L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 1 & LA Palette Nude 2 {Review, Comparisons, + Swatches on Dark Skin}

(Try as I might to get these to look as pretty as possible in pics, they were so beaten up when I bought them)

Every time adult me does a drugstore makeup review, know that 16 year old me is somewhere PISSED…LOL. They SURE didn’t make mainstream drugstore makeup products back in the 90s the way they do now. Shoot, I grew up in a predominately Black neighborhood and the drugstores around here had shades that barely made it into the tan category. I’m talking still-probably-too-light-for-Beyoncé-in-the-dead-of-winter-with-no-bronzer-handy light. Shoot, they STILL only have super light shades in most brands at my drugstores in my still predominately Black neighborhood. Like WHAAAAAAT? I don’t know. I’m not here to make sense of things. I’m here to talk about the (fairly) new L’Oreal LA Palette in both Nude 1 and Nude 2.

That drugstore brands are making eyeshadow palettes more and more (remember Maybelline’s version of the Nude I reviewed here) is again making 16 year old Danielle angrier dinnamug…lol. Back in the day at the drugstore you either had those chalky eyeshadow quads in colors that weren’t even trying to show up on your skin tone or you had the “ethnic” brands that put together some of the oddest color combos (hey, it WAS the 80s and 90s—although 90s makeup was supposed to be all minimalist and matte—that look didn’t really reach Queens, NYC). This is exactly why I went head-first into department store makeup when I first started wearing makeup regularly. Nobody had time for anybody’s chalky eyeshadow. So seeing neutral shades that work on all skin tones from a brand like L’Oreal is like mind-blowing to 16 year old me right now.

L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 1

L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 1 contains 10 neutral shades that run on the warmer side and looks like it might be “inspired by” the infamous Urban Day Naked 1 palette. I love that there’s a decent mix of mattes (4) and shimmers (6) in this palette and that it essentially works on all skin tones. I prefer neutrals that ring on the cooler side but still thought this palette was okay. My biggest gripe though is there isn’t a shade deep enough to darken my crease like I would like to do. Not an issue for someone like me who has too many eyeshadows because I can easily just break one out from my stash and get to darkening, but if you’re sane and have your makeup stash under control AND you also like to darken your crease AND you’re about my complexion, this might make you air box. Other than that, it’s decent for the drugstore.

See more L’Oreal posts here

L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 2

L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 2 contains 10 neutral shades that run on the cooler and rosier side and seems to be “inspired by” the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. This one has more mattes (7) than shimmers (3) but for a matte lover like me, this is just fine. The Nude 2 is actually my personal preference between the two because I LOVE cooler toned neutrals. Not only that but it has shades I live for when I do my usual eye makeup looks: a pinky beige (I also love beigey beiges…lol), a reddish brown color for my crease transition color, and a darker shade to deepen my crease. YASSSSS.

But here’s the thing.

While I like these, I’m not feeling like these are palettes that make me go “OMG I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS DRUGSTORE!!!!” like say a Sleek MakeUP, NYX Cosmetics, Black Radiance, Milani, L.A. Girl, or Black Opal palette might. I tested both without a base underneath as I do with all eyeshadows and within an hour they started to fade and crease. With a primer it worked MUCH better—as do all eyeshadows—I personally don’t wear eye makeup without a primer or base underneath because my lids get so oily. Don’t get me wrong—they’re really pretty and decent, but had I bought one for the original sale price (these were $19.99 each at Rite Aid but I bought them during a 40% off L’Oreal sale) I’d be like nahhhhhhh pass. But two of them for about $24 wasn’t bad at all. Mind you I have NO problems whatsoever spending $50+ per Urban Decay Naked palette—it’s just that something about paying $20 for a drugstore eyeshadow palette that somehow doesn’t sit well with me…lol.

See more eyeshadow posts here

L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 1 vs Urban Decay Naked 1

L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 2

Urban Decay Naked 1

L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 2 vs Urban Decay Naked 3 and L.A. Girl Beauty Brick in Nudes

L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 2

Urban Decay Naked 3

L.A. Girl Beauty Brick in Nudes

Bottom line: L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 1 and LA Palette Nude 2 are decent palettes at the drugstore level. No, you’re not getting super soft yet pigmented shadows like you would with Urban Decay, but you’ll get some great shades that will work for both day and night looks. But definitely get this on sale and if it’s the most accessible where you live (some people like to shop in-store and then live in an area where not every brand is sold nearby). Outside of a sale, I think you’ll enjoy the quality of eyeshadows from Sleek MakeUP, NYX Cosmetics, Black Radiance, Milani, or Black Opal. And if you like the rosier neutrals, the L.A. Girl Cosmetics Beauty Brick in Nudes is similar (and I think has more wow factor) although it has more shimmers than mattes than the L’Oreal LA Palette Nude 2.

Price and where to buy: around $17.99-19.99 at drugstores and mass market retailers nationwide. But again, get these when they’re on sale.

Keep coming back to the blog for my Summer of Swatching series! Get more details here.