Like many of you, reading amazing reviews of these neutral eyeshadow palettes only makes me want them more. I would probably bite the bullet and buy them all (Stila NaturalEyes, Smashbox Be Discovered, Too Faced Natural at Night- the list could go on!) if it wasn't for that obnoxious little voice in the back of my head telling me I already have something similar in my own collection.
....UGH, the anxieties that come with being cheap!! Like for real, sometimes I just want to make an impulse purchase without the remorse!
Ultimately, I know my conscience is right. I really don't need dozens of eyeshadow palettes in neutral shades, but they are so darn beautiful and come on- unless you rock bright shades on a regular basis, you'll probably get the most wear out of these everyday colors. So while I'm usually able to silence my inner crazed makeup diva and ignore the pretty eyeshadows... there is still a part of me that knows I'd use them right up.
But I digress! When I received theBalm Nude'tude palette from the lovely Kelly a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't help my curiosity about its similarity to my Urban Decay Naked (original) palette. Not surprisingly- or surprisingly?- I was able to find a few shades that come quite close! After that, I tried to see if my Too Faced Naked Eye palette had any potential dupes in it. I found a few between the three palettes, but in the end, it's kind of up to you whether or not these neutral palettes are worth the hype or not. Personally I think it's fun to have a few! They take "nude" to a new level and show that going the "safe route" can be just as sexy, sultry, and eye-catching as wearing colors is.
First up is theBalm versus Urban Decay:
L-R: theBalm Sultry, UD Buck; theBalm Standoff-ish, UD Sin, theBalm Schitzo, UD Smog
I tried to stick with the shades that were pretty close to dupes- keeping that in mind, there were only a few that came really close to one another.
theBalm Sultry vs. Urban Decay Buck- The only real difference between these matte, medium brown shades is the undertone- Sultry leans a little more yellow and Buck slightly more red. I would still consider both fairly warm browns.
theBalm Standoff-ish vs. Urban Decay Sin- I wouldn't actually call these dupes, as Standoff-ish is much more of a champagne-beige and Sin has more pink. Definitely in the same family, though!
theBalm Schitzo vs. Urban Decay Smog- Schitzo I would describe as more of a golden bronze whereas Smog has the teensiest bit more olive and warmer undertones. I really love both of these- they make a great allover wash of color when you're feeling lazy (but look fabulous!).
Now, a quick comparison with Too Faced Naked Eye palette:
L-R: theBalm Selfish, Too Faced Lap Dance- Too Faced Satin Sheets, theBalm Stand-offish, UD Sin
theBalm Selfish vs. Too Faced Lap Dance- As you can tell, Selfish is a bit lighter than Lap Dance and looks to have more of golden cast. These are pretty darn similar in person, though, and I really don't think I'd be able to tell a difference when worn on eyes.
Too Faced Satin Sheets vs. theBalm Standoff-ish vs. UD Sin- Sorry for the terrible swatch! I couldn't get Satin Sheets to show like I wanted. This is more for comparison purposes, but Standoff-ish and Sin just don't have the golden sheen that Satin Sheets does- goes to show how different shades of champagne can be!
I was just about to go into a paragraph about which one I would choose, but now I'm really not sure! My first pick was the Too Faced because it contains cooler shades (and I'm in love with the three different looks you can create), but then I remembered that the warmer shades in the Naked palette also have the ability to flatter my cool skin tone. And the Nude'tude palette has that maroon and deep brown that look fabulous as eyeliners. Guys, I can't choose one- I like them all! And after all of this, I just may have convinced myself that another neutral palette is in my future (Too Faced Natural at Night I need you!!). Oh brother.
Do you have this problem with your eyeshadow palettes- getting them home only to realize you just don't need more of the same shade? Or is it worth it to you if it's a shade you're obsessed with?
Thanks for reading everyone!
<3
