Summer isn't over but I'm still clinging to every last straw I can. I want Summer back! That's why I was really happy when I noticed that Notino carries this NYX Off Tropic palette in Shifting Sand.
It's a warm palette that has several colours included that reminds me of a warm summer sunset. Beautiful, right?
NYX Off Tropic Palette - SHIFTING SAND
Expand your horizons with our brand-new Off Tropic Shadow Palette. Inspired by the heat and hues of an island paradise, there are two pigment-rich sets of vibrant shades to choose from—Hasta La Vista and Shifting Sand. Each eclectic palette is saturated with 10 blendable tones in a lush range of metallic, matte and satin finishes. Go Off Tropic by adding a playful pop of color to your everyday makeup, or by layering your way to a bold look in full bloom.
The 10 colours are packed in a lightweight cardboard palette with magnetic closing. It's pretty sturdy and it seems it could be travel-friendly. It doesn't contain a mirror, but that's better - one thing less that can break!
Out of the 10 colours, there are 6 matte shadows and 4 glittery. None of them is a highlight colour.
This palette will set you back for about 20€.
DRY SWATCHES
SWATCHES OVER A PRIMER
I decided to play with the colours and create two looks - a daily one and a darker one.
FRESH ORANGE LOOK
For this look, I used the shades 1, 3, 8 and 10. Then I used the number 7 (orange) all over the lid, forgetting it's not a highlight colour. I added a highlight colour from another palette (Nabla Millenium) to add that extra wow to my eyes.
The look was very fresh and reminded me of Summer. I could go bolder if I'd use a creamier eyeshadow primer. But I have oily eyelids so for me it's always about staying power instead of colour (if I have to pick only one).
The mattes are lovely to work with. They are quite buttery and are buildable. They are mostly not crazy pigmented but are buildable. Which is perfect for daily looks. They have slight kickback as are a bit powdery when applied with a brush.
FUCHSIA LOOK
For the second look, I wanted to see how bold I could go with this palette. I used the colours 1, 4 and 8 in the crease. Then I added some Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy eyeshadow primer to get the colour really showing (as it won't stick to a matte base or to a clean eyelid) and over it, I used the colour number 9.
The colour number 9 (oh boy, how lame it's to write colour names like this) looks more purple in the palette. On my lid, it looked more like fuchsia with a slight violet shift.
I had no problem getting the colour to show over a creamy sticky base. But alone it won't be as pigmented as is on my pictures. It needs something to stick to.
The staying power of these shadows is great! Well, it mostly depends on your eyeshadow base but I had no problem with the colours sticking to my eyelids. My eyeshadow primer is something that can't be that easily removed and thus these colours stick nicely to it.
But to get most out of the palette, I'd recommend getting a creamy primer or something that's meant for glitter as without it just won't show up as nicely. The mattes are fine, but the glitters need some extra help. That's not the case with the orange and the violet colour. But the golden and green eyeshadow feel gritty and are hard to work with.
PROS:
+ Lightweight palette, great to travel with
+ Pretty good colour choice
+ The mattes are lovely to work with and buildable
+ Can create some crazy cool looks with it!
+ Price - 20€ or less
+ Good quality of most eyeshadows
CONS:
- 2 eyeshadows are a bit off, gritty (golden and green)
- On the back of the palette, there's a note that the mineral shadows (6 colours) can't be used on eyes. That's really weird and is quite off-putting.
- lacks a highlight colour
OVERALL:
This palette is a fun one. It has some crazy colours for when I am in the mood to play with some colours. I enjoy using the mattes as part of my daily makeup looks.
The mattes have good pigmentation and are easy to work with. They are also buildable.
I am not a fan of the two gritty colours (gold and green) that need some extra glitter primer underneath. The price for this palette is pretty affordable - 20€.
I am also a bit weirded out by the note on the back of the palette which doesn't advise using most of the colours next to the eyes. I mean, why? It's an eyeshadow palette. I couldn't find anything about it online and people seem not to mind it and keep using it around eyes. Well, I will do that too, but it's something to keep in mind.
Overall I'm happy with it and I hope I will be able to use it in lots of fun looks!
