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Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Review: Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

I know that many of you didn't care for the original The Nudes palette, but I still hold firmly to my opinion that there are some really nice shades in that palette but, as I said in my original review, I agree that some shades are too sheer and not pigmented enough to my liking. I have not yet tried The Smokes palette or The Brights palette, but I purchased the new The Blushed Nudes at Walmart a few weeks ago and I've been busy testing it ever since. Today I'd like to share my thoughts with you, and also compare this palette to Urban Decay Naked 3 and L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2. So let's get started!


Maybelline Expert Wear The Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
(retail: $9.98, 0.34 oz)

For those who are unaware, L'Oreal owns both Maybelline and Urban Decay. So when I started testing this palette, I was looking for similarities between both new L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2 (click HERE for my review) and also Urban Decay Naked 3. But more on that in a moment!

As far as I know, The Blushed Nudes palette is only available at Walmart (in-store and online). If you spot it elsewhere, I would love to hear from you.

Safety seal

Made in USA
(click photo to enlarge)

Twelve shadows + two double-ended sponge applicators

Since these shades can be broken up into quads (see label on back of palette above), I decided to break them up into quads for these swatches:

Quad 1

Swatched over primer

Shade #1 - Shimmery cream white with fine sparkle. This is the most sheer shade in the palette. 

Shade #2 - Shimmery light pink with fine sparkle. This shade is sheer as well, but can be built up a bit better than the cream white shade.

Shade #3 - Shimmery light gray with yellow flash. In my opinion, this is the most unique and original shade in this palette. I can't think of another shade in my eyeshadow stash that is quite like this one. My swatch doesn't do this color justice--in real life this is a beautiful light gray, almost silver shade and there's a yellow (not gold, but yellow) flash to it when the light hits it just right. The pigmentation on this color is impressive, although it is powdery in texture.

Shade #4 - Shimmery neutral brownish-taupe. The pigmentation is great on this one, and easy to pick up with your brush, apply and blend.

Quad 2

Swatched over primer

Shade #1 - Shimmery pinky-peach with fine sparkle. This one's deceptive in the pan, since you can't really see the pink flash until you get it on your skin. It reminds me a bit of Stila Kitten in person. Nice pigmentation over primer. 

Shade #2 - Light purple-ish mauve matte (actually, it's more of a satin matte). There are only two mattes in this palette and this is one of them. But when you wear it over primer, it becomes more of a satin-matte, since there's a subtle sheen that come through over primer. Good pigmentation over primer, although the texture doesn't feel quite as smooth or silky as the mattes in the L'Oreal La Palette Nudes. It feels a little bit drier, but still smooth (not chunky or grainy).

Shade #3 - Shimmery warm brown. Nice pigmentation on this one, as it's easy to apply and blend.

Shade #4 - Shimmery dark charcoal/steel gray. The pigmentation on this one is quite sheer unless you're wearing it over primer. Also, it has a drier consistency than the other shimmers in this palette.

 
Quad 3

Swatched over primer


Shade #1 - Shimmery warm bronze. To me, this is the smoothest shadow in this palette when it comes to texture. It also has good pigmentation over primer and it's easy to work with, apply and blend.

Shade #2 - Shimmery medium rose-gold with pink undertones. The texture of this shadow is like the shade before it (the warm bronze)--to me it feels a bit smoother than the other shimmers in this palette, but not quite as smooth as the bronze. Good pigmentation over primer and easy to work with.

Shade #3 - Purpleish-brown satin-matte with fine iridescent sparkle. This one's quite deceptive in the pan, since the purple undertone doesn't become visible until you get this on the skin and even then, you still can't completely see it until you wear it over primer. The texture is dry and the pigmentation is poor unless you wear it over primer (you definitely NEED primer with this one).

