NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay Pressed Pigment Palette Review + 3 looks Demo
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Hey, pretty people!
NikkieTutorials is definitely one of the most beloved and respected gurus in the makeup world. She has paved the way for so many YouTubers and bloggers with her artistry and uniqueness, and frequently collabs with makeup brands. You can take a look at her channel here!
This time, as you may have guessed from the title, she has partenered up with the British brand Beauty Bay. She has created a colorful eyeshadow palette that features a total of 20 shades and two mirrors.
This palette is divided in two sides, a more colorful one and a more dramatic one. The pans seem to be quite bigger than your average ones, and the shade range seems to be quite good for a great amount of skintones.
There are a few different formulations you can work with in this range, and I’m not just talking about mattes and shimmers!
So, what’s the real deal about the NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay palette? Is it really worth it?
Let’s find out!
Grab a drink and possibly a snack; this is going to be a long, super-detailed ride!
GENERAL SPECIFICS
- 30$ | 25£ | 30€
- 20 shades total
- 2 duochrome shades + 6 shimmer shades + 12 matte shades
- 2 mirrors
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
- Limited Edition
- No brush
- Colorful and dramatic vampy shades
You can find the full list of ingredients on beautybay.com.
PACKAGING
This packaging is one of the best I personally have seen in a while!
The NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay palette comes in a black cardboard box with a colorful keyhole right in the center, and hot pink and white designs. The keyhole is split in the middle, with the left side full of bright colors and the right one in black and white.
The small details I enjoy the most about this cardboard are the embossed keyhole and the glitters you can see once the light hits the black background. They look quite simple, and give the product a classy touch.
THE ACTUAL PALETTE
Taking out the palette, we can see that it comes with a black card that explains how to apply certain shades. I quite enjoyed this detail, especially in light of people who aren’t really familiar with eyeshadows.
Now, let’s start talking about the actual product!
THE GENERAL AESTHETIC
The palette has a nice weight to it, and generally looks slightly bigger than the average product.
The design is split in two, just like the keyhole on the cardboard. This time, however, we have a grecian-like temple in the middle, which is also split in half with the two designs.
The left side is full of bright colors, with a general hot pink theme. The temple is white and the architecture is perfect, and there are also cute and fun drawings.
On the other hand, the right side not only presents different colors, but a different style of drawing as well. The temple is now ruined, and sits in the middle of the woods and close to what looks like a cemitery.
THE OUTER PACKAGING
My favorite part about this outer packaging is the glossy temple in the center. You can still see the glitters from the cardboard in it, and on the back we can find a cute little message from Nikkie.
Another small detail I actually enjoyed about this packaging is the big F-you to all makeup shamers we can see on the right sidet. The skeleton hand flipping the bird is simply icing on the cake.
THE INSIDE OF THE PALETTE
Once we open up the palette and take out the clear plastic sheet protecting the shades, we finally get to see all the colors inside.
The product offers two mirrors, one with a normal vision on the left and one with a magnified vision on the right. On the bottom of both of them, we can see the writings ‘I am me’ and ‘You are you’, on the left and right side rispectively.
One detail I find interesting is how the background goes from hot pink, starting on the left, to pitch black, on the right side. All the shade names are written in white, which makes them perfectly visible.
If I had to pick something I don’t like about this packaging, it would definitely be the clear plastick sheet on the inside.
I find it a little annoying, but let’s be real: this packaging is incredibly beautiful either with or without it!
SHADES’ SELECTION + BREAKDOWN
This selection is quite varied, both in colors and formulations.
The NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay palette offers you everything you need to create any sort of look you may want to, from natural to full-blown smoky. Also, if you love colors, you are most definitely going to love this product!
The balance between matte and shimmers is incredible, providing gorgeous shimmery shadows that can complement any look. Moreover, the shimmers could double-up as highlighters for light to medium skintones.
