Sleek i-Divine Showstoppers LE Palette

This one could be easily called “Greatest hits” by Sleek. Sleek i-Divine Showstoppers Limited Edition Palette can be considered to offer if not best of the best, than definitely – one of the best eye shadows Sleek has ever came up with. I think that this eye palette is a perfect choice to get acquainted with Sleek MakeUp as a brand. I would suggest this palette to be the one you start with when Sleek comes to mind. The fact that many who already owned all shades of which Showstoppers palette consists of, still were interested in it and purchased it – definitely can tell you how satisfied they were. I must agree and say that this is one of my favourite eye palettes and the one I actually use the most.

Ovu paleticu bi komotno mogli nazvati “Najveci hitovi” by Sleek. Sleek i-Divine Showstoppers paletica koja je orgranicenog izdanja recimo da, ako vec ne pruza najbolje, u tom slucaju barem pruza neke od najboljih sjena koje je Sleek ikada imao u svojoj bogatoj ponudi. Cini mi se kako je ovo idealan odabir za svakoga tko se tek zeli upoznati sa Sleek kozmetikom. Definitivno bih preporucila da ova paleta bude ona sa kojom cete otpoceti vase druzenje sa ovim brendom. Sama cinjenica da su mnoge dame, koje su vec posjedovale sve i jednu nijansu od kojih se Showstoppers paleta sastoji, bile vise nego spremne da je kupe – zasigurno govori mnogo. Morati cu se sloziti te reci da je ovo jedna od meni najdrazih paleta sjena za oci. Stavise, nju najvise i najcesce koristim od svih.

Let's recap some basics regarding Sleek's i-Divine palettes. Although Sleek is a regular UK high-street a.k.a. drugstore brand, their attention to details and modern approach certainly make the entire experience of their products on a seemingly higher level. The first thing I noticed (and you should have this in mind) are the dimensions of this eye palette. For some reason, I thought that it would be a bit larger. The initial shock has passed but still. I assume that those numerous close-ups of the palette on the net contributed to such an impression. These aren't tiny at all but they aren't huge either. That can be a good or a bad thing. The bad part is that some might feel as they got a smaller palette for their money but rest assured that you are not ripped off. Its measures are 4 x 7.3 x 1cm and I could compare it to a size of an elongated lady wallet. It is very light-weight even though it houses 12 shades. So the good thing is that it's portable and can fit any make-up bag. It wouldn't be as handy if it was a big, bulky palette now, would it?

Spomenuti cemo samo par osnovnih cinjenica i opazanja kada su Sleek i konkretno ova paleta u pitanju. Iako je Sleek klasican drogerijski brend u Velikoj Britaniji, zbog paznje koju poklanjaju detaljima te modernom pristupu, definitivno pruzaju svojim kupcima kozmeticko iskustvo koje djeluje kao da je na znatno visem nivou. Prva stvar koju sam primijetila (ovo bi trebali imati na umu) su dimenzije ove palete. Iz nekog razloga, mislila sam da ce biti veca. Pretpostavljam da slike izbliza mogu biti okrivljene za moju pogresnu percepciju. Ne zelim reci da je paleta sicusna jer nije ali uopste nije ni velikih dimenzija. Ovo moze biti i dobra ali i losa stvar, ovisi kako na to gledate. Negativna je u slucaju da imate osjecaj kako ste dobili nesto manju kolicinu za svoj novac ali uvjeravam vas da nema potrebe da se osjecate prevareno. Dimenzije citave palete su 4 x 7.3 x 1cm i mogla bih je uporediti sa osrednjim duguljastim damskim novcanikom. Jako je lagana iako se u njoj krije 12 nijansi sjena za oci. Dobra strana je i sto je lako prenosiva te moze stati u svaku kozmeticku torbicu. Ne bi bila tako prakticna da je glomaznija, zar ne?

It is made of rubbery, matte, velvety plastic which is soft to the touch. Many compare the appearance and the finish of its casing material to NARS products. I find that it can catch fingerprints and dirt easily but you can also clean it as easily, with just one swipe. As much as the i-Candy palette was enticing with the cute, candy motif on the box – Showstoppers also look eye-catching. Shattered pots of eye shadows look artsy but not something I'd like to emulate, if you know what I mean. The palette is enclosed with a convenient full-sized mirror which is placed inside the lid. Twelve eye shadows combined weigh 13,2g so each eye shadow pot weighs 1,1g which is decent. I find that it is well made so you don't have an impression that you've bought something cheap. Quite the contrary – it looks and feels more expensive than it really is.

