Natasha Denona Star Palette, my review

Bonnie Garner

8 years ago

When the Natasha Denona Star Palette was announced, it literally took the wind out of me. After discussing it a little with my makeup addict friends, I feel I was not the only one to react that way… wink

I don’t remember where I saw it first, most probably on Trendmood1’s Instagram account, as usual (this is the number 1 place where you can find this kind of info) (if you don’t follow her yet , I almost want to congratulate you because this account would otherwise have a dramatic effect on your finances, be warned!).

This palette of 18 warm and cool/pink eyeshadows in 4 different finishes (matte, glitter, duo-chrome and metallic) seemed to be the biggest favorite for the award of the most beautiful holiday palette of the season. Yes, people, holiday palettes are definitely a thing and a big one in the makeup world! wink

Usually, I step away from this kind of eyeshadow palettes. They’re not the best quality wise. (ex: the Too Faced or Tarte eyeshadow palettes made in China whereas they’re usually made in the USA) (and which retail at the same price as the other eyeshadow palettes from the brand made in USA, of course -_- ). All these products just feel like a big marketing campaign and so unnecessary.

But knowing the attention to detail that drives Natasha Denona (I told you about it in my Eyeshadow Palette 5 review), I knew that for the Star Palette, things would be different…
Indeed, in this one, the formulas of the eyeshadows have even been improved compared to the classic Natasha Denona formulas. The matte eyeshadows have been reformulated and another finish has been created especially for this palette: the Chroma Crystal finish, super shiny and glittery, like diamond powder (there is actually real pearl powder inside). All the eyeshadow are made in Italy, they are talc-free and they are also cruelty-free.

Additionally, there has been no compromise on the weight of the eyeshadows in this palette. It’s indeed one of the distinctive features of Natasha Denona eyeshadows: they’re huge and they weigh 2.5g each!

Finally, and for me, the main reason which made me want to buy this palette, the color scheme of the eyeshadows in the palette was chosen to be easy to use by everyone, including someone like me, who is not a professional makeup artist.
Even if I love the idea of an infinity of makeup looks that I could create with this palette, honestly, it can also be very overwhelming. Usually, it always ends the same way: I just use the 2 or 3 shades I’m comfortable with because I don’t know how to pair the others.
Now, for the Star Palette, the arrangement of the shades was specially designed so that everyone can use it: all rows of 3 shades (whether horizontal, vertical or diagonal) will work together and create a harmonious and simple look. Natasha Denona wanted it to be as user-friendly as possible.

In summary, as you can see, on paper, this Star Palette is like the dream holiday eyeshadow palette! Stunning and flattering colors for all eyes colors, festive super shiny finishes, the possibility to create effortless makeup looks and all that without compromising on the quality!
But obviously, as often, this “dream” has a price. And it’s not a cheap one, because the Star Palette retails for no less than $169.

Next week, I celebrate my birthday and with this perfect excuse, I decided a few weeks ago to gift myself this palette! (And also to not wait until the date of my birthday to use it) (because… well, why not? wink )
And I had the perfect excuse: I knew I wanted to do a review here. (Aaaah, the advantages of the blog to justify my shopping addiction…)

Natasha Denona Star Palette, presentation:

What the brand says about it:

“When it comes to your eye makeup, shouldn’t you always reach for the stars? Introducing the Star Palette, a holiday eye color collection from makeup artist Natasha Denona. Inspired by the stars in the night sky, this palette features 18 never-before-seen eye shadows in an easy-to-follow format that takes the guesswork out of creating out-of-this-world looks.Includes 2 Duo-Chrome shades, 3 Metallic shades, 9 Creamy Matte shades in an updated formula, and 4 Crystal shades, a new shimmer finish powered by chroma-crystal technology for a 3D starshine effect.”

This palette is supposed to be a limited edition (but, reading the comments on Natasha Denona Instagram, I saw that she was hesitating to make it permanent.) Natasha Denona wanted this palette to be super festive for the holiday and she was apparently inspired by the stars to create the eyeshadows in the palette(the names of the shades are indeed very “astronomy” style).

The Star Palette includes 18 shades, with 4 differents finishes:

– 4 Chroma Crystal: Spectrum, Cosmo, Galaxia, Polaris.
– 9 Creamy Matte: Earth, Flesh, Gemma, Titania, Diadem, Vega, Phoenix, Electra, Atik.
– 3 Metallic: Bellatrix, Atria, Rhea.
– 2 Duo-Chrome: Orion, Supernova.

It’s divided into 2 sides of 9 eyeshadows: the left side of the palette is more warmer-toned, and the right side, cooler shades (this is not the case for all, some of them are more neutral IMO).

