I am going to be so honest: I have a drawer full of fifty-dollar eyeshadow palettes that I treat like fine china, yet here I am reaching for a fourteen-dollar ColourPop palette every single morning. I used to think that unless I was dropping a significant portion of my grocery budget on a palette, the pigment would be non-existent or, worse, leave me looking like a tired raccoon by noon. But after seeing the Gone Metal palette all over my feed, I figured for the price of a fancy salad, it was worth the gamble.
Cool Tones and Buttery Blends
Opening the Gone Metal palette for the first time was a legitimate oh, okay moment. The packaging is compact and sturdy—perfect for someone like me who tends to treat her makeup bag like a contact sport. The actual shadows? They are surprisingly heavy on the pigment. When I swatched the metallic shades, they felt almost cream-to-powder in texture. There is no chalky, dry business happening here. The palette features a mix of mattes, metallics, and those matte sparkles that ColourPop is famous for. The scent is neutral, which is a relief because I do not need my eyelids smelling like a vanilla cupcake at 8 AM.
The Accidental Nap Test
I decided to put this to the ultimate test during a chaotic Tuesday that involved a rainy commute, three back-to-back meetings, and an accidental ninety-minute nap on the couch. Normally, after a nap, my eyeshadow has migrated into my tear ducts or vanished entirely. When I woke up and checked the mirror, the shimmer was still sitting exactly where I put it. The blend stayed seamless, though I did notice a tiny bit of shimmer fallout on my cheeks (classic ColourPop move). Here is how it actually performed on the metrics that matter:
- Pigment Payoff: Intense. You do not need to dig your brush in; a light tap is plenty.
- Blendability: The mattes are buttery and do not get patchy, even the darker cool-toned greys.
- Wear Time: Lasted a full ten hours, though the glitters do start to travel if you do not use a primer.
- Texture: Very silky, but definitely powdery. Tap your brush before it hits your face unless you want a glitter beard.
The Final Verdict
For fourteen dollars, this palette is punching way above its weight class. It feels like ColourPop is trying to prove that luxury is just a marketing term. Is it perfect? No, the fallout is real, and you have to be careful with the darker shades. But the color story is sophisticated, the metallics look like liquid metal on the lids, and it fits in the palm of my hand. It is the kind of palette that makes people ask what you are wearing, and you get the satisfaction of telling them it cost less than their lunch.
Who Should Buy This:
- Budget-conscious beauties who want professional-level pigment.
- Travelers who need a compact, all-in-one palette that won't break the bank if it breaks in a suitcase.
- Cool-tone lovers tired of every palette being warm and orangey.
Who Should Skip This:
- Anyone who absolutely loathes fallout (this is a messy one).
- Minimalists who only use one shade and find palettes overwhelming.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Lauren