If there’s one thing that immediately raises skepticism for me it’s influencer collections. I won’t lie, I’m usually one who scorns the myriads of followers tripping over themselves to get their hands on the latest over-hyped product put out by a twenty-year-old who thinks full drag is a daily necessity. But when an influencer brand accomplishes the ultimate goal of any cosmetic company- landing shelf space in Sephora, I know there’s probably more to it then just hype. The Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette is one of the rare influencer products that piqued my interest.
Dominique Cosmetics was founded by Christine Dominique, a YouTuber with over four million subscribers. Her brand is available in both Sephora and Nordstrom and is best know for its eyeshadow palettes and lip products.
- Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette Overview
- Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette Review
- Cruelty Free and Vegan Status
- Where to Buy the Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette
- Final Thoughts
Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette Overview
The Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette contains ten shadows, totaling 0.63 oz of product, and retails for $42. The palette contains both matte and shimmer shades with a mostly neutral color scheme.
The shadows are housed in a slim cardboard palette that also contains a mirror and each shadow is stamped with the DC logo.
Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette Review
Color Story
The Latte Palette contains seven mattes and three shimmer shadows. Five of the mattes are basic neutral browns that lean on the warm side and the remainder are a dusty teal and dusty plum. The three shimmers are all light-mid toned neutrals that could work with any of the mattes in the palette.
While it’s not the most interesting color story, you do have everything you need to create a complete look, with a full spectrum of light to deep mattes.
The one thing I was disappointed with was the similarity between some of the brown shades. The shades Caramel and Pumpkin Spice are very similar in depth, Pumpkin Spice is just a bit warmer but I don’t think the palette needed both and I wish they had included another shimmer shade instead.
While the addition of the plum and teal is an interesting choice because they offer some variety, the Latte Palette will overall work best to create basic warmer, neutral looks.
Latte Palette vs. Latte Palette 2
Dominique Cosmetics recently released the Latte 2 Palette, which I have yet to try. Looking at the swatches it seems to follow the same layout as the original Latte Palette, with five neutral mattes, two colored mattes, and three light to medium shimmers.
The matte neutrals differ in that there’s less of range in the Latte 2 Palette. You’ve got two deep browns that are pretty close in depth, with one leaning slightly red, two pale shades- a cream and pink, and a mustard yellow. There aren’t really any matte medium neutrals to blend with like there are in the original palette.
Instead of the teal and plum, the Latte 2 comes with a mint green and a coral, but the three shimmers seem pretty similar to the ones included in the Latte Palette, if not slightly warmer toned.
At a glance the Latte Palette says “fall” while the Latte 2 says “spring”. I think if you want an all encompassing neutral palette, you’ll want the original Latte, if you want more color you may prefer the Latte 2, but I view Latte 2 as more of a companion to the original rather than a stand alone palette.
Formula
This is where I think this line really stands out; the eye-shadow formula. It’s actually the reason I purchased the Latte Palette. After getting the Rustic Glam palette, which initially drew me in based on its color story, I was so impressed with the formula that I wanted to try more.
The DC eye-shadow formula is consistently excellent, with both the matte and shimmer shadows. They’re dense, creamy, intensely pigmented shadows that blend nicely and show up with true color.
The matte shadows kick up a bit of fallout but it doesn’t interfere with application as long you tap the excess off of the brush. They’re easy to blend and retain their color even as they blend out.
The shimmer shadows are incredibly dense and smooth with a nearly metallic finish, and I didn’t experience fallout when applying them.
I had a hard time coming up with comparable products which highlights to me how unique the formula is. The shimmers are somewhat similar to Syndey Grace shadows but are overall smoother. I really haven’t tried anything that compares to the matte shadow formula, the closest would be Natasha Denona but the DC shadows are even denser and softer than those.
Swatches
Espresso, Macchiato, Creme Brulee, Cold Brew, Double Shot
Cruelty Free and Vegan Status
The Dominique Cosmetics line is cruelty free however the Latte Palette is not vegan as it does contain carmine.
Where to Buy
The Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette can be purchased at the following locations.
- Sephora – Free shipping on orders of $50 and over. Free returns. International shipping available.
- Nordstrom – Free shipping and free returns
- Morphe – Free shipping on orders of $60. International shipping available.
- Beautylish – Free shipping on orders of $35 and free returns. International shipping available.
- Dominique Cosmetics – International shipping available.
Final Thoughts
All in all I think what sets the Latte Palette apart is the uniqueness of the eyeshadow formula. If you’re not looking to add more neutrals to your collection but still want to experience the DC eyeshadows I think you’d enjoy any her more colorful palettes like the Rustic Glam, Celestial Thunder, or Berries and Cream. If you’re looking for a basic neutral palette that can take you from day to night with a superior formula I definitely recommend trying the Latte Palette.
Pros of the Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette
- Smooth, creamy, soft textured shadows
- Dense, even pigmentation
- Nice mix of mattes and shimmers
- Good range of light, mid-tone, and dark shades
Pros of the Dominique Cosmetics Latte Palette
- Some very similar shades
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Bye now,
