Review -- Maybelline The Nudes Palette

For several years now, nude or natural eye shadow palettes have been all the rage in the makeup world.

I totally get it -- they're completely wearable and usually easy to use.

Even if you're a fan of more colorful looks, it helps to have one of these natural palettes in your collection so you have plenty of transition and highlight shades to complement your bolder shadows.

But while you can't really turn around in Sephora or Ulta without finding a natural palette from Urban Decay, LORAC, Tarte, etc., there hasn't been a drugstore version -- and by that I mean, an actual palette, not just a quad or duo of pretty nude or natural shades.

Maybelline obviously saw an opportunity to corner that market and have introduced their The Nudes Palette as a budget-friendly nude eye shadow palette.


It's definitely hard to argue the value -- you get 12 shadows for about $9.99.

Compare that to the $54 price tag on the Urban Decay Naked Palette or the LORAC Pro Palette's $42 price tag, and it's certainly kinder on your wallet.

But that doesn't really matter much if the palette doesn't perform well, right?

Personally speaking, I think that The Nudes Palette is really nice for a $10 palette -- but there is definitely a difference between the quality of these shadows and those in Urban Decay's or LORAC's versions.

The palette contains a good blend of light, mid-tone, and dark shades so you can create a variety of looks. The back of the palette even includes some suggestions on possible combinations, so if you're not good at coming up with your own eye looks, Maybelline takes some of the guesswork out of it for you.

Maybelline The Nudes Palette

Maybelline The Nudes Palette back

You'll also find a mixture of shimmer, metallic and matte finish shadows -- and there is some difference in pigmentation in terms of the finishes. For example, the matte shadows don't seem to be as pigmented as the metallic or shimmer shadows, which are actually quite nice for drugstore shadows.

Maybelline The Nudes Palette first row swatches

Maybelline The Nudes second row swatches

In my opinion, the best way to use this palette is with a slightly sticky colored base beneath the shadows -- the Maybelline Color Tattoos are especially good for this. (I'd recommend Tough as Taupe, Bad to the Bronze, or the new Color Tattoo Leather in Creamy Beige in particular.) It really makes it easy to build up the color intensity that way -- though I find that you can build up all the shadows, even on their own, if you work hard enough.

With a primer beneath the shadows, I haven't had any problems with creasing or fading either.

I would definitely recommend this palette -- I mean, it's only $10 so it's not going to break the bank.

However, I do think that it's better suited to some folks more than others.

If you're on a budget and haven't been able to pick up any of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes, the LORAC Pro Palettes, or any of the other high end nude palettes, I would pick this up without hesitation. If you're someone new to the world of makeup -- or the friend/family member of someone starting out -- I think the palette is a no-brainer as well.

If you already own the Naked Palette or the Pro Palette, though, you can probably pass on this.  It doesn't have any shades that you don't already have and it doesn't really match the quality of those.

Have you tried the Maybelline The Nudes Palette? Are you a fan? What's your all-time favorite nude palette?