Review: Palladio Herbal Eyeshadow Primer and Lip Glosses (and a discount code!)

Just a few days ago, I mentioned that my favorite drugstore-level lipstain is Palladio Lip Ink. I've also reviewed several other Palladio products on this blog, and I believe that this brand is extremely underrated when it comes to affordable, quality makeup that you can get for the same price as many other drugstore brands. To my knowledge, Sally Beauty has the best selection of Palladio, however I know that Ulta also carries Palladio, and lots of independent beauty supply stores also carry Palladio (and you can also order online from SallyBeauty.com or directly from Palladio on their own website).

I was lucky enough to receive an assortment of products from Palladio for review recently (I've already reviewed some of them--just search "Palladio" to see my past reviews) and today I'm excited to share with you their new Herbal Eyeshadow Primer and some new shades of Herbal Lip Gloss.

But before I get into my review, I want to share with you some great news that I just received directly from Palladio. If you want to try some Palladio products but you can't find them in your area, I've got a solution for you! I've got a special code that you can use exclusively at SallyBeauty.com to receive 10% off any Palladio purchase. And the best part? It's an open-ended code, which means anyone can use it, and you can use it as often as you want before it expires:

Save 10% off all Palladio products at SallyBeauty.com from June 1st through June 30th (offer not valid at Sally Beauty Supply stores). Enter code: 555958 to receive your discount.

If you are a Sally Club member and you subscribe to their email newsletters, you already know that Sally Beauty gives its members tons of great incentives to order online. So if you've been wanting to take advantage of their other great online deals, now is a good time to do so. Oh, and if you have a Sally Club Card, you can use it online to get the same discount you get in-store!

Now, on to the review:

(click images to enlarge)

(retail: $7.99, $7.79 with Sally Club Card)

I'm always excited to try new, affordable eyeshadow primers, so when I received this one for review, I immediately started testing it. I've been testing Palladio Herbal Eyeshadow Primer for several weeks now underneath several different brands of powder eyeshadow, and I want to tell you that I really love it.

What sets this primer apart from others is that the consistency is more like a silicone-based face primer. It's smooth to apply and it's very creamy. In fact, I was scared that it wouldn't work to keep my powder shades from creasing because it's just so very creamy when you apply it. But here's what I've learned after using this product several times: You can apply a nice-sized amount to your lids (unlike other primers where less is more and you really want to apply the smallest amount possible). You can apply enough to cover your lid, crease and brow-bone area with ease, but my number one tip is to wait a few minutes before you apply your shadow. I have found that if I wait three or four minutes before I apply my powder shadows, it really sets the primer and makes it a little bit sticky, which gives your powder shadows something to grab on to.

Now don't get me wrong--this primer doesn't get so sticky that it makes your shadow apply unevenly. I have absolutely no problems at all with applying my shadow smoothly, no matte how long I wait for this primer to set. But waiting that few minutes has made all the difference for me. Lately I've been wearing this primer underneath my L.A. Colors powder eyeshadows and WOW, it keeps them crease-free and firmly in place all day and night. I am seriously impressed with this primer and I hope that if you try it, you'll follow my tips and let me know how it works for you!

Next up:

(retail: $4.49 each, $4.29 with Sally Club Card)

In my humble opinion, Palladio Lip Glosses are the hidden gem of the lip gloss world. If you're a lip gloss lover and you haven't tried one yet, you don't know what you're missing! Enriched with ginseng, green tea, gingko biloba, chamomile and aloe vera (not to mention Vitamins A, C, D and E), they're very moisturizing, they're not sticky or tacky, and they have great staying power. Also, the colors are simply beautiful. And who doesn't love a yummy, vanilla-scented gloss? Well, maybe some people out there don't like vanilla, but I'm definitely not one of them!

I do want to tell you up front that the shades in this review are brand new, so they are not yet available on the Sally website (but they are available in-store, and also on the Palladio website).

Sunset ( the coppery orange with gold shimmer featured above) is one of the more opaque glosses in the collection and it's a gorgeous, richly-pigmented shade that looks fantastic alone or topped over lipstick. (Side note: in real life, this shade reminds me of MAC "O" lipstick. It's not an exact dupe, but it's got the gold and copper and just a hint of red to it, which is very similar to "O". So if you like "O" you might want to give Sunset a try.)

Bubble Gum (pictured above) looks just like pink bubble gum in the tube, but let me tell you, it is GORGEOUS on the lips. This is a sheer gloss with just the tiniest amount of subtle silver shimmer. On the lips, it becomes the most beautiful, sheer, bright, pinkish-rose shade I have ever seen. I am so in love with this gloss I cannot even begin to explain it. It looks amazing worn by itself for a soft sheer, pink lip. My lips are pretty pigmented but this is one of the only sheer pink shades that does NOT disappear when I put it on. Most sheer pinks end up looking like a plain ol' clear gloss on my lips, but not Bubble Gum.

And let me tell you, lately I've been wearing Bubble Gum layered on top of my Palladio Lip Ink in Pinky and it looks H.O.T. I absolutely love it.

So there you have it. I hope I've given you some ideas if you're planning on taking advantage of this discount code and placing an order on SallyBeauty.com. And please stay tuned because I'll be posting reviews of some other products I received, including the new Herbal Oil-Free Foundations and some new shades of Herbal Eyeliner. I'll try to post those reviews before the month is over so you'll still have time to take advantage of that code if you'd like to order anything.

In the meantime, are you a fellow Palladio fan? If so, what do you like from this line? Any favorites you'd like to share with us? I'd love to hear from you!

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.