Makeup Revolution or recently, Revolution Beauty, is popular in the Philippines. The same can be said with its sister brand I Heart Revolution (formerly I Heart Makeup). After all, our local beauty lovers adore high-quality makeup and a great bargain. I'm the same, though obviously, my selections have to be cruelty-free. I consider myself a Revoholic and have quite a sizable collection of their products, particularly their palettes.
Aside from being cruelty-free, both brands have products that are vegan as well. Actually, one of the two palettes I'm going to talk about is vegan, the I Heart Revolution Mint Chocolate Palette. I decided to pair with the The Kiss of Fire Palette, Revolution Beauty's collaboration with the lovely, funny, and sassy CarmiMua.
I noticed that since the shades in both palettes complimented each other, and because the Kiss of Fire palette is a face palette, I wouldn't really have to pull out a highlighter from my collection. Anyway, onward with this review.
The Palettes
I Heart Revolution I ♡ Chocolate - Mint Chocolate
I'm sure we're all familiar with I Heart Revolution's Chocolate palettes. What started as dupes for Too Faced's Chocolate Bar palettes has evolved to include new, original color schemes and even cuter packaging. This palette is no exception, and it's gorgeous.
Inside, the shades are mostly cool-toned with a few vivid warm tones as well. When sneak peaks of this palette first came out, some people compared it to the infamous Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture palette. However, the previews predate the release of the subculture palette so I don't consider it a dupe of that palette, as I have owned both palettes at some point.
Though, I will say, this palette reminds me more of the Jeffree Star Androgyny palette. While some of the finishes differ, there's no denying the pops of blue, green, red, and yellow. Still, I don't think the Mint Chocolate palette is duping anything in particular. Onto the swatches:
First Row
Second Row
Third Row
There are more shimmer shades in this palette than matte shades but you do have all the matte shades you will need in a one-and-done palette. You have the light shade for setting your primer/highlighting your brow bone, crease shades of different colors, and deeper hues to add dimension to your look and really let the shimmers pop.
Admittedly, the shades on the Mint Chocolate palette don't swatch the best using your fingers. They do apply much better with a brush, including the stiffer shimmer shades.
Revolution X Carmi Kiss Of Fire Palette
So CarmiMua is one of the three original YouTubers who started working with Revolution Beauty not too long ago. It was only apt that he would eventually come out with a collaboration with the brand. If you know Carmi, he gives frank and funny reviews with his signature Italian-British accent, and he loves vibrant looks. I always wondered how he would design a palette, and the finished product isn't bad at all.
In true Carmi fashion, he made sure the shades were as extra as him. You get 4 essential matte shades and a wide array of fun colors in different finishes. Also included are 2 highlight shades, one for fair-skinned people with cooler undertones, and another one for those with deeper and warmer complexions. Swatches are as follows:
Highlighters (In Natural Light)
Top: Flash Me! - River green with a white shift
Bottom: Opulence – Bronze gold
Eyeshadows
Left to Right:
#UWelcome – Magenta duo-chrome
Dominion – Teal metallic
Bibi – Orange matte
Kiss Of Fire – Maroon matte
Yellow Heart – Mustard yellow matte
Game On – Black matte
Valeria – Light pink with gold shift shimmer
My Fair Lady - Light pink with white shift shimmer
XXIII – Burgundy metallic
Morning Call – Violet duo-chrome
I suggest you dip carefully into the shades of this palette and take your time if you are new to makeup or using colorful eyeshadows. I will also say that "#UWelcome" and "Morning Call" aren't actually duochrome. So I wouldn't call the looks you make with them multi-dimensional. Though, if you adore intense and dramatic looks, these shades give you that with minimal effort. Especially the mattes.
Also, don't get too intimidated by the satin finishes of some of the other shades. They blend out pretty matte on your crease and only give the slightest hint of a sheen when you have them on your eyes. I believe Carmi intended for these colors to be multi-use. You can also put them on your lid or smoke them out on your lower lash line.
As for the highlights, I was expecting them to be more intense. I do wear "Opulence" on my lids as eyeshadow. But "Flash Me!" was less intense than I liked. Though, if you love unicorn highlighters and prefer a more subtle glow, you'll love this shade.
My Final Thoughts
I will say that I'm pretty disappointed in the shimmer shades of the Mint Chocolate palette. They're really stiff and hard to pick up, even with a brush. After a few uses, they also start to get hard pan. It's equally as hard to get them onto your eyelids too, and they require a LOT of building up.
The matte shades, however, are what saves this palette for me. They are pigmented, easy to work with, and have excellent wear time. It doesn't make this palette a must-have though and I definitely think there are other palettes within the Chocolate palette range that are worth your money.
I like the Revolution Beauty's Kiss of Fire palette more, simply because it has better quality and more versatility. Like I said, you CAN wear the more metallic shades in your crease. While I do think the Kiss of Fire palette is a bit incomplete, it works with any neutral or all-matte palette you have.
The shimmery shades from the Kiss of Fire palette also look great with the shades from the Mint Chocolate palette, especially "Valeria", "Opulence", and "Dominion". You can create more looks when you use them together.
"Flash Me!" is also the perfect highlighter to use when you're wearing a more cool-toned eye look from the Mint Chocolate palette. You can also use a blue or peach highlighter if you're wearing a neutral or warm-toned look from the Mint Chocolate Palette.
It's obvious that I definitely recommend Carmi's collab over I Heart Revolution's Mint Chocolate palette. Though, it's not as readily available as of the moment, it's worth pre-ordering and waiting for (doesn't cost too much either). If you are a certified bibi (the term he uses for his subscribers) and are willing to put in the effort, maybe you'll thank me later. And in the words of Carmi himself, "U welcome <3."
Where to buy them:
I Heart Revolution: Mint Chocolate
Kiss of Fire palette
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