The limited edition Sonia Kashuk Facing Stardom Face Palette ($19.99) is like a spontaneous red carpet moment. One second I’m sitting at my desk in black stretchy pants (you know, the ones with the hole in the butt?), but the second that first swipe of smokey eye and rosy cheek/lip makeup dances onto my face, BAM! I’m strutting my stuff at a Hollywood premiere, waiting for Ryan Reynolds to introduce me as “his close friend, confidante and shoulder to cry on” to the paparazzi.
Looking like a star with this 12-piece holiday palette, which includes two powder eyeliners, six eyeshadows, two lipglosses and two cream blushes, doesn’t require an actual acting career. All you need are brushes and your imagination. 🙂
Eyeliners (upper left), lipglosses (lower left), eyeshadows (center) and cream blushes (right)
Eyeliners: The matte powder eyeliners can be worn wet or dry along the lash and/or waterlines. They have a little fallout when applied dry, so I keep makeup wipes on standby just in case I need to clean up.
Eyeshadows: Cool-toned and smokey is the name of the game. The glitter shadows (a glittery gray, taupe and purplish taupe) are more pigmented than the ones in the What Glitters Glows Palette, which is a big plus. The three mattes (a gray, purplish taupe and taupe) apply sheer and blend with ease.
Cream Blushes: A creamy rose and a pink designed to be worn on bare skin or on top of foundation. The texture’s very thin, slick and slippery, so I dust a blush or translucent face powder on top to help set the color.
Lipglosses: I’m not sure why S.K. calls the rosy shade on the left a gloss because it sure as heck feels and looks like a lipstick, but semantics, schemantics. I think both the unflavored and unscented lip products add the perfect amount of natural-looking color to my pucker.
Swatches, top from from left: dark brown eyeliner, light brown eyeliner, gray glitter eyeshadow, purplish taupe glitter eyeshadow, taupe glitter eyeshadow, gray matte eyeshadow, purplish taupe matte eyeshadow and taupe matte eyeshadow; bottom row, from left: rose cream blush, pink cream blush, rose lipgloss and peachy pink lipgloss
If you showed me this palette without telling me the name of the brand I would swear up and down that it was a $65 Bobbi Brown creation. Not to sound all late-night-infomercial, but would you believe it’s just $19.99? That breaks down to about $1.66 per item.
Sonia put together a near-perfect mix of colors and the textures are pretty easy to work with, and if it weren’t for the minor issue of the eyeliner fallout, Facing Stardom would be epic.
PRICE: $19.99
AVAILABILITY: At Target and target.com
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A
Don’t cry, Ry-Ry!
Can we talk for a sec about Ryan Reynolds’ recent return to the single world? I was really hoping he and ScarJo would make it (they would’ve made some seriously pretty babies, yeah?), but I’m not gonna lie — if homeboy needs a friend to help him pick up the pieces, I would not hesitate to ask him out for a chai latte.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
beautylogicblog says
December 15th, 2010 at 1:58 pmI’m getting it just because of this review and girl you looking gorgeous You betta werq!!!!
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Karen says
December 15th, 2010 at 1:59 pmYou make me laugh, Mildred!! 😀
Lindsay says
December 15th, 2010 at 2:07 pmBeautiful FOTD! I really need to check out Sonia’s line. BTW hands off Ryan, he’s mine 😉 jk i’ll share my man candy with you.
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Karen says
December 15th, 2010 at 2:09 pmAww, sharing is caring, Lindsay!
Kristen says
December 15th, 2010 at 2:07 pmI need to get this! Plus Target has a temp price cut so its $16.99, good deal
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Karen says
December 15th, 2010 at 2:09 pmSALE! You said the magic words. 🙂
Sara says
December 15th, 2010 at 8:03 pm$16.99 AND free shipping on Sonia Kashuk and e.l.f. stuff right now. In case you can’t get to Target. ;D
Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:24 amWOOT! Even better. 🙂
Ashley says
December 15th, 2010 at 2:42 pmOk I’m really interested in this SK Palette but let’s talk about Ryan Reynolds first..
How did this happen? I mean I wish Ryan had married me instead of Scarlett but they look so good together! They’d make Hollywood’s bestest lookin’ babies!
I’d love to share Ryan with you all but no, the man is mine! Oh how I wish he really was…
Another Ryan note: Green Lantern! I’m not diggin’ the green spandex body suit but you can see his abs shine through ever so brightly.
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Karen says
December 15th, 2010 at 2:55 pmYou need to share with the group, Ashley! LOL
Oh yeah, I read in the L.A. Times that it the split’s amicable.
Ryan Reynolds-Scarlett Johansson divorce: A wee peek into their privacy
dani@callitbeauty says
December 15th, 2010 at 3:11 pmooh, that looks gorgeous! especially the blush you used, it looks fantastic on you.
in other news, i have the exact same necklace! it’s from F21, right?
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Karen says
December 15th, 2010 at 3:38 pmYes, it’s Forever 21! I think it’s my new favorite necklace. What do you like to wear yours with?
