Naya

Natasha Denona Retro Palette, Review

the 60s were a time where ordinary people could do extraordinary things

Foreword

A much-anticipated launch of a bigger Retro Palette by Natasha Denona is finally here! We all loved the brand’s Mini Retro Palette, a five-pan beauty inspired by the hues of the 60s, so now is the time to discuss a new family member. Do we groove with it or not? Let’s find out together.

Curious? Then please keep on scrolling

About the Product

Natasha Denona Retro Palette (65 USD; Made in Italy) – is the brand’s medium sized 15-pan eyeshadow palette that contains a mix of formulas and finishes (some of which are new to the brand). Several shades are re-introduced from the discontinued Lila Palette.

Cruelty-Free 🐇

Packaging: there is no denying that there has been a huge improvement in the way Natasha Denona palettes look nowadays and Retro Palette is no exception. It comes in a sleek muted pink case made of sturdy plastic. It has a magnetic closure as well as a decently sized mirror, making this palette a great on-the-go/travel companion. You get 19.25g/0.67 Oz of product in total, which is about 1.28 g/0.044 Oz per pan. Eyeshadow pans can be removed from the back, so if you choose to depot or re-shuffle them, you can easily do that. This packaging appeals to me on so many levels.

Formula & Texture: according to Natasha herself, there are quite a few new and improved formulas presented to us in the palette. We are talking about cream-powder shades, think BIBA Palette, plus a cream-crystal finish that we have initially come across in her Mini Retro Palette (reviewed here). You can instantly notice the latter as the most light-reflective, sparkly shade placed in the middle of the palette (Psychedelic). I would say it is a lot more vibrant compared to Galaxia in the original mini.

Overall, all shades in the palette have that finely milled, creamy-smooth feel to them and beautiful pigmentation.

Mini Retro Palette

Application: good news if you enjoy applying your eyeshadow with both brushes and fingers – every method works like a charm with Retro Palette. I do recommend applying glittery shades Glitz and Psychedelic with your fingertips or mixed with something like MAC Fix + to achieve maximum “glossy lid” results. There is not much kick up or fall out either, which makes it a very user-friendly (and even beginner-friendly) palette in my opinion. Blendability is on par with the brand’s best palettes. If you want to bring out more depth out of purples, use a color-matching or dark eye base/pencil underneath them.

The nature of creamier eyeshadows (from any brand) is that they have a tendency to develop a hard pan over time. This is something I have noticed with the shade Rebellion. There is a quick and effective trick to fix that: place a small piece of soft tape onto the back of your hand to remove most of the glue residue, then carefully place it on top of hard pan, gently press and remove. The tape will pick any of the drier bits of powder, revealing a fresh layer of shadow.

Wear: it just so happens that generally brighter purples and berry tones tend to lose their vibrancy fast. In case with Retro Palette, I must say that wear time is quite impressive with shades remaining looking punchy and beautiful for a reasonably long time, around 4-5 hours. Neutral and reddish tones in the palette have a superior wear time, around 6-7 hours before you notice any gradual fading. I do recommend using an eye primer with all of your eyeshadows to extend their wear. My favorite at the moment is MAC 24-Hour Extend Eye Base and Pro Longwear Paint Pot.

Swatches: below are my unedited swatches (no primer, filter or finger-licking from my end). I rely on natural day light, so that you can hopefully see what every color looks like in real life.

Colours: although this palette is meant to be an extension of Mini Retro Palette, when you look at the two side by side, they do not have much in common. Retro Palette is a lot more purple- and berry-toned, whereas the mini has those whimsical powder pink, grey and olive shades in it. Personally speaking, I do love the colour story of both, however, I do think there is a missed opportunity here to make the palette even better by adding these unique and unusual cool/mid tones to it.

If you like the shade range presented in Retro Palette, just like I do, quality-wise you won’t be disappointed. These are the tones I love on my complexion; they also bring out the warmth and softness of my brown eyes.

Verdict

The minute I saw this palette, I knew it had to be mine. As a big aficionado of the 60s (and the 70s too), I felt like the tones presented in Retro Palette spoke to my heart. This and award-winning Natasha Denona eyeshadow quality is a combination that is hard to beat. I can think of a plethora of looks, both easy everyday or glam ones, that can be achieved with this palette alone and for that reason I see it as a good investment (as long as you love the color story). With the right application technique, this palette could become your every day staple. Lovely fall/winter release that gets A from me.