There is always something amazing about checking Instagram to see your favorite drugstore brand has put out a new product. From skincare, makeup, and even perfume, seeing something else we can buy is sure to make our day. Therefore, I was super excited to see NYX come out with the new “In Your Element” eyeshadow palettes. With promises of rich color payoff, cute packaging, and a unique idea, what could go wrong? I placed an order for the Earth and Fire palettes, costing me a hefty $60, plus tax. However, the swatches the company posted on Instagram really made me believe that $30 for a drugstore palette was worth it.
NYX’s swatches of the Fire palette, via Instagram.
I was absolutely in love with the shade range and color scheme of the Fire palette. It seemed perfect for both summer and fall and looked to be creamy and vibrant. Each palette in the collection comes with 12 shades, each of which is labeled by number, and do not have special shade names. The palette itself is a cheap feeling plastic but has a very large, clear mirror. The palette, despite feeling cheap, is sturdy, and it takes force to open it up.
The package also arrived safely and wrapped with bubble wrap (which does NOT pop, FYI!). It also comes in the very cute black lace bag that NYX cosmetics always ships their products in.
Upon first look, the Fire palette was beautiful but certainly less vibrant than Instagram had made it seem. This is pretty usual though, considering photos can be edited.
My own (totally professional) photo of the NYX Fire palette, fresh out of the box.
Post-swatch photo of the palette up close.
I was incredibly eager to dig in and swatch these babies, especially after that gorgeous picture NYX put on Instagram. I did not prep my arms with any primer; I went straight in on clean, dry skin.
The results were, in all honesty, disappointing for a $30 palette. The pigments, which are supposed to be, well, pigmented, were not. Most of the pigment shades were very light in color and took several swatches to be seen on the skin. The shadows were somewhat pigmented, but not at all like the official swatch NYX posted.
My swatches of the Fire palette
The very bottom yellow shade on my arm (there is a shade right underneath the vibrant yellow, it looks very sheer and golden) was a pigment. A pigment! Perhaps for a subtle inner-corner highlight, but this shade would certainly not show up over other shadows. The shadows also seemed to be chalky, and lots of fallout appeared when I swatched with my finger.
I’d overall give the Fire palette 2 out of 5 stars for my first impression. The concept is great and the palette is gorgeous but is definitely not worth $30. If NYX were to drop the price, then I’d recommend it as a fun palette for your collection.
Now let’s move on to the Earth palette. NYX did not have any official swatches, nor could I find any online. So, let’s look at my really horrible ones!
Photo of the NYX Earth palette, fresh from the box.
Earth is another palette perfect for summer and fall and comes in the same plastic packaging that the fire palette came in. The shades are neutral, and much more muted than the Fire shades.
Photo of the shades, featuring my Chatham shirt in the mirror.
These shades seem much more wearable and workable than the Fire shades. They swatched similarly to the Fire shades, but I was personally more impressed with these shades than the previous palette.
My own swatches of the Earth palette.
Shadows from the Earth palette seem much more buildable than the Fire ones did. While these shades were chalky, there was definitely not as much fallout as there was with the Fire palette. The pigments leave gorgeous, easy to see the shimmer, and would be lovely layered on top of other shadows. I would give the Earth palette 3 out of 5 stars. While I love it much more than the Fire palette, it leaves something to be desired, and the shades must be built up and blended, which may take some time.
Overall, I’d sit out these palettes. A good, cheaper dupe for Fire would be Colourpop’s Yes, Please! palette, which retails for $20, and has much better pigment. A good dupe for Earth would definitely be Anastasia’s Subculture palette; however, it is $42. The shades in Subculture, however, far outshine the performance of the Earth palette.
Have you gotten any of these new palettes? How did you like them? Let me know!