Lorac Pro 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Lately it’s been all about Lorac around here – I recently reviewed their Pirates of the Carribbean Cheek Palette and three of their Alter Ego Lip Glosses.  Today I’m reviewing another one of their palettes – the Lorac Pro 3.

I was formally introduced to Lorac last year when I picked up their original Pro eyeshadow palette (read that review here) and I quickly fell in love with it.  It’s taken the top spot amongst my palettes so I didn’t hesitate to invest in another when I visited Ulta last month.

I couldn’t decide between the Pro 3 and the original Unzipped palette but after a lot of swatching and comparing between the two, I decided on the 3.  It just seemed to have a little more versatility although the Unizipped palette is still on my shopping list.

I’ve been using this palette regularly since I picked it up in July, so it’s time for a review!

ABOUT

From Lorac’s website:

“Go PRO with LORAC PRO Palette 3! The third edition to our original, best-selling PRO Palette, this PRO artistry palette is packed with 8 shimmer and 8 matte eyeshadows – all the soft and earthy shades you need to create custom looks inspired by the breaking beauty trends of Los Angeles.  LORAC’s velvety-smooth shadows are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO. PRO Palette 3 comes with a mini Behind the Scenes Eye Primer for stay-true color that lasts; a PRO must-have!”

PRICE

$44 USD for 16 shadows at 0.02 oz each, for a total of 0.32 oz.  It also includes a mini (0.19 oz) of their Behind the Scenes eye primer

PACKAGING

Lorac is quite consistent with their packaging – any Lorac palette I’ve seen has always been made of the same thin yet sturdy cardboard.  All 3 of the Pro Palettes have a decent-sized mirror on the inside and contain a plastic sleeve overtop of the shadows.

SCENT
No noticeable scent.

SWATCHES

Top Row: Blanc (matte cream), Canvas (matte beige), Cool Taupe (matte taupe), Pink Nude (matte pinky beige)

Top Row: Clay (matte reddish brown), Terracotta (matte orangey brown), Dark Brown (matte dark brown), Jet Black (matte jet black)

Bottom Row: Light Gold (soft yellow shimmer), Almond Pearl (champagne shimmer) , Medallion (bronzey gold shimmer), Light Pewter (silver pewter shimmer)

Bottom Row: Amethyst (plum shimmer), Rose Bronze (peachy bronze shimmer), Dark Mocha (bronze shimmer), Truffle (dark brown black shimmer)

FORMULAS

Shadows
What I love about Lorac is their consistency – the formulas in this palette are exactly the same as the original Pro Palette. In my opinion, they are what every other eyeshadow aspires to be.  Both the mattes and the shimmers are super soft and creamy.  This does mean that there is a fair bit of fallout that can occur, particularly if you don’t tap your brush off before applying.  Even so, I’ve never had an issue with brushing it away with ease with a large fluffy brush.  I personally find the best application method is to press your brush into them, rather then swirl your brush – that avoids a lot of the fallout.  These also blend and build like an absolute dream – I’ve layered them and never had an issue with any of them looking muddy, the colours just intensify and look even more beautiful.  They’ve also hit the sweet spot when it comes to pigmentation – while I love and appreciate a good pigmented shadow, when they’re too much so they can be difficult to work with and impossible to blend.

Similar to the original pro palette, there are a few shadows that are not quite as good as the others / not my favourite.  Dark Brown just seems slightly less pigmented and a little more dry than the other mattes in the palette for some reason.  Medallion, Dark Mocha and Truffle all have glitter in them and I find that makes them slightly drier, a tiny bit patchy and not as smooth as the other shimmers.  Truffle is probably my least favourite shade in the palette – as with most glittery, almost-black shadows the glitter just blends away and you’re left with a matte shadow that looks black anyway.  Given that there’s already a matte black, this one seems like an unnecessary addition to the palette.

Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
This primer has a thin, lightweight consistency and the slightest hint of an ivory tint with a touch of shimmer.  It states that it is oil-free yet I find it leaves behind a slight oiliness once rubbed into my skin.

PERFORMANCE

As I’ve stated in my previous eyeshadow reviews, I always pair my eyeshadow with a primer.  I have super oily lids and there isn’t a shadow out there that will survive them.

When paired with my eyeshadow primer of choice (Too Faced’s Shadow Insurance), I get approximately 10 hours of wear, after which I start seeing some fading and creasing.  I didn’t test this palette out with the included primer, as I already did that with the original Pro Palette and it’s just not powerful enough for my oily lids.  I actually passed it over to my Mom for her to try out.