Shade #4 - Black matte with rose gold glitter. This is the only other matte in this palette, and it does contain a good amount of rose-gold glitter. The texture is dry, but perhaps a tiny bit less dry than the shade before it (the purple-ish brown). You definitely need primer with this one since the pigmentation is quite weak without it.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette ($54, 0.60 oz.)
Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Palette ($9.99, 0.34 oz.)

As promised, I wanted to compare this palette to Urban Decay Naked 3. Since L'Oreal owns both Maybelline and Urban Decay, I was quite curious how they would compare. There are NO exact dupes for Urban Decay Naked 3 in The Blushed Nudes, but there are six shades that I did find to be similar to shades in UD Naked 3:

Swatched over primer
Six Maybelline shades vs. six Urban Decay shades

For the purposes of identifying the shades in the Maybelline palette, I numbered them from 1 to 12 going from left to right on the top row and left to right on the bottom row in the palette.

Shade #11 in Maybelline palette vs. Urban Decay Darkside


The Maybelline shade doesn't contain as much shimmer as Darkside, and it's a little bit deeper in color and not as purple (more brown).

Shade #12 in Maybelline palette vs. Urban Decay Blackheart


The Maybelline shade isn't as deep of a black as Blackheart, but it does contain very similar glitter (and about the same amount of glitter). 

Shade #5 in Maybelline palette vs. Urban Decay Trick


Urban Decay Trick is more peachy and it's a bit lighter as well. The Maybelline shade is a touch darker and more champagne than peach.

Shade #4 in Maybelline palette vs. Urban Decay Limit


You can see that the sheen really comes out in the Maybelline shade over primer. Also, the Maybelline shade is lighter and not as mauve-toned as Urban Decay Limit.

Shade #6 in Maybelline palette vs. Urban Decay Buzz


The Maybelline shade is a bit deeper than Buzz, and it is also more of a rose-gold than Buzz (Buzz is more of a pink than a rose-gold to me).

Shade #9 in Maybelline palette vs. Urban Decay Liar

Urban Decay Liar clearly has more pink to it than the Maybelline shade. The Maybelline shade more of a true brown.


L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2 ($15.84 at Walmart, 0.62 oz.)
Maybelline The Blushed Nudes ($9.98 at Walmart, 0.34 oz.)

As I mentioned before, L'Oreal also owns Maybelline, so you know I wanted to compare The Blushed Nudes to the new L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2 (you can see my full review of La Palette Nude 1 and La Palette Nude 2 HERE).

Swatched over primer
M =  shade from Maybelline The Blushed Nudes
L = shade from L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2

There are no exact dupes between Maybelline The Blushed Nudes and L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2. In the pic above, I selected the most similar shades between the two palettes. The closest "dupe" I could find was in the first set of swatches above (the medium rose gold shades). But even then, the L'Oreal shade is deeper and more rose-goldish than the Maybelline shade, which has a bit more pink to it. As for the other two sets of swatches above, you can see that the colors are similar, but by no means are they exact dupes.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BLUSHED NUDES: Overall, I find the texture of the shadows in The Blushed Nudes to be inferior to the texture of the shadows in the L'Oreal La Palette Nudes. As I mentioned in my review of the La Palette Nudes, the shadows in those palettes all have a very smooth, silky feel to them, but I find that most of the shadows in The Blushed Nudes (with the exception of the bronze and rose-gold shimmers and matte mauve) to have a very slight chunky/grainy texture to them, and a few shades are too dry/stiff for my liking. That said, these shadows are not without merit. I find most of the shades to be nice and vibrant over primer (primer is a MUST with this palette) and once you start working with them, they're generally easy to pick up with your brush, apply and blend. I also really love this color palette in general.

