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L.A. Colors Little Black Book of Eyeshadows: Natural Edition {Review}

Pros: Good pigmentation, good selection of versatile shades, extremely inexpensive, travel friendly
Cons: Chintzy packaging, very tiny in size and amount of product

I had seen this Little Black Book of eyeshadows from L.A. Colors making the rounds on online review sites and was intrigued. I’m always up for another natural palette. The format, not to mention the name, reminded me of e.l.f.’s Little Black BeautyBooks.

While the books seemed to be found at Dollar Tree, I could never find them no matter how many times I visited. Until now.

I finally found them at a local Cedar Rapids Dollar Tree in the cosmetics aisle. There was a display sitting on a shelf beneath the hanging displays.

L.A. Colors Little Black Book of Eyeshadows: Natural Edition display @ Dollar Tree

The display held three different versions of the Little Black Book of eyeshadows: Natural, Glam and Smoky. I picked up the Natural Edition.

Where to Buy

The Little Black Books seem to sporadically pop up in Dollar Trees without rhyme or reason. You can find limited info on the mini palettes at the L.A. Colors website, but they are not available for purchase online.

Little Black Book of eyeshadows: Natural Edition

Price: $1.00
Rating: *** (3 out of 5)

Packaging

To be honest, the packaging is suxor. It is really awful. On the other hand, this is a palette that retails for a dollar, so one can only expect so much quality packaging.

While the concept is basically the same, this little black book is nowhere as well made as e.l.f.’s version. The book is far shorter and thinner than e.l.f.’s with far less product.

L.A. Colors Little Black Book of Eyeshadows: Natural Edition

The cover is cardboard and has a rubber band for a closure. I think the cardboard band that doubles as a product label/instructions is a cardboard band is supposed to be temporary. So far I’ve kept the band on.

Inside the L.A. Colors Little Black Book of Eyeshadows: Natural Edition

The palette itself is super tiny. I had seen photos online but I was still surprised at how small they are in person. I’m amazed L.A. Colors managed to squeeze so many itty-bitty pans into the book. The pans themselves are located in a plastic insert with a recessed space for a double-ended sponge applicator.

L.A. Colors Little Black Book of Eyeshadows: Natural Edition ingredient listing label

On the back cover there is a well designed sticker label with an ingredients listing.

Product

The mini palette boasts an impressive 15 shades. Every single one of them is shimmery.

From the negative reviews I’ve read on the Little Black Books, I expected the eyeshadows to be terrible. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the pigmentation and quality more than make up for the lack of quantity. Each shade has a velvety texture that glides onto the skin.

Selected swatches of L.A. Colors Little Black Book of Eyeshadows: Natural Edition

The color selection is good also with a wide variety of shades ranging from light to dark, and a color range that includes beige, pinks, purples, browns, oranges and yellows.

The Nitty-Gritty

The Little Black Book of Eyeshadows is by no means an essential buy, but it could be an inexpensive addition to your cosmetics collection. For a buck, there isn’t much risk in trying it if you do manage to track ’em down at Dollar Tree. The books are a good asset to your purse, too, fitting into even the smallest of clutches with ease.

They are also make good for stocking stuffers, albeit better for teens or women who like drugstore products.

Product Images