When I was browsing Elf's website looking for things to get during a sale in February I saw the new Chromatic palette and it immediately reminded me of the Smashbox Ablaze Palette. It was so new I just knew I had to get and test it against the Ablaze.
I fell head over heels for the Ablaze as soon as I saw it. I only just got it last December but I’m 100% obsessed with it and it is probably my number one favourite palette at the moment.
But I was really intrigued by the new elf palette. It has many shades like the Ablaze and I just had the urge to compare them.
I don’t think elf meant for Bird of Paradise to be a copy of Ablaze. Heat and fire palettes are huge right now. They were joining in on a current huge makeup trend. But with so many fire palettes out there some are bound to look alike.
That’s actually one of my favourite things about Bird of Paradise. It has this pinky-purple shade that actually sets it apart from the rest. It’s all fire and a little nude and then bam hits you at the end with a bright/pastel sort of pinky-purple that doesn’t really seem to fit but makes the palette fun. It’s an unexpected colour that can add flair to your looks or even take the spotlight for itself.
So let’s break down these palettes. Smashbox Ablaze is $29, you get 6 small pan shadows and 2 double pan base shadows. The Elf Bird of Paradise palette is $12, you get 7 shadows and a double-ended shadow brush.
It's a little hard to judge because of the packaging but I think the Bird of Paradise pins may have a bit more product in them than the Ablaze colour pans. Maybe not as much as the Ablaze base shades but more than the colours.
The elf shadows are really soft. I honestly didn't expect such nice texture from a low-cost brand. The Mad for Matte palettes are amazing too. They are soft and blendable and the pigment is great too.
Smashbox shadows are velvety and smooth. The pigment is wonderful and the colours are gorgeous.
Both palettes have great blend and buildability. The Ablaze is a little softer than Bird of Paradise but it is still smooth and soft
Now the real reason I consider this for a possible dupe, the colours. The colours in Bird of Paradise don't have names but the Burgandy shade is a beautiful match for Nirvana from Ablaze.
Now to the part you've probably been waiting for. Swatch comparison! The top is Bird of Paradise and the bottom is Ablaze.
The colours aren't perfect but they get pretty close. For a $17 difference, it isn't too bad. It's not a perfect dupe but the Bird of Paradise palette is great if you don't want to pay high-end prices. And the Bird of Paradise palette is a great palette in its own regard.
So which would I recommend? I like both for different reasons. It really depends on your budget. I think they are both wonderful. If you twisted my arm I'd choose Smashbox Ablaze. I just love that palette too much!
When I got the Bird of Paradise palette I also go the Elf Mad for Matte Summer Breeze Palette. I think it may actually be a better dupe for the Smashbox Ablaze so I'll be doing a Product VS for them soon!
If you haven't already, you can check out my full reviews of Smashbox Ablaze and Elf Bird of Paradise.
Thanks so much for reading this post! I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a like if you did, it's much appreciated!
Photo Credit: Photo taken by me with a Canon EOS Rebel T5 with an 18-55mm lens and edited by me in Photoshop. **This post was not sponsored**
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