2 Looks, 1 Palette: I Heart Revolution Chocolate Cherry Palette
Happy Black History Month, my beautiful Blue Hearts!
I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but I'm still trying to find a proper work-life balance in my new career, ^_^;
Still, I wanted to go ahead and put together a review since I promised to take a closer look at the I Heart Revolution palettes I received via their Instagram contest (follow their IG page here!). Since Valentine's just passed by, I picked the Chocolate Cherry (or Cherry Chocolate) Palette as the first palette to get the review train moving.
The Cherry Chocolate palette is actually more of a pink-toned palette, despite the name hinting at more reddish hues. At first, I was a bit concerned that this palette was simply a rehash of the Strawberry Cheesecake palette (there are A LOT of Chocolate palettes y'all), but I guess the two palettes have enough diversity between shades to warrant two separate products.
Taking a closer look at the palette, there's only one shade that actually fits the "cherry" name. I've seen reviews of the Urban Decay Naked Cherry palette, and it has the exact same issue -- both palettes have a sparse amount of dedicated red shades.
I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but I'm still trying to find a proper work-life balance in my new career, ^_^;
Still, I wanted to go ahead and put together a review since I promised to take a closer look at the I Heart Revolution palettes I received via their Instagram contest (follow their IG page here!). Since Valentine's just passed by, I picked the Chocolate Cherry (or Cherry Chocolate) Palette as the first palette to get the review train moving.
Chocolate Cherry Palette
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| Cherry Chocolate palette! |
The Cherry Chocolate palette is actually more of a pink-toned palette, despite the name hinting at more reddish hues. At first, I was a bit concerned that this palette was simply a rehash of the Strawberry Cheesecake palette (there are A LOT of Chocolate palettes y'all), but I guess the two palettes have enough diversity between shades to warrant two separate products.
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| The palette. |
Still, the Cherry Chocolate is certainly pretty to look at, and it smells good. It's perfect for the latest IG trend of "Soft Glam" makeup. Each shade is soft and buttery smooth, and while the pigment is there, some shades take more work to build up than others. This palette is wonderful for Valentine's Day, or date nights. It has such a romantic color story that reminds me of lovely flowers and flushed cheeks.
I very much appreciate the few dark shades in the palette (especially the shade "Dark Chocolate") because it gives the palette some versatility when creating eye looks. You could go for bright-eyed and bushy-tailed vibes one day, then sultry and seductive the next. Some shades were a pleasant surprise as they appear one way in the pan, but translate differently on the eyes.
I know, I know -- I literally JUST said this palette wasn't the best fit for a Gothic/Aristocrat eyeshadow palette. Though I still find that to be true, I do believe a darker, smoky look is fairly easy to achieve with the Cherry Chocolate.
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| Close-up of the palette! |
I very much appreciate the few dark shades in the palette (especially the shade "Dark Chocolate") because it gives the palette some versatility when creating eye looks. You could go for bright-eyed and bushy-tailed vibes one day, then sultry and seductive the next. Some shades were a pleasant surprise as they appear one way in the pan, but translate differently on the eyes.
Look 1
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| #SoftGFvibes |
The first eye look I put together with this palette was my own version of a "Soft Glam" look. I kept telling my friends that I felt like I was giving major "sweet girlfriend" vibes with such subtle shades and delicate shimmer.
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| In indoor lighting. |
I find this palette would work really well for anyone that wants simplistic, yet elegant makeup. It's great for day-to-day makeup and work-appropriate looks as well.
In the J-Fashion realm, this is decidedly a Classic or Sweet Lolita eyeshadow palette. Some Gothic looks could come from it, but there are other, more suitable palettes for Gothic and Aristocrat fashion.
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| Eyeshadow details. |
Look 2
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| Using this palette for Lolita. |
I know, I know -- I literally JUST said this palette wasn't the best fit for a Gothic/Aristocrat eyeshadow palette. Though I still find that to be true, I do believe a darker, smoky look is fairly easy to achieve with the Cherry Chocolate.
I had to use a black eyeshadow from another palette (read about the Give Them Darkness palette here!) to add a little more depth to the outer edges of my eye look a bit more, but all and all, I find that the Cherry Chocolate palette stood up to the task.
Since I have a plethora of chocolate palettes now, here are the new rankings after today's review:
1. Violet Chocolate
2. Cranberries & Chocolate
3. Mint Chocolate
4. Lemon Drizzle
5. Cherry Chocolate
6. Golden Bar
Given my inactivity this month, I want to try to squeeze in at least one more post before the February ends. I have a small Taobao haul on the way, plus a few more beauty reviews so keep an eye out for more content! I was also considering working on/updating my series on travel tips, as my con season starts back up in March.
How are y'all feeling now that February 2020 is coming to a close? Are you eagerly anticipating the rest of the year, or dreading it? Tell me all your thoughts and feelings in the comment section below.
Until next time, my lovely readers!
Never forget -- stay beautiful, stay true.
~J
6. Golden Bar
Given my inactivity this month, I want to try to squeeze in at least one more post before the February ends. I have a small Taobao haul on the way, plus a few more beauty reviews so keep an eye out for more content! I was also considering working on/updating my series on travel tips, as my con season starts back up in March.
How are y'all feeling now that February 2020 is coming to a close? Are you eagerly anticipating the rest of the year, or dreading it? Tell me all your thoughts and feelings in the comment section below.
Until next time, my lovely readers!
Never forget -- stay beautiful, stay true.
~J
I think the lack of reds is mostly due to the fact that there are no eye-safe red pigments. The companies that do bring out red eyeshadows often have to mark them as not safe for use around the eyes (I know Colourpop had to do it with their watermelon palette, all the most red eyeshadows are marked with a star to say they're not recommended for use around the eyes). So with I Heart Revolution being a budget brand, they probably chose to skip adding anything too red as it would either be too unsafe or too expensive. It would've been good to see a side-by-side comparison between this and the Strawberry Cheesecake, since you made a comparison, I'm sure more people might want to see how exactly do these differ.
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