Packaging – 5 (excellent)
Pigment – 4 (very good)
Variety – 4 (very good)
Value – 4 (very good)
Full Face – 3 (average)
Overall:
I finally tried Deck of Scarlet and I was honestly surprised by how much I liked it. You spend $30 for a palette every month and it usually includes one or two other goodies like an eyeliner or brush. Their first palettes always looked like the picture to the left, 3 eye shadow shades, one blush and a highlight (that could also be used on the eyes) as well as two creamy lip colors. But recently their bundles have shifted sometimes featuring an all eye shadow choice and surveys asking about full blush palettes and more.
The packaging is nice. It’s a sturdy cardboard but it has magnets that keep it closed. Like the image shows they usually have a mirror on the inside and the palette has two openings, one for the powder choices and one for the cream lip makeup. The actual face of the palettes change every month but usually feature an artsy geometric style picture of a woman.
I was actually surprised by how pigmented this product was, it definitely needs a good primer, but it had all day wear for sure with that reinforcement. There is a decent amount of palettes to choose from. When you sign up for the service you get to pick whichever palette you want to be sent that month, and then after that they send you an email monthly saying “this is this month’s palette” and you can choose to get it or skip it. If you skip it you can choose another option instead. And right now they only have 14 choices, but since they come out with a new one monthly it’s safe to say you won’t be running out of options anytime soon.
The biggest issue I had with this is that $30 for a palette is a fairly normal deal. I didn’t feel like I was saving money, but it isn’t insane either. I also feel like the palette itself is pretty one note. I rarely get a palette with the variety to actually create a full face look with no help from any other products. The palette above is probably one of the most diverse. I got the edition #7 my first month which I am picturing on the right. This set has a fun blue pop, a fudge brown and basic matte nude, along with a pink blush and a yellow gold highlight. The darkest shade on this palette is still pretty light and I always needed to grab another shadow to deepen the outer corner or crease of my look. But I like that the blue pushed me out of my comfort zone. I actually wore the blue shadow several times and got a lot of compliments on it. And I really liked the long wear and creamy feel of the lipsticks, although they do get a little messy in the palette.
If you are wanting to try this out I actually do recommend it. It’s a fun choice, and where you can skip whatever month you’d like it’s really not a gamble at all. Plus I am posting a link below that will give you $10 off your first month. This makes it a stellar deal honestly. You get the three shadows, 2 face choices and two lip shades along with whatever extra bonus product for only $20. That’s a steal. You can click here to get $10 off today.