Review and Swatches: Crimson Amulet (Dark Shadows) by NYX

Tim Burton has always been one of my most favorite directors. From Edward Scissorhands to Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride to Sweeney Todd. Burton has always captivated me with his Gothic yet sweet romantic style (well, Sweeney Todd was in no way sweet, but his personal style put together with one of my favorite plays swept me away). It seems that he has done it once again.

Dark Shadows is a remake/film adaptation of a show that was once popular before I was even a thought in my mother's mind. LOL

I remember seeing an episode or two when I was a lot younger, and found it interesting that it'd be made into a movie. However the fact that Tim Burton would be directing it won me over. Haha!

Now, while I haven't seen the movie yet, I did happen to get my hands on the NYX makeup palette based on the movie itself. ^o^ It's called The Crimson Amulet Collection inspired by the movie Dark Shadows.



This palette is actually VERY impressive. I've always loved NYX cosmetics, considering it's pretty decent quality for the drugstore price. Even better, their color selection is amazing. This palette is no exception.
It includes 24 eyeshadows, 5 blushes, 1 highlighter, 4 lip glosses, 1 travel HD eye shadow base, and 1 travel sized eyeliner. Even more badass, this collection retails for $24.99!!!

Before I get into the swatches, let me just explain how I set everything up.
The colors in this palette have no names. So, instead, I labeled them all with numbers. This way it'll be easier for me to explain it all. ^u^

When you first open the palette, you'll see the 24 eye shadows and a fairly large mirror. The shadows are displayed in a particular way; the top half of the palette has more vibrant colors, many of which would be perfect for a smokey eye, or a more dramatic statement. The bottom half has more neutral, everyday colors. 

When you turn the page, you'll find the blushes, highlighter, lip glosses, primer, and eyeliner. Also, there's 3 descriptions of makeup styles for some of the Dark Shadows characters. They aren't quite "get the look" tips, but they help give you a general idea.

---------

NYX Crimson Amulet shadows (natural light)

Now, let's get into the eye shadows. As I said, they don't have their own individual names, so I labeled them with numbers in order to make it easier to follow.

1) Deep brownish-charcol grey matte

2) Pale pinkish/white champagne with glitter

3) Eggplant with gold glitter

4) Copper-Orange metallic

5) Shimmery Lilac

6) Taupey grey pearl

7) Pinkish champange pearl

8) Deep black-navy with glitter (reminds me a bit of Too Faced "Midnight Mist")

9) Medium navy shimmer (a lot like L'oreal Infallible 24Hr shadow in "Midnight Blue")

10) Forest Green shimmer

11) Medium chocolate brown with gold shimmer

12) Deep merlot brown shimmer

13) Vanilla matte

14) Medium taupe matte

15) Light taupe brown matte

16) Stark white shimmer

17) Champange taupe

18) Sable brown matte

19) Pale pink shimmer

20) Charcol grey matte

21) Mauvey pink shimmer

22) Light taupe shimmer

23) Bronze shimmer

24) Pale yellow/gold pearl

NYX Crimson Amulet shadows (with flash)

These eye shadows have pretty good color payoff. They go on rather smoothly with a creamy texture. One or two are a bit chalky, but it's really not bad at all. Either way, I'm impressed, considering the price of the palette.

Swatches

(applied with primer)

Crimson Amulet shadow swatches 1-12 (natural light)

Crimson Amulet shadow swatches 13-24 (natural light)

 

Crimson Amulet shadow swatches 1-12 (with flash)

Crimson Amulet shadow swatches 13-24 (with flash)

-------------------------------

Turn the 'page' and you'll find the blushes, highlighter, lip glosses, primer, and liquid liner. Once again, everything is labeled with numbers to make it easier.

Blushes

1) Medium pink matte

2) Deep berry pinkish red matte

3) Peachy pink shimmer

4) Sweet pink shimmer

5) Medium peach shimmer

These blushes are CRAZY pigmented. I'm absolutely in love~

The only one I've very iffy with is blush #2. It's TOO bright, at least for my pale skin tone. However, it would probably work on darker tones. Also, I labeled #5 as a blush because although it might have been meant as a bronzer, it's totally more of a blush. It reminds me a bit of "Orgasm" from NARS.

Highlighter

Pale yellow-white

I'm definitely a fan of the highlighter, especially for my skin tone. It has a slight bit of shimmer, but only in the sense it gives you a nice glow.

Lip Gloss

1) Deep pinkish red

2) Dusty rose

3) Flamingo pink

4) Nude brown

These glosses are more on the sheer side, but they are buildable. The only thing that might be a turn-off for some people is the fact that they are a bit sticky. I'm not a HUGE fan of the glosses, but I'm sure I'll still be using them for when I want a more natural look; nothing loud.

HD Eye Shadow Primer

The primer is like most other primers. It goes on nude and blends out to be transparent. When I did the eye shadow swatches, I used this primer as a base. I can't really say much about the staying power quite yet since I haven't actually tried it on my eyes, but after the swatches, I washed it off. The shadows didn't come off immediately until I scrubbed with soap, and even then, some colors were harder to get off. So, it might not be such a bad one.

Liquid Eyeliner

Jet black

I love this liner. The brush is very thin, so you can do anything between bold lines to very fine. It's a VERY deep black, so it define your eyes perfectly. It also lasts through the day which is a major plus. I might have to look into buying a full sized one from NYX :D 

Crimson Amulet Blushes, Highlighter, and Lip gloss (with flash)

Swatches

Highlighter and Blushes 1-5 (natural light)

Highlighter and Blushes 1-5 (with flash)

Lip Glosses 1-4 (natural light)

Liquid Eyeliner and HD Eye Shadow primer

----------------------------

My verdict:

For $24.99, this palette is TOTALLY worth it~! ^o^

The pigmentation is impressive, and the color range is pretty decent. I can't wait to try out different looks with it all, whether it be neutral to loud. It has it ALL!

Kudos to you, NYX! <3

Now, all I have to do is actually go out and see the movie! :3

How about you guys? What are your thoughts on this palette?

And have you seen the movie? :D

Until next time,

Stay beautiful, both inside and out~ <3

x~PhantomRose~x