightwork VII Palette is meant to be a culmination of the past, present, and future of Danessa Myricks Beauty, capturing years of innovation and chromatic colors into one.
I love that it has both vibrant, showstopping shades like royal blue and metallic pink and some earthier shades that are perfect for everyday wear. I was drawn to this palette for the more holographic-looking shades and I decided the perfect time to try it out would be for a Halloween party. I usually like to apply super-pigmented eye shadows with my fingers, but I used a brush with this palette and was so impressed. I only had to dip my brush into each of the colors once to achieve my look in the above photo—that's so rare and speaks to how good these eye shadows are. The mattes and shimmers also blend together like butter. They just melt into each other for such a seamless look.
I also mixed and matched a couple shades from different "families" in the palettes. I took the brightest (almost white-looking) shade from the earth-toned family and swiped it thinking it would be more of a frosty shade, but it actually had a hint of green shimmer in it that still worked beautifully with the shades in the gray-blue family. It was a total accident, but I loved how it came out anyway.
I can tell that so much thought went into this palette. Now that I've tried so many palettes in my career, I've gotten picky about which ones I use long-term. The formula really matters when it comes to longevity, blendability, and pigment payoff. I tend to prefer eye shadow that has more of a cushiony feel instead of a chalky one because I know it's going to blend and stay put like a dream. The shadows in this palette definitely have an almost-creamy consistency. The pigment level is out of this world. I wore this out for eight-plus hours, and it still looked perfectly in tact when I got home and was ready to remove my makeup.
This is definitely an investment piece coming in at $128, but if you're like me and truly love makeup and want something you're going to cherish forever, it's totally worth it. A few more of my faves from Danessa Myricks Beauty are also below.
More Danessa Myricks Products I'm Obsessed With
This foundation is a ride or die for me. It's so hydrating and creamy and melts right into the skin without leaning oily. My skin tends to get dehydrated easily and some matte formulas tend to dry me out, but this one is absolutely perfect.
Sometimes, I forget I have this, but when I whip it out of my makeup bag and use it, I'm always blown away by how pigmented and gorgeous it is once I apply it.
Prepping my skin correctly is key for my foundation's longevity. I went through an entire bottle of this because I loved it so much. It contains a blend of jojoba, squalane, sunflower, and sweet almond oil to really hydrate the skin and create the perfect base for makeup.
This highlighter truly is "hyper-radiant." Like all other offerings from the brand, it's so pigmented, glossy, and downright holographic on the skin.
Celebrity makeup artist Keita Moore once told me he loves this blurring balm from the brand for its incredible silky finish. I have yet to get my hands on it, but I know once I do, I'm going to absolutely love it.
This is a newer product that I haven't gotten my hands on yet but am extremely eager to. Normally, I'd run far away from a mattifying setting spray, but this one blurs and refines texture to give you an airbrushed finish. The countless five-star reviews on Sephora are also convincing me.
This color stick is perfect for doing quick looks or when you're feeling lazy. It creates something beautiful without you having to exert a lot of effort.
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