Natasha Denona Metropolis Eyeshadow Palette | First Look

Continuing the festive parade of items coming out for the holidays, we have here Natasha Denona's contribution to products we don't need but, well, let's face it, we kinda do need them =P The brand released a 28-pan "midi eyeshadow palette in a stunning array of vibrant colors (and it does not appear to be limited edition!). The pans themselves are on the small size but you get a lot of shades to work with (hence the term "midi"). The color story is sort of "royal meets urban landscape" in that there are rich, jewel-tone shades that balance nicely with the selection of neutral shades. I like the color story of this palette and feel it provides versatility while allowing multiple options to make more unique looks that could still be appropriate for everyday wear.

Overview: The 28 shadows are all brand new shades and claim to deliver maximum color payoff and are hydrating and smooth for optimum texture and comfortable, all-day wear. The case is her usual, high-end style consisting of what seems to be a foam base covered in shiny plastic in a deep turquoise shade.

Formula: You have metallics, mattes, duo-chromes, shimmers, and high shine formulas to play with. I'm unsure of exactly what the high shine formula is, but I am guessing it provides extra shine. Jk! It seems to be a more "wet" looking version of the metallic shades, with more reflective light.

The mattes in particular have an almost "cool" feeling to them; they are not dusty or powdery but rather feel smooth and buttery and almost "wet". I am unsure if this is Natasha's "cream-to-powder" formula which many users seem to love (I know I do). But there is zero fallout with these shadows and the formula provides an almost cooling feeling upon application, which I enjoy.

The metallics apply nicely and there is little fallout with this formula (I usually apply on top of my primer before I let the primer dry and I usually apply with my finger). The duo-chrome, shimmers and high-shines apply well too, and there is basically no fallout. I also apply with my finger, as is my preferred way of applying shadows that are not matte to my eyelid.

Color Payoff & Story: I am impressed with the color payoff (many of the swatches on my arm are only one swipe). The cobalt blue, the deep turquoise and deep green shades in particular blew me away. If you read my post on the Too Faced "Extra Spicy Gingerbread" palette, then you'll know my thoughts on the underwhelming turquoise shade. If you want a turquoise shade that is smooth to the touch and delivers rich color payoff, the Metropolis will deliver. Of course, it's got a heftier price tag, but you wouldn't buy this palette just for one shade alone.

I appreciate that there are so many neutrals while not being just the typical "nude beige, cool beige, pink beige, peach beige" type of palette. Instead, the neutrals are everyday friendly but they bring a bit more color to the mix instead of just a butt load of various brown shades. I love the shade Rhizome which is a warm, mustard matte shade (it reminds me of Paper Tiger by ColourPoP and one of the shades in the Too Faced Buttered Rum holiday 2019 palette).

You can definitely create a variety of looks with this palette, and I appreciate the smaller size pans. Being a neutral eye shadow girl, I won't use the deep blues and greens and turquoise shades all that often, so it will be nice to have them available while not having to wonder how long it will take me to go through those pans.

What the Negative Reviews Say: One thing I did read in a handful of reviews and is that some of the shades do appear quite similar to each other, especially once applied to the eye. Symbol and Enigma seem to appear similar on the eye for some people. I think on more fair skin tones, the colors might pop a bit more. I personally do see a difference between the shades on my eye. Also, shades like Fuse, Penny, Blaze and Rust seem to be quite similar.

I can see why this would annoy some people, especially given the price tag. For me, if they are shades I will use the most, it's not a problem. I don't need three different yet similar blues, but three different yet similar warm-toned nudes I'm totally cool with. The neutrals are shades I use often and I am cognizant of the fact that I will go through these four shades much faster than I would Symbol and Enigma, and I do not want to run out of the neutrals too fast.

I am guessing though that most people buying this palette are either a) new to the brand and this is their first, high-end palette from the Natasha Denona line in which case they likely won't have similar shadows of the high-end variety. Or, they are b) collectors, in which case, you likely already have duplicates in your collection elsewhere.

I also feel that, especially if you're a collector, you would appreciate the subtle nuances in some of the "similar yet different" shadows. The turquoise that leans green (Symbol) versus the turquoise that leans blue (Enigma) might look similar but those subtle variances in undertone can make a difference. The turquoise leaning blue looks better paired with the shadows with orange undertones whereas the turquoise leaning green pairs better with the shades with more yellow undertones. It's sometimes about how you use the shadows in conjunction with the other shadows, and that can make quite a difference.

Natasha Denona is a cruelty free brand <3

Thanks for reading!