Don't judge an eyeshadow palette by its box!

So a long while ago now I popped into a big Boots store in my area and my eyes hooked onto this beautiful eyeshadow palette as a Boots own product. The owl design is absolutely gorgeous. It looks classy and elegant and like it will be a beautiful addition to my make-up collection.

Upon opening the box the theme was consistent, an idea which reflects the palette itself and has been very thought out, and the colours looked shimmery and bold but still subtle on my eyes. There is a mixture of what I'd specify as 'day and night' shades. The paler blues and white is perfect for a soft daytime look that will complement my eyes and the metallic silver and purples look bold for a statement evening look and can mix up a smoky eye. 

However, imagine my disappointment when I tried out these eyeshadows only to find that they were so pale and shimmery that they barely showed up on my eyes let alone stood out or looked half as bold or as spectacular as I thought. Below are some of the swatches I tried out, despite that I've sharpened the image you can barely see them. The formula is very weak and the eyeshadows are so powdery and light that it's a wonder how they'd spread across my eyelid.

This has definitely taught me that you shouldn't pick something up just because it looks pretty. This product failed me and I'll definitely think twice about picking up a palette just because I like the owl on the front! Has anyone else done something similar? 

Good for: A striking handbag look
Bad for: Pigmentation