Models Prefer Nude Eyeshadow Palette - review

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I picked up this palette a couple of months ago after hearing so much about it via the various Facebook beauty groups I'm part of. It slipped past my year-long beauty spending ban because I had a Priceline Club voucher that covered the cost.

I decided months ago to stop making those random purchases in pharmacies and supermarkets just because items were half-price and super cheap: I realised halfway through last year that I was spending more on bargain items than I was on the occasional splurge, so I needed to train myself not to throw that $10 blush in the cart just because it was a steal. It's a habit that's so easy to fall into, and one that's pretty hard to break.


Anyhoo. Initially I'd had no plans to buy this palette because I'd tried a Models Prefer baked eyeshadow duo early last year (yes, from the $2 bin while buying toothpaste at Priceline) and it was so rubbish that it went straight into the bin (but not the same one, in case you were wondering ; )).

But this palette has met some pretty good reviews and, for me, the purchase was almost worth it just for the packaging and included brush (which is better quality than you might expect) - this fancy-looking tray is now a display item on my dresser and, if I squint, I can pretend it's the Urban Decay Naked palette (and indeed I use this trick when looking at my husband so I can pretend he's Jason Statham).


Yes, this is a knock-off item - let's be clear on that. Let's also be clear on the following: this little bundle cost $10 for 12 eyeshadows and a double-ended brush, so I'm holding it up to different standards than I might the $68 Stila palette I recently used my Mecca gift card to purchase (thanks Santa).

While I'll as always give it an honest review, my expectations for this are a little lower - I wasn't expecting much so I was pleasantly surprised even though it's certainly not the best makeup item I own, and I'm not comparing it to the good stuff.


As you can see there's a nice range of neutral shades in here. The packaging looks expensive on the outside but more cheapo on the inside. That's ok. I can still pretend I'm looking at a high-end item before I open it.

A quick comment on the brush (below): it's actually better than I expected it to be. Both ends are useful and I'm glad it's double-ended - I've been using both sides and I'd thought the brush would probably be destined for the trash. Not so!


I've been using this palette solidly for a couple of weeks and have jotted down a few general notes that may be useful (then I'll talk about each shadow below):
  • A little grumble: only two of the shades (the first and last - Bare and Cocoa) are matte. I'd have hoped that around half the shades were matte, considering this is meant to be a nude palette and, the moment you add sparkle to something, it doesn't look natural. Hopefully Models Prefer might consider this if it releases a second version.
  • There's inconsistency between, well, the consistency of the shades - so go easy until you're familiar with the palette. Eg if you use Cocoa (which is the hardest) and then stick your brush into Flushed (the softest), you mightn't expect the amount of 'give' in the latter and you risk gauging a hole in it.
  • If you do what I did and go through the softer shades before the darker ones, you'll be surprised by the pigment in the darker ones (as compared to the lighter ones).
  • The last three shades don't blend very well; the others are generally better and easier to work with.
  • Expect fall out. A lot of it. The pans will get little blobs of shadow in them (and they'll stick to your brush), kind of like pilling - so be sure to tap your brush before application to remove these (it'll help with trying to get an even application).
  • Before shovelling on shadow to get your desired level of colour (you may feel you need to do this with shades like Naked), check what you've done in different lighting or you'll risk overdoing it and looking like you've chalked your eyelids.
  • Finally, you may have seen me mention that I often use eyeshadow to line my lower waterline. I wouldn't with this palette - cheaper shadows can be more irritating to eyes (eg because they generally don't use natural or organic ingredients), so I've been reaching for a different eyeshadow instead of any shade from this palette when it comes to the waterline.



Ok, let's have a look at each of the shades (and see swatches in various lights below).
  • Bare - this has more punch than I expected. Use as a brow and inner corner highlight, and also to soften lines wherever you've overdone the application of other shadows. It's one of the harder shades in terms of consistency. It shows up better on my face than it does my arm.
  • Naked - I love the bejesus out of this colour BUT it's not very pigmented and doesn't show up too well (at least on me), so I need to apply heaps of it for any impact. It blends well and is a good transition colour.
  • Afterglow - another one that doesn't show up too well, so you'll need to use a bit of it. But I like the colour on my lids and it can double as a blush if eg you're travelling and you don't have one on hand. Note this is one of the softer shades, so be careful of digging your brush in too hard.
  • Flushed - more pigmented than Afterglow and shows up well enough. Use as a lid colour (maybe transitioning from Afterglow) and can be used to highlight cheekbones (over Afterglow) if you need a highlight that matches the blush well. Note this is the softest, most crumbly shade in the palette, so go easy. I have a feeling this will be the first shade I'll hit pan on (if I ever do ; ) ). Expect fall-out with this one.

*All 12 shades from left to right (in order), outside in direct sunlight - 
note you can hardly see Bare (far left))

  • Nude - this is a gold-toned brown and I'm not a huge fan of it. It's fine in terms of workability/blendability but it's a colour that doesn't lend itself well to any particular use. That might just be an issue with my skintone.
  • Glow - this is probably my least favourite colour of the lot. It's too cold and frosty for me. It might work better on paler skin. I can't see myself using this one much - I'd be interested in hearing others' thoughts on and uses for it (it could be a good inner-corner highlight for some?).
  • Taupe - I'm not a massive fan of this colour;  because I have puffy eyes, it's too shiny for me to use as eg a crease colour (if I'm going for a natural look - which I am with this palette - and don't want to highlight my puffy eyes) and it's less pigmented than you might expect, particularly considering that it's the fourth darkest shade (and the three darkest shades are much more pigmented).
  • Golden - expect fall out with this one. I mean, a lot of fall out. It's one of those shades that seems to leave you with gold glitter everywhere except where you wanted it to be. But it's a pretty colour and a good one for inner-corner and browbone highlighting - particularly if like me your skin can have yellow undertones in summer.

* Another one taken outside in direct sunlight, for good measure.

  • Rich - this is a gold-toned, soft brown, and I'm surprised by how much I don't like it as a colour, considering that it's not too far away from Naked (and I really love the latter).
  • Burnished - this is one of the more pigmented shades (so be careful: if you've been using the paler ones and then move on to one of the last three, you'll wind up with heaps on your brush!). It's one of the shades that's harder to work with/more difficult to blend. I use it as a crease or outer corner colour.
  • Hazel - this is the shade that's the hardest to work with (at least for me). It's patchy/hard to blend and I'll probably skip it in favour of Burnished or Cocoa when I'm reaching for a crease or outer corner colour.
  • Cocoa - this is the hardest shade in the bunch, and it's chalky and harder to work with (the application can be patchy so you'll need to blend it more than other colours) - but it's easier than Hazel.

* Indoors, no flash. You can see the pigment issues.

*Indoors, with flash - see how shades like Bare (far left) come out more in different lights. And here you can barely see Naked at all.

Verdict

Despite the various issues mentioned above with this palette, I think it's decent quality when you consider that the price tag, the great packaging and the good-enough brush really make this a good value item.

The other thing I like about this is that I've enjoyed experimenting with it - it's actually the first bigger palette I've ever used (most have been trios or quads).

So using this has helped me learn more about what colours suit me and don't (considering my puffy eyes and the natural look I'm going for); what colours work as transition colours etc in conjunction with the other colours in the palette; and how I can create nice eye looks with a product on hand.

As a beauty junkie I'm still learning about what works best for my face, so I can thank this palette for helping me do that, and I'm very glad I paid nothing for it during my spending ban!

Overall? It's a winner. 

Have you used this palette? I'd love to hear your thoughts (particularly if you already own any of the UD Naked palettes).


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