It was when I started my Sleek Eyeshadow series (Oh So Special here, Ultra Mattes V2 here) that I came across the Vintage Romance palette that was being sold for £4.50 on Amazon here. I loved the look of the cranberry and deep purple shades so it was a bit of a no brainer for me, in my basket it went.
The Sleek Vintage Romance palette contains 12 shades, most of which have a shimmer finish, there's only one that I would say is completely matte. Whilst some of the shades are very bright and eye popping, it's still a very wearable and versatile palette. It's also a palette I think a lot of people would enjoy, due to the cranberry eyeshadow trend and some of the brilliant eye catching shades. The pigmentation of most of the shades is what I have come to expect from Sleek; high quality at an affordable shade, however there are around three shades that don't quite match the status quo.
I have to say that I think Sleek went all out when picking the name for these shades, I mean how cute is; Court in Cannes or Marry in Monte Carlo. It's not quite so often that shade names do catch my attention but I love how these almost read like a love story as you go across. Go ahead, give it a try!
The first three shades are:
- Pretty In Paris is a pearlescent light silver. It has a decent amount of pigmentation for a highlighter shade, and it actually shows up!
- Meet in Madrid is a lovely slightly rustic, gold. It's a more toned down version of a pure gold, however the pigmentation is great! You only need one swipe of this for a fully metallic effect. It's also a great alternative to a highlighter shade for those who prefer warmer tones.
- Court in Cannes is a coppery bronze with a deep golden sheen. The pigmentation is outstanding, it makes a beautiful lid shade.
(Just a quick note: these three shades are far more pigmented than my images show, plus with them you're getting the perfect silver, gold and bronze shades without having to buy separate eyeshadows. These three shades are everything you need for a metallic eyeshadow look, or affordable highlight shades.)
Then we have:
- A Vow in Venice is a muted deep aubergine shade. The shimmer isn't so apparent in this shade, it comes across as more of a sheen. This would be a good shade for the outer corner. As soon as I swatched this, I was thinking it looks like a MAC Cranberry dupe!
- Marry in Monte Carlo is a shimmery rose pink. It's a bit lighter than I was expecting but it works well as a lid shade.
- Honeymoon in Hollywood is a deep burgundy shade with a few silver flecks. The formula feels a bit drier than the other shades but the pigmentation certainly packs a punch, it's a very bold shade and my favourite out of the palette.
Next we have:
- Lust in LA is a pale olive green with a metallic sheen.
- Romance in Rome is a navy blue with a metallic finish, however the pigmentation isn't as good as the other shades so it comes across as slightly subdued.
- Propose in Prague is a matte brown, the colour just reminds me of sand. The pigmentation of this shade is quite poor too, but it could work as a transitional shade.
Finally we have:
- Bliss in Barcelona is a deep purple, with a hint of blue. The pigmentation is quite good, and the finish has a slight metallic sheen.
- Forever in Florence is a very glittery, dark purple. I love the depth of this shade, it's great for adding that smokey look without disappearing into other shades.
- Love in London is the alternative to the normal jet black found in Sleek palettes. This is again a very, very deep and glittery midnight blue, but I think it works very well. It's super pigmented as well.
Overall, would I recommend it? Of course! I think this palette was a steal at £4.50, and even at its normal RRP of £7.99. Again, Sleek have surprised with the value for money offered, and I love the mix of shades in this palette. It's definitely one to buy if you love the cranberry/burgundy hues that make a comeback every Winter.
I hope you enjoyed this post!
What's your favourite eyeshadow?