You know how a popular makeup brand releases a new collection and the whole beauty blogging world goes gaga over it? You know how a new neutral coloured palette is released and every one and their sister goes “Oh! This is the new UD Naked palette!”
Welcome to the Sleek Makeup Nude Collection featuring the Au Naturel i-Divine eyeshadow palette, Suede Blush and Bare Minimum Pout Polish. This is the latest Sleek Makeup collection and the rave du jour around the interweb. The eyeshadow palette is already favourably compared to the UD Naked one – in fact, nearly every neutral toned palette is :P
I’m going to stick my neck out here, ladies and tell you that whilst I’ve enjoyed using Sleek Makeup’s other palettes (Curacao, Oh so Special) and products (Pout Paints), this is quite possibly my least favourite collection. Oh yes, shoot me :P
Now, hold the hate mail, let me tell you why.
Sleek Makeup Au Naturel i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette
My beef is really with the Au Naturel i-Divine eyeshadow palette. By all accounts, this is a very well put together palette in terms of colour selection. I do like the way a whole slew of neutral shades have been put together, from light to dark
This one’s quite different from the Oh So Special palette because the colours are markedly warmer and the colours are also very very neutral and natural, focusing on browns and beiges. Here is the Oh So Special palette for comparison
However, here is where the comparison ends. I liked the Oh so Special palette. The pinks threw me for a loop, but they actually worked well ultimately, and I can use this palette quite easily. That is not so true for the Au Naturel i-Divine palette.
Sleek Au Naturel i-Divine palette Top Left-Right: Nougat (matte white), Nubuck (matte light grey), Cappucino (matte latte), Honeycomb (matte beige yellow), Toast (matte light orange), Taupe (shimmer golden tan – no taupe here!)
Bottom Left-Right: Conker (shimmer reddish brown), Moss (shimmer khaki), Bark (matte brown), Mineral Earth (shimmer dark brown), Regal (matte dark taupe), Noir (matte black)
The “problem” I see here lies in the fact that Sleek Makeup’s strength is in shimmer eyeshadow. Their shimmer colours are lovely and pigmented and apply and blend very easily. The same is true of the Au Naturel i-Divine eyeshadow palette. The shimmer colours swatch very easily, and are nicely pigmented.
Sleek Makeup however, does not do matte colours very well. My last few experiences with their matte shades have left me wanting. So, when you realise that the Au Naturel i-Divine eyeshadow palette contains 8/12 matte shades which are all very sheer, you can understand why I feel underwhelmed and disappointed.
I can’t even bring you swatches. The first 5 colours at the top don’t even show up on my hand when I use my fingers, and when I use the sponge, shows up a little. The texture too tends to be a little chalky. I’m pretty fair as skintone goes, and the first row of colours barely show up on my skin. Whilst the Oh So Special palette had 7/12 matte shades, the matte shades showed up better maybe because of the colours used. The matte shades in the light browns and beiges don’t perform as well. So yes, I’m not a fan of the Au Naturel i-Divine eyeshadow palette. Said it and will stand by it.
In a nutshell
The palette contains mostly matte eyeshadow shades which I don’t feel Sleek Makeup are strong in. The texture is sheer and a little chalky and do not show up very well on my skin. It might work over a lid primer. The shimmer shades are the usual pigmented blendable quality I’ve come to associate with Sleek Makeup i-Divine palette.
Pros: Shimmer shadows apply well, Maybe good if you like matte shades or if you can get it to work
Cons: Matte colours are too sheer and chalky, Colours do not show up well on my skin
Sleek Makeup Suede Blush and Bare Minimum Pout Polish
The Suede Blush is a matte browned peach blush that looks dark in the pan and to be honest, underwhelming. I was a little surprised however, that using a fluffy bronzer brush, I got the colour to apply light on my skin without looking too dirty, and it does make a good contour shade. If you have a darker skintone, I think it makes a nice neutral blush. So this one isn’t a washout.
The Bare Minimum Pout Polish is, as the name implies, a bare minimum of colour on your lips. My lips anyway. I do have pigmented lips so this one shows up as nothing but a shine, like a lipbalm or clear gloss. The scent of vanilla is strong which will appeal to those who like the scent and will not appeal to those who don’t.
Here’s the swatches of the Suede Blush and Bare Minimum Pout Polish. I think it says it all. I cannot use the blush for anything other than a contour powder or it’d be too brown and dark, and the Pout Polish is just altogether too sheer on my lips. But I got it to work by using a bit of alchemy as you will see below.
