Marc Jacobs The Starlet 204 Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette Review & Swatches

You're probably thinking “oh great, another neutral palette review” but I beg to differ! The thing is if you just glance at all the colors in the Marc Jacobs The Starlet palette, you will probably be inclined to think there is nothing unique there but only when you swatch them and feel the texture and pigmentation will you know that this is not just another neutral palette. The Starlet to me is so different and far more superior than a lot of other neutral palettes out there in so many ways. How? Well, let me show you! :)

First of all, the packaging. I don't think I have ever seen anything this sleek.

A long, lacquer-like black palette that doesn't even look like an eyeshadow palette! :) Modern, simple, and streamlined, that's how I'd describe it. Interesting how just the brand's logo embossed on the top of the lid and the little silvery round knob used to open the palette can add such a nice and supremely luxury touch to the all-black ensemble. I really do love the slim design here; it's comfortable to hold and easily slips inside any makeup bag. But if there's one thing I don't love so much (and this is my OCD speaking), it's the type of plastic they use which attracts fingerprints like a magnet!

Good thing it comes with a protective pouch! The pouch is made of thin fabric material that may not feel as cushiony and protective as most velvet pouches but at least it doesn't attract so much dust! I like that it has a snap closure on one end to keep the palette secured inside. Inside the pouch there is a small sponge-tip applicator neatly tucked in at the far end and unless you like this type of applicator, I'd suggest keeping it there for emergency.

The palette opens to reveal a mirror, which spans the length of the palette, and a thin black plastic cover. Unlike most plastic covers that I tend to throw away as soon as I start using the palette, I'm actually keeping this one! :)

And here's how the palette looks like once opened. Isn't it so beautiful? Doesn't it make you want to dip your brush in it immediately and start playing? :D

Now let's get to the shadows (finally huh?)! There are 7 colors in the palette to cover most neutral eye looks. There are taupe, champagne, brown, copper, gold, silver, and pewter. As I mentioned before, the colors are probably nothing new especially if you already have a lot of neutral palettes but the differences here are the texture and finish.

These shadows are unbelievably creamy and smooth, incredibly pigmented (as in you get a full opaque coverage in one gentle sweep), and they all have a high-metallic finish! Yes, a neutral palette with a metallic finish on all of them. Can't say I've ever seen that before! And before you brush it off as something too glitz and glam for everyday wear, I ask that you play with it first because these colors can surprisingly be worn in a way that suits any occasion, be it night time or day time! :)

The texture doesn't even feel like powder. It borders on 70% cream slash 30% powder to me. :D It is just so amazingly soft and you barely have to touch the surface to get a good color payoff on the lid. Every single color is a pleasure to apply and blend. The pigments seem to adhere to the skin so well that even with after a lot of blending, the colors still remain strong and vibrant without being diluted into nothingness. They also last all day without creasing or fading even without a primer underneath. I am thoroughly just impressed with the quality of these shadows if you can't tell already! :)

Shade breakdown

Since names are not given for each shade, I'll call them #1 to #7 starting from the left.

• #1 – mauve-purple taupe; metallic finish
  This one is such a flattering shade of taupe because it has soft mauve/purple undertones. It is very pigmented for such a light shade, too! The consistency is soft and easy to blend. Looks great as a wash color as well as a smoking color.
• #2 – champagne beige; metallic finish
  There are obvious sparkly bits in this shade and the way they reflect light is so beautiful. The texture is still soft and creamy without being gritty in any way. It is such a feminine color that will look great in the inner corner or along the crease.
• #3 – medium-dark warm brown; metallic finish
  One of the most luxurious and flattering warm browns I've ever come across! Calling it buttery soft and creamy is an understatement!  It is like a dream texture for eyeshadows and I only wish all the shadows in the world are this good quality! :D It is super pigmented, too, and doesn't get diluted easily during blending. I like to use this on the outer corner to add depth and ground the look and sometimes along the lower lash line to add a touch of dramatic effect.
• #4 – orange copper; metallic finish
  The star and center of the palette! Also creamy smooth and extremely blendable. The coppery tone is super bright and playful so I like to use it to spice up the inner lower lash line. I also like to use it along the crease to brighten up my eye look but remember to use it lightly since it's so pigmented!
• #5 – warm gold; metallic finish
  This is not your typical gold because it has a lot of warmth in it from the olive green undertones. It is smooth, pigmented, and can kick up quite a bit of powder. The metallic sheen is so strong that you may have to be extra careful of where you apply it. I like to use it as an accent lid color or a wash color below the crease.
• #6 – silver; metallic finish
  As beautiful as it looks, I don't get to use this shade much at all. I have a hard time incorporating silver in my eye makeup because it seems to always look so stark against my coloring. This one has such a rich color payoff, though. It is very smooth and blends beautifully.
• #7 – taupe pewter; metallic finish
  I love, love, love this shade! It's very versatile. I can't get enough of soft and sexy smokey taupes so having another one with this type of quality only makes me even more happy with the palette! It applies so evenly and beautifully thanks to its soft and smooth consistency. The pigmentation is just right, too; I can apply lightly as a wash of color for a subtle smokey eye or build up for more intensity if I wish. Love it!

Seriously, I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of every single shade in the palette! My only wish is that it would be nice to include at least one matte highlight but I suppose you can find such simple shade from any neutral palettes. :)

The eye look

I hope you can see that despite being highly metallic, these shadows can be worn in a subtle way to compliment your everyday look.

In this look, I applied the gold shade (#5) along the lid to about 2/3 of the lid and stopped just below my “imaginary” crease line. I finished the outer third corner with a mix of brown (#3) and pewter (#7). I used the copper shade (#4) as a brightening color along the crease to add a little bit of warmth to the look. I also lined it along the inner lower lash line to give my eye look that extra oomph! I used the brown shade (#3) again on the outer lower lash line to add depth and definition. And to finish the look, I applied the champagne beige (#2) lightly in the inner corners for a subtle brightening effect! :)

So there is my take on the Marc Jacobs The Starlet palette! Don't be intimidated by the shimmery/highly metallic finish even if you are not a fan of one. Have a play with it and you may be surprised how versatile and wearable these colors are. I have another Style Eye-Con No.7 Plush Shadow Palette that I am testing right now and let me tell you, it's also a love! I can't wait to tell you all about it! :)

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