What I'm Not Buying: Huda Beauty Textured Shadows Palette

Huda Beauty, primarily known for their eyelashes, has recently released an 18-pan eyeshadow palette, known as the "Rose Gold edition." 

And I won't be buying. 

I think there's a lot to like about this palette and a lot to like about the brand. Huda Beauty is an incredibly influential beauty blog, and the cosmetics line started with lashes and has broken many records in Sephora Middle East. The way this brand has progressed is really inspiring to me, and it has culminated in this very hot and hyped eyeshadow palette. 

And yes, absolutely, it looks gorgeous. 

These colors look amazing, and this palette would be right up my alley. The shadows are talc-free, which is a nice detail, and the palette contains 6 "3D metal" shadows, 2 "chromatic pressed pearl" shadows, and 10 matte shadows. There seems to be a lot of variety here, and the colors look like they will work for a true variety of skin tones instead of catering to lighter skin. 

So, why am I not buying it? There are a few reasons. My main reason is cost and availability. This palette (like so many products from internet brands) sold out very quickly and was accompanied with a website crash. I can't imagine there will ever be a makeup product that I am willing to go through that amount of stress just to own. 

This palette also retails for $65. That's really steep. Shipping to the US is $20, or there is free shipping over $75. So I would have to spend at least $75 on this. That's a ton of money for a brand's first ever eyeshadow palette.

I recognize that this price would be lower for customers in the Middle East, and high shipping costs are just part of being an international shopper. However, for me personally, that price is too steep for a product that I can't try personally and haven't seen any reviews for. 

My other main reason for not purchasing this palette is because, while I could see myself using the entire thing, I am really only excited by half of it. 

And that's the top half, full of the "3D metal" finishes and that bright, gorgeous pink matte:

If I could just have those shades (for a significantly cheaper price) I would have been much more interested in purchasing. 

And again, while I would use the matte shades, I already have so many in my collection that these would be really redundant: 

And for a price as steep as $75, I would need to be excited to use the entire palette, not just half of it. 

I'm interested to see reviews of this palette, especially because (as I've mentioned before) swatches that come directly from the brand can be really deceptive. The colors are usually layered onto the skin and don't really give an accurate depiction of how the colors would look and perform on the eye. This is especially noticeable in matte swatches as the colors would typically not be so opaque on the eye. 

This palette reminds me a lot of the Violet Voss Holy Grail palette ($45):

As well as the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette (which I returned) ($42):

As I've mentioned previously, my thirst for berry eyeshadows is quenched by the Lime Crime Venus palette, which has been in my collection for a long time. 

I'll keep my eye on Huda Beauty and this palette, and see if it makes it to Sephora, like their lashes and lip products. If it does, it would be interesting to see how the palette is priced. In the meantime, I simply don't need another palette, especially one where I have no idea of the quality, can't swatch in store, and one that I am really only excited by half the shades. The palette is simply too expensive for that, and I won't be buying.