Essence Welcome To Cape Town Palette Review

Hi Divas
 

It's been years since I purchased an eyeshadow palette. I never felt the need to add to my collection since the dreaded lockdown days. I have been using the palettes in my collection intending to hit pan on all of them. When I passed the Essence stand a while ago to top up on some makeup essentials, I couldn't let this beauty pass by. The palette is named after my beautiful home town Cape Town and that was enough reason for me to make a transaction at the till. Upon opening the palette, to my surprise, it was filled with an exciting colour story. I was very eager to play with it as these eyeshadows were quite different from my collection.

The palette is designed with a sturdy cardboard casing that makes it light and easy to travel with. The length and width of the casing are perfect sizes. It is not cumbersome to use. I was surprised by the large mirror inside, making it a nifty case to escort around. The cover is a picturesque aerial shot of the iconic Cape Town views. Table Mountain stands tall looking over the gorgeous coastline and bustling city arena. This is the beauty of Cape Town captured in one picture; the colourful sites of the city along with its vibrant culture and diverse nature.

There are 12 bold shades in the palette consisting of 5 shimmers and 7 mattes. The variety of shades is what makes this palette an absolute winner. The 5 shimmers are yellow gold, rose gold, metallic silver and aquatic blue. The mattes are 3 neutral shades in two browns and cream, making great transition shades. The rest are a bold orange, leafy green and two shades of sea blues. I just love the cute tree and lion embossed on the pans. There are no names allocated to the eyeshadows, but the stark contrast in colours makes it forgivable. The pans are large and will last quite a long time. What a fun and fresh design. It makes me delighted to use the eyeshadows.

As you can see in the swatches, the colours really pack a punch. They are pigmented and have great colour payoff. I was especially surprised by the performance of the matte shades. They truly blended well on my eyes and were bold not only in the pans but on the eyelids too. Some of the shimmers are a bit chunky and you will need a concealer or eyeshadow primer to help them adhere to the skin. This especially applies to the gold shade. I prefer to use my finger to pack the pigment on. I used a combination of 5 shades. For my brow bone the white-cream and for my crease a combination of  light matte brown and bold orange. I carefully placed the gold shimmer on my lids as this eyeshadow has the most fallout in all the pans. For a pop of colour, I blended the two matte blues alongside the blue shimmer on my lower lash line.

This palette is gorgeous and you can create a variety of looks. If you are someone who wants to explore colourful makeup looks, this is the perfect palette to jump into. It's easy to work with and not intimidating. The mattes especially blend wonderfully. You can easily create a vibrant eye for any occasion. If you are a makeup fanatic like me, this is an excellent option to add to your growing collection. Have you purchased this palette?
 Let me know your thoughts below!