LA Splash Classic Horror eyeshadow palette

You know how some products just get snowed under? That’s how I feel about the LA Splash Classic Horror eyeshadow palette. This palette looks stunning and I hadn’t heard anything about it before I bought it. Is it any good? Why is no one talking about this? So I was intrigued enough to just go out on a whim and see how this would go. And you know what?! I am pleasantly surprised!

Review: LA Splash Classic Horror eyeshadow palette

I bought this palette from Beauty Bay where I very randomly spotted it when I was looking for some new eyeshadow palettes to buy. I was intrigued by the packaging: the zombie ladies, combined with the classic horror theme, the holographic inlay and some fun looking rainbow shades. This now retails about €25.25 but I remember it being a bit cheaper when I first got it.

What does this palette have to offer?

I know this looks like just another rainbow palette and that is also what I thought I had bought. But then I tried this and I found that these shades have a different type of saturation than most rainbow palettes. Inside, you get 10 shades and they are all mattes. You get a full on rainbow ranging from red to purple with a few extra shades thrown in such as a pink, a dark red and a black. It is also a palette that I instantly knew what looks I wanted to do with it.

What is the color story like?

Is this another boring rainbow palette though? Yes, boring, because rainbow palette with just a bunch of brights are a bit of a yawnrest. But this: no. This is not that tricky rainbow palette with just a bunch of random brights with no depth or dimension to them that lead you to not creating very versatile looks. If you want a rainbow palette that can take you from fun bright, poppy shades, to deeper, grungier shades than this palette is your jam and with that far more versatile than most rainbow palettes I have tried. This palette looks light and bright in the pan, but on the eyes this turns into a lovely grunge fest. Think brights but with a blackened undertone to them.

How does the palette swatch?

In the swatches you can already see a bit what I mean. These are bright shades, but the more orange toned shade called Psycho has some depth to it. Then if we look at some of the reds, you can see that Nightmare and 13th have an undertone to them that is quite unusual. Also, please don’t be fooled by these swatched. Because this is one of those palettes where finger swatches just don’t do these shadows justice. It’s when you apply these shades to your face that you fully experience these shadows. So let’s have a look at some eye looks I created using these shades.

2 looks, 1 palette

Because it is when you apply these eyeshadows that they truly come alive. These shades are easy to blend, easy to build up and they have a very interesting texture. They are difficult to pick up with your finger, but with a brush? Oh my, magic happens, as you can see in the looks I did below. I did 2 different looks: one look with the top half of the palette, one look with the bottom half of the palette.

When I say grungy rainbow I didn’t like did I? For some people this may seem like a disappointment as this palette certainly looks like a bright rainbow palette. However, while these shades are still bright, they are veering too the deeper end of brightness making the color saturation play at a whole new level. Especially when you start blending these, there is a depth to these shades that make them create a crease shade just like that. You’ve got that right: that crease shade is simply a blend of the blue called Curse and the yellow called Psycho.

Rather than muddy together, these shades create a great murky green shade that just adds definition to the eye, which is something that can be difficult to do with most rainbow palettes. And I know you can’t see it very well on the bottom lash line, but the green is also not as bright as you might have expected. Again, blended in a bit of Curse and voila: a darker murkier green emerges that gives that bottom lash line a good amount of definition.

I like how this palette is laid out: the top row gives you shades that go together perfectly and the bottom row does too. Here I put the pink called Zombie all over my lid, but I blended it out with Nightmare and then blended the crease with 13th. Now most bright reds cannot even be used as a blend shade for a transition, but this somehow works. It diffuses beautifully and gives a deep, grungy look. Oh and did you see that purple that barely swatched? That is what I used on my bottom lash line and rather than a vibrant lilac, it is a grungy yummy shade that pairs well with a bit of black liner.

The shade that ended up most disappointing? The black. I am not a fan of black eyeshadow in palettes to begin with and here I used it as a liner. I had not issue with the wear time of any of these shades, apart from the black. After a full day of wear, I noticed the black had stenciled to the top of my crease, leaving a lovely trace of black liner in the middle of those lovely reds. That’s perhaps a bit grungier than I was looking for.

My final thoughts

With absolutely zero expectations going into this palette as no one is talking about the LA Splash Classic Horror palette I could be no more than positively surprised. This palette is not what it seems like and it is a good example of why finger swatches never tell the full story and why you need to try every shade in a palette to be able to give your thoughts on it. Often I feel beautygurus give their opinions without properly trying a product as reviews are rush jobs and they hardly ever go beyond first impressions. My blog and Youtube is all about remedying that and this palette just shows: if you truly try a product, you can find that hidden gem that deserves much more credit.

Would I recommend the LA Splash Classic Horror eyeshadow palette?

If you are someone who is looking for a rainbow palette, but that can do more? Than I think you might enjoy this. Is this the best eyeshadow formula I ever worked with? No, but if you are not a beginner and you know how to play around with color, this is a good addition to a makeup collection. Beginners may struggle with a palette like this as the swatches do not show you what the shadow will do once on the eye. That can make this palette more difficult to use if you are not used to creating different looks, haven’t tried much eyeshadow yet or if you are simply newer to playing around with colorful eyeshadow. If you are looking for a colorful palette that may be better for you, then definitely check out my colorful eyeshadow palette collection as I show a full range of palettes in that one so you might get a better idea of what might work for you.

What do you think of the LA Splash Classic Horror palette?