YSL Couture Variation Ten-Color Expert Eye Palette – Nude

Every time a luxury brand releases a new eyeshadow palette, especially if it’s neutral, you know I’ll probably be all over it. And YSL had done just that! YSL released a new palette Couture Variation Ten-Color Expert Eye Palette ($95USD) in two shades, Nude and Tuxedo. No surprises I reached for the neutral palette called Nude or Nu.

The palette comes with a good mix of matte and shimmery eyeshadows, most tend to be on the warmer side with a couple that sit in the cooler spectrum. The colour spectrum was inspired from YSL’s creative studio in Paris and ranges from light to deep shades, perfect if you’re looking to create a wearable day time eye that can transition into a night time look. And needless to say, perfect for travel. Additionally the palette comes with a dual ended brush which unlike many sponge tip applicators, is actually usable!

The shadows themselves are buttery, smooth and blend out beautifully upon application, pigmented and easy to use. I wouldn’t expect anything less from YSL.

If you’re looking for something to compare this palette to, I’d say the first products that come to mind are Urban Decay’s Naked Palettes. I own all three Naked palettes (as well as the two Naked Basics palettes), though I’ve never reviewed them on the blog given the sheer number of reviews already out there! However if I had to do a comparison, I would say that in terms of usability the Naked palettes in my mind win just because the variation of shades is greater so you have a larger spectrum of looks you could pull from.

However when it comes to packaging, YSL. Just because this palette is small, thin and incredibly sleek. You could literally carry it in your pocket without noticing it, and the smooth outer plastic means it’s very easy to keep clean and slip into any bag you may have. It doesn’t hurt that with the provided applicators, you could get away without bringing your own brushes.

All in all, I’m really glad I picked this up to try, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for everyone because of the high price point. I’d say whether you need this is very personal to your lifestyle and taste in shades. But I can say that you won’t be disappointed by the quality

If you’re interested in picking one up for yourself, you can check out either Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus.