BeautyUK is a drugstore brand hailing, as the name suggests, from the UK. It's one of the cheapest brands in the UK, and can be found at Superdrug. BeautyUK is a family-own brand, and unfortunately gets overshadowed in the drugstore by bigger, more corporate brands like Sleek and Barry M. As a result, its one of the more underrated drugstore brands I've come across, but there are gems to be found if you like brights and colour.
I figured it's about time I checked out this brand, so I turned my attention to one of their six eyeshadow palettes. The names are not written on the palettes, but a quick check with the BeautyUK website showed that this is palette No. 6, with the name Day and Night.
The palette comes in a slim plastic compact, and the compact has a black base with a clear lid. I like clear lids - you can see all the colours in your compact without having to open it. The only thing is, because it's small and plastic, it doesn't look exactly very sleek or expensive. It does look a little cheap, but hey, it is inexpensive (£3.99 from Superdrug), and it's the inside that counts, right?
Here's a closer shot of the colours. As you can see, this palette is very aptly named Day and Night, because half the colours are neutral, everyday colours - beiges, browns, and of course the basic black adn white, while the other half of the palette is brights - hot pinks, a purple, blue, and yellow.
So how does the palette stack up when swatched? I'm pleased to say it actually isn't too bad. I have to confess to having a case of judging the book by the cover, and I thought that the palette would be absolutely craptastic. Turns out, it's better than I thought.
As you can see from my swatches, these are actually decently pigmented. They don't look like it in the pan, but they are. With a couple of swipes, you can definitely build up the colours to opacity. I noticed that for some reason, the mattes were a bit more pigmented than the shimmers, and easier to build up in colour, too.
Top Row, L-R: Shimmery white, shimmery light neutral beige, lemon yellow with slight shimmer, matte teal-tinged blue, matte light pink
Bottom Row, L-R: Matte black, shimmery medium brown, shimmery burgundy brown, matte violet purple, matte hot pink
And this is going to be really uncharacteristic of me, but my favourite colours in the palette AREN'T actually, for once, the neutrals. *Long pause as shock sinks in* Nope, they're not. I actually really like the pink, purple, and blue colours on the extreme right. They're matte, but they aren't flat, and there's something about those colours that just glows and grabs your attention. I'm definitely going to have to do a look with those. I also really like the shimmery burgundy brown in the middle of the bottom row - it kind of reminds me of Milani Java Bean, which is a colour I've loved through the years, and have had to procure backups when it was discontinued. *Shakes fist at Milani for discontinuing the colour*
So, do you need this palette? Well, why not? Whether you're a neutrals girl who only wants to dip her toe into brights, or whether you're a brights girl who only wears neutrals at weddings and funerals, I think this palette would be handy. And the BeautyUK website does ship internationally, so if you ever want a cheery palette from the ol' land of absymal weather (I can say that - I've lived in London :P ), it's worth checking out.
(Product was sent to me for review. Review is my honest and complete opinion on the product. Not affiliated with/compensated for this review.)
