Hi Everyone!  For the last three days, I’ve been using a new eyeshadow palette that I picked up earlier this week at TJ Maxx!  I’m telling you, don’t overlook TJ’s for good values on makeup.

The palette I purchased is the Subculture eyeshadow palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Subculture.  Even the name is quite intriguing!

The thing that I’ve found quite intriguing about this collection of shadows is the so-called “controversy” it’s stirred.   Following YouTube beauty gurus and the like, I’m always on the look for products that can be “mature-woman” friendly—even though the products are 99.9 percent of the time reviewed by big-time YouTubers and ones that are under 30 years old!

Anyway, this particular palette has gotten quite the number of negative reviews.  Some reviews complain that the shadows have too much fallout.  Others complain that the shadows have bad pickup making the palette really messy.  And others complain about the quality of the shadows.

Yeah. Uhh Oh is right!  Many well-known experts weren’t crazy about the palette!

Naturally, all the negativity made this palette all the more interesting to me.

Hmmmm..all that dissing is making me more intrigued!

Except that the retail price is $42 and I wasn’t wiling to pay that.

Until I spotted it at TJ Maxx.

And I purchased it!

This was pretty-much my reaction when I spotted the palette!

So, lets take a look at the palette and talk some more!

We have some luxe packaging here ladies! The faux suede makes this seem very special!

The packaging is luxe. Faux Suede with gold lettering.  the palette itself though is that heavy cardboard with an enamel gloss that so many brands are using these days.  There’s a nice sized mirror included and if you have great eyesight is a plus.  I need magnifying so those mirrors don’t help me. However, it looks to be a good quality mirror.

See the shine?  It’s that nice enamel gloss covering over the cardboard–which I do believe is more enviornmentally-friendly!  Overall. the packaging is very attractive!

The mirror is also a decent quality.  I didn’t take the plastic protective covering with the logo off.  I kind of like the way it looks!

The colors are very well-pigmented.  The exception being the glittery Electric and Adorn. Both need a wet brush to apply, but once moistened (Ugh. I can’t stand that word), they apply beautifully.  The shade Cube is stunning. It’s holographic!

The shadows are very pigmented –left to right:  Adorn (and I didn’t wet it); Destiny, Dawn and Cube.  The matte colors don’t go on ashy either!

The greens in the palette are fantastic.  I’ve always loved green shadows but none have ever worked for me until I purchased The Wants palette and now, Subculture.  The lighter Destiny goes on almost brown and Untamed is a gorgeous deeper green.

Take a look-see.  Destiny and Untamed are stellar greens!

Mercury is a neutral kind of taupe and the very unusual New Wave and Edge shades both work well with a light touch.  Axis is a deep teal that is also beautiful when applied as is Rowdy.  I haven’t used Roxy or All Star but Fudge, as warm a brown as it looks, is a great color.  I’ve been using it on my lower lids.

We got some nice shadows here ladies.  And they work to blend into a neutral or colored look!   Despite what “experts” say, this is the palette after three days of use.  It’s remarkably clean!

And the thing is—all these colors are very buildable.

Yes. The shadows are extremely soft and buttery but with a super-light touch, barely touching the shadow, these shades apply wonderfully.

Eye see you!  Check out this look–it’s subtle and very neutral!

The brush.  Under normal circumstances, brushes that are included in the palettes aren’t really that great.  This brush is actually pretty decent.  Soft as al get out—it’s definitely a better quality than the usual.

The brush isn’t too shabby!  Let me put it this way–if you took this palette on an overnight trip and realized you left your eyeshadow brushes home–this brush would suffice and suffice very well.  The bristles are soft and at one end you can apply and the other blend away!

Here’s how the shadows look on the eyes!

Friday’s office look.  A very light touch with a bit of dark on the outter corners and the beautiful Electric on the outer lid.  The blendability is excellent!

We had dinner guests last night and Subculture was used on the eyes! I’m wearing Estetica Designs Wren in the shade R4/6

Today’s look.  A wash with Dawn. Then in the crease, Destiny, Untamed and Edge.  Fudge was later used in the middle of the crease and on the bottom lid to line.  Untamed was at the outer edge.  A nice look!  And a light touch.  It was buildable!

The finished look with all shadows from the Subculture Palette.  I’m wearing Envy Wigs Chloe in Chocolate Cherry! 

I give this palette a solid A.  The pigmentation is spot on.  The colors are soft and buildable and I love the unusual (for me at least) color choices!

OH.  BTW, I need to get a manicure. OK?  I don’t wear nail tips but I do have acrylic over my bio nails to stop me from picking and pulling.  For some reason, the acrylic makes the ends of my nails dull so it’s no fun to pick.  It truly helps me.  Anyway….I broke a nail and decided to polish the nail with OPI’s Big Apple Red, which is the only nail color I use.  I have a bottle that I keep “for emergencies”   I applied the polish and went heavy handed.  look what happened!!!!!

How did the nail polish drip onto a finger that didn’t have the broken nail?  I’m still trying to figure that out!!

I had no nail polilsh remover in the house either!  I had to scrub the polish off with a nail brush and it took over 10 minutes.  I’m so imperfect it isn’t funny!!

Actually, it IS funny!  Can you believe it???

And that is it for today!  Below is the YouTube review I did on Subculture!  Enjoy it and have a few laughs on me!