ROW #1
Redemption. The first row starts off with a bright marigold orange shade that just screams ‘spring’ to me. This shadow looks a lot brighter on the eye than it does in the pan, and its tone becomes quite more yellow as well. Overall, it is nicely pigmented, although not as much as most of the mattes of the palette. Moreover, it does create the tiniest bit of build-up in the pan.
Blend & Snap!. If ‘Redemption‘ caused just a minimal amount of powder in its pan, get ready for this bubblegum pink to do a lot worse; the situation is not a helpless one by any means, but it is still a detail worth mentioning. However, it is one of the most pigmented mattes of the palette!
Ivy. An icy white shimmer that is almost always present in Nikkie’s products – and with good reason! This type of shade looks great on everybody’s inner corner, and can double up as a proper highlighter for lighter skintones. Compared to the other shimmers of the palette, however, this one was slightly underwhealming for me; it doesn’t have the best pigmentation (although it still performs quite well), and its formula is slightly crumbly as well.
Slasher. This mulberry purple matte is an incredibly interesting color, mainly because it looks like a straight-up violet shade on the eye. However, it looks darker and more red-toned in its pan. Besides this fact, this shadow is one of the easiest to blend, not to mention one of the most pigmented ones; I already see myself using it almost everyday this fall!
5AM. I have a love/hate relationship with this shade; the hate part comes from its color, while the love part comes from its formulation and performance. 5AM is marketed as a chocolate brown matte. It certainly looks like one in the pan, but its hue turns cooler once it is applied on the eye. I don’t necessarily dislike it per se, but I did find the ‘change of undertones’ slightly annoying. On the other hand, it blends in one motion, leaving soft edges and a perfectly blurred finish behind. If you’re into cooler brown mattes, this one will definitely do the trick for you!
ROW #2
Roxy Catan. Marketed as a bright pink shimmer, this shadow reminds me more of a rose gold shade to me. Its formulation differs slightly from the other shimmers as well, reminding me more of a ‘traditional’ one you can find in many other palettes; its pigmentation and overall quality, however, are top notch. It doesn’t look as foiled and metallic as the other, but performs incredibly well nonetheless.
Vla. Along with ‘Ew’, this bumblebee yellow matte was a shade that left me quite dubious when I purchased the NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay palette. This shadow definitely looks bright in the pan, but has a more buildable element to it once applied on the eyes. It doesn’t come off as intense right away, but a second ‘coat’ will immediately offer you that unforgettable shade of yellow.
Mikai. I must say I definitely have a soft spot for this shadow, not just because of its true red matte hue but also because of what it represents; it is a hommage to Nikkie’s late little brother, and is supposed to be the heart of the palette. Now, this is definitely the most pigmented matte you’ll find here. You need to pick up very little of it, because I assure you that it will be more than enough. On the other hand, it does cause a little bit of build-up in the pan; it is fairly common with shades that are this pigmented, so it doesn’t bother me too much – it is something to be aware of, though!
Mila. A caramel nude matte eyeshadow that has proven itself to be one of the most versatiles to work with. ‘Mila‘ can act as a base for more medium skintones, but also as a nice transition for lighter ones; it is quite the warm choice, but I promise you it is one of the best ones for pretty much every look! It is ever-so-slightly powdery, but its pigmentation and blendability fully make up for it.
Underground. I find this silver/gold shimmer shadow to be yet another interesting shade of the palette, as well as a pretty innovative one in general. The silver base makes it perfect for more chic looks, while the gold particles give it a kick more that fits perfectly with the general theme of the palette. Much like all of the other shimmers, it has a nice formulation that looks almost metallic on the eye. Itapplies best using your finger.
ROW #3
Plot Twist. This periwinkle shade is not just a matte shadow, but a pastel. This isn’t going to make a lot of sense for somebody, and I will touch more about the subject in my review of the Pastels palette by Beauty Bay. Anyway, let’s quickly talk about it. The general rule here is that you don’t treat pastel eyeshadows like you would any regular matte. They require a white base to show up and perform well, and if you don’t provide it your eyeshadow is going to look simply awful. This is exactly why many people had so many bad things to say about this eyeshadow. I promise you that if you apply a white base beforehand, you will see how pigmented and blendable ‘Plot Twist’ actually is!
