All Hail The King: Jeffree Star Blood Lust

With the rise of YouTube and Instagram beauty gurus over the years, the cosmetics industry is fair game for anyone. Enter Jeffree Star: one of the most groundbreaking entrepreneurs in the beauty industry. His net worth alone is around $75 million dollars. Through his YouTube channel and launching his own cosmetics company, Star has garnered a massive following.
Last year, in collaboration with Shane Dawson, Jeffree Star did something no one else attempted to do. Through their documentary, "The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star" viewers got a behind the scenes look at how an eyeshadow palette is produced - from start to finish. The launch of the Conspiracy palette literally broke the internet - Jeffree Star Cosmetics sold 1 million palettes in 30 minutes! 
With Star's successful Blood Sugar and Blue Blood under his belt, he prepared the next new palette: Blood Lust.
What makes Star's makeup so revolutionary? He has perfectly mastered the art of personal branding. Each of his collections are a reflection of his own unique personality. He puts time and energy into producing a high quality product that tells a story. From the names to the formulas, Star is involved every step of the way. He isn't afraid to push boundaries. He is the pioneer of color. No one thought an entire palette consisting of blue colors would sell well - it did. Star isn't traditional. He creates makeup for fans to play with, to experiment, to self-express. Jeffree Star Cosmetics is fearless.
Surprisingly, in the YouTube documentary, Star revealed how low his margins are. Technically he loses money on every palette. It costs $20 to produce each one and he sells them for $52 consistently. By all means, he should charge more for such a high-end product, but he is committed to providing makeup that focuses on the fans and not the money. By doing so, he has become a self-made billionaire. Whatever he touches turns to gold.
Now, to the third edition of the Blood collection: Blood Lust. First of all, the package is sickening. No other company puts as much effort as Star's design team. While the two previous palettes are in the shape of coffins, Blood Lust is a hexagon. The exterior is covered in royal purple faux-velvet and features a golden latch for opening. The interior has a mirror and hosts 18 shades varying from purples, pinks, and darks. Of the three editions, this palette evokes the most emotion. The box itself has a gorgeous gold crown dripping in purple blood and the font echoes that of a fairytale like Sleeping Beauty. The shadow names emphasize the theme from Sworn Enemy to Bleeding Heart to High King. 

I look forward to swatching these colors and living precariously through my best friend who bought the palette. For now, my initial reaction to the color story was that of disappointment. With the reveal, I hoped to see a focus on dark purples and more gold tones. I understand, if one is not careful, purple tones can look unflattering on an eye. I feel Star focused more on wearable tones like pinks and lavenders. So far, when demonstrated, the colors are vivid and appear darker on the skin, so I'm trying not to judge just yet. But still. Shades like "Royal Pain" and "Bleeding Heart" are reminiscent of Blood Sugar's "Tongue Pop" and "Blood Sugar." I expected more from this color story - I felt like Star played it safe and focused more on improving the packaging. On a positive note, I will say "Executioner" and "Royal Queen" look absolutely stunning. 
No matter what I think, Jeffree Star Cosmetics has sold out of the collection and will continue to make its mark in the beauty world.