I was pretty stoked when I first heard about Maybelline's new The Nudes eyeshadow palette. Twelve neutral shades ranging in finish from matte, satin, and shimmer all for the budget-friendly price of $8.99 USD. I know I've griped before that it takes MONTHS to get the "new" drugstore products in-stock at any of my local retailers (Walgreens, CVS, Target) here in Atlanta. It's like we really are Terminus. Anywho, the reason I mention it here is to explain what took me so long! I picked this up as soon as I saw it at my local Target.
I think it's AWESOME to see a nice eyeshadow palette of this magnitude from a drugstore brand! When drugstore quads are going for $7.00-$9.00 USD a pop, it's pretty amazing to get 12 shadows for the price of 4. Not everyone wants to drop $52 on an Urban Decay Naked palette, so it's wonderful to see Maybelline release a neutral option at a very reasonable price point.
The Nudes is a very well thought-out palette. If palettes ever leave you Googling for ideas, you can safely step away from your laptop with The Nudes. On the back of the palette you'll find instructions for how to use the shadows as quads, trios, and duos! Super simple, handy, and helpful! I think the quads and duos are especially fantastic. Mega props to Maybelline for the thought that went into arranging the colors so they make sense. While the included skinny sponge tipped applicator may not be great for applying color to the lid, it's quite perfect for smudging out liner around the eyes.
Is there anything I don't love? Well...yes. I always like shadows to have names and love for the pans to be labeled. However, that's certainly not a deal-breaker at $8.99. The pigmentation on a few of the shadows is not stellar. The matte ivory and matte black shadows are a bit patchy with or without primer, and the shimmery white shade needs to be packed on to get true-to-pan color. Aside from those three, the shadows are pretty fantastic. The shimmers are especially beautiful and apply like absolute butter!
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| Maybelline The Nudes Palette - Left Side |
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| Maybelline The Nudes Palette - Right Side |
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Swatched first...photographed after. DOH!
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For the swatches below, all shadows were applied over NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base. I have oily lids so eyeshadow primer is a daily do. Even if you don't have issues with fading or creasing, I would recommend wearing a base to unleash the full fury of these shadows.
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| Top row of Maybelline The Nudes Palette |
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| Bottom row of Maybelline The Nudes Palette |
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| Maybelline The Nudes Palette |
Overall, would I recommend this palette? Absolutely! I think it's a fantastic budget-friendly neutral option and I can't say enough how much I love the color arrangement!
Quick and easy bronze EOTD:
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| Bronzey-gold on the lid, medium mauve in crease, shimmery white on brow bone |
All makeup worn:
1. NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz
2. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla
3. MAC Golden Bronzer
4. NARS Madly Blush
5. Maybelline The Nudes Palette
6. MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara
7. NARS Angelika Lip Gloss
Have you tried Maybelline The Nudes? What's your favorite drugstore neutral shadow palette?
