Sleek Ultra Matte V1 Brights Palette–Swatches and LOTD

Like a doofus, I was waiting outside Superdrug on the launch day of the matte palettes. Okay, it was coincidental that I was there, but I was, so I waited. Ahem.

Top Row: L-R: Chill, Pout, Sugarlite, Dragon Fly, Pucker, Bamm!
Bottom Row: L-R: Cricket, Bolt, Strike, Floss, Crete, Pow!

Look ma, no waffle print! I don’t particularly care how shadows are pressed in a £7 palette, but it does look strange to open a Sleek palette and not see them.

As you can see, if you don’t have a primer/base with these, don’t bother.  Like most mattes, the adhesion on bare skin isn’t great, but then, we never go out without a primer now do we, class? They’re all soft and the pigmentation is great and pretty equal throughout the palette. As normal with Sleek, I’m seeing some colours that look very similar to those in other palettes, especially Circus. I don’t mind this too much because I prefer a palette to work overall than reach for another one to complete a look, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you hate having duplicates. I do, however, find myself wishing that this palette had a black in it! Sleek often included a black and it’s standard in most of their permanent palettes, which a lot of people criticize them for. However, I think this colour set could really have used one – if they got rid of Pucker or Pout the whole palette would be much more versatile.

Sugarlite and Dragonfly are my favourites so far, and Floss and Crete are really pretty. I think Pow! is a very useful addition to the palette and it’s nice for once to see a decent, versatile highlight colour that isn’t a stark white in a Sleek palette as a lot of them lack one. I’m a little disappointed in Bamm! and Strike, however.  Nothing is ever going to top Illamasqua Venom or Sugarpill Flamepoint for matte oranges for me, so I really do think I’m being picky, because the tone of the orange fits nicely in with the palette. Bamm! just isn’t doing it for me either for some reason, but I’ve not used it yet, so hopefully it’ll grow on me.

Compulsory EOTDs? Okay!

Lid, Dragonfly. Crease, Sugarlite blended out with a tiny bit of Floss. Lower lashline, Bolt. Inner corner, Chill.

Lid, Crete. Crease, Pucker. Highlight, Pow! Lower lashine, Cricket and Dragon Fly.

Overall: Worth the money, pigmented, well thought out colours.  Soft, and easy to blend for mattes, so if you struggle with them or haven’t tried them yet, I think this is a great place to start.