Nyx Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil Milk Review - is it worth the hype?

Like lots of impulse purchases, I justify it by saying to myself that a lot of other people have said great things about it and told me, me personally (through the internet screen) that I need it and that it will change everything about how I apply my makeup.

I believed that the NYX jumbo pencil really was the missing piece to my makeup bag that would actually enhance every eyeshadow that I had ever purchased by providing such a pure white canvas to show the true vibrancy of every eyeshadow.

This is half true.

I find application of the NYXjumbo pencil in milk a little clumsy, it is a true white no doubt, but it simulates putting tippex on your eyelid and is tricky to get neat as the pencil sort of tugs at the eyelid:

When I try and smooth out the scruffy edges with my fingers to make my tippex eye look less ridiculous, the colour is dilutes by the blending to a milky grey with my skin peeping through:

and if I try to go over it again with the pencil then I have the scruffy edges and go through the whole blendy-to-no-avail process over and over again.

Next, the texture of it when I apply it is kind of tacky, not smooth and matte feeling at all, I expected it to be like Mac paint pots but in a pencil form, I know the the prices between these products are not comparable but I had my expectations because of the amount people went on about this product. The tacky-ness also equals creasing so I would recommend to use a good quality primer or base below the pencil rather than depending on the pencil by itself to avoid creasing mishaps.

Does the pencil make my shadows look brighter and bolder... No. Not enough for me to notice or to persuade me to repurchase the pencil.

Over to you:

Guess which picture (A) or (B) I am wearing just the Milk Jumbo Eyeshadow pencil in as a base, and the other one I am wearing absolutely no base, just eyeshadow
I will tell you which is which at the end!
N.B These photos have only been cropped and labelled, absolutely no effects have been put on them whatsoever!

 I wonder if this is down to one of two things:
1. The base that I having been using to this point 'Painterly' by Mac already does a really good job that using the shadow pencil I do not notice a difference

or

2. The eyeshadows that I use are already of a pretty high quality and pigmentation so to use the shadow pencil would be better suited to colours that do not have a great pay off.
-My issue with this is: If an eyeshadow does not have a good colour pay off then I get into the habit of not reaching for it before throwing it or giving to someone who wants it. I don't like to work hard to get an eyeshadow formula to work with the building, building and building up of colour pigmentation but I do see how the Jumbo eyeshadow pencil could make this whole process easier if you have a lot of drugstore eyeshadows, or a lot of large palettes that tend to neglect pigmentation in the sheer volume of colours.

That's my 2 cents on the pencil, and in my opinion, I'd save your 2 cents for something better.

Answer:
Picture (A) I am wearing the Milk Jumbo Eyshadow Pencil
Picture (B) I am wearing no base of any kind, just eyeshadow

Naked 1 vs. Naked 2 vs. Naked 3 Urban Decay Palette

Whew, this is going to be a long side by side comparison, rammed full of photographs and descriptions- so grab yourself a warm drink and get into your comfies before you continue reading.

The Naked palettes are a 'cult' favourite product that cast and addictive spell on anyone who buys them to convince them that they need the next one, and the next one.

How many shades of neutral are there? Really?

Well, a lot- it would seem, and maybe there are even more yet to be invented, or reinvented by Urban Decay.

A little outline of the palettes:

Naked/ The Original Naked/ Naked 1

This palette is full of rich deep warm browns that are mostly shimmer. The palette works in a gradient from the light colours to the deepest darkest
# of Matte colours: 2
Most original shade: Gunmetal (Blue-Grey on the far right)

What's great about the palette:
A whole spectrum of very high quality, rich buttery eyeshadows.
It fills in every gap in your browns and is perfectly portable
There are endless combinations
It comes with a reasonable quality brush & mini primer potion which most people love (I am not one of those people but that's another story)

This lets the Naked #1 down:
After a while one shimmery brown, becomes another shimmery brown and once placed on the eye it's tricky to distinguish one from the other.The majority of shimmer shades make it less day-to-day wearable for those who do not like wearing shimmer in the day time, there are only so many ways to use the matte colours alone
The case is a velvet that gets unbearably dirty from eyeshadow or general powder fall out
The mirror is fairly dinky and does not make full use of the lid space

