So Nyx came out with these awesome element themed palettes. The teasers blew up online and like every one else I was super excited.
There are 6 palettes:
Earth
Wind
Fire
Water
Air
Metal
Initial Impressions:
When I first saw the spoilers for these I was so hooked and knew that I needed them. Gorgeous packaging great color selections I was so excited. I always loved elemental stuff especially when I was a kid so these like really maybe my inner kid excited. I figured these palettes would be $20 or $25 I mean it is Nyx they are a great brand but still it is a drug store brand. I was so pissed when they released ad were thirty fucking dollars what the hell was Nyx thinking. That would be $180 for the whole collection. I knew I wouldn’t be buying them unless they went on sale. Which they did at Ulta. They are currently exclusive to Ulta, the Nyx website and I would imagine Nyx stores. I picked up Earth, Air, and Metal those were the ones that spoke to me the most and from swatching in the store seemed the best. I will start by saying the formulas on these all seem very different.
Breakdown:
Full Price: $30
Sale: 30% off Nyx
Coupon: $3.50 off $15
Price: $17.50
12 shades
1.41 g per shade
Total Size: 16.92 g
Full Price per gram: $1.77
Sale Price per gram: $1.03
Full Price per Shade: $2.50
Sale Price per Shade: $1.46
Sephora PRO Editorial Palette
Price: $68
Shades: 28
Total Size: 33.6 g
Eyeshadow Size: 1.2 g per shade
Value per Shade: $2.43
Value per Gram: $2.02
Morphe 35B Color Glam Eyeshadow Palette
Price: $19.99
Shades: 35
Total Size: 56.2 g
Eyeshadow Size: 1.6 g per shade
Value per Shade: $0.57
Value per Gram: $0.36
Metal Palette
These have the most interesting texture. These are almost like a cream they are so smooth and soft. They have almost a thick feel to them in a nice way like you can feel it if you rub it between your fingers I really like it. Some of these are just high shiny and some of these are glitter packed. But they all pretty much have that same thick creamy feel. Of the palettes I chose this has the most consistent formula, but the other five palettes do not contain this formula. I really like this palette it is different than any palette I own.
With Flash
Without Flash
Earth Palette
I normally do not go for a warm toned palette but something about the undertones of these warm shades really called my name. They have almost a true to the color undertone so they feel less muddy than a normal warmed toned palette with its typical brown undertones would. This is my second favorite of the three in terms of formula. The satins and shimmers are great and smooth. The mattes are where things get weird. Some are great and some are patchy and skip. They are all buttery creamy soft that is across the board with all these shadows in all the palettes, I could spend all day just swatching them. Ok off that tangent. Some of the mattes 1,2,3,10,12 (numbered starting in the top left) are pigmented and apply smoothly. 4,7,8 are a bit patchy but more than workable just takes some building.
With Flash
Without Flash
Air Palette
This one you have to go into it with realistic expectations this is a palate of pastels and neon pastels (I know oxymoron) because those colors are based in white pigment no matter how great a shadow is they will be harder to work with. They will be a little patchy and powdery you can’t expect a pastel pink powder shadow to perform the same as say a matte black cream shadow you have to be realistic.
Once your expectations are set this is a great pastel palette in the affordable range. Yes it is a little patchy you have to build these but I’m comparing it to that Lorac Brunch palette that is all pastels and this can completely hang with that palette. Nyx needs slightly more building but Lorac is so so powdery so they can both totally be friends if you want a pastel you should get this really it is a good pastel palette. They are all the same buttery feel and a unique color selection.
With Flash
Without Flash
Look:
So here is the look I created with the Earth palette I was feeling very fall.
Don’t mind how terrible my eyebrows look I really need to get them waxed.
And a terrible shot of me pretending to be an Instagram makeup guru ;p
These blended out really well and were pigmented. I hate when shadows just blend away to nothing or muddy together and these didn’t do that even though I used three very similar shades. The gold was a little hard to make show up I had to make a few layers but if I had placed a white eyeliner base down like I usually do that would not have been a problem. I really liked using this palette.
Final thoughts:
I swatched Fire, Water, and Wind in store. Water and Wind in person really read as almost Identical palettes they are both blue toned Water with green undertones and Wind with blue undertones. They also swatched eh still buttery but I expected more creaminess and less patchiness from them. Fire swatched well from what I could tell the color palette just didn’t intrigue me too much yellow.
Yay or Nay:
So for $30 I would say Nay unless there is one that just really calls to you then you won’t be disappointed but you will still feel like you spent too much.
For the sale price (any sale price this one just happened to be a good sale) I’d say Yay pick up two or three that really call to you they are worth $20 they are not worth $30. These are fun and if you want a cool drug store palette these won’t disappoint as long as you buy them on sale and there are always sales on Nyx at Ulta.
<3 Nightmare Before Makeup