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Monday 23 May 2016

Veracious Product Review: Natasha Denona Eye Shadow Palette 5 in #10

Hi, everyone! I've you've heard of Natasha Denona eye shadows, you probably know two things about them: a) they are insanely pigmented and b) they are ridiculously expensive. The brand's initial releases were incredibly beautiful shadow palettes that feature the most lovely selection of 28 shades each. Perhaps the prettiest eye shadow palettes I've seen! Problem is, these 28-palettes are $239 USD each. They actually offer a payment plan, which is another hint at their popularity and their price. Although the value of the larger palettes is actually pretty good (less than $10 per shadow, and they're top-notch), when makeup products are much more than $100, I just can't pull the trigger. As such, I thought Natasha Denona shadows would be forever beyond my grasp. That is, until I spotted the newer Eyeshadow Palette 5s at IMATS! These 5-pan palettes from the brand are $48 USD each, a price that felt much more do-able. So here we are! 


The Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 5s come in white plastic packaging with a clear portion on the front that allows you to see that shadows inside. The packaging is by no means luxurious, but feels sturdy enough and is also quite sleek and compact. There are an impressive 13 palettes in the collection, including colour palettes from blues, to neutrals, to pinks. Each of the shadows in the palettes are individually named and are 2.5g each (MAC shadows are 1.3g each).

I had a terrible time choosing which palette to buy, as each and every option was beautiful with at least one truly standout shade in each. In the end, I opted for #10, a stunning mix of golds and purples. 



The shades in palette #10 are:

Satin Skin- a neutral mid-tone brown with subtle silvery shimmer
Vintage- a mid-tone cool metallic plummy neutral
Aubergine- a matte, deep eggplant purple
True Gold- a glitzy, glittery cool olive gold
Nina's Orchid- a semi-matte, vivid warm lilac

Here are swatches of the shadows on my inner arm (MAC NC15 skin tone), using fingers and no primer underneath (first in natural light, then under my artificial bathroom lighting). As you can see, they are beautifully pigmented! 



And here is a look I created during my first go-around with the palette. I focused True Gold on the lids, Nina's Orchid on the inner crease, Satin Skin on the outer crease, and Aubergine and Vintage on the outer corners of the eyes. These aren't the clearest photos, as I took them with my phone (there will be a proper Look of the Day using this palette in my next post), but hopefully they give you an idea of how the shades work so nicely together! 



So the swatches look great, but how do they wear? How is the formula? Here's a full breakdown:

Pros:

  • As expected, these shadows are all beautifully pigmented. The matte shade (Aubergine) is the driest, least vivid of the bunch, but still builds up nicely
  • The shadows wear true to colour all day long with barely noticeable fading over the course of a 12-hour day
  • All of the shadows are incredibly blendable and smooth
  • The variety of finishes in the palette allow for truly endless, multi-dimensional combinations
  • The glittery shade (True Gold) is incredibly pigmented (how many times can I say pigmented in this review, seriously!?), which is rarely the case with glitter shadows
  • The packaging, though basic, is sleek and functional
  • Natasha Denona products are not tested on animals! 
Cons:
  • I experience a great deal of fallout when applying these shadows, so I always have to do my eyes before my base when using this palette (which is not my typical order). Luckily, there is very little fallout throughout the day after initial application. 
  • Some might expect more luxurious packaging given the near $50 price tag!

Fallout aside, I could not be happier with this palette! The shades are unique and vivid and all work wonderfully together. The wear time and pigmentation are top-notch and the glittery shade does not irritate my eyes whatsoever. Despite the bold hues in #10, the two left-most shades can be used to create an everyday neutral look and all you have to do is add a pop of True Gold or Nina's Orchid to transform a look into something special! So while I will probably never bite the bullet with the Eye Shadow Palette 28s, I can definitely see more Palette 5s in my future! 

If you're interested, you can check out Natasha Denona Eye Shadows on Beautylish, here

As I mentioned above, you can keep your eyes peeled for a Look of the Day featuring this palette on Wednesday!

Have you been tempted by Natasha Denona shadows? Are you a fan of purple and gold eye shadows? What's been your favourite eye shadow palette of late?

Have a fantastic week! xo


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44 comments:

  1. The quality of Natasha Denona shadows looks absolutely amazing but no way could I justify spending that much! Less than $10 a shadow isn't bad and you got a pretty good deal on this 5 pan palette! Still not something I really NEED in my life though haha :P I love the look you created though!

    Tasha // shiwashiful.

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    1. The quality really is top-notch! The colour combinations are truly unique too. Thanks for stopping by, Tasha! xo

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  2. great review !
    please follow my blog : YOUNG BLOG


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  3. The purples and that gold look really pretty but I agree that the packaging needs to sell a lot more than that in order to be worth that price tag!

