I'm just human, and I'm afraid that makes me highly predictable. I tend to be always attracted to the same things, to buy clothes in the same cuts and colors, to order the same dishes in restaurants, to enjoy movies and books of the same genres, and, of course, to buy makeup in very similar shades. That's how I have amassed an enormous collection of coral/peachy/apricot blushes. They all look slightly different in the pans, but to be honest they're often impossible to distinguish on the cheeks.

Being so predictable annoys me though. Ideally I'd like to be unique, ever-changing and do unexpected things. You know, like, a snowflake, a butterfly, that kind of stuff. Not a boring girl who hoards coral blush and eats it at night surrounded by 12 cats. Scared by this image of a future that seemed inescapable if I ordered yet another 5 iterations of my usual blush shade with Stila's new Convertible Color palette in the warm-toned Sunset Serenade version, I did a 180 and, against all odds and refusing to listen to my gut feeling, I got the palette in Sunrise Splendor, a very cool-toned shade combo. Boom, take that predictability!

Of course I had second thoughts. In fact, as I'm about to review Sunrise Splendor for you and tell you that I like it a lot, I have this thought in the back of my mind that I should buy Sunset Serenade too, because, you know, "the pretties coral and peach blushes!!". But I'm not listening. For now.


The Packaging



Stila launched both Convertible Color Dual Lip & Cheek Palettes, Sunrise Splendor and Sunset Serenade, with their spring 2016 collection, and they have the brand's signature golden hue. The compact is thin, narrow, and light, making it easy to store and carry around with you. The one thing that drives me nuts is that it's really hard to pop open. I mean, this is the 3rd MILLENIUM people, can we please make palettes that don't break my nails when I try to open them??

The pans are also much smaller than the Convertible Color singles: each pan is about 0.05 oz, vs. 0.15 oz for the full-size singles. They're big enough that you can easily dip a small blush brush in there though. Let's do some math for a second. You get a total of 0.26 oz for $39 in this palette, so that's $150 per oz, while the singles retail for $25, at $167 per oz. So the palette is actually a good value, plus you get to try 5 shades for way less than the price of 2. And you'd never finish the full-size singles anyway.


The Texture

Stila Convertible Colors, from left to right: English Rose, Lillium, Cherry Blossom, Fuchsia, Tulip

Have you ever used one of Stila's Convertible Colors? They usually come in single compacts, and they're cream colors that can be used on the cheeks and lips. I got my first one a few months ago when they were on sale during Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty event, and I really, really liked it. In fact it's my favorite cheek & lip color so far, and maybe even one of my favorite cream blushes. I like it better than Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge, which is basically the exact same product, because the texture is lighter but it packs the same amount of pigment.

The shades in the Sunrise Splendor palette feel similar to what I have experienced with the Convertible Color singles: they melt on contact to become a thin cream, they're really easy to blend on the skin, and they leave a natural matte finish on the cheeks, without ever looking greasy or feeling sticky. Like most products of this type, I like them as blushers more than as lipsticks, but Sunrise Splendor actually has a couple shades that look gorgeous on the lips.

I used to apply all my cream blushes with my fingers, but then I found the perfect brush that makes the result even prettier. It's a fluffy slanted kabuki from It Cosmetics that was part of a Holiday set a couple years ago. That brush blends the Convertible Colors like a dream and makes them look weightless and completely natural. You can still use your fingers though, or any brush with synthetic hair that you like. For the lips, I just dab the color on with my fingertips if I want a subtle hint of color, and I use my usual lip brush if I want a more classic lipstick look.


The Shades

Stila Convertible Colors, from left to right: English Rose, Lillium, Cherry Blossom, Fuchsia, Tulip

Sunrise Splendor contains 5 shades of Convertible Colors in neutral to cool-toned hues, with a rosy theme across the palette. It's definitely not the type of colors I usually buy, but it was actually quite easy to make them work for me and my warm complexion. The included shades are (descriptions by Stila): English Rose, a dusty rose, Lillium, a nude pink, Cherry Blossom, a bubble gum pink, Fuchsia, a bright pink, and Tulip, a deep berry. English Rose is new and exclusive to this palette, all the others are available as singles. All the shades are very pigmented so you have to go easy on the cheeks, while they deliver semi-opaque finish on the lips. None of them has any shimmer or pearl of any kind. Let me give you my quick thoughts about each shade:

- English Rose looks like a neutral brown in the pan, but the rosy tone really comes out when applied, especially on the lips. I think Stila's description of a dusty rose is on point. It's still a neutral enough shade to look like a nude on my cheeks for a no-makeup light contour.

Wearing Stila Convertible Color in English Rose on cheeks & lips

- Lillium isn't so much a pink as a peachy beige if you ask me. This one is a perfect nude blush but a bit lighter than my natural lip color.

- Cherry Blossom is, indeed, a light bubble gum Barbie pink. This is the kind of shade that freaks me out and for the life of me I can't wear it on my lips. I does look lovely on the cheeks however, just adding a hint of fresh pink to my complexion. To be noted: Cherry Blossom looks completely off in the pictures of the palette you see on most retailers' websites. It's a strong cotton candy pink, not a light peachy shade AT ALL. Based on those pictures I thought this could be a highlighter, but nope.

- Fuchsia is a fierce blue-based medium pink. Maybe a little lighter than what you'd expect from a shade bearing that name. Light complexions like mine should be light-handed when using it on the cheeks, but it's a very brightening color that adds radiance to the face. It works beautifully on the lips too.

- Tulip looks like a bordeaux in the pan, but it's a cool, reddish deep berry on the skin. It may sound a bit scary as a cheek color for light skin tones but it's doable: apply VERY lightly and blend, blend, blend. It gives a sophisticated kind of deeply flushed look that I think I'll wear more in the fall/winter - and did I mention it makes the green in my eyes pop? It's also lovely on the lips if you like berry colors.

Wearing Stila Convertible Color in Tulip on cheeks & lips

I'm glad that I went out of my comfort zone to buy this palette in Sunrise Splendor, because it's full of shades that I don't already own 335 versions of! Although the shades lean cooler they worked really well on my warm complexion, and with their intensity I think the palette has something for every skin tone. I really love the easy-to-use Convertible Color formula and I can warmly recommend this versatile palette to cream blush lovers and beginners alike! And I may buy it in Sunset Serenade too.



The product featured in this review was purchased by Lulle. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links.