Why I love the NYX Limited Edition Crimson Amulet Palette

Available on the NYX website for $25 (I've also seen it at Ulta as well), the NYX Limited Edition Crimson Amulet Collection Palette is inspired by the Tim Burton film Dark Shadows. I received this palette a while back and have given it a thorough testing, but instead of swatching every shade of every product in this palette, today I'd like to show you my favorite products/shades and tell you a little bit about them (you can see great swatches over at Vampy Varnish's blog if you'd like to see what every color looks like):

 NYX Dark Shadows Collection Palette

(retail: $25)

The first section of this palette contains 24 eyeshadows. I think these are carefully edited colors (no repeats or look-alikes) for a palette of this nature, and I like the balance between neutrals/earthtones and more colorful, bold shades.  I also like that there are a variety of finishes here: mattes, shimmers, satins and sparkles:

The next section of the palette contains a generously-sized mirror:

After that, there are various looks you can create based on some of the characters in the film:

The final section of the palette contains four lipglosses, one illuminator, one black liquid eyeliner, one mini tube of HD High Definition Shadow Base and five blushes:

The illuminator isn't a true white--it's more of a cream shade and contains a fair amount of sparkle. I found this powder easy to work with, and it gives a very subtle sheen to skin, but there is a good amount of fine glitter that is visible on the skin after application (my pic doesn't really capture that):

The first blush is a pretty pinky-peach shimmer that contains a lot of gold sparkle:

The second set of blushes also are shimmers that contain a good amount of sparkle:

And now for my FIRST favorite of the bunch: that gorgeous matte red blush on the left (below). I'll be showing you a swatch of it in a minute, but let me tell you: I think this blush is worth the price of the entire palette! I LOVE how vibrant it is on the skin, and I really love how easily it blends, and how it gives the apples of my cheeks such a beautiful pop of color. And the staying power has been amazing on my super-oily skin as well. In fact, my only complaint about this blush is that I wish it were a single, as opposed to being in a smaller duo pan alongside the pink. It totally deserves a spot all its own!

Here's a closer look at the neutral/earthtone side of the eyeshadows. I put an "x" next to the shades that I'll be swatching for you next, but before I show you the swatches, I want to point out that the shades with an "x" next to them (below) are my two favorites of the palette. The lighter taupe shade (matte) is almost the powder shadow equivalent of the Maybelline Color Tattoo shade Tough as Taupe. It goes on so smoothly and, with primer, it stays put for well over seven hours on my eyes. The second shade with an "x" next to it is the PERFECT complement to the lighter taupe shade (also a matte). I've been wearing these two shades together for the past week and I cannot get enough of them. Both shadows are finely milled, blend like a dream and work beautifully together:

NOTE: my swatches were done on bare skin, so the matte shades that I was just raving about don't look too special in this pic. But you've got to trust me: on the eyes, with primer, these two shadows are beautiful and just perfect together for a daytime, work-appropriate duo:

I love that the matte red blush is a true red (not dark pink, not coral, but red).

Next up, I'd like to show you my two favorite eyeshadow shades in the brighter, bolder side of the palette:

 I put an "x" next to them (the shimmery taupe and the shimmery bronze).

And what a surprise this gloss (the one with the "x" below) turned out to be! I don't usually even use lip colors that are in palettes and often consider them throw-aways, but that nude pink creme looks so pretty on the lips when I'm wearing a bolder eye look:

I think that shimmers always translate better in photos, so I hope you can see how pigmented the two colors above are, and that's WITHOUT primer. And that pink gloss--I just love it.

I'd also like to mention that I've used the HD High Definition Eyeshadow Base a few times and so far I really like it, but I'd like to test it some more with other shadows before I give you my full review. So if you're interested, please check back in the weeks to come for that review. 

Oh, and the mini liquid liner (in black) that comes with this palette is vibrant and has good staying power, but I'm just not a fan of eyeliner brushes with long bristles, so I haven't reached for it much.

FINAL VERDICT: If you're looking for a nice selection of eyeshadows in lots of on-trend shades and a variety of finishes, I think this is a palette worth considering. For $25, you get an impressive selection of eyeshadow shades AND a gorgeous matte red blush AND a mini-tube of HD Eyeshadow Base. The illuminator and shimmer blushes contain a bit too much sparkle for me personally, but if you're big on sparkle, I think you'll enjoy them very much. I can honestly say that if this palette hadn't been sent to me, and I knew that there were matte taupes and a matte red blush of this quality inside this palette, I would buy it in a heartbeat. The mini tube of primer is just the icing on the cake, and the unexpectedly beautiful (and wearable) pink gloss makes this palette a hard one to pass up (for me, at least). I love it and I hope you will too, if you make a purchase.

A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.