One of the looks I always fall back on when I’m strapped for time in the morning is a classic smokey eye look with gray and black. It goes with almost everything – an easy no-brainer! So you don’t have to worry about whether or not it’ll complement your outfit.

Although I already have gray and black eye shadows I absolutely adore, I still ordered the NYX Smokey Eyes palette from Cherry Culture because it’s convenient to have all the classic colors you need in a single compact.

After playing around with this NYX eye shadow palette, I’m really enjoying it. As you’ll see from my swatches, these colors should be staples in anyone’s makeup arsenal.

NYX Smokey Eyes Swatches & Pictures

*~* Top Row of Colors *~*

*~* Bottom Row of Colors *~*

Claims: TRUSTED

√ Hypoallergenic
√ Animal-cruelty free

Key Notes

• Name: NYX Smokey Eyes
• Collection: Color Combinations For Your Eyes Only
• Amount: 14 g
• What I Paid: $8 USD
• Where to Buy: NYX US website, some Rexalls, several US drugstores & Cherry Culture

The NYX Smokey Eyes Review

You can never have too many shoes? You can never have too many eye shadows, I say!

The NYX Smokey Eyes palette comes in a sleek, black, glossy compact with a large mirror. Its small size makes it ideal for traveling, and you do get enough product of each color.

For the makeup maven, this palette is a major snooze fest, but if you’re just getting into makeup and need some core colors, this is wonderful! There are lots of grays, blacks, and champagne hues. What’s interesting is that while the grays and blacks are similar, there are slight variations in tone. For instance, you’ll get purple-toned grays and blue-toned grays.

None of the colors were chalky, and the majority of them have a shimmer finish. So if you want matte, the NYX Smokey Eyes palette isn’t for you.

I swatched these colors on my NC20 arm using just my fingertips to see what kind of texture they had. They all went on velvety as claimed. (And by the way, the primer I used was Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer in Eden that I previously reviewed.)

Overall, I was really impressed with the quality. And considering that I got 10 colors for just $8 USD, that’s pretty good! Yes, there is some color overlapping, but I can overlook that because of the price.

My favorites were the light shimmery colors – they look particularly beautiful in the inner corner of your eyes. It really brightens up your whole look and makes you look fresh-faced. The runner-ups were the grays because they really caught the light. My last favorites were the blacks only because I have lots of blacks, and while they help add depth to any look when you wear it on the outer corners and in the crease, black eye shadow doesn’t excite me.

I found that these colors faded quickly by the end of the day. But if I wore a primer underneath, it held up beautifully.

Let me break down all the NYX eyeshadows for you:

Top Row of Colors (Left-Right)

• Frosty champagne
• Shimmery slate gray with slight purple undertones
• Medium brown with a sheen
• Soft black with a sheen
• Shimmery gray with slight blue undertones

Bottom Row of Colors (Left-Right)

• Grayish black with a sheen
• Brownish black with a sheen
• Shimmery gray with slight purple undertones
• Shimmery gray with slight blue undertones
• Frosty white

Pros   High pigmentation All colors to create the smokey look conveniently in one palette Velvety & smooth texture Easy to blend Doesn’t contain Bismuth Oxychloride, which is a known allergen

Cons   Some colors are really similar to others in this palette This palette can be difficult for Canadians to track down if there isn’t a Rexall nearby (Canadian NYX website doesn’t sell this item)

Final Verdict: 7.5/10

This is a great palette for those who want basic colors and nothing too flashy. You can create lots of classy eye looks. But for those who desire something unique, keep on looking.

Are you a fan of smokey eyes? Does this palette bore you to tears, or do you think your makeup arsenal could use these staple eyeshadows?