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    1. Yeah, the packaging really could be improved, but the quality of the shadows are top-notch! xo

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  4. Beautiful colours & swatches! I am tempted to buy one of these palettes because I don't think I could splash out on one of her large palettes! xx

    Beautylymin| Bobbi Brown Define & Glow Palette Gift Set Giveaway

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    1. Yes, these 5-palettes are the perfect way to try the shadows without breaking the bank- so worth it! :)

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  5. You're gorgeous! The shadows look amazing and I never mind a bit of fall out :)

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    1. Aww, thanks so much, Amy! The shadows truly are lovely :)

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  6. Those shadows are so gorgeous and they look great on you, but that packaging is horrible. Like bottom dollar drugstore. For that kind of pricetag, I'd expect much nicer packaging.

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    1. Thanks, Sarah! Yeah, the packaging could be stepped up a few notches, but I'm loving the shadows!

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  7. This looks so pretty! I'm glad you love it as much as you do because I've heard really mixed reviews about the brand. I'm still so tempted to try a few of her shadows.

    Katherine || The Green Bows

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    1. Yes, the quality has lived up to the raves for me! I'm very tempted to snag a couple more of these- the shade selections are so beautiful and unique :)

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  8. The colours are gorgeous on you but I wouldn't spend that much on a 5-palette. To be honest, the packaging looks quite cheap for the price-point, I would probably assume they were knock-offs it wasn't at IMATs or somewhere reputable

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, the packaging could be much, much better- but I love the quality of the shadows! These palettes have as much shadow as the equivalent of 10 MAC shadows, so I don't mind the price too much! :)

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  9. After paying that much, I would also expect a better packaging, it is not catchy at all! Satin skin and vintage are my favourites, they look gorgeous! Also love the look you created, so colourful :)

    Ela BellaWorld

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    1. Yeah, the packaging isn't sexy, but the shadows are! Thank you! xo

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  10. These colors are gorgeous!! I can't afford this palette at the moment but I will add it on my wish list!

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    Replies
    1. It's so worth checking out when you're able to splurge! :)

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  11. Such pretty shades and the look you created is so you and so pretty! I've kind of given up on shadows though-but in my younger days I would have LOVED these.

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    1. I think the purple shades would look lovely on you! There are also some fab neutral offerings in the range that you might like now. Thanks, Tracy! xo

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  12. These shades are stunning! Love the look you created! :)

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    1. Thanks so much, Natalie! I'm loving them :)

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  13. loving the look you created and I'm still coveting these shadows so bad. I am eyeing the green ones

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    1. Her green shadows are truly stunning! So worth checking out. Thanks, Miranda! :)

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  14. Those colours are so bright! Love your look!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! I love the vivid golds and purples :)

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  15. Great review. I still don't think I could pull the trigger on these, but that gold shade is pretty much to die for. The look you came up with is gorgeous as well!

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    1. Thanks, Kate! The gold shade really is something special :)

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  16. I'm holding out on trying Natasha Denona eyeshadows as my bank account would not be happy, but they look so amazing!! So pigmented and gorgeous!

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    1. Yeah, definitely a purchase saved for when you're up for a splurge! But they're really so beautiful :)

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  17. These colors seem a bit bold for me but the Natasha Denona eyeshadows always look so impressive that I want to try them!

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    1. So worth trying! She makes some lovely neutral palettes too :)

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  18. Ooo the pigmentation is amazing! Natasha Denona makeup is on my wish list, I specially like her metallic shadows. The makeup is gorgeous too, the lip colour goes so well with it! :)

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    1. The metallic shadows really are something special! Thank you :)

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  19. AHHH I can't wait until IMATS in Vancouver so I can get my hands on this!!!

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  20. This shade is the one that I would pick up from the collection. The color are stunning and something outside of things I already own. I just find the palettes expensive for what they are. I'm curious how you think they compare to other brands like Too Faced and Urban Decay. Is there a cheaper option or a dupe for this product?

    Krystal // embraceandignite.blogspot.ca

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    1. I find these shadows to be on par with Urban Decay- which ways a lot, because UD is my favourite for eye shadows! The pigmentation of these is the best I've tried for sure- but there are definitely some MAC singles that would be comparable for a slightly lower price!

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    2. Ooh- you might also look into ColourPop shadows if you're looking for soft, pigmented, affordable shadows :)

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  21. not sure about that fall out but i LOVE the look you did!!! esp with that lipstick!

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All of your lovely comments make my day! Thanks for taking the time to share your musings, ideas, and opinions. Feel free to leave a link to your blog- I'd be happy to check it out :)