I used to think baked eyeshadow was something only my aunt bought from a shopping channel before a Caribbean cruise. There was something about the marbled, domed shapes that felt very 2005. But after seeing the Laura Geller The Delectables Earthy Essentials Palette hovering around the twelve-dollar mark on Amazon, my curiosity (and my desire to save money) got the better of me. I wanted to know if these old-school baked pigments could actually compete with the buttery, hyper-pigmented palettes currently dominating my vanity.
Creamy Pigments Without The Mess
Opening the palette, the first thing I noticed was that the pans are tiny—about the size of a penny. Do not let that fool you. Because these are baked from cream pigments for 24 hours, they are incredibly dense. The texture is what I would call a dry-cream; it picks up on a brush without any of that annoying powder kickback that usually ends up all over my cheeks. The Earthy Essentials color story is a dream for anyone who just wants to look put together without doing a full-blown cut crease. You get 14 shades ranging from soft ivories to rich, forest-floor browns and mossy greens.
The Humid Grocery Run Test
I decided to put this palette to the test on a Tuesday that involved a rainy commute and a very stressful, very crowded trip to Trader Joes. Usually, by the time I am loading bags into my trunk, my eyeshadow has migrated into the fine lines of my lids, making me look like I have been awake since the dawn of time. I applied the matte taupe in the crease and a shimmer bronze on the center of the lid at 8:00 AM.
- Application: It glides on smoothly. The mattes are buildable rather than punchy, which is great for avoiding mistakes.
- Texture: It feels weightless. If you hate the heavy, chalky feeling of cheap shadows, you will love this.
- Longevity: By 6:00 PM, the shimmer had dimmed slightly, but there was zero creasing. None.
- Pigment: The darker earthy tones require a bit of layering to get full intensity, but they blend out like a dream.
The Final Verdict
Is this going to give you the neon payoff of a professional artistry palette? No. But that is not really the point. The Laura Geller Earthy Essentials Palette is the ultimate "reliable best friend" of makeup. It is sophisticated, incredibly easy to blend, and somehow manages to make my eyelids look smoother rather than emphasizing every tiny wrinkle. For under fifteen dollars, it feels much more expensive than it is. It has officially earned a permanent spot in my daily rotation for those mornings when I only have five minutes to look like a functioning human.
Who Should Buy This:
- People with mature skin who find traditional powders too drying or aging.
- Anyone who prefers a natural, "no-makeup" makeup look.
- Travelers who need a sturdy, magnetic palette that wont break easily.
Who Should Skip This:
- Makeup junkies looking for ultra-bright, high-impact neon pigments.
- Anyone who prefers large, oversized shadow pans for big fluffy brushes.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Lauren