April 11, 2013

NYX The Smokey Shadow Palette Review & Swatches

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

NYX The Smokey Shadow Palette Spring 2013

Word on the street is that NYX The Smoky Shadow Palette is a mere four bucks at Ulta at the moment so you MIGHT want to grab one if you’re looking for a basic, budget smoky eyeshadow palette.

Take a peek!

NYX Smokey Shadow Palette

I’m a little iffy on the NYX The Smokey Shadow Palette but I’m not shy saying that it’s worth the four dollars if you snag it on sale. This comes in a long plastic palette and contains six essential shadows in a range of finishes to create a basic smoky eye look. Colors range from frosty, too shimmer, matte, and even satin so you have a good deal of mediums to work with here. The palette can either create a black smoky traditional eye look, a purple, or a blue smoked eye look depending on what your poison is. It contains highlighting shades, a respectable matte black and shimmering grayish smoky shade, and either blue or purple to take things into the color zone.

I find the palette itself isn’t as well made as some of NYX’s other compacts. It’s a bit dinky and will scratch up easily and possibly crack if you’re too rough with it, drop it, or you just handle it without care. It contains a sponge applicator for application however, using your own brushes is something I’d recommended.

I think the colors are a little iffy as some shades are great yet others are chalky and a bit powdery. The black shades proved the best formula in terms of pigment, blendability, and texture. The colored and lighter shades seemed to have a chalkier finish and a more powdery formula plus they blended rather chalky due to the drier texture.

NYX The Smokey Shadow Palette

NYX The Smokey Shadow Palette 4

NYX The Smokey Shadow Palette 5

NYX The Smokey Shadow Palette Swatches

NYX Smokey Shadow Palette Swatches

Honestly, if you’re super strapped for cash I think four dollars for a palette like this isn’t a bad thing at all. Unfortunately if you’re used to NYX’s single eyeshadows I don’t think the formula is at all comparable as the palette as a weaker formulation with the singles having a far superior one. They are obviously not the same formula. I wouldn’t strongly recommend a purchase unless you’re on a beauty budget. In that case, it is a workable palette that will create a fairly nice eye look but proper care, prepping, and priming is necessary for the best results with colors and a formula like this.

$4 yes but I wouldn’t pay the full retail of $7 or even higher for it than that.

Available now at Ulta and Ulta.com

Anyone try it?

I’d love to hear your experience!

This was provided to me by a brand for review but all opinions expressed are my own

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Cindy Ramirez

    As tempting as this is, I’d rather pay more money for good quality dark colors. Dark blues, purples, and blacks have to be good quality so I can blend them out. Otherwise it’s going to look like a hot raccoon mess!

  • reena

    Hi muse,
    i have Nyx smokey eyes eye shadow pallete (10 shades in that) and i love it!so since that pallete, i have been loving their products (esp nyx jumbo eye pencils)!

    u should try their blushes, they r amazing and very pigmented! thanks for the review!:)

    i should be studying…and i find myself on ur blog…drooling at makeup…

    • the Muse

      hi reena I have that one too and love it much better than this one imho! 🙂 the blushes are fab! I have a slew of ’em! my pleasure! and very flattered you’re hanging out here instead of studying but….go back to studying 🙂 hehe! my blog will be here when you are done <3!

  • Vickie

    I was on the Ulta site and it’s selling for $4.19 BUT the one that caught my eye was the natural eye shadow palette…it’s the same price. I’ve never tried Nyx but the price is right…..
    I did however check the ingredients and the first one on the list is “talc” so I’m not sure about these palettes either…

  • Caroline

    I ordered this a few days ago on Ulta’s website, along with numerous other things from the 40% off sale they have going on right now. I figured the price was low enough to take a risk on this one! Super excited to try it. Thanks for the review! 🙂