Review: Maybelline the Nudes Palette

With all of the neutral palettes available at the drugstore, I decided to try one out for myself! The one that caught my eye the most is the Maybelline The Nudes palette, which includes a dozen shades in a variety of finishes. I’ve put this palette to the test and can’t wait to tell you my thoughts!

The packaging is sleek black plastic with a see-through lid to show you what shadows are on the inside. It’s fairly sturdy, but I’ve had it for a while (at least six months) and some of the metal casings that hold the shadows have started to come out of the palette. They’re easy enough to put back in but it makes me wary to travel with it. A mirror isn’t included in the palette so if you’re used to applying eyeshadow on the go this may not be the best for you!

Now onto the shadows! The Nudes palette includes twelve shadows in neutral colors, from champagne to taupe to bronze. The eyeshadows don’t have names (which is always a bummer to me) but at first glance, I like the assortment of colors and they all seem very wearable. I’m a big fan of neutrals, especially shimmery ones, which this palette has. There are three shades that I would consider glittery, four shimmery/satin finishes, and five mattes. To make it easier to describe them, I’ll number the shadows starting from the top left to the top right, then from the bottom left to the bottom right.

1: A glittery cool-toned cream

2: Taupe with a hint of shimmer

3. Matte cream

4: Glittery bronze

5: Matte taupe

6: Matte dark brown

7: Shimmery dark taupe

8: Matte chocolate brown

9: Glittery gold

10: shimmery dark brown

11: Shimmery cool-toned champagne

12: Matte black

                                                                                First row #1-6

                                                                             Second row #7-12

The glittery shades and I did not get along at all. They are chunky, powdery, and not very pigmented. The bronze, #4, is a bit smoother than the other two glittery finishes but still not as pigmented as I would like. When you blend out the shadow, all that’s left is the glitter.

The satin/shimmery shades are better than the glitters. They’re smoother and less powdery, making them easier to blend and work with.

I’d say that the mattes in this palette are the best. They can be built up to a nice pigment and although they’re a little hard, they still blend and there is little fall-out. The shade I use the most is #6, which I actually use for my eyebrows. They last a good amount of time with a primer.

I like that there are a variety of finishes, cool and warm tones, and shades, but the overall quality of this palette is lacking. I rarely reach for these shadows (except for my brows) and I’m sorry to say that I don’t highly recommend them. Even to swatch these for the photos I had to layer them up to get the desired pigmentation. The Maybelline single shadows are much better in my opinion, and I’ve also heard great things about their color tattoos!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this palette!

Xx Katie