Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette Review

Hello ladies,

Another day, another palette review! Today’s palette is a fairly recent purchase…I did share my excitement over getting hold of it through my Insta feed. To give you a little background story on Zoeva and this palette… Zoeva is a German brand. They have a plethora of products in their kitty, but they are predominantly known for their brushes – available as individuals and sets. Their Rose Gold edition – brush sets with rose gold ferrule are quite popular. They also have a range of eyeshadow palettes. I have been tempted a couple of times to pick one, but more often than not, it was because of a few shades and not the whole palette, so I resisted.

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette Review

Though the brand is based out of Germany, the products are readily available though their online site. They ship internationally too. Also, they are easily available in Europe through online retailers and through Selfridges in UK. Despite this network created by the company, the brand does not feel as easily accessible as other brands. Mainly, because most of the beauty community is based out of US and the brand does not have ready presence there. Strangely, it is easily available in South East Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia through Sephora. This might have something to do with the fact that Luxola (which is now owned and re-named to Sephora Singapore) may have sourced it at one point for their customers. As per recent news, soon, it will be available in Sephora in the Middle East too. Now, why am I sharing all these details about accessibility of this brand. The reason is that while Zoeva products may be available across the globe – not all retailers have access to the newer launches of the brand. And Zoeva, this year, has launched a whole gamut of new products – eye palettes and face palettes galore. The one that I am going to review today, was actually, the first palette that got released by them this year. And here is the crux of the whole story – it was an official website exclusive! Despite that – it got sold out fairly quickly. The moment I saw the palette, it reminded me of a matte version of the Coloured Raine – Queen of Hearts palette and I was keen to get my hands on it. Alas, the accessibility!! Finally, I got my hands on it, when it got re-stocked. Enough about the brand, let us find out if this palette find out if this palette was worth the money that I spent to ship it to India!!

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette

Product Description:
Application:  Prepare your eyelid first with our Zoeva Eyeshadow Fix. Let set and then apply your favorite eyeshadow with a Zoeva eye brush and blend softly for a flawless finish. The Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette offers a range of 10 highly pigmented and easy to blend eyeshadow shades from misty beige and gloomy brown to deep burgundy and muted red – for timelessly elegant, cosmopolitan makeup looks. Inspired by the calmness and beauty of a night stroll through the silent streets of a sleeping city, the Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette reveals a versatile range of mysteriously moody matte shades. Far from buzzing boulevards and bright neon lights, the highly pigmented and easy to blend shadows recall the dimmed lighting and melancholic atmosphere of a vibrant metropolis from dusk till dawn. With shades ranging from misty beige and gloomy brown to deep burgundy and muted red, create timelessly elegant, cosmopolitan makeup looks. The formulation of the eyeshadows is enriched with vitamin E and is 100% free of parabens, mineral oils, perfume and phthalates. Made in Italy.

1 eyeshadow palette with 10 powder eyeshadow colors
Palette size: 18.8 x 8.8 x 1.0 cm
Diameter per pan: 2.6 cm
Net weight: 10 x 1.5 g / 10 x 0.05 oz

Ingredients:
Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette ingredients

Price:
USD 27 / Euro 21.80

Packaging:
The packaging on this one reminds me of the Lorac Pro palettes – it is rectangular and just about as slim as the Lorac Pro palettes. The palette has a cardboard sleeve which is identical in design to the actual palette. The flip side of the palette (and the sleeve) have the details of the palette. The palette is devoid of mirror and any brush (which is the way I prefer). I rarely use the brushes in the palette, they just irk me and come in the way. A mirror can come handy for some, I do not use the palette mirrors, so I don’t miss it! Also, these frills add to the cost of the palette. So, if the lack of these helps keep the price down, I am all for it!

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette open

The layout of the palette seems neat. There is a plastic cover over the shadows which can be removed. Each individual well is decent sized to allow the brushes to be dipped in. The product amount isn’t too shabby either. Each well houses 1.5 gm of product, which is comparable to the singles from other brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, MAC, Colourpop, etc.

