Agnès B La Palette

# of shades available: 4
(Jeu de Lumière, mauve passion/night blue/galaxy blue/light beige, ref. 759001;
Black & White, black/white/satin grey/sepia, 756106;
Effets Spéciaux, silver/rose pink/chestnut brown/lilac, 715706;
Métaux Précieux, golden yellow/silver/rose gold/copper, 731604)

Retails at the Club Créateurs de Beauté; ring 0990 901090 for UK mail order

--What does the promo say?--
"Use the colours alone, or mix as you desire. Complete with a mirror and double-ended applicator, take this chic box everywhere with you."

--Packaging--
The box definitely has it all; nicely laid-out eyeshadows, a generously sized mirror, a durable double-ended applicator, and magnetic closure, not to mention the excellent drawings and photography used on the boxes' lids.

--Application--
Versatile application is permitted, with the colours in all palettes looking good whether they are used alone or mixed with other colours. To use three or four colours at a time, apply the lightest colour as far as your brow bone, then the second lightest as far as the eyelid crease, then use the darkest colour/s to line. To just use one colour, apply along the lash line and then blend upwards.

--Appearance--
By and large, the colour combinations work very well together, though I find the fuschia in the Jeu de Lumière palette slightly at odds with the general scheme (a gold colour may have worked better). All the palettes should work well with just about any complexion, hair and eye colour, though I do like the Effets Spéciaux palette with my pale skin, hair and eyes. There is a slight shimmer to the latter palette, but not so much with the former. I would imagine that Black & White doesn't have much shimmer, but that Métaux Précieux would.

--Texture/consistency--
Seems quite finely pigmented, and glides over the eyelids well.

--Longevity--
Strangely, this seems very inconsistent between palettes. The Effets Spéciaux one lasts excellently, though there is a little creasing, and while the colours in the Jeu de Lumière palette are very nice, they fade quickly and the overall effect is disappointing. In all cases, however, one palette seems to last a very long time, even when being used most days.

--Value for money--
At €25 I'd consider this fairly expensive, even from such a high-profile brand. Despite the nice packaging and colours available, you can probably get generally better quality, consistency and range of colours from MAC or Prescriptives, even if this is without the same convenience.

perfect partners
Agnès B Mascara Haute Déf, €18,90
Agnès B Liner Métallic, €9,90