Time for another Dupe or Dud showdown! Today we’re going to see if Makeup Revolution’s Iconic Pro 1 palette is a dupe for the LORAC PRO palette (which just happens to be a long time favorite of mine). The Iconic Pro palette had it’s work cut out for itself trying to prove to me that it was just as good my LORAC. Did it succeed?? 🙂
If you’ve missed any of my previous Dupe or Dud posts, you can find them all HERE. I’ve done four to date and can’t wait to dive into my next dupe test. If you have any suggestions on what I should test out next, leave it in the comments!
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Dupe or Dud: PRO Palette vs Iconic Pro 1
Disclaimer: I am very picky when I do my dupe or dud posts. There are SO many videos, posts, and pins going around right now claiming that so many drugstore products are dupes. And more often I feel like it’s just because they look similar or have similar claims.
That does NOT mean it’s a dupe in my eyes! I want the drugstore product to PERFORM and LAST just as well (or better!) as my high end product. Just because a drugstore foundation applies as well as a highend does NOT make it a dupe if the drugstore foundation breaks down after an hours worth of wear and the highend can take you through a 14 hour day. Does all that make sense? Am I alone in my view on this?
The Products
LORAC Cosmetics PRO Palette | Retail: $44 | LORAC’s velvety-smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO. PRO Palette contains 16 Eye Shadows and a Mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer for stay-true color that lasts, a PRO must-have!
Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro One Palette | $12 | This ‘Super-Elite’ reformulation of eye shadows brings you more impact with easy to blend, soft and butter-like application, allowing you to create super-elite performance eye looks.
The Swatches
Makeup Revolution is on the top, LORAC is on the bottom.
All swatches are done without primer, swirling my finger once in the pan, and once on my arm.
The first four mattes from the top row! In the same way that White from LORAC has sparkle in the shadow, so does Ghost. Must is much more cool-toned than Taupe.
BTW, I apologize for the top row being out of focus. I got my first DSLR camera and (obviously) am still learning it. :-/
Last four mattes in the palette. Very similar in color, though obviously LORAC has more pigmentation and intensity than the Makeup Revolution. Pitch is, to be blunt, a disappointing black. But more on that later…
First four shimmers in the palette. All very similar in color, except for Champagne and Dawn — the LORAC is more pink and the Makeup Revolution one is more silver/white.
Last four shimmers in the palette. The most impressive shades out of each palette, in my opinion! Addicted and Deep Purple are different shades of purple, though to be honest I prefer Addicted for a purple because Deep Purple looks almost black on the lids.
The Similarities
Shade Selection
There is no denying that these palettes LOOK identical. Don’t need me to tell you that. 😉 Makeup Revolution is known for coming out with ‘dupes’ for popular high end palettes — even the name is similar. Just with a more wallet-friendly price than LORAC. The top of the Iconic Pro 1 feel similar to the PRO palette packaging, though the bottom of the Makeup Revolution palette is just black plastic, no velvety feel to it.
Bonus Items
They’re not the same, but both palettes do come with something extra along with the palette. The LORAC PRO comes with a deluxe size of this eyeshadow primer, which lasts a long time (my first tube lasted 9-12 months). The Iconic Pro 1 includes this dual-ended brush. One side is a flat shader brush and the other is a blending brush that’s a little pinched at the bottom to make it nice to blend out shadows in the crease. It’s a nice brush. Isn’t like a Real Techniques, but it isn’t one to throw out either. It works if you need it to. 🙂
Looks You Can Create
I did several eye looks using my LORAC PRO palette on one eye, and the Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 palette on the other eye and more often than not, they looked identical. Picture above is my favorite go-to eye look when I reach for my LORAC PRO: Cream as a browbone highlight, Nude on the lid, Taupe and Sable in the crease, and Espresso to deepen up the outer corner. For the Makeup Revolution side I used: Luna on the browbone, Need on the lid, a mixture of Must and Drama in the crease, and Afflicted in the outer corner.
The Differences
Ease of Use
Okay, so while right above this I say that you can achieve the same eye looks…I have to also add that it’s not with the same effort. The Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 palette takes about 2 to 3 times longer to achieve the same look as the LORAC PRO palette. It takes more building up, more blending. For example, Breathe can look like a transparent color with shimmer if I don’t use Fix+ first and layer it on. Need required several dips back into the pan to pack on the color. Pitch, as already mentioned, isn’t very pigmented, so to compete with the awesomeness that is the LORAC PRO Black….it took a lot of effort, lol! 😛
Shadow Name Placement
The LORAC PRO palette has the names printed on the palette (which I love) but the Makeup Revolution only gives the names on a (flimsy!) piece of plastic. I don’t like when they’re only on these inserts — I know I’m going to loose it some day! Another point about the names: Makeup Revolution is very creative and LORAC is more descriptive. This is totally personal preference, but I like the way the names of these LORAC shadows let you know what shade to expect when you use it.
Pigmentation/Consistency
The LORAC PRO palette shadows all have a very buttery, creamy texture. If you’ve never felt this palette…go to Ulta or Kohls and feel it right now! It really is a delight to work with and feel! In contrast, the Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 palette is more dry and flat. Some shades feel smooth, but for the most part I noticed a sharp contrast when I was swatching all of the colors on my arms.
Longevity
Okay, so a little backstory: I have very oily eyelids and one of my eyes is more hooded than the other. So that hooded eye is the one I always like to test and keep an eye on when trying out new products because it’s notorious for creasing and fading. That’s the reason I LOVE the LORAC PRO palettes so much — they never crease or fade! So with the Iconic Pro 1 palette I found about 50% of them creased on that eye before the end of the day. And a few shades would fade bad. I used Addicted and Pitch to smoke out the outer corner one day and not only were they difficult to blend, but they wore away patchy throughout the day. Not cool.
So, Is It A Dupe?
This is SO hard to call… (I couldn’t even use my typical “yes” or “no” sign, that’s how hard this is!) I believe that the Iconic Pro 1 palette will be a dupe for some, and not for others. Let me clarify that: read below and see what category you fall into…
This IS a Dupe
You have dry eyelids. The shape of your eyes isn’t hooded or creased. Budget is too tight to be picky. Want to see if you’d use the LORAC PRO enough to warrant the splurge someday. Putting extra time to make eyeshadows work doesn’t bother you. Every day eye looks are more your thing than deep, smokey eyes. You are an “eyeshadow bully” (term coined by Dani).
This ISN’T a Dupe
You have oily eyelids. Your eyes are hooded or you have issues with creasing. Using Fix+ or a colored base isn’t how you roll. Ease of application and blendability is more important than price. Smokey and dramatic eyes are your go-to.
I really, really, really hope this breakdown was helpful and that I didn’t make anyone upset. As I said from the beginning, I am being very picky in my dupe or duds this year. And I have to be honest with you guys! This just isn’t a dupe for MY skin and MY preferences. I don’t forsee myself keeping the Iconic Pro 1 palette in my collection for long because when it comes down to it…I would prefer working with the LORAC PRO palette.
Tell me your thoughts, please! After reading my pros and cons do you consider this a dupe for your preferences? Let me know if you plan to purchase the Iconic Pro 1 or the PRO palette 🙂
Any questions about my disclosure, read here. 
Thank you for your support!