Napravljena je od plastike koja ima gumenasti, mat i donekle barsunasti finis koji je primijetan na dodir. Mnogi ovaj materijal porede sa onim koji imaju NARS proizvodi. Primijetila sam da se lako skupljaju otisci prstiju i prasina na paleti ali se jednako brzo i uklanjaju – jednim potezom ruke. Koliko god je i-Candy paleta bila ugodna oku zbog ocrtanih bombona na ambalazi – Showstoppers paleta j takodjer upakovana na simpatican nacin. Rasute posudice sjena za oci izgledaju kao neki umjetnicki pristup no ne i onaj koji bih sama pokusala imitirati.. Sa paletom dolazi i iznimno prakticno ogledalo solidne velicine koje se nalazi unutar poklopca. Svih dvanaest sjena za oci teze 13,2 grama tako da svaka sjena tezi tacno 1,1 gram, sto je pristojna gramaza. Uopsteno gledajuci, paleta je kvalitetna te uopste nemate dojam da ste kupili nesto jeftino. Cak suprotno – djeluje dosta “skuplje” nesto sto zaista jeste.

The two-sided sponge brush applicator is not something I'd waste my time with. I apply them with my Real Techniques Starter Set. Mostly with the Base Shadow Brush and the Deluxe Crease Brush. The consistency of these eye shadows is marvelous. Buttery, soft and smooth. Fallout is inevitable but nothing out of the ordinary. They are of excellent pigmentation. They don't crease without an eye shadow primer but my lids aren't oily really so I cannot vouch that oily lids wouldn't need a primer. I use it regardless because I have simply got accustomed to the ritual of applying it (mine is the Artdeco eye shadow base). Showstoppers palette is a mix of shimmery and matte shades. Usually, matte ones are of a poor pigmentation but I advise you to use them at the beginning just to take off the hardened surface. When you “break down” that layer, you will get really great pigmentation.

Dvostrani spuzvasti aplikator nije nesto na sto bih gubila vrijeme i paznju. Sjene nanosim kistovima iz svog Real Techniques Starter seta. I to najcesce sa Base Shadow i the Deluxe Crease kistovima. Tekstura ovih sjena je fantasticna. Puteraste su, mekane i glatke pod prstima. Rasipanje pri koristenju je neminovnost no ne prelazi granice podnosljivosti. Pigmenatcija je uistinu za svaku pohvalu. Meni se nisu nakupljale u pregibu oka cak i kada nisam koristila bazu za sjene. Doduse, imajte na umu da moji ocni kapci nisu uopste masni stoga ne bih mogla garantovati da se to ne bi moglo desiti na kapcima koji jesu. Bazu za sjene koristim bez obzira na to ali vise iz ciste navike. Baza koju sa njima (i uopsteno) koristim je Artdeco baza za sjene. Showstoppers paleta je kombinacija sjena koje sadrze sitne sljokice zajedno sa par mat sjenki. Obicno su te mat sjene za oci prilicno lose pigmentacije no savjetovala bih da ih na pocetku ne stedite, u smislu da je potrebno samo skinuti onaj povrsinski sloj koji je nerijetko ocvrsnuo. Nakon sto njega uklonite, pigmentacija ce biti vise nego zadovoljavajuca.

Showstoppers is a truly beautiful palette which consists of phenomenally coordinated hues. You would not tell at first sight but during time, all 12 shades come together beautifully and you have basically unlimited options. You can make a gentle and neutral eye make-up, neutral with a pop of color, navy inspired, autumnal bronz-y and romantic salmon accents which make eyes appear sultry. A graphite smokey-eye is also easy to create, not to mention this season's modern deep olive, metallic silver and shimmery purple. This truly is a palette which can take you successfully from day to night. Just a swipe of olive tones and navy over that neutral base and that's it. Striking night eye make-up sorted. I am already making a decent dent in almost all hues. I really love it and cannot rave about it enough but let's go over each shade individually.

