In between running around NYC looking at studios masquerading as one bedrooms and shopping for the apartment I’ve yet to actually sign a lease on*, I’ve taken up a new hobby in the form of shopping for neutral eye palettes. I’m not sure how one relates to the other (they don’t) but I felt like giving you guys a quick summary of what I’ve been up to these past few weeks.
I don’t know what the impetus was for this new found love of all things neutral but I’m sure it was somewhere in between Urban Decay’s Naked 1 (holy grail) and Naked 2 (not so much holy grail). I used to long for bright blues and vivid hues but here I am proclaiming my love for warm an cozy every day colors.
It could also very well be because the beauty industry as a whole has gone nude because very one and their momma is releasing an eyeshadow palette got to replace your entire makeup collection (lol as if that’ll ever happen). Below is a breakdown of a few I’m loving.
Sigma Beauty Warm Neutrals Eye Shadow Palette: released last month, this was my go-to makeup item all throughout December. The 12 colors are warm and rich varying between shimmers, frosts, sheen, and matte finishes. As my first time trying out sigma eye makeup, I was loving the texture of each shadow. Neither chalky or powdery, these applied nicely without primer and lasted me through all of my holiday parties and now stands at attention on my vanity.
‘The NARSissist’ Eye Palette: named after its social media handles, NARS took 15 of their best-selling hues and put them in one handy palette. While I prefer the texture of the cinematic eyeshadow the brand released in the Guy Bourdin collection, this is a nice palette for those who love the brand and is looking to invest in a collection without having to worry about depotting and spending too much. To best benefit from these, apply a primer underneath for ease of application. Also do yourself a favor and follow them on Instagram and Twitter - @NARSissist is one I the few beauty brands that’s able to sell me products and entertain at the same damn time.
Urban Decay Naked 3: I was on the fence about this and truth be told only ordered it because of the hype (and I’m sorta Type A so there was no way I wasn’t going to complete my naked collection). While Naked 2 left me yearning for more, Naked 3 surprised me with its rose toned neutrals - something I’ve never actually owned before. All of my nude eyeshadows tend to be on the brown side á la Naked 1, but these colors are pretty and oh so buttery. There are some colors I could do without (the really pale ones) but dear lord I need a full sized version of Buzz, Trick, and Factory.
Smashbox Full Exposure Palette: I probably own like four Smashbox items so I was shocked at how quick I was to hit “Add to Cart” with this one. I haven’t played around much with it but I can definitely say this is the palette to reach for when creating a smokey eye (the NARS is perfect as well but since that’s sold out - WOMP! - it may be worth looking at this one in the meantime).
Too Faced The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette: whatever I picked this up only because a) I had time to kill before going to view an apartment, and b) each shade supposedly smells like cocoa. I mean. Hello. 16 matte and shimmer shades that smell like chocolate, housed in a chocolate like tin. The highlight shades do scare me (the matte more than the shimmer) because there’s an epidemic of supremely highlighted brow bones in African American women and I refuse to become one of them.
Clinique All About Shadow 8-Pan Palette: Holy wow, Clinique! I typically go to Clinique for foundations or skincare but this came as a total surprise. Although it’s a tinier palette than any of the others mentioned, its compact nature makes it perfect for on-the-go.
Honorable mention goes to not a palette but a few affordable eyeshadows that you can put in a palette: Makeup Geek eyeshadows. I guess being an OG beauty blogger, Marlena knows what women are looking for. Her individual shadows are like buttah and sooooo pigmented. At $6 each (those in a pan are $12) I love the formulation and longevity. My favorite shades are: Brown Sugar, Glamorous, Gold Digger, and Mocha.
Disclosure: samples were provided for editorial consideration.
