Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
As I was editing this review, I was pondering: How many squishy shimmers is too many before I dislike a palette overall?
Cause, I really do enjoy this palette. That's not a lie or an exaggeration. But I was also reminded of palettes earlier in the year that I was much more disappointed in when there was a similar ratio of squishy shimmers. And I was wondering: Why?
Was I nicer to this because I got it in PR? How *would* I feel if I spent $60+ shipping on this palette and four of the shimmers were squishy? Why do the squishy shimmers end up being a bit of a caveat for this palette, where it isn't for others?
I obviously don't know how I would feel if I had spent $60 on this palette, but I also don't think the impact of squishy shimmers on my feelings about a palette is as simple as numbers or percentages.
While 4/7 of the shimmers in this palette are squishy, only two were unwearable — and they were exactly the shimmers I didn't care about (read: the blue ones). And my two favorite shimmers — the lime green and the black multichrome — weren't. I was even pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the warm blue one.
Then, of course, the factors of color story, packaging, and matte formula do factor in, as I've said. Sometimes, that's enough to counter the squish. Sometimes it isn't. And what factors make the difference can be as capricious as my mood (or how overrun I am with other similar palettes).
I've always hesitated to do reviews for fear of being inconsistent, especially in situations where I received something in PR. To counter this, I do a standard set of tests and have a regular review format. (This also helps with the time limit! haha). And if all else fails, hopefully that standardization will still help get people get the information they need, even if my summary/opinion ends up being weighted in some way.
This was a lot of rambling that didn't really go anywhere. I will continue to ponder this, likely until the heat death of the universe.
/**PRODUCTS**/
@MBACosmetics Venom Palette (sent in PR)
You can use code UNIVERSALPALETTEBUILDER to save on MBA Cosmetics' site!
As I was editing this review, I was pondering: How many squishy shimmers is too many before I dislike a palette overall?
Cause, I really do enjoy this palette. That's not a lie or an exaggeration. But I was also reminded of palettes earlier in the year that I was much more disappointed in when there was a similar ratio of squishy shimmers. And I was wondering: Why?
Was I nicer to this because I got it in PR? How *would* I feel if I spent $60+ shipping on this palette and four of the shimmers were squishy? Why do the squishy shimmers end up being a bit of a caveat for this palette, where it isn't for others?
I obviously don't know how I would feel if I had spent $60 on this palette, but I also don't think the impact of squishy shimmers on my feelings about a palette is as simple as numbers or percentages.
While 4/7 of the shimmers in this palette are squishy, only two were unwearable — and they were exactly the shimmers I didn't care about (read: the blue ones). And my two favorite shimmers — the lime green and the black multichrome — weren't. I was even pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the warm blue one.
Then, of course, the factors of color story, packaging, and matte formula do factor in, as I've said. Sometimes, that's enough to counter the squish. Sometimes it isn't. And what factors make the difference can be as capricious as my mood (or how overrun I am with other similar palettes).
I've always hesitated to do reviews for fear of being inconsistent, especially in situations where I received something in PR. To counter this, I do a standard set of tests and have a regular review format. (This also helps with the time limit! haha). And if all else fails, hopefully that standardization will still help get people get the information they need, even if my summary/opinion ends up being weighted in some way.
This was a lot of rambling that didn't really go anywhere. I will continue to ponder this, likely until the heat death of the universe.
/**PRODUCTS**/
@MBACosmetics Venom Palette (sent in PR)
You can use code UNIVERSALPALETTEBUILDER to save on MBA Cosmetics' site!
