| Review | Natasha Denona Glam Face & Eye Palette - Light
There's something so delightful about a face and eye palette that I can't seem to resist. I think it's the fact that it removes all the decision-making out of my routine and while that can be fun sometimes, sometimes you just need it all laid out for you so, you don't have to think. I'm an indecisive person but with a palette like this, I can rest easy knowing my makeup is going to look good and all the products complement each other. So, the real question is, will this palette be one I continue to reach for again and again? Read on to find out.
PACKAGING & PRICE
The Natasha Denona Glam Face & Eye Palette - Light retails for $59.00 USD and is available at Sephora and other retailers. This palette has a beautiful reflective light rose gold casing. The case of this palette is beautifully sleek and thin. The size is also reasonable if you're planning on traveling with it. The case is lightweight but still feels luxurious and significant in your hands. The palette has a magnetic closure, which feels very luxurious and modern.
I know one thing that many people have commented on is the interior spacing of the palette. Unlike previous eyeshadow palettes and face palettes, this combined palette has significantly more spacing between the products. This excess spacing is not only aesthetically unappealing but makes many people feel like they are being ripped off because the products don't take up all the space. It makes it feel like there is more packaging than the actual product.
Taking a look at the weight of the products contained in the palette, the eyeshadows in this palette are 0.02 oz/ 0.57 g per eyeshadow, which is less than the eyeshadow contained in the original Glam Palette, which are 0.65 oz/ 19.25 g. The cream blush in this palette is 0.18 oz/ 5 g and the highlighter in this palette is 0.13 oz/ 3.69g of product compared to the creams and highlighter in the Bronze Face Glow Palette are actually smaller with 0.1 oz/ 3.2 g of product. So, while the eyeshadows are slightly smaller, the cheek products are slightly larger.
SHADES
These palettes come in two colorway options, Light and Dark. I am actually impressed that the brand is offering two different colorways because many brands release eye & face palettes all the time but they never consider that the shades wouldn't suit every skin tone! Offering two color options to span all skin tones is very inclusive and considerate. This also leaves medium skin tones options to choose whether to go lighter or deeper in shades, depending on their preference and where their skin tone lies on the spectrum.
I have seen both palettes in action on the Natasha Denona Instagram on a variety of skin tones and I'm very impressed how flexible and versatile these shades are! I chose the lighter of the two palettes because I was really drawn by the shades and I was impressed to see it work well on a dark-skinned model on the ND Instagram demo. It just goes to show how universally flattering both palettes are. Really, all skin tones can choose either palette and the shades will show up beautifully on them.
Cream Blush - This shade is a soft neutral peachy pink shade. The cream itself has a matte finish but it does contain some very small and few flecks of silver sparkle. You can see it in the swatch but it isn't noticeable on the skin. The shade is definitely suitable for fair to medium skin tones, which is what this palette is intended for.
Star Glow Highlighter - This highlighter is a light and slightly warm champagne with very subtle silvery fine reflects. This highlighter has a translucent to it that allows the skin to peek out from underneath the champagne tint.
Inner Corner - This shade is a true champagne shade with a peach-pink undertone. There is also some fine silvery sparkle throughout this eyeshadow.
Transition - This shade is a soft matte, neutral, medium-toned pink nude.
Crease - This shade is a soft matte, neutral, medium-toned milk chocolate shade.
Outer Corner - This shade is coppery rose gold with copper sparkle and very fine bits of silvery sparkle.
Smoke - This shade is a cool matte brown with a gray undertone.
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| Swatches from left to right: Cream Blush, Star Glow Highlighter, Inner Corner, Transition, Crease, Outer Corner, Smoke |
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| Swatches from left to right: Cream Blush, Star Glow Highlighter, Inner Corner, Transition, Crease, Outer Corner, Smoke |
FORMULA
Cream Blush
This is unfortunately the worst part of the palette. I typically adore the Natasha Denona cream cheek formulas but this one is quite dry in texture, which makes it difficult and unappealing to work with. This cream blush is so dry you feel your finger drag on the surface of the blush and when you apply it to the skin, it doesn't blend well and can pick up or move around your base. This texture is so disappointing and I fear that this drier texture may continue to get drier as I own or use the palette.
The formula starts off sheer and you can build the cream but due to the dry texture, you can't easily build the color without removing some of your base product. The finish is a soft satin, which would suit most skin types. This finish gives a natural flush-from-within look. It gives the skin a very powder-like finish but with a cream formula. I don't mind the finish but I am very upset about the quality and performance of the formula.
The blush wears well, despite not applying very nicely. It has a standard cream blush wear time, about five to seven hours, depending on your skin type. The very thin and powder-like formula allows the blush to wear for a bit longer. I just don't like the initial uneven application, while it can be evened out, I find that this patchiness carries into the fading of the product on the skin. This can make the skin look ruddy, instead of an intentional flush.
