review: maybelline the nudes palette

Several weeks back, I watched a video from Beauty Broadcast announcing a new eyeshadow palette from Maybelline. Yes, an eyeshadow palette at the drugstore. Let me just say: I got excited. The drugstore is loaded with duos, trios, and quads....but rarely any palettes. And certainly none like Maybelline's The Nudes palette.

This band new eyeshadow palette isn't just different for the drugstore. It comes with 12 shades in different netural colours, like taupe, brown, rust, and black. While I wouldn't compare the shades to any of the Naked Palettes from Urban Decay, at $14 this is an affordable way to add some neutrals to your makeup collection.

Let me just say, there are some good and not so good things about this palette. Are you ready to find out what they are? Here is a closer look at the palette itself - and of course, the swatches.

Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette:

Swatches: Top row and Bottom row (as shown)

The Good:

- Great price. Coming in at $14CDN this palette is a great choice for budget conscious beauties.
- A wonderful range of neutral eyeshadow shades. There are browns, creams, blacks, taupe, golds, and rust.
- The shimmery shades are very pigmented and have great staying power.
- Packaging for this palette is sleek, simple, and sturdy. Plus, it isn't massive or bulky. That makes it simple to store or take with you!

The Bad:

- It comes with a small sponge applicator rather than a shadow brush. This was a total missed opportunity!
- Certain shades lack pigmentation, particularly the lighter colours and matte shades.
- Fall out can be an issue, so use a primer and apply carefully.

There are many looks I could have created with this palette. For my first attempt, though, I used the gold shade, the rust shade, and the taupe colour. This is how it turned out:

Overall, this is a bit of a hit and miss type of product. While it is undoubtedly exciting that there is a nude eyeshadow palette available at the drugstore....this leaves something to be desired. The shimmery shades are gorgeous - but the matte ones were a letdown. They just lacked the texture and pigmentation I expect from an eyeshadow.

Have you tried this palette yet? What did you think of it?

xo Shannon