The final word:
A lot of people claim that this is a palette best for 'brown eyed girls' I don't agree with this, I am not really one to follow that 'this' is for blue eyes and 'this' is for brown eyes- I really think that colours are transferable universally across all eye colours. The only person who I would say that this palette is less suitable for is mature skin, there are a lot of shimmers which can be less forgiving if your eyelids are not as perky as they once were- also, it tends to be mature women who shy away from wearing shimmer eyeshadow in the day time which limits the looks that the palette can give you so things may get repetitive quickly.

Naked 2

This palette is crammed with cool toned neutrals. The palette is a mix of creams, browns, greys, bronzes, silvers and blacks
# of Matte colours: 3
Most original shade: YDK (Purple sparkle, 3rd from the right)

What's great about the palette:
This palette gives a great deal of variety as it dips into the golds, pinks, silvers and purples as well as having a true universal staple to take anything from a neutral to dramatic look which is an outstanding quality, rich, buttery matte black in Blackout. The packaging is a beautiful steely cool metal, that is hygienic, a nice neat clasp closure and a generously sized mirrors

This lets the Naked #2 down:
The double ended brush that comes with the product is not great, the supposedly fluffy blending brush isn't as dense as it could be. Also, there is what I consider the worst thing that UD could have done through including a repeat colour, there is 'Half Baked' in the Naked 1 and Naked 2 palette. The colour itself is lovely, but I think that to not come up with an original shade is borderline laziness.

The final word:
This is without a doubt the most versatile palette for all tastes, this contains something for every taste, light natural looks, darker daring looks, bridal looks, shimmer looks, matte looks. If you're someone that likes it all, likes experimentation, choice and variety then there is nothing that you won't love about this palette of exquisite colours


Naked 3

This palette is a porcelain girls dream, a whole palette tinted with pink. I know that it's easy to run away screaming when I say pink eye shadows with visions of having bruised eye sockets or eyes that look riddled with infection. But this palette is really nothing like that, and is a pleasant surprise to skeptics, and just as good as anticipated by the rest of us. It managed to achieve this by combining rose colours with just a hue of brown to tone them in the right way. Pink eye shadows can be a challenge to pull of, but these are on a scale of their own, granted I think that this would suit fair skinned girls, but there is something here for absolutely everyone of all ages. If you are a makeup artist or considering getting into bridal makeup then this is an essential addition to your kit, this is a natural-beauty brides fantasy come true, gorgeous romantic colours that enhance and compliment the face.

# of Matte colours: 3
Most original shade: Blackheart (colour on the far right)

What's great about the palette:
The Naked 3 is consistent in the theme that this is without a doubt a rose gold infused palette, and there's not many people who haven't indulged in that trend. This palette normalizes pinks, makes them accessible and less frightening. It's also a wonderful transitional palette into the warmer months. Every single colour is beautiful and wearable, like sweet, indulgent little chunks of chocolate in a gorgeous rose gold case with all the greatness of the Naked 2 palette (large mirror, sturdy case etc) but with some pleating detail on the packaging.

This lets the Naked #3 down:
There are some dupes between the Naked 3 and it's older sisters including:
Naked #1 Darkhorse and Naked #3 Darkside
Naked #2 Foxy and Naked #3 Strange
Naked #2 Tease and Naked#3 Nooner

The final word:
If you are a neutral girl, that has exhausted the browns and bronzes and you're looking for a fresh twist, then the Naked 3 is astounding at filling that little void. The concept of the palette is romantic and the first of it's kind to really run with this theme but some of the colours are dupe able. If you are torn between the Naked 1 and Naked 2 then I'd say go for the Naked 3, to me it is like the best of them both married together with a girly twist.

Verdict:
My most used is the Naked 2, but the most original in my collection is the Naked 3. I only tend to pull out the Naked 1 for the summertime but this is perhaps an odd force of habit that I have imposed upon myself.
If in doubt, follow the packaging to indicate what is inside