Christina says
December 16th, 2010 at 1:04 pmI was just going to ask where that necklace was from! Need to see if they still have it in stock, because I want it! 😀
Rae says
December 15th, 2010 at 3:25 pmOh my gosh, you’re totally right about the Bobbi “feel” of the pallette, Karen! I’m really liking the look of the cream blusher in particular — even if the texture’s kinda sticky, your cheeks look AMAZING.
Karen says
December 15th, 2010 at 3:37 pmIt’s totally Bobbi, right?
Jeannine says
December 15th, 2010 at 3:30 pmThe eyeshadows look very promising, but I’m always bugged by glosses right next to powders as they always tend to migrate and I get a gloss/eyeshadow frankenstein mess!
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Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:21 amIt’s annoying, it’s true. Yesterday I had to pick out glitter bits from the gloss when I was done — not fun!
Kerry says
December 15th, 2010 at 3:34 pmI hear Ryan says he left his marriage like he entered it…with love and kindness.
Aww! I’ll volunteer to be his shoulder to cry on! (I’ll share, of course)
And HELLO. That palette is calling my name. Can you hear it? “Kerry…come to Target…I need you…nay, you need me!”
Karen says
December 15th, 2010 at 3:37 pmI read that too… aww. It sounds like they’re handling it in the best possible way they can.
He needs to come and kick it with all of us, LOL. Maybe we can all go to Target together!
Kerry says
December 15th, 2010 at 7:41 pmHaha, I’m down for a Target trip with Ryan. Maybe you can bring Tabs, too? (:
Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:21 amThat would be awesome. Maybe if I could put Tabs in a snuggie…
My Target has a Pizza Hut inside so afterwards we could all get a slice. Fountain drinks are on me, LOL!
Bisbee says
December 15th, 2010 at 3:52 pmYou look gorgeous! I will get this palette!!
Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:20 amDo it, Bisbee! You won’t be disappointed!
Paris B says
December 15th, 2010 at 5:29 pmThe palette is an’t quite catching my eye, but gosh! You look amazing! 😀
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Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:19 amHi Paris,
This was one of those palettes that didn’t reveal it’s awesomeness until I actually got it on. It’s sneaky that way, haha!
Tracy says
December 15th, 2010 at 5:29 pmKaren you look gorgeous!
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Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:18 amThanks, Tracy! 🙂
Your Zombie Friend 4Ever,
Karen
Jen@My Funny Valentine says
December 15th, 2010 at 5:45 pmloving the glittery goodness on your smokey eye look! very pretty
Shannon says
December 15th, 2010 at 5:55 pmGorge on you! One of my favorite looks to date. I want, want, want this, but I agree with @Jeannine about shadows next to gloss. My other Sonia Kashuk palette turned all gunky because the shadow gunked up the concealer and lip gloss. Sigh…
Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:18 amNot gonna lie, it’s kind of a pain. I had to pick out some eyeshadow tidbits out of the gloss yesterday. 🙁
badmakeupgirl says
December 15th, 2010 at 8:15 pmReally beautiful job with this palette. I wish I lived in the states so I could buy it! In other news, as soon as I heard about Ryan Reynolds’ Divorce I was like “I have to check out MBB! Karen is going to be PSYCHED!” haha.
Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:17 amI’m sure homeboy (and his abs) will be okay. If he needs a shoulder to cry on though… 😀
Advah says
December 16th, 2010 at 3:10 amHmmm liking those glittery eyeshadows (love me some glitter), and that eye look is beauutiful. The liner is oddly subtle yet noticeable and very, veeery pretty.
Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:16 amHi Advah,
Thanks for noticing the liner! I ended up liking how it turned out. I applied it wet along the upper lash line and then dry on the waterline and lower lash line.
Advah says
December 16th, 2010 at 3:34 pmAaah thanks for the details, I never think of using wet eyeshadows! Must try soon.
Kim says
December 16th, 2010 at 5:48 amYour FOTD is beautiful, as usual. I especially like the lip color in your first pic. That’s too bad about Ryan and Scarlet. It’s hard enough for regular people to make marriages work; I feel sorry for famous people because they have so many more obstacles. It sounds like they’re handling it as well as they can, though.
Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:15 amI can’t imagine how hard it must be to try to go through something so publicly. It must be difficult.
I’m here for you RYAN! Just sayin’…
Kim says
December 17th, 2010 at 7:42 amHAHAHA! Does your generosity know no bounds? Such self-sacrifice. 🙂
Nina says
December 16th, 2010 at 6:40 amthat is lovely and i <3 the FOTD you made w/ it! SK never disappoints!
Karen says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:14 amI think you’ll really like the glitters in this one. They’re pretty nice! 🙂
Nina says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:39 amthey are – so perfect for a night out! 🙂
JACKIE says
December 16th, 2010 at 8:24 amKaren, you are absolutely lovely!
Alice says
December 17th, 2010 at 6:04 amOoooooh your cheeks are glowing! What are you wearing! It really suits you!!!