In a nutshell
The Suede blush is a good contour shade for fair skins and may work well as a natural blush if you have a darker skintone. It applies sheerly and can be built up for colour. The Pout Polish has a strong vanilla scent which does not linger on the lips, and Bare Minimum is a very very sheer transparent shade on my pigmented lips.
Pros: Suede blush makes a good contour colour, Pout Polish is a nice lipbalm
Cons: Suede blush may not suit everyone, Bare Minimum Pout Polish is very light and sheer although it makes a good lipbalm
And after going on about this collection, here is a look I whipped up using the Sleek Makeup Nude Collection to show you how it looks like.
Also featuring: Dior Forever liquid foundation 010, Guerlain Blush G Noir, Shu Uemura Hard Pencil Seal Brown on brows
The eyes feature Nubuck, Moss and Nougat on the lid and topped off with a touch of Taupe for shimmer; and on the lower lid, Mineral Earth and Nougat to line. Suede Blush on the sides of the face to contour (you can’t see this) and topped off with Guerlain Blush G Noir for colour or I look terribly washed out and ill.
On the left is the look with Bare Minimum Pout Polish only which I feel makes me look washed out. On the right, I mixed in a teeny weeny drop of Pin Up Pout Paint into the Bare Minimum Pout Polish for a sheer rosy gloss/balm. Now you see why I prefer wearing strong colours on my lips? I don’t look as dead anymore :P
So I’m sorry if you have this collection and you love it and you hate me for not loving it as much as you do. I guess the colours do nothing for me in this one, and the texture too. I maintain that Sleek Makeup does shimmer shadows well. But they do have to work on their matte shades as the Au Naturel i-Divine palette proves.
Would you disagree with me? Do you have this collection and love it? Or are you going “You don’t know anything! This is the bestest collection in the whole entire world!” ?
Paris B
Sleek Makeup is available at Superdrug stores in the UK, and online at sleekmakeup.com which ships internationally. The items in the Nude Collection are permanent. Au Naturel i-Divine eyeshadow palette retails at £6.49, Suede Blush and Bare Minimum Pout Polish at £4.29 each.
i like the color of the blush! i wanna see & touch next next time we meet k? ;)
Ok! Hope I remember to bring it, unless you come over :P
You may not like it much dear but you look really polished and elegant. =)
Aww thanks Kahani! :D
Haven’t tried this brand before and I’ve read mixed reviews actually! This eye palette looks a little ‘meh’ to me. I like matte shades in a palette purely because everything is just so shimmery nowadays. I heard Ben Nye makes a matte palette to die for, but I still love my Naked :-)
Less exciting than the other temptations you’ve featured! And i felt your disappointment. Lol!
Its so hard to get, that’s the main problem and shipping is rather pricey unless you share it out with friends. That said, I think their Original and Storm palette are good ones. I don’t have Original but I have Storm and its nice. Perhaps their darker matte shades are just better and their shimmer ones too. Have never really been into matte shades. I cut my teeth on Japanese makeup and you know just how shimmery those are – still love ’em :D
Not one of my favorite looks on you. :( Or maybe I’m just too used to seeing you with smokey eyes and red lips. :P
LOL I do look a bit washed out don’t I? I should perhaps have upped the smokey quotient on this one :D Thanks for the feedback!
what a pity that the matte shades aren’t that great. it looked like it had great potential. now that i’m used to Naked, i think i’m happier with it :)
As far as colour shades go, this is pretty close to perfect. As far as texture goes, I feel its wanting hence I cannot understand all the raves saying this is better than or equivalent to Naked.
And this is why I read your blog. Save me some money……..which I then go and spend on something else on your A+ list! Ha ha :)
Haha good point Honey! I’m sure Sleek will come up with something better in time. Their past offerings have been decent.
Thanks for the report! It’s so true, the matte shades in sleek palettes cannot make it. I love the shimmery colours in Storm for it’s staying power. But recently I come to dislike the light neutral summery colours. They apply too lumpy over my NARS eyeshadow base. And are too twinkly for me. I prefer a soft shimmer or pearly sheen.
The darker shimmery colours are absolute brilliant to give the eyes a smoky liner effect (I blend them a little). The stay put where I line.
