Product Review -- It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Matte Vol. 2 Romantics Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette

Almost two years ago, I bought the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Matte Vol. 1 Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette and instantly fell in love.

The palette contains 14 matte shadows that boast a fabulous creamy, smooth, blendable formula and one shimmery "transforming" shade that gives you the option of changing the finish of the matte shadows if the mood strikes.

It is a completely wearable, easy-to-use, fabulous palette.

So when I heard that It Cosmetics was coming out with another palette in the line, I was ready to hand over my money without a second thought.

The Naturally Pretty Matte Vol. 2 Romantics Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette follows the same format at the Naturally Pretty Vol. 1 to a tee.


It comes in the same cardboard compact covered in a velvet-like material, though it's more of a purple-y pink for Vol. 2 than the pale pink of Vol. 1. Inside, there is a small mirror that's probably adequate for touch-up, but not so great for doing  a full face of makeup.

It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Matte Vol. 2 Romantics Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette

Like Vol. 1, Vol. 2 contains 14 matte shadows and one shimmery shade: Peaceful, ivory ; Hope, beige; Sweetness, pale pink; Enchanting, dusty lilac; Devotion, smoky plum; Fate, a dark reddish brown; Embrace, rosy brown; Mystery, dark charcoal; Adore, peachy tan; Tranquility, pale sage; Desire, rosy peach; Romance, rose pink; Trust, light navy; Poetic, light gray; and Transforming Pearl, shimmery ivory.

From l. to r.: Peaceful, Hope, Sweetness, Enchanting, Devotion, Fate, Embrace, Mystery

From l. to r.: Adore, Tranquility, Desire, Romance, Trust, Poetic, Transforming Pearl, Transforming Pearl over Trust

Just a with Vol. 1., the matte shadows in this palette are some of the nicest that I've ever worked with. They are smooth, creamy, and blend like a dream, but they're nicely pigmented as well. They do kick up a little bit of powder when you run your brush through them, but I don't notice much fallout during application.

The shades in Naturally Pretty Romantics lean toward the pastel-y, feminine side of the spectrum as opposed to the colors in Vol. 1., which feel more natural and earth tone-y. I feel like there is a good balance between light, mid-tone, and dark tones as well, so it feels like a pretty complete palette.

My favorite shades are the pink and purple tones, including Enchanting, Devotion, Desire, Romance, and Embrace, but they're are quite nice -- and wearable.

The Transforming Pearl shade can be layered over any of the shadows to lighten them up and provide a shimmery finish. It also works well as a brow bone or inner corner highlight. Personally, I like to just dab a little bit over the center of my lid over any of the matte shades just to brighten up the overall look.

Comparing Vol 2. to Vol. 1. there are some shades that are similar, but none that are identical so I think you can justify having both. If forced to pick between the two, I think I would give the edge to Vol. 2. just because it offers more unique matte shades that are a little more fun to play with.

You can purchase the palette for $42 at the It Cosmetics website and Ulta.

Have you tried the It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Matte Vol. 2 Romantics Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette? Which shades are your favorites?