The shade names are mentioned under each well. All in all, the layout is neat and appealing to the eye. Despite the amount of product in each well, the palette does not seem bulky and should be fairy easy to travel with. And to add to everything else – it has a magnetic closure.

My Experience with Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette:

The palette in question consists of 10 matte eyeshadow shades and is simply called the “matte eyeshadow palette” – not to be confused with their Matte Spectrum palette. The theme of the palette – as mentioned on the website – is the melancholy mood of a metropolis in the night. The exterior of the palette as well as the shade names reinforce the theme.

The palette has a couple of light, two dark and mostly medium shades. The shades themselves are from the currently trending range of terracotta, orange, red and burgundy. So, in terms of the colour range – it is extremely “In”! The palette is made in Italy. While that may not be the thumb rule, but it definitely gives confidence to the person purchasing – that it is likely to have a good formula.

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette full palette

Let us discuss the shades in detail:

1. Nighthawks: This is an off-white, light beige shade – smooth and creamy to touch. It is easy to work with, blends well. The shade can be used for lightly dusting on the eyelids post application of the eye primer or can be used as any other shade in the palette. It can also work as a matte highlight for your inner corner or the brow bone.

2.  Across the Sheet: This is an ever-so-slightly darker version of “Nighthawks.” This too is smooth and easy to work with. A tad bit less creamy than Nighthawks, but only if you feel both of them simultaneously. Otherwise, the difference in texture isn’t obvious in any way. This works well as a transition shade. The shade itself is difficult to explain, it’s a slightly darker version of beige.

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette four shades

3.  Urban Culture: The shade is a muted beige brown – almost the same colour as the skin on my hand, so I can safely say that it has slight yellow undertones. This too is soft, smooth and creamy to touch. It applies easily and blends smoothly.

4.  Eerily Empty: Same texture as “Across the Street.” This is a medium, muted, orange-toned brown. It’s quite a pretty shade despite being fairly neutral. Again, was extremely easy to work with and blend out.

5. Through the Window: One of the most eye-catching shades in the palette – if not “the” most eye-catching shade. A medium vibrant orange – without being too bright. The first time that I used this shade, I expected it to give this intense burst of pigmented colour, it did not! Honestly, I was quite disappointed. It took me a couple of experiments to appreciate this shade. So, while this shade is creamy smooth and pigmented – you do need to build it up with 1.5 – 2 layers to reach the shade in the pan. However, this very trait helps you use this shade very very effectively as a warm transition shade – which is current trend. It is creamy, smooth and easy to blend.

6.  Chat Late At Night: This is THE shade! This the shade dreams are made of. Medium dusty warm red – super pigmented, super intense and yet creamy smooth and easy to blend with. This is the kind of pigmentation i was expecting from “Through The Window.” Love this shade. However, I would advice you caution while using this – less is definitely more in this case.

7.  Cheap Bar: This is a medium reddish brown – kind of muted shade. Again, smooth and creamy to touch and easy to blend out.

8.  Lonely City: This is the shade which provides the contrast in the palette and really elevates it. This is a deep bruised plum shade with warm undertones. The shades is still smooth but the pigmentation is not as terrific as other shades in the palette. It seems thinner and layers semi-opaque but can be easily built up to the colour in the pan.

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette through the window cheap bar

9,  Lost in Thoughts: This shade is again difficult for me to explain – it is a light to medium – almost a cool-toned beige. It is extremely smooth and blends really well. In a tight spot – you could use it as a contour shade for your face.

10.  Two Clocks: The deepest shade in the palette. It is a taupe brown with cool undertones. This shade and “Lost in Thoughts” kind of take you by surprise with their cool tones in an otherwise warm palette. The shade, like “Lonely City” – is thinner and layers semi-opaque. It can be built to full opacity with layering. This is easier to do when you are using it in the crease or even the outer V. However, when using as a winner, it irks to not have full opacity in 1-2 passes.