Aura. All of the warm tones lovers out there will certainly fall in love with this orange shimmer at first sight. The small detail I appreciated the most about this shadow are the gold particles in it. Much like all the other shimmers of the palette, this one offers a foiled/metallic finish that feels wet upon touching. Truly a nice shade to use!
Basic Trut. Originally, I thought there wasn’t really anything much I could do with this pink toned nude matte. My first resort was using it as a base shade, but the truth is that there is so much more to it than that. This shadow is perfect to tone down any other matte eyeshadow, and pairs perfectly with ‘5AM‘. It could still serve as a base for lighter skintones, though.
All-In. Marketed as a green duochrome, I personally find this shade to be quite close to a pressed glitter shadow. The green particles become incredibly prominent once the shade is applied on the lid, and are so visible they basically take over the entire show. It offers an impressive amount of shine, and can create interesting looks when layered on top of a matte shadow.
Ew. You will probably be happy to hear that this true green matte shadow loses a bit of its neon element once it is applied on the eye. It doesn’t turn into a soft green in the slightest, but looks a bit darker nonetheless. There is quite a lot to love about it, starting from its pigmentation. You literally need to pick up very little formula for it to show up perfectly on the lid, which is something I deeply appreciated. Moreover, it blends out effortelessly, leaving a blurred and soft finish behind that reminded me of ‘5AM‘. The only potential downside is the slight amount of build-up in the pan. Unexpectedly, the shade that made me the most skeptical turned out to be one of my favorites of the NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay palette!
ROW #4
Pride. Definitely my favorite shimmer shade out of the NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay palette, ‘Pride‘ was created with the LGBTQ+ Trans flag in mind – which is a detail I loved. This shadow is a pink duochrome with beautiful light blue reflexes, and its formulation reminds me of a metallic eyeshadow. It glides on the lid perfectly, creating a smooth and almost wet finish.
Zomer. A peach-pink matte shadow that could look incredibly natural on more medium skintones. Just a heads up, it does look a lot pinker on the eye than it does in the pan. This matte shade positively impressed me, mainly because of how well and fast it blends out. Moreover, it is beautifully pigmented.
Mama Tutorials. This baby blue shimmer shadow just screams ‘Spring and Summer’ to me, but fear not. It will help you create incredibly interesting winter looks as well. Mama Tutorials is almost like a pressed glitter shadow, and can work in two ways. The first coat will give you a softer finish, while the second one will offer a proper blue color. It was a real pleasure to use, and will definitely become a fan favorite in no time!
Amsterdamn. This matte cobalt blue is going to be perfect this summer to create colorful smoky looks! It is one of the most pigmented mattes of the palette, although it does take a little bit longer to blend; it does blend out quickly, just not as well as most of the other shadows of the palette. However, it is one of the most iconic shades of this NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay palette!
Mr. Tutorials. The last row closes off with a beautiful hazel shimmer, inspired by Nikkie’s boyfriend’s eye color (which is an incredibly sweet and romantic thought!). Not gonna lie, I was slightly skeptical about this shimmer at first. I thought it was going to be too similar to ‘All-In’, and I wasn’t really going to get much out of it. Thankfully, ‘Mr. Tutorials’ turned out to be one of the most distinctive shades of the palette. The dark gold and almost brown base may look quite basic in the pan, but once applied on the eyes a lot of beautiful gold and green particles come to life. It is a real pleasure to see, especially because I wasn’t really able to detect them in the pan. It really is a pleasure to use and see, and I am sure it will become many fans’ favorite!
DEMO #1
After prepping my lid, I buffed ‘Mikai‘ a little bit above my crease, sketching out the shape I wanted. Then, I packed ‘Slasher‘ on the outer corner and blended it out into ‘Mikai‘. After cutting the half cut-crease shape, I set the inner part with ‘Ivy‘ and the center with ‘Mama Tutorials‘. To finish everything off, I swiped ‘Mikai‘ on the lower lash line and used ‘Ivy‘ as my inner corner highlighter. Lastly, I popped a purple pencil in my waterline.
