Illamasqua Neutral Palette (Human Fundamentalism Collection)

Illamasqua Neutral Palette - part of the Human Fundamentalism Collection - (available here) - $42.50

Create sculpted highlights and stark contours anywhere on your face and body with these four fundamental powder shadows.  From new matte shades in Stealth (creamy buttermilk), Wolf (Chocolate Brown) and Vintage (Antiqued Gold) - a shade exclusive to this palette - to the glistening metallic accents of Obsidian (Rich Black), express your inner light and darkness in a rich riotous glamour.

Illamasqua's newly lauched Human Fundamentalism collection features the bold colours and bright palettes that the brand is so synonymous with, but amidst all that colour also comes this gorgeous Neutral palette.  A must-have for any neutral-makeup lover with it's combination of neutral browns, a dark black, and a buttery cream highlighter, this comes packaged in the signature glossy black Illamasqua packaging which includes a large mirror.

Shades featured in the new Neutral Palette from Illamasqua:

Stealth:  A buttery cream matte highlighter.

Vintage:  An antiqued gold.

Obsidian:  A rich dark matte black.

Wolf:  A matte dark neutral brown.

 

Illamasqua Neutral Palette (clockwise starting from the black):  Obsidian, Wolf, Stealth, Vintage

The one thing missing from this palette is an applicator.  I never use the applicators provided with palettes (and it does seem to be a sentiment shared by most makeup users), so it's really not an issue with me, except that I have to remember to carry a brush along when I pack this one up for travel.  Now, on to the shades.  There are three matte shades and one antiqued golden shade to add a bit of light to the eyes.  I find the pigmentation medium to good - at par if not better than some of the other nekkid/neutral palettes I have swatched.  The swatches on my hand are without a primer, so that should give an idea about the pigmentation levels on these shadows.  Over a primer and/or with layering, the pigmentation is much more impressive.

Illamasqua Neutral Palette - Swatches and FOTD

Illamasqua Neutral Palette Swatches - (starting from the top):  Stealth, Wolf, Vintage, Obsidian

A couple of ways to use the Illamasqua Neutral Palette (found this info on Sephora):

• Use the shadows with a blending brush to create a soft blended effect or a damp brush mixed with the Illamasqua sealing gel for a water-resistant finish.
• Stealth is an ideal base color or a subtle highlighter for brows and cheeks.
• Wolf, a unique neutral tone, can be used lightly for soft contouring on eyes/face or to build upon to create intensity and definition around the eyes.
• Vintage adds light to wherever it is applied. Use to highlight brows, cheeks and the decollété or lightly over any color to add a shimmer finish.
• Obsidian adds drama and depth to the eyes, and when mixed with water or Sealing Gel it transforms to the deepest of black liners.

Here's what I tried with the Illamasqua Neutral palette:

Obsidian (matte black shade) used as a liner.  Did not use a sealant/dampening medium - this is just applied with a
thin angled brush on to primed lids.  The staying power is quite good, though, I have not tried it outdoors.

Smudged the black shadow liner and topped with a dusting of the dark brown shade to get a darker, smokey eye.

Applied a wash off the antiqued gold shade to the inner half of the eye to bright a bit of light to the darker eye.

While this palette may seem a bit tame coming from a brand more famous for it's blue-green lipsticks and bright yellow eye shadows, in my opinion, this is a simple idea done right.  Whether you want a lighter wash of colour or a darker smokey eye, the well-matched shades in this palette would work great for just about any look.  The quality is excellent with no fall-out, creasing, or chalkiness, and the shadows are quite pigmented when used over a primer.  Overall, a fabulous palette and a must-have from Illamasqua.

I never thought I would say this, but the next time you go shopping for neutral makeup, try Illamasqua!

Illamasqua Human Fundamentalism Collection - Neutral Palette (Ingredients)

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Product featured in this review was provided by PR.