How many nude palettes do I actually need? Just one.
How many nude palettes do I actually want? GIVE ME ALL OF THEM.
Seriously man, ever since trailblazing Urban Decay started the nude/naked/neutral eyeshadow palette trend, every single brand in the cosmetic industry (generalization here to illustrate the booming neutral palette situation) has formulated one of their own as well. And I'm not complaining because even though palette A looks exactly like palette B, which is also highly similarly to palette C (and palette D, and palette AA and palette ZZ), I still want to possess as many as possible because as shopping is my vice and I need to fulfill my vice to be happy. Yah okay, it's a long paragraph to basically explain my total addiction to collecting neutral eyeshadow palettes.
I bought the Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette a couple of months ago from ShoppingDistrict.net for S$38.90 and I'm glad I bought the second installment instead of the first one.
The Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette focuses more on the reds and corals of the neutral eyeshadow family, while the Coastal Scents Revealed Palette contains the more usual neutral shades of browns and taupes. To be honest, I like the Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette better because it's a palette that can complement my other neutral eyeshadow palettes. I have Urban Decay Naked, Lorac Pro and NYX Nude on Nude and these 3 palettes mostly have browns and taupes (just like the Coastal Scents Revealed Palette), hence second installment is a better fit to my makeup collection. This does not mean that I didn't have the temptation to get both palettes. Oh yes, I had both in my cart...
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Packaging: Very travel-friendly. It's not a bulky palette (like the Naked series) and it's very compact and thin. It actually reminds me of the Lorac Pro Palette, just that this one has no mirror, which is both good and bad (less heavy, but less convenient for application). The cardboard packaging does not bother me at all because the design on it is sleek and very appropriate for a neutral palette with all the different hues of browns and reds. The only thing that irked me a little bit is the black cardboard on the eyeshadow side - very irritating because if I'm not careful, the product will get everywhere and black being the packaging colour on this side of the palette, the mess can get pretty obvious. So I always make it a point to load the product on my eyeshadow brushes very very carefully. Mild OCD perhaps? I don't know... Everything must be clean, always!!
Colour selection: The Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette has an impressive repertoire of colours. The first row is mostly lighter shades with a great balance of mattes and shimmers, corals and reds. The second row introduces you to darker shades of the same family, complete with a matte black for that classic smokey eye or just for lining the eyes. The most disappointing colour for me has got to be the second from the bottom right side - it looks pretty with the black base and red glitters, but oh my gosh it's a fallout disaster and the chunky glitters have the tendency to make their way INTO my eyes. A nightmare to apply and a nightmare to maintain. I ended up having super irritated eyes when I used this colour on my eyes.
Pigmentation: Great pigmentation on a whole. I'm most impressed by the mattes. Usually matte eyeshadows in palettes are quite redundant because you can't get any pigmentation out, but in this one, all the matte shades have amazing payoff - not only swatches, but also on the eyelid!
Longevity: To be honest, these eyeshadows don't have the best staying power. Without a primer, give them 4-5 hours and the colour will start to fade and at the end of the day, the shade is much less intense than when you first apply it. With a primer, the situation gets a little better, but still not the most long-lasting eyeshadows. In comparison, my Lorac Pro eyeshadows maintain their intensity after a full 12-hour wear WITHOUT a primer. but then again Lorac is a high-end brand so I can't really do a 100% comparison with this palette. For a S$38.90 palette, the Coastal Scents Revealed 2 Palette has decent longevity.
Will I recommend this palette? For those of you who are (like me) into collecting neutral eyeshadow palettes, then this is a good addition! If you're just a beginner when it comes to eyeshadows, I will suggest that you get the first installment because browns and taupes are safer colours. Overall, it's a great palette (with one black-sheep shade) that's worth trying out!
