Natasha Denona Metropolis Palette - worth the price?

At the beginning of the year, I decided to be much more mindful of my spending - makeup purchases, in particular. Why? Simply, because I only have one face and I can't use all of the products I already own so adding lots more to my stash is a waste of money. For the most part, I've done really well! I am a self-confessed eyeshadow palette addict but I have so many that I couldn't justify buying more unless they were really special. The Natasha Denona Metropolis palette is my second (and probably last) eyeshadow purchase of the year. This is a limited edition palette, which is probably part of the reason why I couldn't resist buying it (also, it's a beauty!). My other palette purchase was also limited edition (from Inglot in this post) and I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've resisted so many releases this year. That being said, this is a pricey piece of makeup and I'm sure a lot of people will think I am mad and would prefer to buy more products at a reasonable price than just one expensive item and that's understandable. To each their own and all that! Now that I've had the palette for almost a month and have had plenty of time to play with it, I wanted to share my thoughts and let you know if I think it's worth the price/hype. If you are interested in buying, the Cult Beauty waitlist is now open.

The palette was released to celebrate the 5th birthday of the Natasha Denona brand. I love that Natasha has realised that her customers can't just drop over £200 on a palette and has started to introduce smaller palettes at lower price points. There is no doubt that her eyeshadow formula is sublime but the huge palettes (with equally huge price tags) just aren't practical for most people in terms of size and budget. The smaller palettes are still pricey but this is a luxury brand with excellent quality so I expect a price tag to match. 

The Metropolis Palette contains 28 shadows but it's almost half the price of the original 28 pan palettes. It contains just over half the amount of product as the original palettes but the shadows are still a decent size. In the photo above, I have shown how it compares in size to the Sunset Palette.  There is a plastic sheet over the shadows with the names on it and this also protects the mirror and the shadows. I know that people are divided over this and most would appreciate the names of the shadows being on the palette itself but it really isn't something that bothers me.  There are a range of finishes in this palette - mattes, duo-chromes and metallics. All are of the standard that I have come to expect from Natasha's palettes - pigmented, smooth, creamy and long-lasting. Now on to the shades themselves.

Swatches are completely unedited.

Row one:

Rust: As the name suggests, it's a rust colour and metallic in finish. As soft and smooth as silk and beautifully pigmented.

Troop: Deep khaki-green with a matte finish. Natasha's mattes need to be experienced to be believed - smooth, creamy, pigmented and easy to blend. 

Orium: Light gold with a green shift - a beautiful duo-chrome shadow with the same smooth and creamy texture as the other shadows. 

Shield: Olive green metallic. I was missing a shadow like this in my collection and I love it! What can I say - it's smooth, soft and easy to blend!

Ripe: Deep, terracotta matte shadow. It looks slightly patchy in the swatch but applies very evenly and blends with very little effort.

Stain: Medium orange matte shadow that offers strong pigmentation, yet blends well without looking muddy.

Mace: Deep copper/bronze hybrid metallic. Creamy soft, finely milled and applies very evenly.

Swatches are completely unedited.

Row two:

Rope: Warm, light brown with a matte finish. Finely milled, buttery soft and it practically blends itself.

Fuse: Bright gold with a warm undertone in a metallic finish. It is so creamy that it applies like a cream shadow but with better staying power. 

Lethal: Medium green with almost yellow undertones in a matte finish. Finely milled, applies evenly and blends like a dream.

Penny: Medium copper with a slightly gold shift. At the risk of repeating myself, this shadow is creamy, pigmented and so easy to work with.

Chrism: A warm peachy-orange hybrid with a matte finish.  Pigmented, smooth and easy to blend.

Aqueous: A teal blue metallic. So creamy and pigmented. Works well as a lid topper or as a main shadow for a dramatic evening eye.

Queen: A pale champagne with a metallic finish. Not as pigmented as the other shadows but builds well.

Swatches are completely unedited.

Row three:

Blaze: Bright copper with a metallic finish. You've guessed it - pigmented, creamy and easy to work with!

Noble: Golden taupe/olive hybrid with a metallic finish. One of my favourite shadows in the palette. So smooth and easy to blend.

Imperia: Yellow gold metallic. Highly pigmented, creamy and smooth.

Royal: Forest green matte. Unlike anything else in my collection, it's a welcome addition. It's a nice alternative to black or deep brown when adding some definition. Pigmented, finely milled and easy to blend.

Crest: Coral/copper hybrid with a metallic finish. Stunning shadow with the creamy formula you know to expect.

Enigma: Deep teal with a matte finish. Not quite as pigmented as the other mattes, but buildable.

Pure: Medium warm brown matte. Pigmented, finely milled and very easy to blend.

Swatches are completely unedited.

Row four:

Azoic: Brown matte with a warm undertone. Smooth, pigmented and it practically blends itself.

Jubilee: Teal metallic with more green than blue tones. Pigmented, creamy and smooth in texture.

Symbol: Deep teal matte. As I said earlier with Royal Forest, it's nice to have an alternative to deep brown or black for adding definition and deepening the outer corner of the eye.

Rhzome: Light brown/mustard yellow hybrid with a matte finish. It was the shadow I expected to like the least in the palette but it works well with the other colours. Slightly less creamy than the other mattes but still finely milled and easy to work with.

Claret: Burgundy, red metallic. Stunning shadow with the pigmented and creamy formula that Natasha is renowned for.

Helena: Warm apricot shimmer.  Smooth, pigmented and easy to apply.

Antique: Dark, warm brown matte.  Pigmented, smooth, finely milled and very easy to blend.

I love the range of colours in this palette (even though there are a few that are very similar and this is my one negative). Unlike a lot of new palette releases (cough *Norvina 3 palettes* cough), it doesn't have lots of bright colours that only Insta MUA wannabes will use. It covers every day looks, special occasion looks and everything in between. It is the perfect 'one product does it all' palette and if somehow (God forbid!), all of the other eyeshadows in my collection, but this one, disappeared, I know that it would replace the need to repurchase a large number of palettes. In this regard, it is definitely worth price. I'm not saying it's a must have or that every makeup lover needs it. It's also not something that anyone will buy on a whim (well unless they're mega-rich!) but for a special treat, to mark an occasion (big birthday), makeup artists, or for die-hard Natasha fans this is a palette not to be missed.

Available from Natashadenona.com. Waitlist open on Cult Beauty.

Are you tempted by this palette? Are you a fan of Natasha Denona makeup, in general?

Thanks for reading! 

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All products are bought by me, unless otherwise stated. I don't do sponsored posts. Opinion is always my own. Affiliate links may be used.