FINAL VERDICT: I'm not absolutely blown away by this palette but I do think it's worth considering, with a few conditions. First, you must love shimmery shadows since 9 of the 12 shades here contain shimmer. If you're more of a matte lover, then La Palette Nude 2 is definitely for you. Second, eyeshadow primer is pretty much a necessity if you're thinking of purchasing The Blushed Nudes. Primer really brings out the beauty of these shadows, and some of these shades have weak pigmentation without it, so I wouldn't skip it. Third, if you prefer your shadows to be very smooth, silky and buttery, you may be in for a disappointment here. Most of these shadows have a slight graininess/chunkiness to them, but if you're willing to forgive that, they still apply nicely over primer and blend out well. If you don't already own Urban Decay Naked 3 and you're drawn to the shimmery shadows in Naked 3, then this could be a nice, affordable alternative if you have a bit of patience (and primer). 

Do you already own Maybelline The Blushed Nudes? If so, do you agree (or disagree) with my assessment? I'd love to hear from you!

The products featured in this post were purchased with personal funds. For more information, click here.
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48 comments

  1. I have purchased the Blushed Nudes and I also own the UD Naked 3 Pallet. I was really disappointed with the Blushed Nudes palette because of the poor pigmentation, grainy/chalky texture. The colors are lovely to the sight but in reality they didn't perform well. I didn't feel like they showed on my eyelids even with primer so nicely as they appeared in the palette. Unfortunately, I ended up returning it.

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    1. Agreed about the pigmentation and the texture but I WAS able to get some really nice looks when I wore over primer. I have used both the WnW Fergie primer and the Milani primer with these shadows, but with nice results. In wondering which primer you used? Maybe that had something to do with it? The only shade I really couldn't get decent pigmentation with even over primer was that first white shimmer. Thanks!

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    2. I've used Milani and Too Faced shadow insurance primers. To me they were just OK..Since I have UD3 and other similar gold/rosy shades I didn't miss this palette so much i guess. But I might consider purchasing the L'Oreal Nude2 instead. Thanks G! I really love reading your posts. :)

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    3. Thank you so much for letting me know which primers you used! I'm so sorry they didn't work for you (for what it's worth, the WnW primer performed a touch better with these shadows for me). I completely understand your lack of enthusiasm for this palette though, since I wasn't completely wowed by it either. I think that maybe if I didn't already own UD 3 I would probably be more excited about it. You know what I mean? Anyway, thanks again for getting back to me, and I would love if you'd let me know what you think of La Palette Nude 2 if you get it. I think you'll love the texture of those shadows. :)

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  2. I've been bouncing back and forth between wanting this palette. I already own naked 3, and I think I am going to pass on this one and go for the L'Oreal Nudes 2. I wear both shimmer and matte shadows, but I definitely prefer matte shadow. Thank you for the in-depth review! I always trust your reviews and will re-read your reviews while considering a new purchase!

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    1. Thank you so much for that! I try my best to put the things I review to the most thorough test I can before I issue that "final verdict," which is why it takes me so long to post reviews sometimes. So I can't tell you how much it means to me that you feel you can trust me. Granted, not everyone is always going to agree with my opinions, but that's the beauty of makeup, right? Some things are a bust for some, while they work great for others. All I can do is tell you how something worked for me, and hopefully give you an idea if something may be worth considering for YOU. :)

      Whew! I didn't mean to go off on that tangent! Lol. But yes, I think that if you lean toward mattes, the La Palette Nude 2 is the better choice. I'd love to know what you think of it when you get it! :)

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  3. Thank you for posting this review. I usually avoid Wal-Mart and just skip any Wal-Mart exclusive products cosmetics companies put out, but I'd been thinking about this palette since so many people had mentioned it and were raving about it. I think I'll pass on it and pick up the L'Oreal Nude 2 palette instead.

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    1. You're so welcome! I'm so happy I could help in your decision! And I think, overall, the La Palette Nude 2 is the superior palette, unless of course you don't like mattes. Lol! :)

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  4. My first thought was how beautiful the colors look in the palette, but I was hoping they'd have a little more pigmentation, and a touch less shimmer. I'd prefer satin or matte overall. I do love that pale gray at the bottom left, though. If I found this at Bed Bath & Beyond while I had a coupon I'd probably buy it. I don't get to Walmart very much, though, so if it's there exclusively, I probably won't end up getting it.

