Smashbox Ultimate Beauty Palette

I bought the Smashbox Ultimate Beauty Palette using the leftover balance on the gift certificate. I've been wanting to buy this palette ever since it came on the market. However my excitement ran off as soon as I opened the lid.

All boxed up. It said Ulta Exclusive $59 on the cover sticker (excuse my finger prints)

Eye Shadows

Cheek, Lip, Brow colors w/wax and Eye liners. Plus the mini brushes (you can see we've used some)

The Mini Brushes

Pros:
- It has almost everything you may need to give you a complete look (minus the foundations and primer)
- Eye shadows are fairly pigmented and lasts few hours at least without a primer
- The colors are mostly good for daytime look
- It's very compact
- A cruelty free and environmental friendly brand
- Came with primer sample and Valentine mini lip gloss set (part of the promotion)

Cons:
- The quality is inferior to Smashbox product line. When I opened it, it looked like a set from dollar store (it's made in China). With poorly made palette and smudged up color blocks.
- The box was designed horribly. At first I thought it's a used copy but later on I realized it's the sliding trays that are leaving scratch marks on the inside color blocks
- Eye shadow colors were too light, lack variety and intensity.
- The kit is mostly suitable fair skinned people. Not really for people of colors (medium to dark skin tone).
- For $59, it seemed WAY over priced. $20 should be more than enough for this kit.
- The quality of the brushes weren't great, then again I didn't plan on using those from the beginning.

A great alternative could be: Coastal Scents Makeup Palettes or Sephora Brand Ultimate Blockbuster - Collector's Edition (but it's sold out at Sephora as of now).