Many of the eyeshadows in this palette are pressed pigments (especially the Chroma Crystal and Metallic finishes) and the brand recommends to apply them preferably with your finger or to use a stiff wet brush, to be able to really press the shadow into the eyelid. I also highly recommend to use a glitter glue (I use the one by Too Faced, it’s very good) with the Chroma Crystal makeup, otherwise, there will be a lot of fall outs!

Natasha Denona Star Palette, my test and thoughts:

– Packaging and practicality:

I am very divided on this packaging …
On the one hand, I find it absolutely stunning. I love its light golden leather covering with the star patterns, its smart and practical magnetic closure and the overall impression of great quality. But honestly, I don’t get at all why they decided to put a plastic sheet (removable but still) with the names of the shadows inside of the packaging instead of writing them directly next to the shades! It’s not practical at all when you use the palette and well, it’s ugly! At this price, I found it unacceptable. Probably most users don’t care about the names of their eyeshadows, but as a blogger, I care. And it’s really not practical at all. uneasy

– Color choice and versatility:

Same thing, I’m not 100% convinced by the choice of colors of this palette.
Even if I find most colors absolutely beautiful, for me, the versatility of this palette is far from perfect.

Let me explain:
– so I find it really annoying, that there is no highlighting shade for the inner corner in the palette. And I know what you’re going to tell me “Why don’t you use Atria and Galaxia, the light glittery shades?” And yes, it could work because they’re light enough to brighten the inner corner. But first thing, I don’t want a glittery inner corner in all my makeup looks and also, glitter can be super scratchy when it’s in the inner corner of the eye! It’s really not the most comfortable option, especially if you haven’t used a glitter base before. (I learned it the hard way the first time I forgot to use mine uneasy )

– also, I’m not completely convinced this palette is super user-friendly. The row of 3 shades which are supposed to work together to create an easy makeup look is a great concept and it was clearly the reason why I decided to get this palette. But in reality, I’m not so sure. Many rows of 3 shades are very pretty used together but some of them are weird… For example, I struggle to see how 2 glittery and 1 metallic duo-chrome shades could make a balanced makeup look (the trio Spectrum, Orion and Cosmo) (it lacks a matte shade in my opinion). But maybe I’m very boring in my choice of colors and a pro makeup artist would prove me wrong. Who knows…

– finally, some colors are a bit too similar in this palette, and I find it’s really a shame. An example: Spectrum and Cosmo, which have in addition the same Chroma Crystal finish, are both very close in terms of the shade (you will see it on my swatches below). Spectrum is a bit darker but honestly, on the eyelid, the difference is not obvious. I have trouble understanding why the brand chose to keep 2 colors so similar in the same palette. It’s a bit disappointing.

– Overall quality of the eyeshadows:

Overall, I find that all the shades of this palette are great quality (good pigmentation, they’re easy to blend and they last very well) but depending on the finishes, it may vary.

I’m totally crazy about the Creamy Matte finish! These are probably the best matte eyeshadows I’ve tried (and as you can imagine, I tried a few!). They are extremely pigmented, creamy, they almost blend on their own and no fallout. A real dream!
I love the Metallics. I loved them already in my Eyeshadow Palette 5. The quality is the same and I haven’t changed my mind about them, they’re great!
The Duo-Chrome shades are only 2: Orion which I love and Supernova which is quite disappointing. Its pigmentation is not the best and I don’t really see its duo-chrome effect. uneasy
Finally, the Chroma Crystal shades… Well, they’re quite complicated. They’re real pressed pigments, with a lot of glitter in them. And not small glitter, chunky glitter, which can give a lot of texture on the eyelid. I quite like this effect with some looks, but it takes a little work to get a nice result. Because they can make a lot of fallouts if you don’t apply them the right way. You really need to apply a glitter glue on the eyelid before, and it’s really better to use your fingertips or to use a stiff and humidified brush to facilitate their adhesion. If you apply them dry, they will end up everywhere, be warned!
So these are not my favorite shades because they are a bit complicated, but at the same time, it’s a holiday eyeshadow palette so they have their place here. On the other hand, it’s worth the struggle because when they’re well applied, they are truly magnificent. Finally, I didn’t find that they made too many fallouts during the day, which is pretty good.

– Value for money:

To justify such a high price, the brand boasts about the quality of its eyeshadows. (and it’s true, they are excellent quality) They also speak of the weight of each eyeshadow. Indeed, each one weighs 2.5 grams. It’s indeed a huge quantity of product! (To compare, a MAC single eyeshadow weighs 1.5 g)
I admit that I still have a little trouble understanding why the brand has not decided to cut the cost and offer a palette with smaller eyeshadows. If this palette was mainly intended for professional make-up artists (like many of the brand’s products), I would have understood this choice to keep this quantity of eyeshadows. But honestly, I feel that this palette had a wider target than just the pro. And the fact that it’s a limited edition item strengthens my impression of a larger target group. So I find it unfortunate that the brand did not choose to divide the weight of the eyeshadows to reduce its price.

