Review & Swatches: Bare Escentuals BUXOM Color Choreography Eyeshadow Palettes -- Lambada, Swing, Belly Dance, Burlesque, & Hip Hop

Whoa! Pic-heavy post ahead! But it’s all pretty, I promise.

Last month, BUXOM released a lineup of Color Choreography 5-pan palettes. BUXOM is like the sassy little sister of bareMinerals, and it’s a little more edgy than its predecessor. Each palette contains a mixture of matte, sparkling, and shimmering finishes in shades that might intimidate you at first. C’mon, I’ll hold your hand. Let’s go!

See more photos, swatches, and details…

I know there’s been some chatter that Color Choreography is basically a repackaged bareMinerals READY shadow. Not so, my friend! I’ve researched the ingredients (which are MUCH too long to post here), and they really aren’t too much alike at all—unless you’re talking about beautiful color. While Color Choreography feels almost as creamy and blendable as READY, they just don’t match up in the ingredient department. READY focuses on a skincare aspect in its formula, with their own SeaNutritive Mineral Complex for your eyelids; and contains things like antioxidants, cold-pressed borage oil, caffeine, and cucumber. Color Choreography didn’t go that route, and that’s both a pro and a con for all B.E. gals. It’s all going to come down to a personal preference!

I don’t have all six palettes, but I have five—and that’s a great start. Here’s a closer look…

Swing (browns)

Jive, Flip, Shag, Toss, Jitterbug

Lambada (pink/purple)

Swirl, Strut, Sizzle, Spin, Smolder

Belly Dance (purple/grey)

Cymbal, Staccato, Harem, Hips, Gyrate

Burlesque (pink/grey)

Boa, Shake, Shimmy, Tease, Garter

Hip Hop (blues)

Scratch, Pop, Grind, Bump, Lock

I know some of these shades look pretty unconventional, but they really are wearable in the right combinations. In terms of quality, they’re very smooth to the touch, and don’t need a lot of pressure on the brush to pick up color. The shades are all pretty buildable with one exception—I found two of the shades in Hip Hop kind of testy to work with.

Wearing: Swing

Bottom Line…

If you like forward-thinking color, Color Choreography might be for you! While I think they’re all wearable in the right combos (a day combo, and a night combo), you might be afraid at first. Don’t be! They blend pretty easily and you can sheer the color down if you need to. I do recommend wearing a primer with these for maximum wear—and by the way, BUXOM has a new one! I haven’t had a chance to use it yet, but I’ll review soon. The quality was pretty consistent across the collection in my opinion, with the exception of Hip Hop. You might find a few of the shades there drag a little and aren’t as easy to build as the others. I’d have to say that Lambada and Belly Dance are my personal picks.