Hello everyone! Welcome back to the blog. I decided to throw some makeup instead of skincare at you guys and switch it up. Today I want to discuss eyeshadow, specifically the infamous Natasha Denona. I thought it would be fun to sort of compare and give my personal opinion on if her palettes are worth the hefty price. It wouldn’t be a blog by me, though, if I didn’t include some important research points. Let’s get started!
Natasha Denona Sunset Palette, $129
I’m going to be specifically talking about her sunset palette, as this is the only one of hers that I own…got it on sale…
Let’s discuss a little background info on the brand and how it got started:
Natasha is a self-taught European makeup artist who has always been interested in the arts. Her mom was a chemist, though, so she has a fair share of science background as well. She opened her own makeup academy in the early 2000s, and taught many aspiring artists. She launched her own brand in 2016, and started selling out palettes immediately. Now with a cosmetic line including face and lip products, she is growing and launching new products for, as she says, the every day woman and beauty lover.
This palette in particular has 15 shades, and all of her palettes are cruelty free. They are not a vegan brand.
If you see the price tag, you might be wondering how on Earth an eyeshadow palette could be worth that. Honestly, I don’t know if there’s any way to justify her price. I will say, though, this palette is incredible! After I purchased it, I used it every day for about two months straight. The colors are so vibrant, blend seamlessly, and stay on the eyes all day long.
I did dive into the ingredients a little bit, but as I am not a cosmetic chemist, they don’t make a whole lot of sense to me. I was able to come to some important conclusions though:
- Each eyeshadow has a different, unique formula
- Ingredients are high quality and imported from Germany, France, Italy and the U.S.A
- No cheap filler ingredients
Another point to mention is packaging.
It is in a faux leather fold, with a removable insert that has the names of each shades. Packaging is nice, but nothing revolutionary.
I absolutely love my Natasha Denona palette, but I probably won’t purchase another. The shades are incredible and definitely different than other palettes. If you break it down, it equals about $8.60 per shade, which is high. I would recommend this palette based on how it performs, but only purchase if you truly want it. This is a palette you may really want, but let’s be honest, you don’t need it. Now, how does it compare to some other brands?
Morphe 35O Palette, $25
I want to compare two palettes completely on opposite ends of the price spectrum, but both equally as popular. The color schemes are similar in this Morphe one and the Natasha Denona Sunset. I personally have also tried this one.
First, let’s also look at some background information on Morphe:
Brother and sister Chris and Linda Tawil both did not have much experience in the beauty industry when they first started their brand in 2017. They worked together, bringing all of their information and products (starting first with brushes) to trade shows. They wanted artists to be able to grow their makeup collection with palettes boasting 35 shades, but with a small price tag. Their accomplishments have been tremendous, selling out their palettes and having plenty of success with influencer collaborations.
This palette has 35 shades, and they offer some smaller sizes as well. They are cruelty free, and offer a few vegan options with brushes but majority of their palettes are not vegan.
Making each shade only cost around 70 cents, their palettes have always been known for their amazing deal. They offer every day shades as well as full color palettes to enhance your collection or be used as your one and only palette. From my personal experience, their eyeshadows have been hit or miss. I’ve had some of their palettes that are amazing quality, and others that simply flopped.
Taking a dive into their ingredients I noticed they are all formulated the same, and even include parabens (which I try to stay away from)! They are formulated in China as well.
You get what you pay for, though. You can’t ask for high quality ingredients and pay less than a dollar a shade. Morphe obviously can keep their price low by making overseas, buying in bulk, and putting little to no money in packaging. The outside is just black plastic that reads Morphe. I personally do not enjoy how big the palettes are. They’re bulky, and hard to travel with. However, for the price, you get an amazing deal. These eyeshadows without a doubt perform better than other comparable drugstore brands. I recommend Morphe to anyone looking to start using makeup, artists building their kit, or someone who doesn’t want to spend alot. Is it comparable to Natasha Denona? For me, absolutely not. The quality difference is definitely there.
Jeffree Star Cosmetics Blood Sugar Palette, $52
Lastly, I wanted to throw a more high-end brand that a lot of us have either heard of or own in our collection.
Let’s also include some background information in this brand:
Started by internet celebrity and singer Jeffree Star at the end of 2014, this brand grew to fame quickly with promotions on Jeffree’s own YouTube channel. With innovative ideas and color schemes, his eyeshadow palettes and iconic liquid lips are talked about with celebrities and the every day consumer. Jeffree’s rags to riches story truly is inspiring and I believe is what keeps fans wanting more!
This palette contains 18 shades, and he has larger and smaller palettes as well. His formulas are cruelty free, vegan, and made 100% in the U.S with no imported ingredients. His formulas also differ, with not every shade in his palettes having the same formulation.
I personally do not own Blood Sugar, but I included it due to wearability compared to the Natasha Denona and Morphe one. I do, however, own the Alien and Androgyny palettes, so I am familiar with the formula. I personally enjoy the color payoff and how creamy and smooth his eyeshadows are. They usually have some kick-back, which doesn’t really bother me, you just need to be careful when dipping in the pan. The main selling point for me, though, is the packaging.
It’s always unique and luxurious, which becomes an amazing deal with the price tag. At around $2.80 a shadow, I would say he charges much less than he ultimately could. I don’t think he charges more for the luxurious packaging, and keeping his formulations all in the U.S. can cost more to manufacture than making in China. I thoroughly enjoy the little details he includes and the care in each of his palettes, and for that reason alone I would recommend. It’s simply a bonus that his eyeshadows are stunning!
The Verdict
With much analysis and consideration, I want to answer the main question and title of this blog: is Natasha Denona Eyeshadow worth the price? No.
Although I believe that Natasha Denona Eyeshadow is unlike anything else, more vibrant and blendable than I’ve ever used before…I still don’t want to buy another palette. That is what is keeping me from saying yes. Even being possibly the best eyeshadow on the market, I can’t justify $129 makeup. It is definitely a collector’s item, but I believe that she should reformulate slightly in order to decrease price by $40. There’s nothing wrong with being high-end if your product is high-end, but $130 palette is just absurd. Makeup artists can’t afford to purchase multiples for their kit, and the every day woman can’t afford to purchase more than one to use on themselves.
Personally, I would recommend middle/high end like Jeffree Star Cosmetics. You get creative packaging, beautiful colors, and vegan and cruelty free. I’m not saying I don’t absolutely love my Natasha Denona palette, but i purchased it when it was on sale, and ended up spending $80 on it. Although that was still steep, I felt much better about that than $129.
What do you think? Would you purchase Natasha Denona/do you have one of her palettes already? Comment and like below!
Sources
I think I want Jeffre Star!!
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