When the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette was released last September, I was immediately inspired and after a few months of experimenting with the unique combination of colors and finishes, now is the perfect time to share my thoughts with you. In addition to reviewing the palette, I will also be teaching you how to create three different looks, all of which are perfect for a tropical summer look, so please keep scrolling!

Desert Dusk, which can be purchased at Sephora or the Huda Beauty website for $65, features 18 eyeshadows inspired by an Arabian sunset. This color range is truly unlike anything I have ever seen before and I think that because it pushes me out of my comfort zone, it has inspired me to express my creativity through the art of makeup, which is what my blog is all about. If you have a darker complexion, I think these shades will really complement your skin tones, which is something I really appreciate.

This palette features four different finishes. There are eight mattes (‘Desert Sand’, ‘Musk’, ‘Eden’, ‘Amber’, ‘Oud’, ‘Amethyst’, ‘Saffron’, and ‘Blazing’), all of which are very pigmented and extremely bendable despite the large amount of kickback. Six of the shadows (‘Blood Moon’, ‘Nefertiti’, ‘Royal’, ‘Cashmere’, ‘Angelic’, and ‘Turkish Delight’) are pressed pearls — intense, easy-to-use shimmers  with either refined glitter or a beautiful iridescence. The three metallic duo-chromes (‘Celestial’, ‘Twilight’, and ‘Retrograde’) really make this product special since they change colors and reflect the light differently depending on the angle. ‘Cosmo’ composes the final pure glitter finish and unfortunately, this is the one shade that I was disappointed in. Although the brand claims it can be used as is, it definitely requires a glitter glue (you could also try using a thin layer of lip balm or vaseline), but even then it looked very chunky and uneven.

Between the large mirror, the compact size, and the beautiful yet sturdy design, the packaging feels very high-end. I was genuinely impressed with the quality of these eyeshadow formulas and think this is such an amazing product; besides ‘Cosmo’, each shade is blendable, pigmented, and long-lasting. I actually purchased this palette during the Sephora VIB sale, so with all of the other products I purchased, this was technically only $25 in my mind. I honestly love using this palette so much and am so glad I decided to buy it because it does hold a special place and stand out in my collection. However, if you are on a budget and are thinking about purchasing this palette, I must admit, I don’t think this is worth $65. It is so much more expensive than all of the other palettes I own; for example the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette features the same amount of shades and an equally incredible formula, but only a $49 price tag. If you love Desert Dusk’s colors and aren’t worried about the price, then you will not be disappointed, but if you are like me and the price is a significant factor, I honestly don’t know if any palette is actually worth nearly $70.

 

Look #1

This palette may seem intimidating for those of you who, like myself, prefer wearing neutral eyeshadow, but this first look proves that a very wearable look is more than possible. For the base shade, I am using ‘Desert Sand’ — a matte cream with yellow undertones — from the lash line to the brow bone. I carved out my crease with ‘Musk’, a matte cool-toned taupey-beige that truly transforms the shape of my eyes. I added depth to the outer corner using ‘Oud’, which is a deep matte mahogany color. For my lid shade, I applied ‘Cashmere’, a beautiful metallic taupe, ideal for this neutral look. I popped ‘Nefertiti’, a shimmering gold with stunning flecks of glitter in the inner corner and for some extra dimension, I blended ‘Retrograde’, a pinky-brown duo-chrome with blue reflects, through my lower lash line.

Look #2

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Although it does not look the best on me, I know so many people are loving burnt orange smokey eyes lately, so I thought I would create a look outside of my comfort zone. ‘Blazing’, a matte orange, served as my transition shade while ‘Amber’, a matte terra cotta, was blended through the crease and lower lash line. For the outer corner, I used I deep matte red shade called ‘Saffron’. I mixed ‘Blood Moon’, a shimmery copper with orange undertones, and ‘Turkish Delight’ , a shimmery cranberry red, all over lid. I dusted ‘Celestial’, a golden peachy-pink duo- chrome, and ‘Angelic’, a warm golden pink, in center of lid followed by ‘Cosmo’, a deep copper loose glitter.

Look #3

For my third and final look, I decided to combine the shades that inspired me the most to create an absolutely gorgeous sunset effect. I went in with ‘Eden’ for my transition shade, building it up to ensure that the matte peach was visible. On my outer corner, I used ‘Amethyst’, a lovely bright orchid shade with a matte finish. For the star of the show, I used my finger to pat ‘Twilight — a pinky lavender duo-chrome with a metallic pale blue shift —  on the inner half of the lid. Because of its darker shimmery plum tones, I used ‘Royal’ in the center of the lid to seamlessly blend the different shadows together.

I have been working on this post for weeks, so I really hope you found the review informative and each of the looks inspiring. As always, thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day.

XOXO,
Makena

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