In the Nude – Maybelline The Nudes Palette

Nudity is one thing that is hard to pull off and is reserved for the perfect few. Except in makeup. Well, let me clarify. Nude colors can be universally appealing for everyone but actually hard for manufacturers to pull off. These colors either come off too dark or as if you’re not wearing anything which is actually not the point of a nude palette.

My eternal obsession is finding the perfect taupe and nude shade. So I squee’ed when the Duane Reade pharmacy across from work marked down Maybelline makeup to 40% off. $6 for a nude palette of 12 colors. Irresistible cheap thrill! My heart went pitter patter.

Being a big snob I almost never buy drug store makeup now. I scoff at the drug store aisles which are oft for tweens and teens just experimenting with blue eye shadows. EXCEPT for a few cult items, most of the stuff is not sufficiently pigmented or are just the wrong shades. But oh the bargains! And with new technology and insane competition, drugstore brands are really trying to step up their game.

This Maybelline The Nudes palette comes with 12 shades. And they are arranged in such a clever foolproof way that you can easily remember which is the eyelid and which is the crease or defining color. Look at these charts:

I used the middle four colors to create a day and night look. Pls excuse my sloppy day application. All that’s different is that I piled on more shadow and added liner and false lashes for the night look.

For more drama, add red lips!

The colors are actually very true to what it looks like in the palette. They go on medium and are buildable to stronger pigment. The application is very smooth and has minimal fallout. I still would recommend a primer because there’s still some fading at end of day compared to higher end brands. But for $6-10, go for it! It’s a great cheap addition for your gym bag or travel kit. I love this palette!

Pros: inexpensive, strong pigments, very universally appealing, smooth and crease-free

Cons: colors swatches are too similar across the palette, faster fade out than more expensive brands, the darker matte colors do not blend as well as the satins and shimmers.