Friends, this review has been a long time coming. This palette has been sitting on my Ulta wishlist for months, and by an act of sheer willpower I've held out on buying it until now. Yes my makeup collection is totally OTT, but I do honestly try to exercise some restraint when it comes to shopping for new beauty products. And while I've got an especially weak spot for eyeshadow palettes, I'm actually pretty good about not going out and splurging on every single one that catches my eye.
So for the better part of 2016 I've hemmed and hawed about buying this bad boy. Did I really need it? Probably not. But the colors were SO gorgeous and the price was SO great that eventually I gave in to my undying curiosity. So what is this magical little beauty? The Makeup Revolution New-Trals vs. Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette, of course!
New-Trals vs. Neutrals really does take the whole concept of the "neutral eyeshadow palette" up a notch. Rather than your traditional collection of nudes and browns, this palette also incorporates a variety of peaches, pinks, and burgundies to spice things up a bit. You get 16 gorgeous shades in a variety of finishes - from buttery mattes, to creamy metallics, to pops of glittery goodness. The palette is generally organized with warmer tones in the top row and cooler tones in the bottom, moving from light to dark. As with all Makeup Revolution palettes, the packaging is top-notch, including a large mirror that stays propped up when open and a small dual-ended brush.
At a glance you could easily assume this palette retails for two or even three times its actual cost, which is a whopping $10. I mean, seriously. Can you think of a Maybelline or Revlon palette that beats that price? Aside from the absolutely stunning color selection, the affordability of this palette was really what piqued my curiosity. Makeup Revolution as a whole has really impressed me with the quality of their makeup, and I needed to see for myself how their eyeshadows measured up.
At a glance, the one thing I can say right off the bat is that I really appreciate how well balanced this palette is. You've got light matte shades to highlight or set down primer, mid-toned mattes to transition, and a few darker mattes for creating dimension. Then you have a great selection of light and dark shimmers, allowing you the flexibility to create a more neutral or more colorful look. And while I'm team warm eyeshadows all the way, I appreciate that they threw in some cool and neutral undertoned shades to give the palette a little more variety. In the end I think Makeup Revolution put together a solid collection of on-trend shades that I think a lot of people will get excited over.
So now that you've got a pretty good idea of what we're working with, let's get to swatching!
If there is one word I can use to describe how this palette swatched, it's inconsistent. Some shades are super buttery and richly pigmented, while others feel a bit drier and more difficult to work with. The top row especially was a little bit disappointing in terms of texture and color payoff. New-Tral and Tone were two of the shades I was most drawn to in this palette and both of them were a bit lackluster on the skin. As you can see in the swatches above, the shade Personal was also sort of dry and dusty, not really building up to anything. I have a feeling that with a primer and enough patience you can make these shades work, but it's still a bit of a letdown.
On the flip side, Neutral and Cool were super creamy and amazing as mattes, and Style, Partial, and Buff glided on like pigmented, shimmery little dreams. I'm glad that at least some of the shades in this palette were rockstars, but am always confused as to why they couldn't replicate that same quality across the other colors.
Of course, swatches aren't everything. The way shades work with brushes on the eyes can always be a little bit different, so I created this look to show you guys what these shadows are like in action!
With this look I decided to go for a pink halo effect. I started with the shade Cool all over the lid to set everything down, and then applied Adapt in the crease to transition. Then I applied the color Partial all over the lid, Tone to create depth, and Style as an inner corner highlight. I also smudged a little bit of the shade Custom along the upper and lower lash line to create the illusion of thicker, fuller lashes. This look is definitely a little more colorful and creative than what I would wear on the day-to-day, but I had a lot of fun creating it!
Despite the fact that these shadows swatched inconsistently, they were actually pretty easy to work with on the eyes. I'm definitely going to have to play with this palette a bit more to see what other looks I can come up with, but so far I'm really enjoying it! The shadows also have decent wear time, especially if you use them over a primer, and will stay looking vibrant without fading for several hours.
Is this the best eyeshadow palette I've ever used in my life? Definitely not. Do I think it's worth $10? Absolutely. I think if you look at this palette and fall head-over-heels in love with the color selection, it's entirely worth heading over to your local Ulta to pick it up. To sweeten the deal, Makeup Revolution frequently goes on sale, so if you play your cards right you could probably snag it for an even lower price. I think, with all the hype around warm-toned neutral palettes the New-Trals vs. Neutrals would be an excellent budget-friendly alternative to your Too Faced Sweet Peach or Urban Decay Naked 3 cravings.
Long story short, I'd call this another successful drugstore makeup venture. As always, if you've got a recommendation of what I should check out next, definitely post it for me in the comments down below!
What's your favorite Makeup Revolution palette?
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