The Pat McGrath Mothership XI Sunlit Seduction Eyeshadow Palette Review

 I know it has been a while since the Pat McGrath Sunlit Seduction palette came out, but I just recently purchased it. When the eyeshadow palette first launched there were a lot of mixed reactions. The one complaint everyone had was that the four special shades were no longer the baked formula in her previous palettes. Many did not like this about the palette, after all the special shades are what justifies the heavy price point of these palettes. So, I decided I would just pick this palette up when there was a discount. I'm not someone who has to have all the palettes the brand comes out with, I liked the color story of this palette. 

Anyway, I finally got a chance to pick it up when there was a 30% off on Pat McGrath's website. Now, after trying the Sunlit Seduction palette a few times I thought I would share a more thorough review. So, right off the bat I do like it. As I mentioned I already liked the color story. So let's talk about the shades.

The mattes in this palette are soft and blend out nicely. The first impression I had was the mattes look pretty. These matte shades can be found in any other eyeshadow palettes you might own. The rosy pink, terracotta and brown shades are quite common. However, these are the shades that we need. So, I do appreciate these shades in the palette. For some of you, who love doing a dark smokey look, might feel a lack of deeper tones. 

Top to bottom: Skintense Radiance, Nude Rose, Hypnotic Bronze, Xtereme Vermillion Dusk, Copper Dawn, Sienna Mystique

Now, the fun part. Let's talk about the shimmers and 'special shades'. There are 3 shimmer shades in the palette, one is the inner corner highlight and the other two are bronzy shades. They are smooth and give a nice sheen to the eye, perfect for a daytime look. 

So now, about the special shades. It took me using them a few times to decide how I feel about them. As you all know that these are not the same baked formulas in the previous palettes. The formula in these is different. Just like the previous palettes they are pretty shimmery. When applied they give that sparkly effect. But, they are super crumbly. So expect a ton of fallout. But there is a simple way to avoid this and make these shadows work, I will get to that in a minute. First, let's talk more about these shimmers.

Astral Pink Fetish - This shade gives a pink and gold effect. It is stunning! And formula wise much better than the rest.

Blitz Crimson Ecstasy - My least favourite shade in the palette. The formula is overly crumbly. However, the effect it gives after application is great. 

Astral Amethyst Allure - A beautiful purple effect but has a sheer base. It is loosely pressed and has a lot of fallout.

Astral Gilded Aura - This is warm gold with pink shimmer in it. When I saw the swatches of this palette the pink shimmer was not visible, it's more evident in person. A decent formula like Astral Pink Fetish.

Tip: Since these are loosely pressed and have fallout, here is how you can make it work. Use glitter glue! Only a glitter glue will make these shades work. Not only does it make the shimmer adhere to the eyelid, but it also makes these shades pop. Note that the Pat McGrath Lab's Artistry Wand will not work the best with these shades. I experimented with a glitter glue on one eye and the Artistry Wand on the other, and would recommend going with the former. The Artistry Wand did not help with the fallout and neither made the shades pop, but a glitter glue did both. My favourite is the NYX Glitter Primer and it worked so well with these special shades. The NYX Glitter Primer is indeed a solid product, works beautifully with any kind of shimmer.

Final thoughts

So overall I did enjoy using the Sunlit Seduction palette. It is pretty flexible, as you can create a simple everyday look and something glam with this palette. For people who are new to Pat McGrath, I would suggest trying other palettes from the brand that are more easy to work with. But if you like this one go ahead! And for any of her palettes I would recommend waiting for sale, as these palettes do have a heavy price tag. 

P.S - It is April 2025, and I would like to report I'm still in love with this palette.