Highlighter
This powder highlighter has a silky smooth texture and feels almost like a thin cream in the way it glides onto the skin. This highlighter is incredibly pigmented and you only need a very little bit. The powder spreads quite easily so, starting with a small amount will allow you to control where the highlighter goes and how intense it appears. It is best applied with a small brush and picking up just a light tap of the product to start with.
While the highlighter is very pigmented, there is translucency to the highlighter when blended on the skin. This translucency makes this highlighter incredibly elegant and it looks really sophisticated on the skin instead of frosty and stark. This highlighter is complex with a variety of reflective particles of different colors and with the translucent texture, it translates to the skin like glistening water in the sun. It has this gentle glistening and sparkling effect that looks absolutely stunning on the skin and offers a slightly "wet" effect without using a product with a wet texture.
Matte Eyeshadows
This matte eyeshadow formula is rich and creamy. It has a density to it that feels almost like cream more than powder. This makes these powder eyeshadows so easy to use and enjoy. They layer and blend like a dream. I find that these eyeshadows are very pigmented and you really only need to barely tap your brush into the powder to pick up a significant amount of eyeshadow. You can go from a soft application to a very intense and opaque finish.
This matte eyeshadow formula is very blendable and is a delight to diffuse. This formula does kick up a bit of powder when you dip into the eyeshadow but it doesn't actually fallout. This powder eyeshadow adheres really well to eyes without a primer or cream eyeshadow. This is one of the best matte eyeshadow formulas I have tried. It really is a delight to use! It is an easy to use formula, which keeps me reaching for this palette daily.
The matte eyeshadows wear all day long and they looks as fresh as when I first applied them even eight hours into the wear time. These eyeshadows are phenomenal and they really elevate the value of this palette for me. These matte eyeshadows even have a creamy and soft finish on the eyes, which is very beautiful. Instead of a powdery look you may get from other matte eyeshadows, this one is flattering on the skin. It glides over texture and looks very soft on the skin.
Glitter Eyeshadows
These glitter eyeshadows have fairly large particles of shimmer that are densely packed into the pan. While the shimmer and glitter particles are large, I would not describe them as chunky, they are more thin, like very fine confetti. Since the formula contains these larger glitter particles, when applying the eyeshadow with a brush, it does cause a fair amount of fallout. I highly recommend using your fingers to apply this formula because it helps the glitter particles adhere to the skin and your application will be much easier.
These glitter eyeshadow have a density to them, which makes them feel more like a cream, which causes the glitter particles to fuse together and adhere to the skin really well. You can get a sheer and translucent glossy glow effect or you can layer more on to achieve a glitzy and glittering disco eye look. Like the highlighter in this palette, these glitter eyeshadows have a translucency to them that gives that "glistening water in the sunlight" look, which is unique and sophisticated. This unique shimmer texture will give the eyes a "wet look" without gloss or any additional texture.
For a powder, these glittery eyeshadows adhere really well to the skin. You don't need to use a primer or cream shadow to get the glitter to adhere. Due to their creamy texture, they just stick to the lids and it lasts beyond eight hours on the skin. Once applied to the skin, the eyeshadow doesn't fallout throughout the day. These eyeshadows can be easily blended with fingers or a brush.
THE LOOK
For this look, I applied the Transition shade to the crease, and then I deepened the outer crease with the Crease shade. I applied the Outer Corner shade to the center of the lid and the Inner Corner shade to the inner corner of the eye. I then smoked out the outer corner of my eye with the Smoke shade. I applied the Crease and Transition shade to the lower lashine. I finished the look with dark brown eyeliner rimmed around the eyes and mascara. Of course, I also applied the highlighter and cream blush to the cheeks.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This full face palette isn't the most unique as far as shades go, which is the biggest reason why I am hesitant to recommend it. However, the quality of the products is fantastic with the exception of the cream blush. The powder eyeshadows and highlighter exceeded my expectations. These products really make the palette worth it, if you know these are products you will reach for. The blush is by far, the worst product in the palette. I find the formula to be very dry and it isn't a pleasant experience to apply. This cream formula isn't what I expected from the brand and it is my least favorite of their cream formulas. I personally think they should have just gone with an all powder palette. Value-wise, it seems that all the shadows and the cheek pans are smaller than other palettes they have released previously. This combined with the lack of uniqueness with the shades and the poor quality of the blush, I don't think I can recommend this palette. Don't get wrong, it is very useful to have because of the wearable shades and the fact that everything is in one palette. I do reach for this palette often but I think there are probably better options available on the market.
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