Glad you agree with me re: Sleek’s matte shades. They do an awesome job with the shimmer shades but their light matte shades are a total washout in my view. I’m still playing around with the Storm palette – I can see why people love it. Its an awesome palette! :D
Argh…typo. Shimmery. Not summery. Haha…
HAHAHA! I did wonder what summery shades were :D
It does look pretty on you! I was underwhelmed by this palette but it may make a good palette for work especially if you’re a newbie to makeup. I still like my eyeshadows strong and pigmented :-)
I honestly think a newbie might be put off at how the colours don’t show up :P But colour wise, its a good combination of shades. Just needs more work on texture. I went from sheer to pigmented and and back to liking sheer but shimmery/pearly/satin shadows. They are easier to work with and mistakes are less conspicuous
Thanks for the review. I actually like the palette (although it’s not one of my favourites from them) but I thought you wouldn’t because of the matte shades. When I first swatched them, I was very disappointed too as they are so sheer and provide only a very soft wash of color. But after thinking it over, I think that fits with the theme of the collection. After all, isn’t the whole point of a nude look to look like you have nothing on? I also think they work well as highlighters. Having said that, I wish they had included more shimmery shades as Sleek Makeup really does them so well!
The Pout Polish was my least favourite product from the collection. Very moisturizing but has no color payoff at all. As for the blush, I’m in love and it works great at contouring my pale skin.
I remember your review Gio, and that you like it :D I guess you are right – the colours should be light because of the name of the collection but I also wonder if the colours show up differently on Caucasian skin? On my Asian skin, it just melts right in and if I keep layering, it looks chalky. So perhaps that might be why I don’t see the soft colours but just powdery shades :) The blush is quite unexpected but would make a nice contour colour for fair skinned girls and the Pout Polish, in my view, only works when mixed with another colour. Mixed with a Pout Paint, it is quite pretty – a soft glossy balmy wash of colour :)
That may be it. I don’t think the lighter shades would work for everyone. I remember I was quite surprised to find out they looked good on my pale skin, but they might show up differently on Asian skin. And on darker skintones, they probably won’t show up at all..
And I haven’t tried mixing Bare Minimum with the Pout Paints but I will now, thanks for the tip! :)
I think on yellow based skin it disappears which it quite a pity. Darker skins can forget it unfortunately. Do try mixing the Bare Minimum with the Pout paints. The colours might surprise you and it’ll make it more wearable too
Hmmm… you know I was thinking of something, speaking of Naked Palette alternatives. I was wondering if I should invest in some high quality neutral colors for Uni and went counting… 4 colors from Mac or some other brand would land me something between RM 250+ to RM 300. So might as well get the Naked Palette? Anyone don’t want theirs? BWAHAHAHA.
Oh, and I prefer to see you in them light shimmery, but colorful looks and them red lips, heh heh ^.^
Personally, I’d say just buy the Naked palette because trying to find alternatives will just burn a big hole in the pocket, if looking at brands like Mac or even Inglot. But that said, I personally prefer a smaller combination of neutral shades as compared to the behemoth that’s the Naked palette, because the warmer toned shades in there may not suit everyone. Thanks for the suggestion Hanny, I have to agree that this isn’t one of my best :D
You look lovely! Are you wearing the newer formulation of Dior Forever foundation?
Thank you Peach and yes! That’s the new Dior Forever liquid foundation :D Have you tested it?
Nope, I haven’t! I’m intrigued since I’m about to finish up a bottle of Diorskin Nude liquid foundation, which I really like. Will you be doing a review? :)
Yes in time I will review the Forever foundation :) I saw in your other comment you have oily skin. Then, I think you might like it, because on drier skins, it can be a wee bit drying and it also tends to look a little “flat” if you get my meaning. I suggest you try to snag a sample before investing. I tried both Forever and Diorskin Nude and they feel quite different on. Forever lasts… forever. Diorskin Nude has a more “natural” finish.
Hmmm this might sound really *funny* or weird but I find these colours makes you look a little darker than you are. I think those bright lippies accentuates your fairness :) Love that blush on you but my eyes feels that it doesn’t go well with the lips hm… Hope I am making sense here er..
Not weird, m’dear! I did think all those browns made me look a little darker than I am too!
alamak I forgot to come back and check for your reply… After reading what I said, only to find I don’t know what I am saying at all haha :P
Aiks… Yeah, I think too much browns on ya. Still like to see you with red lipsticks :P
I still want the Au Naturel i-Divine palette just for the several dark shades :)
The dark shades are alright but I think you could probably get another palette with some better textures :)
actually, i think your ‘washed out’ look looks pretty good too!
Thanks dear but in real life, I looked ill lol!
the color looked really good on u. btw, can i buy it in malaysia or ive to buy online?
tx
Thank you, and for Malaysians, only available online at their website.
What a shame. I was so looking forward to Sleek’s all-neutral palette. I guess that means I’ll have to pick up Storm instead in November! ;)
Yes! Storm definitely performs better :D