BECCA Cosmetics: Volcano Goddess Eyeshadow Palette Review & Swatches!

Hi Friends!!

Today we are talking about the new BECCA Cosmetics Volcano Goddess eyeshadow palette! This was BECCA’s holiday palette this year and it actually went on sale not too long ago so I had to pick it up. BECCA rarely releases eyeshadow palettes. I feel like their main focus is face products like primer, foundation, bronzer, blush, and highlighter! I am in LOVE with the BECCA Apres Ski eyeshadow palette which I think was their holiday palette from last year?

This palette initially retailed for $46 which is really expensive. It is now on sale for $28 at both Sephora and Ulta which is a must more reasonable price. I think a lot of people fell in LOVE with the packaging of this palette because it is so beautiful and eye catching but the actualy eyeshadows are not as vibrant. Don’t get me wrong, there are a couple of bright shades but not as much as the cover of the eyeshadow palette. But we will get more into that later.

Volcano Goddess comes with 12 shades in total. Three of which are matte shades and the other 9 shades are all shimmery / metallic shades. I don’t think this is very proportionate just right off the bat. I wish there were more matte shades.

The Packaging

I have already mentioned this but the packaging is BEAUTIFUL!! The cover of the palette is this beautiful rainbow geo. And then the name of the palette and BECCA are printed on the front in gold. Although this palette isn’t super large, I do think it could be a little smaller. There is some extra space around the shadows that I think could have been removed to make it a little smaller. I do like the HUGE mirror though and the size of the pans. The pans are huge and appear to have a lot of product in them!

The Shades & Swatches

In the first row, you have:

Cloud – This is your basic matte cream shade. It is a great shade for setting your eyeshadow primer and just laying down a base for the rest of your shadows. Although I have used this in every eye look with this palette, I would have liked a different, brighter color more!

Volcanic Sand – This is a soft peach matte shade. I use this as a light transition shade but it really isn’t all that different from Cloud so it doesn’t add much to the eye look.

Granite – And for the last matte shade in the palette, this is a cool toned brown / grey shade. I really do like this color, it is easy to incorporate in a lot of different looks.

Gilded – This is a golden copper shimmery shade. It appears to have glitter specks in it but I didn’t notice any fallout from that. It is a really pretty shade but its not a color that I wear a lot on my eyes. And I don’t think there is a lot to go with this shade in the palette. It is one of the brighter pops of color in this palette.

In the second row, you have:

Diamond Dust – This is a really interesting shade. It is a shimmery snow shite shadow. It is not completely opaque though. It is kind of a chunky shade when you pick it up with a brush or your finger but it does blend out smoothly. When it is actually blended out it does have a slight pink shift but its not super noticeable. This is a pretty shade but its not my favorite formula. I like the shimmery formula of Haze much better.

Haze – This has been my go to shade out of this entire palette. I think it is really pretty mauve rose gold. I think it is the most wearable all over the lid shade in this palette and I LOVE BECCA shimmer shades.

Red Rock – When I look at this shade swatched, I am literally in shock. It is one of those shades that make WOW you. It is a shimmery maroon shade and it is PIGMENTED! Red Rock is a super soft shadow and it looks gorgeous on the eyes. I don’t use it all over the lid because I think this color doesn’t look great on my skin tone but I like blended a lighter shimmer into it.

Lava – This is another bright shade in the Volcano Goddess palette. Lava is a shimmery orange shade. This and Gilded have the same formula so it also looks a little glittery but is very metallic. I used this shade a couple of time just stamped on top of Volcanic Sand of on top of Haze just to add a but of orange / warmth to an eye look. Its pretty but I don’t see myself getting a lot of use out of it.

In the third row, you have:

Agate Ash – This is a shimmery taupe / grey shade. This is another really beautiful color and one of my main go to shades in the palette. It is one of the most wearable, in my opinion. It almost has a slight lilac shift which is gorgeous.

Crater – This is stone grey shimmer shadow. This is also really pretty but I think it is difficult to incorporate into eye looks with this palette. I have used it in the outer corner to deepen up an eye look but I normally don’t use shimmer shades for that. This can also be brushed over the entire eye lid but I find it is a little too dark to wear on a daily basis.

Hermatite – This is a glittery gunmetal shade. Again, the color is really pretty but this isn’t a very wearable shade for me.

Midnight Sapphire – This shade is interesting because it looks like a dark blue in the pan but when you swatch / blend it out it comes across purple. BECCA describes this shade as a “metallic indigo infused with shimmering violet pearl”. I don’t think it is a metallic shade but it is very glittery. I don’t think the quality of this shadow is as good as the others in the palette. It is not as soft or as pigmented.

My Review

There is SO much to say about this palette. I think there several great things about this palette but there are also several not so great things about this palette. Lets start with some good things though. Obviously the packaging is gorgeous. The front of the palette is just so pleasing to look at and so unique! I also really like the size of the palette and the huge mirror on the inside.

As for the shadows, the formula is TOP NOTCH! Really, almost all of the shades are so soft, so easy to blend, look beautiful on the eye, and overall are just great shadows. The exception is Midnight Sapphire which I don’t think it a great shade. I think the quality is not as great as the other shadows.

For the cons, I think this palette was a missed opportunity for the color section. I cover of this palette is so pretty with all of the colors and you expect the inside of the palette to reflect a similar color story but no. It is almost disappointing when you first open the palette.

I also don’t the color story is very cohesive. When I look at this palette, I struggle to find color combinations that I want to use and my eye looks end up being very VERY simple. When I looked on BECCA’s website, there were a few pictures of recommended looks. Each of the looks only consisted of one color. So I think BECCA’s intention was to be very simplistic with this palette and not necessary use multiple colors all at one.

I really do have mixed feelings about this palette. I DO like it but I don’t see myself reaching for it very often. Just because there are other palettes that inspire me more. If you are interested in this palette, definitely pick it up soon while it is on sale!

Let me know what you think about this palette below! Do you already have it or are you looking to pick it up? I would LOVE to know your thoughts!

Advertisement