I am a lover of high-end eyeshadow palettes – that’s just it really. I do have a number of k-beauty favourites and I’d try out drugstore brands as well, but I usually choose to invest more into my eyeshadows. That being said though, brands like Natasha Denona are notoriously expensive – and for good reason, as their formulas are absolutely beautiful! I recently got my first full-sized palette from her but, prior to that, I really liked to play with her mini palettes.
The one here is her Mini Gold Palette, which is a compact five-shade extension of her full size Gold Palette (which sells for a good AUD$205). Comparatively, this mini is a steal at AUD$42, and an even better price point if you wait for a Sephora sale.
It’s great for people who loved the full size and want something similar for travel, or those (like me) who aren’t sure that they want to invest the money yet. There have been reports that the minis are a bit hit-or-miss formula wise but, personally, I haven’t had that issue yet!
Want to know more about this palette? Lets get into this review!
Packaging
The Natasha Denona Mini Gold Palette uses the same structure as her other minis, with five rectangular pans and a clear top. The entire compact is made from plastic, so it’s lightweight, but the use of a gold base and foiled logo means it still has a somewhat luxe vibe. The quality of the plastic is nice and, the thing that really differentiates it from a typical ‘drugstore’ plastic case, is that the lid closes over more like a flap. It’s actually reminiscent of how her full size palettes close but, unfortunately, aren’t as strongly magnetised.
The downside of this design is that it may have the potential to open up in your bag – I haven’t had any trouble with it but it’s definitely less secure than something that clicks shut.
Aside from that, I actually really like the packaging of these mini palettes – moreso than the Pat McGrath Minis. The design is very functional: there’s no wasted space or excessive design, which makes it a very portable design. I really like using these for overnight trips or when I need to touch up during the day.
Formula & Shades
This mini palette features five golden olive inspired shades, which are designed to be complementary to the full-size palette. There are no overlaps with the full-size palette, so you can hypothetically use both if you love this colour story! Out of these five shades, only one of them is pre-existing:
- Lodge – 283CP light transition shade
- Dark Sepia – 47P dark sparkly shade (Existing)
- D’or –284M gold foiled shade
- Bia – 285CP green transition shade
- Antheia – 286DC golden green sparkly shade
The formulas are mostly either mattes or metallics, with the last shade (Antheia) being a gold-green duochrome. This colour story is absolutely beautiful and I never have to reach for a second palette when I’m working with this. I’m especially a fan of Bia, which is a very pretty olive green (and probably the reason why I actually bought this).
The formula is blendable and easy to use. The mattes are so buttery smooth and easy to build up too. For the metallics, they apply best with a finger tip but can also be lightly blended up without fading. The pigmentation is great and it also wears well during the day – again, I always make sure to use an eye primer.
Personal Experiences
I can’t remember if this was the first or second Natasha Denona palette that I bought but this formula and colour story definitely won me over. The matte shadows are beautiful and I also enjoy the pigmentation of her metallic formulas. From my experience with this and one of her full size palettes, I feel like the Mini Gold Palette is a good representative of her regular shadow formula.
I think that her strongest point would be in the colour story – this mini palette is just so beautifully curated. The shades are wearable, but still distinctive and you can easily create full looks with this. I also find it easy to go from a more casual day look to something smokier.
That being said, I am still under the impression that Natasha Denona shadows are more expensive than they should be. They’re great but, in comparison to a brand like Pat McGrath (also known for incredibly expensive eyeshadows), they don’t really have a ‘signature formula’ like her Blitz Shadows. Although the full size Natasha Denona palettes have more shades (15 shades), I would personally be more inclined to invest in Pat McGrath full sizes and continue to buy these mini palettes from Natasha.
However, it really comes down to personal use. For people who want more wearable shadows and want to invest in great staples, I think that Natasha Denona is great. I’m pretty keen on her new Trichrome Palette too, which is contains a mix of mattes and multichromes!
Let me know if you have used any Natasha Denona palettes and, if you can, how you think they compare with Pat McGrath.
Here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A five pan of matte, metallic and duochrome shadows to complement the full-size Gold Palette
THE GOOD
- Compact and highly functional packaging
- Sleek and premium aesthetic
- Wearable, versatile and unique colour story
- Great eyeshadow formula equivalent to her full size – smooth, pigmented and blendable
THE BAD
- Magnetic closure is a bit risky for travel
- Individual shades aren’t actually that unique
RATINGS
- PACKAGING | 3/5
- PRICE POINT | 3/5
- COLOUR STORY | 5/5
- PIGMENTATION | 4/5
- BLENDABILITY | 5/5
- LONGEVITY | 4/5
OVERALL RATING? 8/10
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
I do really love my Mini Gold Palette and, if you’re a fan of these shades, I would be recommending this – definitely wait for a sale though because this is a permanent item. It’s great for people who like easy-to-use daily shadows, especially those who like more classic looks rather than super trendy sort of colours.
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
This is available from Sephora Australia, or you can also check out the official Natasha Denona website.