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    1. I'm glad you noticed that gray shade, Heidi. It was such an unexpected surprise given the rest of the shades in this palette...it almost feels like it doesn't belong here, but I'm so glad it is. It's so pretty and unique that I'm willing to forgive the powderiness (is that even a word? Lol). Anyway, yeah, you really have to be a big shimmer fan to appreciate this palette overall. I forget...do you already have La Palette Nude 2?

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  5. I have both the naked 3 and the blushed nudes. I can't pass up a new palette from the drugstore that looks like it has potential! It certainly isn't nearly as good of quality as the naked 3, but I do think it's pretty and I really liked the look I got with it. I paired it with the color tattoo in inked in pink and it was a pretty combo. If you are used to only highend shadows and have a bunch I would skip it, but if you are a drugstore lover such as myself lol or on a budget I would get it!

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    1. So happy to hear you were able to make it work for you! And pairing it with that CT sounds gorgeous! :)

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  6. Perfectly fine palette.. great for beginners or someone who wants natural looks. It's not an "instagram" palette, it's a casual palette, at a great price point. Like it a lot better than the Smokes which I didn't keep, I do like the Nudes, haven't tried the Brights. I've worn it three days straight and was happy each time, wore it for 14hrs yesterday and it was still on my eyes at the end of the day, a bit faded but looked fine. You do have to dig your brush in a bit and build.. use a heavy hand.. but they apply nice and smooth, build well, and blend nicely. Beautiful flattering colors. It's hard to go overboard which again makes it great if you are new to makeup or in a hurry. I've been using Coastal Scents primer with a touch of foundation/concealer (I do my primer first before my base) and lightly powdered.. today I went with a very light eye/bright lip so I added a bit of PPP right before the shadow to pop that pale shimmer.

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    1. Glad to hear you like The Nudes (we're in the minority there! Lol) and thanks for mentioning the staying power, which I forgot to address in my review. I agree! :)

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  7. You know what I like about your reviews, G? You don't simply say, "Oh, this is weak" or "This has no pigmentation," you offer ways to remedy the issue, ie: primer. It's great how you offer workarounds for things so something that is affordable can still deliver a good result.

    Your reviews are so real. You write for the masses of regular women who want to wesr cosmetics without needing to take out a loan to pay for them.

    I've read your blog for about two years now. I accidentally found it when I was going through the illness and loss of a very important and adored family member. Your critiques informed me and, maybe most important in my opinion, made me laugh and smile. They gave me small reprieves from the overwhelming grief I was going through.

    For that alone, I thank you.

    Now, as for turning me back into the cosmetic obsessed person I used to be, well, I thank you for that, too, because it helped bring me back to the world of the living.

    Never underestimate the power of your blog to do great things, G!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I'm going to go ahead and blame you for ruining my eyeliner just now. :)

      But in all seriousness, you have absolutely no idea how much your comment means to me. You may have noticed that I haven't been doing as many posts lately, and that is because I'm trying to spend more time behind the scenes working on reviews. I'm really trying to get back to doing what I truly love the most, and that is trying to help people on a budget make informed decisions about their beauty purchases. So please know that I don't take what you said lightly. Your words validate what I do here, and I thank you a million times over for taking the time to let me know how you feel. I am humbled and honored that I could provide you with a small diversion when you needed it the most, and I'm so very sorry for your loss.

      Thanks again for the beautiful comment and for being a part of this little community.

      G xo

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    2. Sorry about the eyeliner! ;)

      I think things come into a person's life when they are most needed. And I definitely needed a distraction a couple years ago. But what started as a distraction has really become a must-read blog/Instagram for me.

