I tried Fenty Beauty’s Moroccan Spice Eyeshadow Palette to see if it was worth the hype
Unlike most people that I know, I don’t have a ton of makeup from Fenty Beauty sitting on my vanity. I only have the Universal Gloss Bomb and Trophy Wife Highlighter. That may come as a shock to some, seeing as I’m a beauty writer and how popular Fenty has become since its launch. Honestly, I get so overwhelmed with makeup (especially purchases that I make on my own) that I’m trying hard in this quarter of my life to only buy things that truly catch my eye. This time around it was the Moroccan Spice Palette from Fenty Beauty.
Fans went crazy when Fenty released the Galaxy Palette during the 2017 holiday season. At the time, I personally didn’t care for a shimmery palette that I’d have to use with another palette (as transition colors), so I passed. On the other hand, the Moroccan Spice Eyeshadow Palette seemed right up my alley. When it came out, I made sure to get my hands on it quick. We all know how intense a Fenty Beauty release can get, so I had to act fast.
Besides the beautiful packaging, there were quite a few things that attracted me to the Moroccan Spice palette.
The palette has a pretty good balance between mattes and metallics which I feel helps to build a complete eyeshadow look. Also, celebrity makeup artist and Global Artist for Fenty Beauty Priscilla Ono revealed in a Fenty tutorial that Rihanna wore the bright blue “Evil Genie” shade in her “Wild Thoughts” video. These were more than enough reasons to purchase my first Fenty palette.
Side note: I am reviewing this palette with no expectations considering I haven’t purchased the first edition of the Fenty eyeshadow palette family.
First impressions
Let us take a moment to dwell on how is absolutely stunning the packaging is. From day one, Bad Gal RiRi and Fenty has held us down with quality packaging. The price point may be a little higher than what I’m used to spending on an eyeshadow palette, but the packaging and large mirror inside has me sold. I’m not even thinking about the $59. I also love the shade arrangement and how compact the palette is. It makes this palette a good travel companion. The shade names are genius as well: “Henna Sea,” “Shisha Smoke,” and “Souq It 2 Me.” Love it!
Swatch party
As you can tell from the swatches, this palette has quite a variety of shades. From dark mattes to bright shimmers, it seems complete for the most part. The colors swatched pretty nicely as well. This palette seems promising so far.
Here’s what the Moroccan Spice palette looked like on my eyes
I’m not sure what look I was going for here. I kind of just went with the flow. The colors I used to create this look were “Desert Baked,” “Evil Genie,” “Fez Up,” “Cumin Get It,” “Souq It 2 Me,” “Nutz & Dates,” “Henna Sea,” and “Spice Trip.” I know it’s a lot, but that’s what happens when you go in without a plan.
I also used one of the shadows as a highlighter just for kicks and giggles.
Since makeup has no rules, I used “Desert Baked” as my highlighter. It came out beautifully, if I may say so myself.
Final thoughts
Overall, I enjoyed this palette. The colors are fun, and some (specifically the shimmers) are shades I don’t think I already have. That says a lot because I am a total makeup hoarder. I’m going on vacation soon and bringing this palette along with me is weighing heavily on my brain. There are so many different shades in it, so I think it would be great for travel. Also, the packaging makes it pretty easy to slip in your carry-on — because we’re not putting a $59 Fenty palette in our checked bags, right?
My biggest complaint is that some colors were a bit harder to blend than others.
From my own experience, “Souq It 2 Me” just wouldn’t give me the pigment I wanted, nor did it blend well with the other shadows that I was using. I have to be honest. I did use a concealer as a base instead of the Fenty primer because I usually get better pigment with concealer. This may have made a difference in my application. Next time I use it I’ll try the eyeshadow primer. For $59, I would just like a little consistency in pigment and more effortless blending.
Some people complained about the lack of transition colors, but I used the matte colors in the palette as transitions and didn’t have an issue.
Would I buy another Fenty palette?
It’s very likely. Though I’m not enthused about the $59 price, it is quality eyeshadow with unique shades and packaging. I’d definitely give Fenty Beauty another chance for their next eyeshadow palette installment.
If you’d like to try out the Moroccan Spice Eyeshadow Palette for yourself, it’s still available for $59 on Sephora.com or on Fentybeauty.com.
