Why the Pat McGrath Labs Mothership V: Bronze Seduction Palette Is Worth Splurging on ASAP

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If I weren't a beauty editor, I'd shell out $125 for the Pat McGrath Labs Mothership V: Bronze Seduction palette. That's a major statement coming from me. If you don’t know me, Devon Abelman, I only spend money on rent, bubble tea, and the $5 colorful printed dresses I like to pick up from my favorite thrift store in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Any expenses beyond those bare necessities stress me out. So the thought of the $125 price tag on the Pat McGrath Labs palette gave me slight agita before I tried it out. Just swatching one of its 10 shades was enough for me to realize it's worth every penny, though.

First of all, the shimmer options in the warm-toned palette are unparalleled, as expected from my mother Pat McGrath. Light doesn't have to hit them just so to see them at their fullest, most shimmery potential — they twinkle like a disco ball at Studio 54 at every possible angle.

My favorite shade is VR Fire Opal, a magical green with a prismatic rainbow finish. Whenever I pat it onto the center of my lids with a flat dense shadow brush, I feel like the most beautiful fish in the Caribbean Sea.

A metallic scarlet called Blitz Fire comes in a close second. You can blend it out with a fluffy brush for a sheer wash of rosy pink or paint it on with your fingertip for an intense foil-like finish. The versatility of just that shade alone is worth at least $50 (give or take).

On days when you're in a rush or favoring a minimalist look, all you need is one quick swipe of Rose Gold 005 all over. It will make your lids look glossy, luminous, and effortlessly gorgeous.

The mattes are pretty incredible, too. I'm not a smoky eye person, but if I were, I'm sure I'd hit the pan on them quickly. They aren't patchy or streaky like mattes with more affordable prices. Instead, they are velvety and smooth onto lids with ease. Sometimes, I use them as a base for the shimmers to add more depth to them.

And all of these stunning shadows are housed in an elegant black lacquered case that I'm ready to make a family heirloom. I have no plans to have children, but sometimes, I catch sight of the Pat McGrath Labs Mothership V: Bronze Seduction on my vanity and change my mind. Even if I exhaust all the shadows inside it, the compact alone deserves to be passed down for generations.