Review on the Sleek iDivine Storm Palette

I have been really staring at the iDivine eyeshadow palettes by Sleek Makeup for more than a month and it was a really hard decision to pick just a few palettes. I have been trying to discipline myself with makeup purchases since I obviously have a lot that I can finish. So a month ago, I finally decided on purchasing some Sleek Makeup products and I will be reviewing them separately since I feel like each one I bought had a lot of substance on its own.

I bought the following Sleek Makeup products from Luxola.com:
1. iDivine Storm Palette
2. iDivine Ultra Mattes V2 Darks Palette
3. True Color Lipstick in Cherry 790
4. True Color Lipstick in Naked 785
5. Blush by 3 Palette in Lace

I have completed all reviews for each of the items mentioned, so you can hover over the names and click on the link. Doing so will take you to the review. For now, this page is dedicated to item #1: The Storm Palette.

How did I get to know this palette? I heard it mentioned many times by fleurdeforce on youtube, and while I was searching through online makeup shops, I stumbled upon Luxola, and inside Luxola, I stumbled upon this brand. I was quite delighted to try Sleek, being a cult brand in the UK, known for its affordability with an exciting vibe and and long-lasting formula. Fleur only talked about Storm Palette in her videos so it was a must that I try this first.

First of all, for anyone trying to post reviews on the online shops or on their blogs saying these Sleek iDivine eyeshadow palettes are neck and neck with Urban Decay? I would straight away be honest and tell you they are not as good. UD's are still a lot better than Sleek. The color pay off of Sleek iDivine's are not bad at all and they can even stay long even without primer. With any primer, the Sleek iDivine's will not move even after your workout. BUT, a big but: they are not Urban Decay's. A mere touch of an Urban Decay eyeshadow is enough to make your day with its impeccable true to color shades and amazing blendability. The Sleek iDivine's however, will not blow your socks off like how Urban Decay does, but they are divine enough to be on top when it comes to other brands within their price point.

Price-wise: Sleek iDivine's are amazingly affordable. You get 12 shades for only PhP733.00 (Yes! That's less than USD20.00).

Side by Side with the Urban Decay Naked 1 Palette and the Lorac Pro Palette, it is tiny. So, sorry to burst your bubble, but the pictures online can be a bit mouth-watering. The actual palette is small (well, to be fair, it is sleek), so you gotta level your expectations versus the amount you pay for. At PhP733, accept that it is a small palette but giving you quite a bunch of different shades in a good formula.

Here below is a photo side by side with the Lorac Pro and the Urban Decay Naked 1 Palettes:

What do I love about the Storm Palette?
1. It is a stand alone palette composed of mattes and shimmers. You can absolutely travel with just this palette. I brought this palette to a travel test and I was not disappointed. For 6 full days, I was able to create 6 different looks and I have never felt deprived of any color, like I was not at all feeling like "oh I should have brought this or that eye shadow".
2. You can make both a daytime and a nighttime look.
3. I really love the bright shimmer shades because they bring you a nice youthful and vibrant eye look. They also come out really nicely on the lids: nothing disappointing when trying to bring out the color. The shades I love the most are actually the lighter shades in this palette and it would be Sand Storm (golden brown shimmer), Snow Storm (champagne shimmer), Thunder Storm (gold shimmer), and Perfect Storm (rose gold shimmer).

4. The dark eyeshadows are really pigmented, and best of all it has a black eye shadow called Blackout. The dark shimmers are Dust Storm (bronze shimmer), Gathering Storm (gray shimmer with some hints of blue and it is actually lovely because I can see some little hints of green as well), Storm Cloud (moss green shimmer), Electric Storm (midnight blue shimmer). Storm Cloud being quite dark and mossy can double as an eyeliner too, aside from Blackout.

5. The transition colors are the perfect shades! Calm Before The Storm is a matte light beige shade and Eye of the Storm is a dark brown matte. Just the right colors you need to tone down some shades or to blend the colors together.

6. Formula-wise: Thumbs up for buttery texture and smooth application.

7. The matte eyeshadows (except for blackout), are just perfectly pigmented: not overly pigmented and not lacking -- they are just right. It is like being on a break-even for the price you pay for versus the amount of color you will get out of it.

8. The shimmers pack a LOT of color, both the brights and the darks.

9. There is no fall out in my experience. These eyeshadows can hold up pretty good. I tested this Storm Palette on a humid day, with and without airconditioning and although it is not a gym setup where I would sweat like crazy, I must say the Storm iDivine holds up really good. And even better without primer. With a primer, there is a lot of separation on the eyeshadow once the oils in my eyelids come out. So I tested it without a primer and it kinda works better and looks a lot more naturally faded.

10. The packaging is true to its name: Sleek. It is thin and it is sturdy. I mean I won't put it on my check-in baggage in the plane and will definitely bring it on hand carry, but it sure feels durable.

11. The mirror is as big as the palette itself so you can really work on your eyemakeup.

12. I love how each box tells you what iDivine palette it is and you don't have a generic Sleek iDivine Box for all the palettes.






What I don't like about this palette:

1. The top finish of the packaging can get really messy with powdery hands or some product transfer.

2. The applicator that comes with it is not something I would use to apply my makeup. To be fair, it can be a good touch up applicator when on the plane. I just don't think these sponge tip applicators will last as long as the palette or as much as I can deplete the eyeshadows, so you might as well take it out and replace with a more reliable brush applicator that will fit the slot allotted for it.
3. Fire Storm, the brown reddish shimmer on the top right corner is not as vibrant as I expected. It is not a true to color shade. This is the only shade that disappointed me out of all the eyeshadows in this palette. But one out of 12 is not so bad, I can actually shake it off.
4. The names of the eyeshadows are listed on the protective transparent film. If you lose this sheet, the eyeshadow names are nowhere in the palette, not even at the back.

So if you are looking for a beginner iDivine Palette from Sleek, I really recommend you try the Storm Palette. It is a great buy and it can give a variety of eye makeup looks both for the beginner or for the seasoned.

Update as of 01 December 2015: Sleek is now available in the Philippines. I saw their booth at the SM Makati Beauty Section. The iDivine eyeshadow palettes retail for PhP695 (cheaper than luxola.com).