      I used to work in a cosmetics department years ago (my first job), and I loved setting up new product displays and, of course, buying new things. I was always buying something, but then I sort of fell out of love with makeup. Lots of boring reasons, I suppose. But now, I can feel that bubbly excitement once again, and I am sure that your blog has so much to do with this re-emergence.

      So, hats off to you, G!

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  8. Thank you for this excellent post. I didn't want to spend the money for UDNaked3, but I will pick up L'Oreal Nudes2, though not the same, better quality than the Maybelline and close enough!

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    1. You're so welcome. :) I would love to know what you think of La Palette Nude 2 when you get it. Please keep me posted!

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  9. I really wanted to buy this because I love colours like this and the packaging is so cute, but all the reviews I've read and watched on YouTube say the same thing. Already have naked 3 anyway. Great post. Saving my money.

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    1. Thank you! Have you tried the L'Oreal palettes yet? :)

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  10. I watched Miss JenFabulous video where she did a pretty Spring look with this palette and she didn't indicate a primer and the colors seemed so pigmented. I wanted to get it since the L'Oreal palette I bought was Nude 1. So now I'm kinda bummed . Generally G I go only on your opinion and it doesn't steer me wrong so even though I do use primer with e/s I will wait til L'Oreal has another good sale and pick up #2. Thanks G! This was great!

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    1. My pleasure, R! I think you're going to love #2. And what's the deal with you and eyeshadow these days?? Don't get me wrong...i LOVE IT! lol! xo

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    2. I know, right?!?! I don't wear it everyday but lately I have been wanting to look more "done" so I have been trying different shadow combinations. Also I got my hair cut and I don't care for it so I thought if I do my eyes it will take notice away from the hair!!! Hahaha!! PS I love what Moonlighteligie said! It's sooo true. You have helped me through some tough stuff without you even knowing!! 💜💛

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  11. I like the Maybelline Nude palette but I think I will skip this one. I prefer matte shadow (( I'm 48) so the shimmery in this blushed palette doesnt appeal to me at all. I did buy the Loreal palette #1, not sure I really needed it, but it was a good deal. Thanks for all your reviews.

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    1. You're very welcome! If you love mattes, you kind of "need" La Palette Nude 2! lol! :)

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  12. I don't have any naked pallets. Have been eyeing this for awhile and hoping it was good. I didn't get the nude one because of reviews. I did buy both Loreal La pallets one and two and live them. But still can't decide on this one. I really want it to be good. I love the colors. Just have to think about it and if I see it at my many trips to Walmart I may have to grab it. Thanks so much for all the info. So if I do I know what needs to be done for wearing it.

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    1. I think since you already have La Palette Nude 2, the Maybelline palette would only be worth it if you really love shimmers and can't get enough of these types of colors. Hope that helps! :)

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  13. Do you think this palette would be too warm for somebody who prefers cool to neutral colors? Some of the colors look obviously very warm but some of the others look like they might be workable. Based on your pics I like the colors much more than I thought I would!

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  14. Thank you for this review! I didn't get the nudes 1 and decided to buy this one. I know it's not the best but with a primer it works great! I used the wet n wild cover all stick as a primer and it lasted me all day. I don't have the money to buy the naked 3 so I wanted this palette. I truly value your opinion and reviews. Thank you for taking the time for this detailed review.

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  15. they finally have it available on walmarts site fyi it was sold out for the longest. and when you look at it in a list on the site it says sold out, click on it then it says it is in stock. i grabbed it there because every actual walmart ive been in has been sold out

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  16. I have the urban decay 3 pallet which I absolutely adore but I wouldn't mind trying this maybelline one. And I didn't know til now the loreal owns urban decay no wonder I keep reaching for it besides maybelline and loreal shadows when I want to go low end on makeup and high end. Thanks G for the review and bringing happiness and joy during tough times in our lives!

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  17. I need this in my life! I hope I can find it!

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  18. Looks like this palette is available at Ulta.

