Tuesday, September 20, 2016

What I'm Not Buying: Lorac Mega Pro 3


I figured I'd get a head start on this one as the palette isn't launching until October. (That's one positive I'll give Lorac--that they are releasing their holiday palette a little closer to the actual holiday season than the majority of cosmetics brands.)

The Lorac Mega Pro 3 will be a hit, I'm sure. Tons of people will run out and buy it, and we will be swamped with hyped review after hyped review. Part of this, I feel, is residual hype left over from the original Mega Pro release that most people were unable to get. Since they missed out on that one, people will make damned sure they get this one. 

When I first saw the teaser images Lorac released of the Mega Pro 3, I'll admit I had an immediate reaction of "MUST BUY!" But then I let my rational side come out. And I won't be buying this palette. 


There's no denying it. The Lorac Mega Pro 3 looks beautiful. As I have mentioned before, gold, bronze, copper, cranberry, peach, and mauve are my favorite shades, and all those are present here. So, of course, when I first saw it I wanted it. Of course. But will it fill any void in my collection? Absolutely not. 

That's the thing about having more than a minimal collection. You are likely to already have most colors in new palettes. And if you have a minimal collection, you probably already know what you like and don't want to add to it. 

When I look at the Mega Pro 3, I see a beautiful assortment of colors... that I already own. There is not a single color in the above picture that I don't already have a least one, if not five or more, in my collection that look exactly like it. 

I know the Lorac Pro formula is a favorite of many, but I'm not one of them. I purchased the Lorac Pro 2 earlier this year to try out the formula. I really enjoyed the shimmer shades, but I think shimmers are pretty easy to make and most brands have nice shimmers. I wasn't a fan of the matte formula. I've said it before, but mattes are the workhorses and unsung heroes of all of my eyeshadow looks. And the Lorac Pro matte formula wasn't that great to me. I found they were very powdery with a lot of kickup. The formula was light and airy, but didn't feel substantial to me. I tried look after look using the Lorac Pro 2, and each time I found the matte shades to look muddy on me. The formula reminded me a lot of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette, which I also sadly didn't like. I like my matte shadows to have some substance and weight to really cling onto my skin and then blend creamy and seamlessly with other colors. I didn't feel like the Lorac Pro matte shades were able to do that. 

Since I don't like the Lorac Pro matte formula, that's half of this palette that I wouldn't really enjoy using. That, right there, is reason enough not to buy. 

Let's look at the other two Lorac Mega Pro palettes: 

Lorac Mega Pro (original)


Lorac Mega Pro 2

When I compare the first two Mega Pro palettes to the third, I feel there is not much new going on. If anything, it is slightly reminiscent of the first Mega Pro, but even then, if given the choice, I would pick the first one over the third. 

Something else to consider is how much use you'll get out of one of these palettes. I've heard from countless reviewers that they hardly ever use either of their Lorac Mega Pro palettes because the palettes are so big that they are inconvenient. Or that the palettes have too many options and are overwhelming. 

I've also seen these palettes make an appearance in a lot of eyeshadow palette declutter videos. What's interesting is that the person decluttering will mention that they hardly ever use the Mega Pro palettes, but also can't bring themselves to part with them because they were so hard to get. 

More than anything, I think people need to get off the hype train with these palettes. If you're not going to use them, there is no point in buying them. And really, no one in the real world is ever going to know what eyeshadows are on your eyes, or know the difference between the Lorac Mega Pro 3 or shadows from Too Faced or Urban Decay. 

Most people will likely lose interest in this once the next big release happens, and they you will have a giant, unused palette. 

Finally, something that worries me about the Mega Pro 3 is quality. It was widely noted during the release of the Lorac Pro 3 that the formula that most people loved had been changed, and not for the better. The Pro 3 is also the only palette of the Pro line to receive a good amount of negative reviews. I worry if Lorac has changed the Pro formula to something cheaper (while also increasing prices). And as I've mentioned before, I also wonder if Lorac will source this product out to a cheaper lab, which will also cause a discrepancy in formula. 

Had the release of the Lorac Pro 3 been highly positive, I don't know if I would be worried so much about quality. But since it wasn't reviewed well and it is a permanent item, I wonder if there is a definite change in Lorac Pro quality. 

For me, I didn't care for the matte formula anyway, so it doesn't really affect me, but it would be highly disappointing for people who love the formula if it has been changed. 

Either way, despite it being a beautiful palette, and despite knowing that in a month most people will be raving about this product and the hype will be insane, I've got to say no to the Lorac Mega Pro 3. I won't be purchasing. 

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