LimeCrime Venus XL II

LimeCrime palettes hadn’t really been on my radar for a while. No real reason other than the fact that my favorite brands to purchase has changed to Viseart, Natasha Denona, and ColourPop over the past couple years. And while I am aware that many in the beauty community found the first look of this new LimeCrime offering to be anticlimactic at best… I fell in love with the color story. The same thing that caused many to complain, is exactly why I knew I must have it. You see, I recognized immediately that it was a fairly unique palette. The muted shades told a cohesive story. A wood nymph, or a fairy, or whatever you wish to call it. But one with a grunge edge. Many palettes do have a color story or a theme… but not many strike me immediately as such a defined vibe. That, to me, is the beauty and the genius of this palette. And unfortunately, seeing the swatches alone does not tend to translate this thought. But here are the swatches anyway, because I know you want to see.

See what I mean? If you are saying to yourself… “eh… doesn’t look that special.” that’s exactly what I figured would happen. But when you get these shades on your eyes, and realize that these muted colors are flattering without being too bold, or garish… that is when you will appreciate the palette. Well, you may appreciate it before then. But while I would categorize this as a “wearable” palette… I would not say this one is boring… and if you know me from Instagram, then you know that I adore “boring” palettes. This is not one of them. I would also say this is a great choice for those of you who tend to refrain from using color. But at the same time, I know quite a few “color lovers” who can’t get enough of this palette either. Just take a look at a few of the looks I’ve created with this palette.

This one is soft and gentle, yet still has color without being over the top.

This one has a dramatic flair but with a level of sophistication that you could wear this anywhere and be proud.

This is quite possibly my all time favorite eyeshadow look that I’ve ever done. This look was done in collaboration with my friend Monica on Instagram, and she chose the colors for me to use. But I absolutely fell in love with this look and I think I could wear it everyday.

Let’s talk about the quality of the shadows… overall, I would say they are very good. But there are a few issues. First off, and most annoyingly, the shade “Sage”, which also happens to be one of the most unique matte shades I’ve ever come across, is not without issues. I find that it does not like to be blended, and if you do blend it, do so lightly. It seems to come across better when packed on. Not a huge deal, but that may throw a wrench in your plans. I’ve noticed that with blending, it can tend to take on a muddied and patchy look.

Also, some of the shades do feel as though they will develop hard pan, so even when I was doing swatches, I opted to scrape some of those shades out rather than rubbing my finger in the pan. The one I think most prone to this is the shade, “Obscure”. And this is another really unique shade. In person, it almost appears to glow.

I would say though, that despite its issues, I find this to be a palette worth owning. The problems do not interfere with my overall adoration of the palette.

I do hope that you found this information helpful in deciding whether or not this palette is for you.