When I saw that Desi and Katy were going to be launching a second collaboration with Dose of Colors, I was very much paying attention, but I didn’t buy anything from the collection right away. I held off for a bit and watched reviews, as I purchased their first eyeshadow quad, “The Girls,” and didn’t love it. The colors were very beautiful but more difficult to work with, so most of the time, I don’t even bother. However… their second launch was much more promising.
Just to give a bit of background, Desi Perkins and Katy (aka Lustrelux) are both individual YouTubers but they and their husbands all became besties and viewers really love watching all of them together. They have a really fun and real dynamic but they also have a level of aspirational glam, which is basically the recipe for getting to travel the world, record it for their audiences, and make shitloads of money. Their whole “thing” is that they really seem like people you’d want to be friends with. Very, very likable and fun. So it made sense for them to do a collaboration together, and round one was such a big hit that they came back with another round!
Which brings me to a big part of their second launch, The FriendCation palette ($55). Both round 1 and 2 contained various lip products as well, but I only got the eyeshadow palette this time around. I picked this up when it came to Ulta, and I was able to use my 20% off coupon on it. This was also my little reward for my promotion at work, so I was excited to get something to remind myself of a happy time!
First of all, I think we can all agree that it’s just beautiful. It has the same packaging as their first quad and highlighters, and it’s just one of those palettes that you want to have sitting around on your vanity. It’s lovely.
But the inside is almost prettier! The mix of neutral mattes plus show-stopping glitter shades is honestly stunning.
From L to R: Basic, Cheens, Necessary, Dirty Money, A Moment, Try Me, Just A Kiss, Girl Bye, Churro, Game Over
A few notes about some of the colors, especially because my swatches aren’t picture perfect. The shade “Just a Kiss” is actually more of an eyeshadow topper, as it really doesn’t has a base color to it. So you could really put it on top of just about anything to give it a glittery pop. A few of the shades are blending into it, so I just wanted to make that clear. I think Dirty Money and Try Me are my two favorite shades in the palette. I think they are two of the more “wearable” shimmery shades, and I’ve worn both to work at different times as just all-over lid shades.
The Dose of Colors matte formula is really, really nice, and I’ve had great experiences with it in the Blushing Berries palette. The mattes are pigmented and really easy to blend. I actually think the mattes in the FriendCation palette are even easier to work with than those in the 5-pan palettes.
The shimmers are really the stars of this palette, and they are just so, so beautiful. I haven’t really felt a formula like the shimmers before – they do feel a bit dry, but can be applied wet and over a sticky base. Though they feel a bit dry to the touch, I do think they contain a bit of moisture as I do experience a bit of creasing when I wear the shimmers. It’s possible that I need to figure out a new base situation, but I have been using NYX’s glitter glue underneath, or layering over an eyeliner. I also occasionally have oily lids but I have experienced the creasing on these shimmers more than any other shades I normally wear, so I just wanted to point that out.
Below are a few different looks I’ve made with the palette:
Final Grade: A
I think this is a fantastic palette. I honestly love it. It’s a palette that was created to do a little bit of everything – you can create a super natural look with some great standard mattes, along with some show-stopper colors which can amp everything up to make it more glam. Desi and Katy describe it as the only palette you need to take on vacation with you. And I recently went on a mini weekend vacation which contained a few nights out, and this was the only palette I brought, and I really didn’t need anything else! It also has a nice mirror, which is also nice for travel.
I really think I am going to get much more use out of this palette than their first one, as the shadows don’t really have any special instructions like their first shadow quad. I’ve been wearing more natural colors lately, and I think the mattes are just so easy to wear for every day. I’m still waiting for the right occasion to wear A Moment (the blue/purple) shade because I think it will be stunning. But like I said before, I can see myself wearing Dirty Money and Try Me regularly as well!
I’m pretty sure this is a limited edition palette, so if you want it, you should probably grab it while you can! You can get it from Ulta or the Dose of Colors site for $55! (But obvs, Ulta may have the better, more regular sales!)
Purchased; All opinions are my own
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laurenelectro
A self-proclaimed beauty junkie/hoarder with a serious Sephora problem. This blog is a total rationalization of that problem. Everything is TOTALLY fine. Her free time is a mixed combination of making fun of reality TV with her husband, hanging out with cats and finally trying to figure out how to do her hair.