Apparently Stila really likes to be “in” a lot of things… first In The Garden, then In The Moment, and In The Light… now comes the Stila In The Know Eye Shadow Palette ($39 USD / $51 CAD). The palette contains ten muted, earthy shades as well as a full size eyeliner. The craziest part? These eyeshadows can be used wet or dry… something I’ve never seen before from a matte eyeshadow collection.

The simplistic palette itself is super sleek and thin, with a decent-sized mirror in the lid. I love the how-to booklet as well, I think it’s really well done and an excellent tool for those who need a little extra inspiration when it comes to working with all matte shades.

Stila In The Know Eyeshadow Palette

Stila In The Know Eyeshadow Palette

Stila In The Know Eyeshadow Palette

Instructional how-to booklet, included

The eyeshadows are interesting… I was most intrigued to know how they could be used wet… because for those that have tried to use any other matte eyeshadows wet will know that you usually end up with a clumpy mess and a ruined eyeshadow.

The shades themselves have decent pigmentation on their own- not spectacular mattes like I’ve seen, but definitely good enough to be used on their own. When used damp, you won’t see the results right away… it takes a few seconds for the eyeshadow to dry, and you will actually see it change texture right before your eyes as it does.  It’s almost like watching clay dry… it becomes lighter, and the eyeshadows almost have a satin texture afterwards.  The pigmentation is improved, but I wouldn’t use this ‘wet’ method all over the eye- just on the lid to brighten it up a bit.

The shades include…

• Air: A pale off-white cream
• Wind: A light nude beige
• Desert: A mid-tone peachy nude
• Clay: A mid-tone muted pink nude
• Earth: A deep cool brown
• Driftwood: A mid-tone warm brown
• Fire: A spicy, muted orange
• Rain: A mid-tone muted taupe
• Smoke: A mid-tone cool grey
• Ebony: A deep cool grey

Stila In The Know Eyeshadow Palette

Swatches (L-R) Air (Dry/Wet) & Wind (Dry/Wet)

Swatches (L-R): Desert (Dry/Wet) & Clay (Dry/Wet)

Swatches (L-R): Earth (Dry/Wet) & Driftwood (Dry/Wet)

Swatches (L-R): Fire (Dry/Wet) & Rain (Dry/Wet)

Swatches (L-R): Smoke (Dry/Wet) & Ebony (Dry/Wet)

The palette also includes a full size Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Halfmoon, which is a deep, blue-ish grey with shimmer.  It’s a unique shade, but I think it’s not necessarily the best choice for this palette… I wish there was something a little more neutral (even a grey without the blue undertone would have been better) so it’s easier to use it with all of the eyeshadows instead of just some.  I also wish it was a little bit darker in tone, I find because it has a bit of translucency to it, which makes it nice for smoky looks but it would have been nice to see something a little more versatile.

In terms of quality, the eyeliner is amazing. Stila does an excellent waterproof formula, that’s for sure.  It stays put and doesn’t budge or fade throughout the day… I definitely have to use an oil-based makeup remover to get it off at night.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Halfmoon (included)

Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Halfmoon, Swatched

Summary

• Price: $39 USD / $51 CAD
• Availability: Sephora
• Overall: A pretty nice matte eyeshadow palette! Not the best mattes I’ve come across, but acceptable pigmentation and texture for sure. I also like the fact they can be used wet, even though I don’t feel as if I would do this very often.  The eyeliner that is included is excellent quality as well, but I do wish it was a little more of a neutral shade.
• Rating: A-