Smashbox Muse Collection: Review and Swatches

"Muse" is the Spring 2009 Smashbox Collection. It contains  Artist Eye Palette ,Cream Eyeliner Artist Pencil Set, Lip Paints and a blush. I am reviewing the palette and the pencil set.

MUSE Artist Eye Palette: 

Applied wet, no base.

• Price: Retail is $48, I got it on eBay for $20 last year, now you can find better offers.
• Packing: it looks like watercolor palette so I find it pretty, but because it's white every  accidential smear of color is noticed. It includes a decent brush, which is a little too stiff.
• Colors: There are two rows with 5 eyeshadows each. The upper one has the lighter colors and the lower one is like a darker version of the upper. The colors are (left to right): 
• First Row: Biscuit - slightly shimmery and almost invisible light gold ; Soft Green - shimmery light minty green with good pigmentation ; Light Silver - nice light bluish silver with shimmer ; Sheer Lilac - my favourite, it's soft purple, more on the pink side, with pretty bluish shimmer ; Rose Copper - the name pretty such sums it up; it is one one of the most pigmented colors. 
• Second Row : Chocolate - it is the darkest color, but it's not really chocolatey; the brown is more on the green\blue side ;  Drak Celery Green - it's bright apple green with nice pigmentation and shimmer ;  Dark Bule - it's not really dark and it is more gray than blue ;  Deep Orchid - bright purple shade, almost matte ;  Coffee - very pigmented brown on the warm side.   
• Texture: buttery and smooth
• Overall:  I like the texture and the colors, but most of them are not very well-pigmented so I have to apply them wet and the shades are pretty similar so there aren't much different looks to create. This is why I think $48 if definately not worth it, but $20 is just right.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

MUSE Cream Eyeliner Artist Pencil Set

• Price: retail is $36, I got it for $16 on eBay.
• Colors: Imperial - dark eggplant, almost dark borwn; Lapis - dark navy blue with shimmer; Antique Gold -  dark old gold;  Slate - plain black 
• Texture: very smooth and soft, but not too much.                                                                                                    
• Overall: I really like these - the colors are very pigmented, they are soft so the application is easy and I often smudge them when I opt for smoky look. Used alone, they smudge quickly but with base the color stays. All in all, here I think the retail price is more reasonable - $9 per pencil, but I  would still recommend you to check them out on eBay.