Texture: I have already detailed the texture of the shades while discussing them individually. Most of the shades are extremely smooth, almost creamy. They layer well and blend easily without muddying up. A couple of shades do have thinner texture resulting in lower pigmentation. However, they still aren’t too tough to work with and can be built up or blended out.Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette all shades

Pigmentation: Pigmentation is fantastic on most of the shades – with a couple of them just hitting it out of the park. 2 shades – “Lonely City” Nad “Two Clocks” do have semi opaque pigmentation but they both can be built up to full opacity with a little effort. Overall, 8 out of 10 do not seem that bad. The best part is that despite the richness in pigmentation – the shades blend well and the do not create 50 shades of mud on your eyes!

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette main picture

Staying Power: Usual Disclaimer – I apply my eyeshadows with a primer because my lids are way too oily. No shadow stays put on my lids for more than a couple of hours, if applied without a primer. These shadows wear for good 8-9 hours – if not more. I do take off my makeup by about 9 hours max. Even at that point, the shades look more meshed together – but not really patchy or creasing.

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette swatches on hand

I created a couple of looks with this. The first one was obviously incorporating all the rich shades in the palette. How do you use a palette like this and not use that rich red and the orange and the plum?? The second look that I did, I tried consciously tried to refrain from using any orange or orange toned shade – just to make a point that you can create a variety of looks with this palette.

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette eye makeup

Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette eye swatches

Pros of Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette:

  • Heaven for a matte eyeshadow lover or someone with mature skin – who finds it difficult to pull of shimmer/sparkle/foil, etc.
  • Interesting array of shades – with all the currently trending shades.
  • A decent mix of light, medium and deep toned shades (just wish the deep toned shades and more intense pigmentation).
  • Most of the shades have great pigmentation.
  • Extremely smooth, creamy texture.
  • Long wearing.
  • No creasing.
  • Does not transfer.
  • The colours blend easily and mesh very well together.
  • Does not irritate my eyes.
  • Travel-friendly packaging.

Cons of Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette:

  • I wish the two deep shades in the palette were better performing in terms of pigmentation. However, they aren’t a lost cause, they are workable.

IMBB Rating:
4/5

Overall, I think this is a really nice palette and at a much more affordable price tag than similar palettes in the market. Though, truth be told, since this is a website exclusive – as of now – the landing price to you would be higher than the actual listed price of the palette. A quick word on comparable palettes – any and every palette currently doing rounds has a warm-toned orange theme around it, that is pretty much the current trend and is being done to death. But we, as customers, are still buying them, so I guess it makes sense for the companies. This palette, at its more affordable price tag could well quench your thirst for such other palettes like the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette, Violet Voss Ride or Die palette, Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts palette and if we stick strictly to matte palettes – even the Viseart Warm Mattes palette. Is it comparable to the $80 Viseart palette in terms of quality – maybe not. But, it is a way more affordable dupe. When I say dupe, I do mean that the color selection is same, shade by shade. I mean that the shades are in similar ball park and you should be able to get similar look.

Having said all of the above, I will sum it up with just this – I feel this is a really good palette. I’m not saying that it is “a good palette for this price point.” I think it is an overall good palette and the price tag is just the cherry on the cake. The palette will work well on its own and will work extremely well with any of your other more shimmery palettes.

Do I Recommend Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette?
Yes.

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6 thoughts on “Zoeva Matte Eyeshadow Palette Review

  1. Hello Kulpreet,
    Both the dark and light shades look good on you. Nice review and lovely palette. Like the way you wear your makeup, looks very beautiful and flawless.

  2. Thanks @kulpreet Kaur. I always look forward to your reviews. You cover a great range of brands, and your reviews are always exhaustive in terms of details; helpful and very informative. Thanks.
    You & Rati both Rock! Luv Luv!!

    1. Apologies for a late response!

      Thanks so much for your lovely words! I’m glad you enjoy the range. And i’m glad that i moved from reviewing tonnes of lipsticks!!

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