Smokey Nude Palette

3 Reviews

1. 

   enragedBaboon2

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   Edit- I used them over a VERY thin n light application of a MAC paint pot in Soft Ochre today, and they applied very well and lasted. And surprisingly- no irritation as before. Maybe this is the way to make it work fr me.

   I got it really cheap but price is really too high originally. Quality is subpar. Colours are good and the two palest shades have a subtle very very fine iridescence that is interesting. The lasting power is the main issue here- terrible! The pale 2 shades last well nothing else does though! I have used it almost daily fr a couple of months simply to use it up. I really dislike it. Lots of potential but abysmal lasting power and patchy as heck (apart from the caramelized ‘Rust brown’ —which I actually think is the best from all of them). The top two shades irritate my eyelids too. All together, or just using this, these give my eyes a ‘blah’ nothing look— my natural eyelids look better— however I have found I can get use out of it by using in conjunction with any other, more pigmented, eyeshadows of any price range. Not recommended

2. 

   boastfulOatmeal6

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   EDIT(12/01/18): I think I was overly harsh in my initial review and should have focused more on the palette itself rather than the lack of information provided by retailers. I’ve upped my rating from 2 to 4 lippies in light of this. This is an excellent, versatile everyday eyeshadow palette and one of the few that contains COOL neutrals. I think there’s a great lack of cool neutral palettes on the market and the shades included in this one flow together beautifully. Yes, none of the shades are new but they are classics for a reason! I would recommend this to anyone looking for cool everyday neutrals.

   I have to say that as a Kevyn Aucoin fan, I was truly disappointed in this palette. In particular, I found the marketing to be extremely misleading – this is being promoted as an ‘exclusive Limited Edition Essential Eyeshadow Set’ when in reality it is just a collection of permanent shades that have long been available as singles. More on my in depth thoughts below. I’ve also posted a picture of the palette, a picture of the shade descriptions on the back as well as swatches of the different shades.

   CLAIMS:

   Here’s how The Smokey Nude Palette is described on Barneys website:

   “This five-pan palette is a first ever, exclusive combination of best-selling and new fashion forward smokey nude eye color shades. Velvety textures in both matte and satin finishes transition easily from from day to night.”

   I don’t know about you but I definitely interpreted this as implying that the eyeshadows were all ‘first ever’ , ‘exclusive’ and ‘new fashion forward’ shades. The one hint at the truth included in the description is the mention of the palette being a ‘combination of best-selling’ colours. However, even if you allow that, the statement is still misleading; there is no combination of old and new shades – EVERY single shade in here is a permanent KA eyeshadow. If you’re a KA fan (and I’m guessing it’s mostly KA fans who will be interested in this LE palette), you probably own some of the shades already. I already had two in my collection – Hint of Peach and (I subsequently discovered) Coffee Bean.

   SHADES INCLUDED: Hint of Peach, Mauve, Rust Brown, Soft Clay and Coffee Bean.

   – Rust Brown is available in the Sugared Peach/Rust Brown Shimmer Duo (permanent)
   – Mauve is a straight up dupe of Faded Heather (permanent matte single), albeit a tad chalkier and slightly less pigmentation
   – Hint of Peach, Soft Clay and Coffee Bean are all permanent matte singles

   I didn’t find out what the shades were until the palette arrived. Retailers are being pretty disingenuous with regard to their refusal to display this info clearly on the product page.

   For someone looking for an eyeshadow palette of cool neutrals, this is a great choice (well, there aren’t many choices, but this performs well.) Compared to the The Essential Eyeshadow Set in #1, the Smokey Nude Palette is cooler, incorporates a few non matte shades and does not include repeat shades. The mattes in The Smokey Nude Palette are a little less strong. Hint of Peach, which I also own as a single, is more powdery here but still almost opaque and creamy in terms of texture.

   OVERALL GRADE: B+/A-. Initially, I wrote this off as an unexciting palette of repeat shades but I’ve been reaching for it so often I had to go back and revise my initial review. Neutrall/nude eyeshadow palettes really need to deliver in terms of quality if only to set themselves apart from all the other neutral nude eyeshadow palettes available. This one may not be perfect but it’s one of the best cool neutral palettes on the market.

3. 

   alertMare8

   Reply

   This is a STUNNING palette. I believe it’s limited edition and only available at Barney’s, so I’m picking up a backup or two.

   Palette itself is sturdy metal/plastic, and clicks shut securely (and satisfyingly). It also slowly opens itself when triggered. Size is slightly larger than credit card, and reasonably slim so it fits in my small makeup bag.

   Contains 5 colors, all the same size. Light nude-ivory, light/medium nude, medium cocoa/pink/nude, a slightly darker shimmer/satin cocoa/pink nude, and an espresso brown. All colors are very slightly cooler and a bit pink. They’re still neutral, but on the cool side. I think they’d work for most light-medium dark skin tones. Lighter skin tones will enjoy this the most.

   Finish is a velvet matte, except for the shimmery shade, which is a very fine satin/shimmer–no glitter or frostiness. The formula lasts well without creasing, even on my hooded/oily eyes. Smells like roses, like Cle de Peau products.

   I’m NC15/20 and pretty neutral, and this palette is hands-down the nicest I’ve tried for my skin tone and taste. If you’re looking for a palette that contains a full range of light, medium, and dark nude shades, and you’re a fan of satin and mattes, this is for you!