Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette of Pearls | Cosmic Pearl

This year's Charlotte Tilbury Holiday Collection is rather huge but I only picked up one eyeshadow quad, and this will be the last one from the brand for a while. Charlotte Tilbury has many die-hard fans and I myself certainly see the appeals but after trying out a bunch last summer and this Cosmic Pearl eyeshadow quad, I have come to a realization that maybe it isn't the brand for me.

To be fair, there are more than a few good things about Cosmic Pearl. First, the packaging - it is different from what we have seen from the brand and quite gorgeous. In fact, this off-white marble case with gold stars is one of the reasons why I wanted to get this quad.

The quality of eyeshadows is actually great as well. All shades in the palette are pigmented, soft, blendable, and easy to apply. They seem to be long-lasting, too. 

Then, what is my issue? It's the boring same old color story! There is this beautiful duochrome shade that flashes purple and blue or so it seems in the pan. But when applied, it is way too weak even to be considered as a duochrome color. Turns out it is one of those warm reddish-brown palettes that Charlotte Tilbury has repeated hundreds of times. With this, I have my issue.

Plus this quad does not have versatility. I have tried several ways to bring out the duochrome shade in my look but no matter what I did, I always end up with the same monochromatic look. It's not a bad look but not the best look on me, either. And I already have other Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palettes that give me the similar look. 

I have made some comparison swatches:

I acknowledge that color preference can be very personal, so I'd say go for Cosmic Pearl Palette (in fact, it is back in stock on the Charlotte Tilbury website) if you like warm-toned eyeshadow colors as the quality is very solid. Obviously, Charlotte Tilbury keeps doing repeats and gets away with it because there is a market for it. I myself can only have so many warm-toned eyeshadow palettes so this is it for me.

The biggest letdown would be the (fake) duochrome shade. If you see the comparison swatch above, you will understand what I am saying here. Tom Ford Pretty Baby (which is one of Charlotte Tilbury's great creations when she was with Tom Ford) is a much better quad with a real duochrome shade. Urban Decay Solstice would be another great option if you are into duochromes.

Thanks for being here. What do you think of Charlotte Tilbury Cosmic Pearl Palette? Worth picking up?

*The eyeshadow palette was purchased by me. This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for choosing to use them.