DEMO #2
On a primed lid, I started the look off by sketching out an open and elongated cut crease shape using ‘Mikai‘, and reinforced the shape using ‘Slasher‘. Then, after cutting the lid, I set it using ‘Mr. Tutorials‘. After that, I decided to swipe ‘Ew‘ on my lower lash line and went over it with ‘All In‘. Lastly, I used ‘Ivy‘ as my inner corner highlighter.
DEMO #3
On a primed lid, I buffed ‘Blend & Snap!‘ in the inner part of the lid, and ‘Zomer‘ on the outer one. I used the tiniest bit of ‘Plot Twist‘ to buff out the pink and ‘Redemption‘ to blend out the orange. To mimick the cut crease, I decided to place ‘Pride‘ on the inner part of the lid. Then, I used ‘Roxy Catan‘ on the outer one. I swiped ‘Amsterdamn‘ on the outer part of my lower lash line, and ‘Aura‘ on the inner one. Lastly, I used ‘Vla‘ in my inner corner.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This has been a long ride!
In conclusion, would I recommend the NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay Pressed Pigment palette? Without a doubt!
I genuinely believe this palette offers a great amount of quality for a honest price, and it also has quite a few interesting and innovative details to give!
THE COLOR SCHEME
I find the balance of mattes and shimmers to be perfect, and I think it offers an amazing variety to choose from. You can create so many looks with it, going from everyday office ones to full-blown smoky eyes.
This color selection is amazing to use in every season, including cute pops of color and more somber mattes. The fact that the palette is perfectly ‘split in two’ with the former on the left side and the latter on the right is the cherry on top.
THE MIRRORS
The ‘small’ detail I enjoyed the most would be the fact that this palette offers two mirrors. They aren’t the biggest one you’ll ever get in a palette, but they allow you to complete your entire routine well. Moreover, one of those is a magnifying mirror – which is pretty unique for a regular eyeshadow palette!
More generally, I am glad this product has a mirror at all. It is more and more common for eyeshadow palettes to carry mirrors, that’s true. However, I always find it to be the perfect finishing touch.
THE DOWNSIDES – COLOR-WISE
Now, what did I not fully enjoy about this palette? Just a few things, really. But if I just had to pick details I would define as ‘flaws’, I would say these.
Firstly, I must say that the lack of a matte black shadow is kind of a downfall for me.
This color selection does provide a few nice transition shades for medium to deep skintones, but it would have been nice to have a proper black – just to be safe. Personally, I would have deemed fit to substitute ‘Basic Trut’, which is kind of an anonymus color for me. I definitely believe people would have found more value in a black, rather than this bone-like color.
THE DOWNSIDES – FORMULATION-WISE
Another detail I found to be kind of annoying was the fact that the formulation changed from shade to shade.
To be quite honest, this is one of the most common details of any eyeshadow palette. However, I wanted to mention it for all the people who might be just beginners. The most pigmented shades are usually the ones that leave the most build-up in the pan, so make sure to proceed with caution and use a light hand.
THE PLASTIC SHEET
Lastly, let’s talk about the clear plastic sheet.
I fully understand its purpose (protecting the shadows from potential damages), but I always find it to be an annoying addition to the product. They do a good job of shielding the shadows, but they also slide around everywhere and get dirty quite easily.
LASTLY
I am sure you would agree with me on the fact that these ‘issues’ were (incredibly) minor ones. They certainly wouldn’t prevent me from buying a product, that’s for sure. To be honest, I don’t think they would prevent anyone from doing so, either.
I believe the NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay Pressed Pigment Palette to be an incredible deal, not to mention a breath of fresh air when it comes to colors and formulas.
I truly had an amazing time using this palette, and I am positive you will as well if you do end up purchasing it!
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