Don't you just love it when things fall into place? A couple of weeks ago I was feeling in need of a little retail therapy (bad day at work and narrowly missing out on a job I really wanted) and at the same time Debenhams sent me through another £5 Beauty Club voucher. I initially wasn't going to use it but then I ended up on the Debenhams website and the stunning gold packaging caught my eye. I had thought about maybe getting the Full Spectrum or Moondust Palettes, but I wouldn't get the use out of them, so I decided this would be the way to go. I don't have any of the Naked Palettes, or any higher end neutral eyeshadow, so once I reasoned it out this actually began to sound like an investment more than retail therapy.
Look at how pretty it is. Both the box and the top of the palette have this glorious, ridged sunburst design. It feels really chunky and sturdy, and you'd do some damage if you chucked it at someone (why do I think about these things).
It's so pretty. That textured writing... Dam!
Inside you get twelve 1.2 gram eyeshadows in a range of gorgeous neutral colours, a very good sized mirror and a double ended brush.
Look at all those neutrals.
Top row finger swatches.
Bottom row finger swatches.
This is the brush and it is the devil. When I did the brush swatches below I thought I was in trouble. You can see from the see from that photo, there seems to be a lot of fallout and there was a lot of powder kicked up in the pans that did not seem good. I found that odd as there really wasn't any with the finger swatches.
Turns out that's just this the brush though. These shadows perform beautifully with any other brushes, I usually use Real Techniques or Eco Tools brushes (and occasionally some very cheap ones from years ago) and with all of them, they're totally fine. I washed the brush and tried it with other shadows that are usually absolutely fine (Sleek and Makeup Revolution) and it did the same thing. Even if you only use it to blend it seems to pick up and flick product. It's my least favourite thing about the whole palette. The shadows actually perform better than the picture suggests. I just felt it was important to use the brush included so you were seeing it exactly as it is.
Every time I've done a full face of makeup since I bought this palette I've used it, either or its own are as a base for more sparkly and colourful looks. The shadows apply beautifully and blend really nicely (as long as you don't use the brush that came with it). I love using nudie or comando and then blending out with a little instinct or lethal for an everyday look. For more interesting looks I've been shaking it up with the Sleek Bad Gal palette I featured in my November Favourites and did full swatches in the Smoke and Mirrors giftset review. I've been using my everyday colours and then using the purple or silver out of the Sleek palette to make them pop.
They also last brilliantly and don't crease. I've tried a variety of different bases and primers and they still don't budge. I was so impressed.
Final thoughts, yes this is expensive. Even with my £5 off its still more than I've spent on a single make-up item up until now. And yes, the brush is crap. The shadows though... They are so good. They apply beautifully, blend really well and last all day without creasing. If this is the standard Naked shadow formula then I want them all (maybe if I get some Debenhams vouchers for my Birthday/Christmas I'll grab a different one, please send me recommendations). I would really recommend this to anyone looking for a good quality, matte, neutral palette.
XOXO Scruffy
Enquiry? Message me ascruffyduck@gmail.com
(Just a wee note. I live in Scotland and we're currently in Winter. We get about 9 hours daylight a day and I spend that in work so sorry about the badly lit photos)
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