Lorac also states that these shadows can be used wet or dry. I personally don’t see the need to apply these wet as they are pigmented enough dry so I haven’t tested them out in that capacity yet.  However, when testing the Original Pro Palette did use a spritz of setting spray to apply one as eyeliner and that worked well.

HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE ORIGINAL PRO PALETTE?

I did my research on this palette prior to buying it so I knew exactly what I was getting into beforehand.  The reviews on this were mixed on this one – people either seemed to love it or hate it, with many stating that a lot of the shades looked the same when applied on the eye.  The Pro 3 is touted as a neutral, soft and earthy palette and I think that’s something that people need to keep in mind when considering this palette.  When it comes to light, neutral shades there isn’t going to be a lot of variance between them, particularly once applied.

It comparison, the Original Pro also offers quite few neutrals but has a few pops of colour in there as well – there’s shimmery Slate Blue, a shimmery Rust and a matte Mauve.  I find this palette runs more on the cooler side, while the Pro 3 is definitely more warm.

I also think it’s important to note that there are very similar shadows in both of these palettes; there are a couple of straight-up dupes (Cool Taupe & Taupe; Jet Black & Black) and many that are similar enough that you aren’t going to notice a difference once blended.  These palettes are similar enough that you could easily create a handful of looks with one and duplicate it with the other.

Overall I think if you like having a little more versatility in your looks, I would recommend the Original Pro palette.  While I’ve definitely been enjoying the Pro 3, I will agree that many of the shadows look very similar when applied to the eye.  For me, that’s not a big deal as I’d could happily wear a neutral eye everyday and be okay with it. But if I had to choose one, I’m going with the Original – I just like that it gives me more options.  That said, if you’re a Lorac-lover like me, I don’t think you can go wrong having both in your collection – they work well alone but can also be paired together really nicely to create an even wider selection of looks.

WHAT COMPARES TO LORAC?

If you’re Canadian (and I think anywhere outside of the US?), getting your hands on Lorac is difficult and expensive.  They aren’t sold here, although I’ve heard they were in Sephora for a brief amount of time a while back.  Your options are limited to ordering through Ulta’s website and paying a fortune in shipping and duties through BorderFree, visiting an Ulta or Kohl’s in the US, or selling your first born child to get one of their palettes on amazon (I would not recommend this).  It’s frustrating!

As such, I thought I’d look through my palette collection to see what compares (formulation-wise only); my collection isn’t extensive by any means but I do have a solid suggestion for you – Buxom!  I own a customizable palette (review here) and several single shadows from their collection and I honestly think they perform just as well.  I’d rate them just as high when it comes to pigmentation, blendability and performance and I find them equally as smooth and soft.  What’s really nice is that with Buxom you can customize your palette to your shade and formula preferences – something I wish more brands did!

Also, as mentioned in my most recent Makeup Haul post, I picked up Lorac’s Pro Matte Palette for my mom; she was impressed with the shadows and compared them to Too Faced’s Natural Matte Eye palette, a palette she really enjoys.  I personally think Lorac’s mattes are the best I’ve ever used so if that palette is on par, it’s a solid choice.

VERDICT

As mentioned above, this is a palette that offers neutral, natural eye looks and for me that’s great – it’s what I gravitate to on a regular basis.  It will be, and already is, a beloved addition to my palette collection.  However, if I could only pick one palette between the Original Pro and the Pro 3, I’m going with the Original as I see it as a more balanced and versatile palette.

Do you own any Lorac palettes?  Tell me your favourite below!

Comments

  1. Sandie says

    I am heading to Ohio this week, first time to US!, and have had my eye on the Pro 1 forever! But now I am thinking the 3 may need to come home with me…

  2. stashy says

    What a pretty palette! I don’t know if it’s the pale packaging that’s throwing me off, but all the colours look kind of washed out in the Pro 3, compared to the original one. If and WHEN I get my hands on Lorac, I’d go for the original one.
    I agree with your recommendation on the Buxom palettes – people don’t talk much about them but the quality of their shadows are really great.

    • prettyrufflife says

      It might be my photos/swatches that are making the colours look washed out, although honestly the colour of the palette probably isn’t helping. The more I’ve been using this palette the more I’ve been enjoying it though, although I totally agree that the Original is the best one to start with. 🙂 Thanks for reading Stashy!

  3. Polished and Inspired says

    Thanks for the review! As I don’t own any Lorac palettes (but desperately want one), I feel like I would be completely overwhelmed if I had to decide between the three, and your review helps. While this one looks stunning, maybe the original would be a better choice for someone who doesn’t own any of them.
    I really love that you gave alternatives to this palette too!

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