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  19. I saw this palette at a Fred Meyer's in Portland, but I didn't get it because 1. I'm saving up Birchbox points for the Coastal Scents Revealed palettes and 2. I have The Nudes, and it's just ok. They only had one and I believe it was $12. This is a great review, I love your blog :)

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  20. I have been wanting to see the Blushed Nudes palette in person bc I wasn't impressed w the L'Oréal palette. It was too matte and had too many purpley shades. I liked the more rose and sunset shades I was seeing in the pictures. I finally found it today at my Walmart. I played around w it some and I really like it so far. I'm very fair skinned so the pigmentation was good on my skin. I will wear primer w it when I go out. I like the WnW Fergie primer. I'll update if there's anything exciting to report!

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  21. Just saw it yesterday at RCSS (Real Canadian Superstore)! Still undecided though...

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  22. Hey G, I want to buy my wife a good set of makeup. I'm at a loss here! I was looking at the UD NAKED1/2/3. They all look the same to me! Please help!

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    1. Haha! They're DEFINITELY not the same, but I can understand why you'd think that! :)

      I think it's awesome that you want to buy your wife some nice makeup! Without knowing her coloring or preferences, it's hard to recommend which UD palette you should get. I would actually suggest you start with a LORAC PRO palette (I'll link to it below), which is of the same quality and caliber as the UD palettes, in my humble opinion. The reason why I suggest the LORAC palette is, without knowing her preferences, some of the shades in all of the UD palettes are quite glittery. If she doesn't like glitter, then she won't touch some of those shades at all. With the LORAC palettes, there is a nice mix of shimmer and matte shades, but no glitters. The colors are all extremely wearable for most skintones, and they are of excellent quality. Here are a few links:

      Temptalia's review here: http://www.temptalia.com/lorac-pro-palette-review-photos-swatches

      To purchase (with free shipping): http://www.loraccosmetics.com/make-up_pro-palette.html

      And you can also buy this palette in-store at Ulta.

      I hope that helps, and let me know if you have any questions. If she needs a good eyeshadow primer (if she doesn't already have one) I can recommend some, but I don't want to overwhelm you so I'll just start with the palette. :)

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  23. I live in Macon Georgia. I found the blushed nudes at kroger.

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  24. I didn't see anyone else comment, but the Maybelline Blushed Nudes palette is also available in Ulta.

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  25. Thanks for the review! Just FYI, found the blush nudes at Target. Going to try out the La Palette.

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  26. G, I just purchased this palette at CVS last night (using an Extra Bucks deal I found on your site - thanks!), and while looking around for tutorials for the palette, I noticed that mine has a different layout of shadows than yours. I did some Googling, but can't figure out if mine is just a different layout, or if the shades are not all the same. I did find a couple of reviews on blogs whose palette layout was like mine. Do you know whether Maybelline changed the shadows in this palette or if they just rearranged it?

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    1. I just looked at mine compared to this and mine is a completely different layout as well! None of the dues or trios are the same. I wonder why they changed it up...

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  27. the pallet is also available at Target :)

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  28. Hi I'm a begginer at makeup but when I saw the naked 3 pallet I fell in love but its way over my price range. Would I be better off avec The blushed nudes or the L'Oréal or something else entirely if I want an everyday look for highschool?
    Thanks for you help

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    1. For a beginner, I think you're definitely better off with the L'Oreal palette for now. I think the shades are more pigmented in that palette overall (compared to the Maybelline) and you can often get it on sale. If you buy the L'Oreal palette, you'll be able to see if you like these types of colors on your eyes before investing in the UD. Hope that helps!

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  29. Your reviews are always so incredibly inspiring. I started reading your blog last year and you've inspired me so much to start my own (labeaute.org). I hope it can turn out as successful as yours has.

    Thank you so much and look forward to you inspiring me and so many other women bloggers out there :)

    ReplyDelete

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