Tokidoki Arte Palette in SANDy in the City

I snagged Tokidoki Arte Palette ($4) in SANDy in the City in San Francisco at the tail end of summer when I spotted it at the crazy discount of $4. Sephora is in the tail end of the process of phasing out the Tokidoki brand, as the contract between the two has expired and wasn't renewed. So all Tokidoki products are on sale and may still be available in the discount bins in Sephora. I admit that I pretty much bought this on a whim due to the price, but it has proved to be a decent product.

The palette is a sturdy cardboard packaging with a flip top, nicely-sized mirror, and magnetic closure. Each of the four eyeshadows are 0.9 g (3.6 g total) and the blush is 3.1 g. Tokidoki is known for its colorful and whimsical Japanese packaging and while it's not completely up my alley, it is quite cute. The individual colors in the palette don't have names but are just described by the shades themselves.

Pearl Champagne is a slightly browned champagne color with shimmer. The shadow is soft to the touch but blends out into nothing easily.

Matte Cream is a matte off-white. Because of its matte texture, it is a little powdery.

Pearl Camo Green is a pretty olive green with shimmer. It is smooth to the touch but applies a little patchily. Still, it can be layered to achieve fuller coverage.

Pearl Eggplant is a dark purple with a satin finish. Although it's dark and pigmented-looking in the pan, the coverage is on the sheer side.

Peach Pink is coral-y pink with a satin finish. This blush is very soft and smooth and has great color payoff.

The four eyeshadows are of decent quality. The Pearl Champagne and Pearl Camo Green perform well, while the Matte Cream and Pearl Eggplant are powdery and sheer, respectively. The blush, however, is by far the stand-out product in this palette. The intensity of its pigmentation means that it can be applied as a strong cheek color, but its soft texture makes allows it to be blended out into something more subtle. I, of course, prefer the former option and this is the blush I reach for when I want a fresh-looking, strong cheek look. The blush alone is worth the $4--and probably even the original $10 price tag.

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