– Availability:

The Natasha Denona Star Palette is available on the brand website and on Beautylish website for $169.

Natasha Denona Star Palette, the shades:

Let’s start with the warmer side of the palette:

– 101K Spectrum: a golden glittery brown, almost like a khaki bronze. It’s a Chroma Crystal.

– 102CM Earth: a dark chocolate brown. It’s a Creamy Matte.

– 103M Bellatrix: a stunning metallic rose gold. It’s a Metallic.

– 104CM Flesh: a light orange, almost like a warm ocher. It’s a Creamy Matte.

– 105DC Orion: a stunning shimmery brown-green, duo-chrome. One of my favorite of the palette, it’s so intense! It’s a Duo-Chrome.

– 106CM Gemma: a beautiful dark semi-matte reddish brown (it’s almost a satin finish). It’s a Creamy Matte.

– 107M Atria: a super warm orange-golden shade, almost coppery. It’s a Metallic.

– 108CM Titania: a neutral medium brown. It’s a Creamy Matte.

– 109K Cosmo: an antique gold almost olive green, glittery. It’s very close to Spectrum, a little bit lighter but these two shades look very super similar (and it is a shame!). It’s a Chroma Crystal.

Here is the side of the palette which is supposed to be cooler (I don’t find it is so much, there are just a few more pinks but they’re more neutral than cool IMO) (I don’t complain at all, on the contrary, it’s typically the kind of color I love):

– 110CM Diadem: a light dusty mauve (I’m obsessed! smile ). It’s a Creamy Matte.

– 111CM Vega: a light peachy pink. It’s a Creamy Matte.

– 112K Galaxia: a beautiful sheer frosted white with multicolored glitter. This one is beautiful, it looks like fairy dust! It’s a Chroma Crystal.

– 113CM Phoenix: a very pretty luminous plum, semi-mat. I find it very pretty applied along the lash line but it’s not the easiest to blend. It’s pretty typical for these kind of shades, unfortunately… It’s a Creamy Matte.

– 114DC Supernova: a duo-chrome taupy brown and silver. I love the color but the pigmentation is not the best here, and it’s a shame because I love the color. It’s a Duo-Chrome.

– 115CM Electra: a semi-matte purple-pink. It’s very bright and easier to wear than I thought (it makes my eye color pop wink ). It’s a Creamy Matte.

– 116K Polaris: a very pretty sheer light golden with golden and slightly pink beige glitter. It’s a Chroma Crystal.

– 117CM Atik: a matte camel shade, almost ocher. the undertone is rather neutral. It’s a Creamy Matte.

– 118M Rhea: a beautiful metallic golden coral. It’s a Metallic.

Finally, here are some makeup looks I made with the Natasha Denona Star Palette:

– Look 1:

For this very simple look, I applied Supernova over the entire eyelid, Diadem and Vega in the crease, Phoenix along my lower lash line. In the inner corner, I used a shade from one of my Natasha Denona Eyeshadow 5 Palette, the 87M Light Coral.
My eyeliner is a NYX and on my lips, I wear a Fresh SUGAR Lip Treatment in the shade Honey.

– Look 2:

Here I applied Atik in the crease, Rhea on all the mobile eyelid, Polaris in the center of the eyelid and in the inner corner. I applied Earth along the upper lash line, like a liner.
On my lips, I wear a liquid lipstick by ColourPop, the Ultra Satin Lip in the shade Calypso.

– Look 3:

For this more colorful look, I applied Flesh in the crease, Orion on all the mobile eyelid, a touch of Spectrum in the center of the eyelid, Gemma in the outer V and I used a shade of one of my Natasha Denona Eyeshadow 5 Palette in my inner corner, the 25M Aura.
My liner MAC Technakhol in the shade Take The Plunge and on my lips, it’s the Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in the shade Meringue.

– Look 4:

Finally, for this last look, I applied Titania in the crease, Cosmo on the inside of the eyelid, Gemma on the outer part of the eyelid and along the lower lash line, and I used a mix of Polaris and Galaxia in the inner corner.
My eyeliner is a NYX and on my lips, I wear a lipstick from the Rimmel collection by Kate Moss, the 055 My Nude.

In summary:

[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]

As you will have probably understood, I’m a little bit disappointed by the Star Palette. Overall, I think the quality and selection (shades and finishes) are very good but with such an expensive price tag, I was hoping for nothing less than a perfect palette. I don’t regret my purchase but I expected more from this palette, to be honest.