Showstoppers paleta se zaista sastoji od prekrasno uklopljenih boja. Mozda vam tako nece djelovati na prvi pogled no tokom vremena se svih 12 nijansi odlicno upotpunjuje sto vam pruza beskrajno mnogo opcija. Mozete kreirati njezan i prirodan izgled, neutralan uz neocekivani dodatak boje, mornarski, jesenje bronzani te romanticni sa detaljima u boji lososa koji ocima pruza jako zanimljiv, sanjiv izgled. Grafitni smokey-eye je moguce kreirati sa lakocom, da ne spominjem ovosezonske moderne maslinaste nijanse, metalik srebrnu i svjetlucavu ljubicastu. Ova paletica je sasvim dovoljna kako bi transformisali njezno nasminkane oci u make-up dostojan nocnog izlaska. Preko neutralne baze predjete maslinastom sjenom, mrvicu mornarsko tamno-plave uz rubove trepavica i to je sve sto je potrebno. Vec sam prilicno nacela sve i jednu sjenu. Pokazuju ozbiljne znakove trosenja i nosenja. O svakoj pojedinacnoj nijansi mozete procitati u nastavku.

Top row (L-R): 

Sandstone from the Paraguya palette – I initially despised this shade, I could not make it work. It was poorly pigmented, was not even visible on my skin tone – it was a disaster. Then I removed the “crust” over the top of it and a magical thing happened. It became one of my most used base eye shadows. It still is a bit chalky when used with fingers but it transforms into a completely different eye shadow when I pick it up with my Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush. It blends perfectly with the skin, gets evenly distributed, camouflages tiny veins and discoloration. Wonderful discovery, this one. 

Sunset – this is a rusty reddish pink with a metallic finish. It does sound as an odd combo but it truly is beautiful. It does look a bit different under certain light, sometimes leaning towards abronzy brown. It contains a light shimmer which does add a sparkle to the eye. 

Innocence from Bad Girl – a metallic-y, pearly and silvery white. Phew. Perfect for highlighting and is offen found in the inner corners of my eys, on the bridge of my nose, under the brow bone and sometimes even on top of my cheekbones. 

Primal Green from Me, Myself & I – oooh, one of my faves! A lime-y,zesty olive green with a hint of an antique flavor. I love greens but some do look sickly on my eyes. Not a case with this one. Looks wonderful and fresh, opens up the eyes and gives it a certain special something without going overboard. 

Gunmetal from Graphite – name does deliver since this is an ideal addition to any smokey-eye. Deep, rich gunmenatl grey with a sophisticated sheen. Simple yet effective. 

Noir – a powdery and intense black. Much better offering than the black pot in the i-Candy palette. I actually get much use of this one. 

Bottom Row (L-R): 

Thunder from the Ultra Mattes V2 – everything stated for the Sandstone can apply here. Seamingly terrible shade surprises and becomes immensely loved. I actually combine it with Sandstone for a pretty everyday office look. A matte light grrey is a flawless hue. Pigmentation could be even better but nothing a decent eye shadow brush cannot fix. 

Ribbon from the Oh So Special – this one kicks up the romance. A very pretty reddish salmon shade which I love to layer upon browns and bronzy toned eye shadows. The matte finish looks lovely and the specific salmon hue adds something special. 

Navy Blue from the Bohemian – a beautiful navy blue, without a speck of shimmer. Excellent for lining eyes or for a modern smokey-eye. 

Storm – A shimmering champagne hue. If Innocence from the top row seems too cool for you, this one will replace it perfectly. Again, excellent for addig accents of light where your face needs it. Ultra fine shimmer looks flattering and so does this universal shade. 

Festive from the Sparkle – indicative name, no? This one would be perfect if not the chunky glitter but, oh well. The plummy purple is beautiful indeed and can be use in various ways but the chunky glitter can be off-putting for some. 

Mineral Earth from the Au Naturel – the absolute winner from the palette!The most beautiful, buttery and pigmented out of them all. It literally melts under fingers, glides on seamlessly and it does not matter if you apply it with fingers or with brushes. The results are flawless. Pigmentation is amazing. Satin-y rich chocolate brown. Crème de la crème. The palette would be worth it only for it. 

———————————————————————————————————————–

Gornji red (sa lijeve na desnu stranu): 

Sandstone (iz Paraguya palete) – U pocetku sam prezirala ovu sjenu, nikako je nisam mogla iskoristiti. Lose pigmentirana, cak se nije ni vidjela na tonu moje koze – pomislila sam kako je katastrofa. Onda sam uspjela ukloniti onaj povrsinski stvrdnuti sloj i nesto magicno se desilo. Postala je jedna od sjena koje najcesce koristim. Jos uvijek je kredasta ako je nanosim prstima ali postane neka potpuno drugacija kada je nanosim svojim Real Techniques Base Shadow kistom. Bez mane se stopi sa kozom, ravnomjerno se nanosi i odlicno kamuflira sitne vene i diskoloraciju. Super mi je kako je ispala jedno prijatno iznenadjenje. 

