A few days back I wrote a review of the MUA Heaven and Earth Palette, and I mentioned that it was one of the things I’d specifically gone looking for when I was in London, thanks to rave blog reviews all over my Google Reader. I went with that and just one other item in mind, the FashionistA Custom Design Palette.

FashionistA are a Superdrug stocked brand that seemed to make a name for themselves around the end of last year. I was really tempted by the custom palettes, which can contain eyeshadows or blushes, because I absolutely love the versatility that my Mac palette gives me, but obviously Mac is pretty pricey. Being able to pop the colours out and mix and match, especially when travelling, is a real plus so I thought I’d see how FashionistA holds up as a cheap and cheerful alternative.

The way it works is that the palette comes empty in black or red for 5 of your English pounds. You then pick 4 individual eyeshadows or blushes which retail for £4 each and pop ‘em in! Et voila, you’re ready to rock. That means, all 4 products plus the palette itself comes in at a fine but not particularly bargtastic £21. I however, managed to get them on a deal which is still running which meant I got the 4 products for just £10 total. Meaning the cash register rang for a total of £15. Boom.

The products are huge. Compared to Mac pans where you get 1.5g of product, the FashionistA pans pack in a whoppin’ 2.5g. They come in individual black snap shut boxes so you can keep them separately if necessary and carry them on their own for travel. The inside of the palette also has quite a big mirror in too. When you pop the individual products in, the fit is tight and they really click so there’s no worry of them coming loose or rattling around. There are also holes in the bottom so when you pop the pan in the label can be seen on the underside of the palette. It’s pretty nifty. Now on to the colours…

CW from left: Sweet Kiss (25), Nude Glimmer (19), Butterscotch (Blush, 10), Meadows (14)

I decided to get 3 eyeshadows and 1 blush, mainly just so I could try both products out. The selection on offer is quite simply unbelievable. There are so many colours from neutrals to brights, as well as a whole range of baked shades which were so pretty I decided next time I’d get a whole palette of them. I knew only too well that my most used shades are neutrals, so I got Sweet Kiss to use as a shimmery highlight and Nude Glimmer as a no fuss all-over shade. Then I used my last eyeshadow space to get something I’d never usually pick, so I went for this mermaidy silvery blue-green, Meadows.

The blush is a dusky, natural flush shade called Butterscotch which is pretty different from anything else I have. I usually go for bright pinks or peaches so thought I’d try something new.

You can probably tell from the swatches that these shadows aren’t overly pigmented, but they are very buildable and therefore pretty versatile to create looks with. The most pigmented by far is the lightest shade which I use as a highlight in my tear duct and under my brow. I previously had Nylon by Mac on my wishlist to do the same job but I won’t be needing that now, and with Mac eyeshadows coming in at £12 each or £10 for a pro palette pan, that’s a saving I’m happy with. With a primer they have relatively long staying power but they definitely don’t last the whole distance when put under pressure. For a day at your desk or a dinner date they’d be fine, but I wore them out the night I bought them and they were well and truly gone after a night of sweaty dancing in Brixton.

So, to conclude, I really like these products and I like the concept of the DIY palette even more, but they aren’t life-changers. They’re all a nice addition to my collection and I look forward to using them more, but Sweet Kisses is the only one that has really found it’s space in my routine so far. I’d recommend getting your hands on them though if you like the idea of mix and match and you’re keen to pick some different colours to add to your collection. You can get yours online with Superdrug.

Have you got a FashionistA Custom Palette? Have you ever bought from FashionistA? What colours would you be picking for your palette?