For this week’s eyeshadow palette review, I figured we could focus on Catrice’s latest release: the Pro Next-Gen Nudes eyeshadow palette. This palette is part of Catrice’s Spring/ Summer 2020 update and it immediately drew my attention when I spotted it. There are two of these palettes in the collection: a warm toned one and this more cool toned rosy number. It seems to have been greatly inspired by the Huda Beauty New Nude palette (which I don’t own). So is it any good?
Review: Catrice Pro Next-Gen Nudes eyeshadow palette
In general I think that Catrice eyeshadow quality has increased in the past year or so. I have tried many of their palettes and most of the time, the quality was so-so. However, since they released the Crystallized Rose Quartz palette, their quality has been stellar. So I was hoping this would be of a similarly great quality. I was not that please with the price point: the palette is quite basic looking and it still retails for €9.89. I think that is a bit steep looking at how basic this palette looks. It only makes me wish more that this is a great palette.
Why did this palette spark my interest?
If you know anything about my makeup tastes, then you will know that I like my neutral shadows to be more cool to neutral leaning and that one of my favorite palettes of all time is Urban Decay’s Naked 3. In short, I love me some rosy toned neutrals and was stoked to find they are back in vogue again. This is clearly inspired by that other high end brand though: Huda Beauty. Like her New Nude palette, Catrice has tried to recreate that flaky shimmer. Other than that this may very well be the first palette Catrice has every done that has more mattes than shimmers. I love trying Catrice’s stuff of course and so I was curious to see what this palette would hold in store.
What does the palette have to offer?
This is a 14 pan eyeshadow palette that has 6 shimmer and 8 matte shades. There is a range of lighter and medium tones, but it doesn’t pull that dark. The darkest shade in the palette is not that dark which can be a shame for people with anything deeper than a medium skin tone. This is a light skinned girl’s dream palette though. I live the range of shimmers it offers and I like how the mattes offer a lighter and a deeper shade of essentially the same color. That makes it very easy to create looks with. I also like the range of shimmers: they have different textures and levels of intensity that can hopefully help to create some stunning looks.
How do these shadows swatch?
When swatching this the first thing you notice is how buttery smooth these shadows are. Especially that first creamy matte shade: it is so thick and creamy that at first I thought it was a cream. It wasn’t until I started using it that I found out it was actually a powder. All shades have good pigmentation and they blend easily onto the skin. The two special shimmers with the flaky bits swatch nicely but I think the lighter of the two outperforms the darker one. As with many shimmers these days I feel these do need a bit of finger action to create the best level of intensity. You may also try foiling these for that extra wet look effect.
3 looks with Catrice Pro Next-Gen Nudes
Look 1: rosy tones
This was the first look I created with the palette. It is the same look as I did for the first impression video. I used the deepest brown in the outer V and the rosy toned shimmer on the lid. I really like how this look turned out. It has depth and definition and the shimmery rose gold shade is one that goes well with the rest in the palette. Overall, I think that in terms of color story this is a well-rounded palette with shades that play well together.
Look 2: cool tones
Apart from rosy tones, this palette also features some cool toned shades. Especially in right side of the palette can you find a stunning silvery toned shimmer that has a champagne base to it. I personally like it a lot and applied it all over my lid for this look. Why? Because it is a pretty shimmer, it is bright enough to work all over the lid, but it is not too stark that it looks like it clashes with the rest of my makeup. This is a very basic everyday eye with a classic touch which is why I decided to pair it with a red lip.
Look 3: warm tones? Well kinda!
For my final look I wanted to play with whatever shades I had left after doing the first two. That is my policy whenever I try a new palette: I will not review it unless I have tried all the shades at least once. For this look I was left with the light bronze shade in the bottom left part of the palette. Not my favorite as it is quite warm toned. It still has a bit of rosiness to it making it work well with the other shades, but I knew it would be a shade I would reach for the least. Personally, I would opt for look 1 and 2 over this one. However, I still feel this is a pretty neutral palette that can please a lot of different people.
My final thoughts
In general I think Catrice has produced a really good quality eyeshadow palette. I still think the price point is a bit steep for what you get (there is less than 1 gram of shadow in each pan), but the quality is really nice. The mattes are the standout shades as they are buttery smooth and blend like a dream. Where I have had issues in the past with Catrice shadows blending into nothing, these are easily built up to full intensity and make for some stunning defined looks. I think the palette could have featured one or two shades to add more depth and with that variety. That said, I feel this is a very wearable palette that can appeal to a lot of people.
Would I recommend the Catrice Pro Next-Gen Nudes eyeshadow palette?
Yes! But only if you are looking for this sort of thing. I do think Catrice is a bit late to be hopping on the rosy toned bandwagon, but ultimately they are also catering to the everyday makeup user. That means that I think this palette can be a good one for makeup newbies, people who simply can’t afford an Urban Decay or Huda Beauty palette or if you are looking for a palette for that go to everyday look. Don’t expect for this one to take you from day to night situations though, but the quality is great and what more can you want from a drugstore eyeshadow palette?