Sunset – ovo je crvenkasto ruzicasta nijansa (netko bi rekao boja hrdje) sa metalik odsjajem. Zvuci prilicno neobicno ali je uzivo jako lijepa. Mijenja se pod odredjenim svjetlom, nekada poprima bronzano-smedje tonove. Sadrzi sitan shimmer koji doista “otvori” oko. 

Innocence (iz Bad Girl palete) – metalik, biserna srebrno-bijela. Koji opis. Idealna za naglasavanje i osvjetljavanje te je kod mene cesto mozete vidjeti u kutovima ociju, nanesenu niz nosic, ispod luka obrva pa nekada cak i na vrhovima jagodica. 

Primal Green (iz Me, Myself & I palete) – evo jednog od mojih favorita! Limetasto, skoro pa gorka maslinasto-zelena nijansa koja sa sobom nosi dasak antikviteta. Volim zelene tonove no neki mi na ocima djeluju bolesljivo. To nije slucaj sa ovom sjenom. Djeluje svjeze i lijepo, “otvori” pogled te unese nesto drugacije no bez pretjerivanja. 

Gunmetal (iz Graphite palete) – ime pruza vjeran opis posto je ovo savrsen dodatak svakom smokey-eyeu. Duboka, bogata boja ugljena koju krasi sofisticiran odsjaj. Jednostavno a efektno. 

Noir – puderasta ali i intenzivna crna. Mnogo bolji primjerak crne sjene no sto je to slucaj u i-Candy paleti. Za razliku od te, ovu crnu sjenu zaista i koristim. 

Donji red (sa lijeve na desnu stranu):

Thunder ( iz Ultra Mattes V2 palete) – sve navedeno za Sandstone nijansu se odnosi i na Thunder. Naizgled grozna boja koja iznenadjuje i postane cesto koristena. Kombinujem je bas sa Sandstone kako bih postigla lijep svakodnevni look prigodan za poslovnu sredinu. Mat svijetlo siva je boja sa kojom se ne moze napraviti greska. Pigmentacija je nesto na cemu bi se dalo poraditi no nista sto pristojan kist za nanosenje ne moze ispraviti. 

Ribbon (iz Oh So Special palete) – eh, ovo je ta romanticna nijansa o kojoj sam pisala. Iznimno lijepa nijansa lososa, crvenkastog podtona. Volim je nanositi preko smedjih i bronzanih sjena. Mat tekstura djeluje meko a ova odredjena losos nijansa djeluje posebno. 

Navy Blue (iz Bohemian palete) – prekrasna mornarsko plava, bez ijedne cestice shimmera. Izvrsna za obrubljivanje ociju ali i za moderni smokey-eye. 

Storm – svjetlucava boja sampanjca. Ako vam je Innocence iz prvog reda isuvise hladnog tona, ova sjena ce joj biti vise nego dostojna zamjena. I ponoviti cu, odlicna je za naglasavanje tj. privlacenje svjetla na mjesta na licu gdje vam je potrebno. Ultra sitni shimmer nije napadan a ovo je uopsteno jedna univerzalna boja. 

Festive (iz Sparkle palete) – naziv sve govori, zar ne? Ovo bi bila savrsena sjena da nije krupnih sljokica, no dobro – sta je, tu je. Ljubicasta u nijansi patlidzana je sama po sebi jako lijepa i moze se iskoristiti na vise nacina ali te krupne sljokice ce sigurno nekima biti odbojne. 

Mineral Earth (iz Au Naturel palete) – i evo apsolutnog pobjednika iz palete! Najljepsa, najmeksa i najbolje pigmentiranosti od svih. Bukvalno se topi pod prstima, klizi po kozi bez zadrske i sa njom uopste nije bitno kako je nanosite, prstima ili kistom – uvijek cete postici besprijekoran rezultat. Intenzitet je nevjerovatno dobar. Svilenkasta, bogata cokoladna smedja. Crème de la crème. Ova paleta bi bila vrijedna cijene samo zbog nje. 

* I have used Primal Green as a base shadow, lined and contoured my eyes with Mineral Earth and I popped a bit of Storm in the inner corners of my eyes and under the brow bone

* koristila sam Primal Green nijansu kao baznu sjenu, obrubila i blago osjencila oci sa Mineral Earth dok sam nanijela malo nijanse Storm u kutove ociju i ispod obrva