Napoleon Perdis Prismatic Eyeshadow Quads

Several months ago, I swatched four of Napoleon Perdis Prismatic Eyeshadow Quads ($35.00 for 0.47 oz.). I always meant to post a look using one of them, but I never got around to it. Usually, when I test out products, I put a whole smattering of various products on my face and do partial looks but nothing one would really want to be seen wearing… (One eye has one set of eyeshadows while the other might be testing mascara and liner… and don’t even get me started on mismatching cheeks, LOL!) So even though I may not have an actual full look to show you, I did put these through the rigors I normally put eyeshadows through.

I actually thought these were a lot more affordable than they were; I had classified them as drugstore–but to the contrary! The packaging feels a little cheap to me–it’s clear acrylic with visible, gold hinges. Each palette also includes two sponge-tipped applicators that look as cheap as they feel. For $35, the packaging really leaves a lot to be desired. The eyeshadows are textured with a “wave” shape (see the photos–it’s visible!).

• AIR features a rather spring-y palette of muted sunshine gold, baby pink with silver sheen, frosted lilac with silver shimmer, and silvered brown. I found this one a little on the sheerer side, which is partially owed to the colors themselves as they’re on the lighter end of the spectrum. All four had very frosty finishes to me, though.
• EARTH includes a dark navy blue with a satin-shimmer finish, subtly yellow-tinged green with muted gold shimmer, sheer seafoam green with soft gold sheen, and lightened peachy orange with peach sheen and shimmer. The blue shade swatched beautifully, but the other three shades were a little on the sheerer side, with the seafoam green shade being notably lacking in pigmentation.
• FIRE has a darkened orange-copper with a shimmered sheen, medium-dark beige with champagne shimmer, medium-dark violet purple with a blacker base, and a high-sheen pinkish white. I found this quad to be the most pigmented; all four shades went on really smoothly and vibrantly.
• WATER contains a sheer, shimmery white, cool-toned gray-cast brown with silver shimmer, glowing periwinkle blue with teal sheen, and light, frosted pink with subtle blue undertones. The periwinkle shade is so pretty, and I don’t have anything quite like it, but the white and pink shades were rather sheer.

Even though at first glance, these palettes seemed really pretty, I wasn’t fond of their textures nor color payoff.  They’re incredibly soft, but they veer on powdery, which makes them difficult to work with.  You really have to pack on the color, and inevitably, you’ll need to clean up the noticeable fall out that lands on your under eye area.   A few shades were nicely pigmented but many fell short–a little sheer, which may also be a result of the powdery formula.

For $35, I wouldn’t put it towards these palettes.  You just can’t make the justification of affordability for the reduction in quality here, because this is under the Napoleon Perdis label (rather than NP Set, which is sold at Target), which is “high-end.”  There is a decent amount of eyeshadow in each palette, so it’s a shame that the formula doesn’t have that wow factor.

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• Product: 20/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 3/5

RECOMMENDATION: I don’t recommend these unless you find them on sale.  Each palette has one or two interesting shades in it, but the quality is just so-so with rather soft, rather powdery textures and less pigmentation than I’d expect for a high-end brand.

AVAILABILITY: ULTA

Napoleon Perdis Air Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Air Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Air Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Air Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Air Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Earth Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Earth Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Earth Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Earth Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Fire Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Fire Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Fire Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Fire Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Fire Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Water Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Water Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Water Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Water Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad

Napoleon Perdis Water Prismatic Eyeshadow Quad