Maybelline The Nudes Palette: Worth The Hype?

Remember that time I did a post saying I wasn't really into the whole eyeshadow thang? Well, times have certainly changed and in the next week or so you're gonna get a few posts coming at you about some recent eyeshadow palette purchases, starting off with this drugstore offering from Maybelline!
When I heard that a drugstore brand was coming out with a full on eyeshadow palette, I had a little freakout sesh. This is the first and only palette of its kind that I've found at the drugstore, since you can usually only find trios and quads. Similar to the concept of the ever so popular Urban Decay Naked palettes, the Maybelline The Nudes palette offers 12 neutral shadows, varying from cool to warm tones and mattes to shimmers for the reasonable price tag of about $15 (probably cheaper if you live in the States!) If that doesn't sound good to you then I don't know what will. Now, let's get into an in depth review of what I truly think about this palette. 
First off, the packaging. For the price tag you really can't expect a very luxe case for these shadows, so the plastic outer shell, while not luxurious, is sleek looking and sturdy enough to protect your shadows from cracking. I do like that it's simple and black and resembles a more expensive option. The biggest gripe I have with the packaging is the lack of a mirror. While I usually use a bathroom mirror or my vanity to get ready, it would be nice to have a mirror inside in case you're travelling or need to touch up your look if you decide to smoke out your shadow for a nighttime appropriate eye. Oh, and I would've appreciated if these shades had their own names because then I wouldn't have as much trouble naming each one - "the third shadow in the bottom row" just doesn't have a nice ring to it!
The eyeshadows themselves are a bit of a hit or miss. They're not all beautifully pigmented and buttery to the touch but some shades do perform better than others. I found that most of the shades on the top row of the palette needed to be packed on heavily to get a decent colour payoff except for the star of the show which is that deep bronze shade (4th on the top). That bronze is the standout of the entire palette and I'd probably buy the palette just for that shade. You can see it in action in my latest video! As for the bottom row, the first shade to the left is basically the powder eyeshadow version of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze, so layering them gives you much better pigmentation! The light gold is decent but I would've definitely loved to see a more richly pigmented finish like the bronze shade on the top row. The fifth shadow on the bottom row is very disappointing and it barely shows up on the lid, so this one needs some definite work to get it to show up. Lastly, the black in the palette isn't very dark, it resembles more of a deep grey, but I think that might be a good thing if you're a beginner so that you don't get too dark of a look, too quickly. I do like that the palette has a variety of cool and warm shades so that you get a bit more versatility but some of the essential shades to create these looks need a lot of work to get them to standout, which is a major bummer.
I definitely like this palette. I can see myself reaching for it because of certain shades within the palette but I wouldn't be completely content with just this palette in my makeup stash. If you're looking for a drugstore addition to incorporate into your eyeshadow selection, this isn't an awful choice! 
So you're not getting a palette filled with highly pigmented, creamy shadows all-round, but some of the shades do work better than others. If you have other eyeshadow palettes that you just love, this may not wow you, but for the price this is an awesome palette for someone who is starting out with makeup and wants to dip their toes into the eyeshadow waters but doesn't want to spend tons of money. Hopefully more drugstore brands jump on the bandwagon and come out with full-size eyeshadow palettes like these. That would make for an interesting palette battle, huh?

The Best Do It All Eyeshadow Palette: Stila In The Light

A few months back I wrote a post about eyeshadow palettes since I was looking to find a good neutral one that could serve me well. After quite the crazy excursion to track down one palette, it finally came home with me and for the last 6 months it's the only thing I reach for! The Stila In The Light Palette is a serious winner, here's why! 
Alright, here are the basic things you need to know. This palette can be found at Sephora for $50 CAD and it comes with 10 eyeshadows (6 shimmers, 4 mattes). Not only that, but the palette also comes with a full size Stilla Stay All Day Smudge Stick in Damsel which is one of the best things they could've added (I really dislike those sponge applicators they always include which usually get thrown away!) The colour selection is neutral but I find that the variety is great to cover all the looks you'd want to create from daytime to night time. 

Packaging wise, I'm not the biggest fan of the cardboard thing but I make it work. It would definitely be better to have a more solid, tin like the newer Urban Decay Naked Palettes though! It does come with a mirror which makes application a breeze if you need to do your makeup somewhere without a mirror (traveling perhaps?) and the inspirational quote is always nice to reflect on as you get ready ;)

When trying to choose a neutral palette, I was obviously directed towards the Naked palettes but this is why I think the Stila offering is better. I think one of the most important things in a palette is to have a good mix between mattes and shimmers and Stila really drivers on that front. Sometimes you really don't wanna go all glitter ball on the lids, so being able to use a matte transition shade on the crease or having a matte dark black shadow to deepen the crease or use as eyeliner is fantastic! The quality of the eyeshadows I think is very comparable to the Urban Decay ones, from what I've felt in swatching them, but I will say that Urban Decay did a little better in so much as the shimmer shades are a bit creamier and give off less fallout than the Stila ones but that could only be said about the shade Kitten. 
I really like how the palette isn't just filled with varying brown shades, since it does include a gorgeous gold, a coppery shade that would work beautifully on green or blue eyes, and a vibrant greyish navy shade. As you can see, there are endless amounts of looks you can create and that would pair well together because I find the shadows in this palette are really complimentary to each other. But, if you're stuck on what looks to create, then there is always the little book with ideas and steps for eyeshade application! 

The Smudge Stick in Damsel is a great addition to the palette and I've loved using it! The colour is a dark black brown and it can be used to add definition but without the harsh effect that a straight up black liner would create. It's really smooth and creamy so it's definitely not a pencil you could do a precise cat flick with, but as the name suggests, it's perfect for smudging across the lash line and it really doesn't smudge at all, which is rare for me to find since all eyeliners end up on my cheeks (whoops!) 

Since I've used this palette to death in the last 6 months, I think I'm gonna write up a post about different looks you can create with it, just to give you ideas! All in all, the In The Light palette is a great starter neutral palette for anyone and it's versatility is incredible. Love all of the options I get with this little guy. 
Side note: Any other eyeshadow palettes you think would be a good addition to my makeup stash? My birthday is this weekend and there may need to be an eyeshadow palette included in the birthday wish list ;)

The Eyeshadow Palette Dilemma

I'm not sure what it is but I've never been the biggest eyeshadow enthusiast. When I just started out with my makeup obsession I went and ordered the Coastal Scents 88 palette which was the it product like 5 years ago. As I started to venture into more makeup products I stopped reaching for eyeshadows when getting dolled up because they were a bit too fussy. I have a slight hooded eye so it can get a bit tricky to to apply shadows. Recently though, all that has changed. My philosophy on eyeshadows hasn't evolved -- if it's not neutral, then I probably won't wear it! So this Christmas I asked for a neutral eyeshadow palette that was versatile and I could use on a daily basis. I'm pretty sure you're all screaming "Get the Urban Decay Naked Palette" but I think I've found a palette I prefer! Say hello to the Stila In The Light Palette!

I honestly swooned over this when I looked up swatches! The shades included offer a good range of different eye looks you can create AND the palette comes with a full-size waterproof smudge stick. Yes please! The shade I'm most excited to use is Kitten, Stila's signature eyeshade shade. It looks like a beautiful all over the lid colour on lazy days.  If you have any more suggestions of eyeshadow palettes, leave them below! 
Verse of the day: "Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy" - Proverbs 31:9