Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission when you make purchases through them.
The Natasha Denona Yucca Palette is a mostly warm neutral palette inspired by summer tropics with many shades that lean gently into green, yellow, and orange tones. A few bolder shades are also incorporated but this is generally a very comfortable set of shades to wear even for those that may not be all that into colorful makeup. The palette is the same format as most of Natasha Denona’s recent larger palettes. It has magnetic, removable mid-size pans housed in a high quality plastic case and a large mirror inside the lid.
Price: $69
Availability: Natasha Denona, Sephora, Ulta, Beautylish
Formula Overview
Here’s a breakdown of what all is inside this palette:
There are 4 sparkling foiled shades with a mixture of large sparkles and fine shimmer. These include Plantasia, Komorebi, Elysian and Makia. They are more reflective and give off a higher shine than a regular shimmer eyeshadow. The particles are larger but they are flat and they lay smooth on the skin and don’t have any gritty or chunky feel to the touch. I am able to pick up color from these shades with a dry brush and get plenty of color payoff quickly and they build up easily. If I use my finger to apply these to the lid, it really amps up the intense “foiled” effect. They have some fallout but I find the amount reasonable compared to other sparkly shimmers I’ve used and not particularly difficult to brush away as long as I’ve used enough powder to set my foundation/concealer.
The only “regular” shimmer in the palette is Ray. There are no large sparkles in this one and the particles are generally smaller but they vary in size. This is slightly less reflective than the sparkling foiled shades but still gives off a satisfying amount of shine. It also picks up and applies easily with a dry brush and has much less fallout than those.
8 of the shades are powder mattes. All of these have less pigmentation than I remember from previous palettes. For most of the shades I think this is a good thing. I’ve had a bit of a love-hate relationship with Natasha Denona mattes over the years because I’ve found their intense pigmentation time consuming and difficult to use but also very satisfying when I’m able to get them to apply well. The ones in this palette apply a bit more sheer but they still show up well, go on evenly and blend quickly. They are just more user-friendly. For two of the deepest mattes (Flax and Willow), I think it’s somewhat of a drawback depending on how you plan to use this palette. They require more layering/packing for even-looking application. If you are not a perfectionist, this is probably not something that will bother you much. Using these just to wear makeup for the day and live my life, the little bit of unevenness is not really that noticeable. It is more noticeable when they are seen from up close in photos.
The last 2 shades are creamy powders. These are less dry than a regular powder matte. I’m not well versed in cosmetic chemistry but looking at the ingredients for Calathea and Fushi, I see they have silicones listed high up in the ingredients. They definitely still have that powder-based feel to them but they are more emollient and seem to meld with the skin more than a regular powder matte and blend out more seamlessly. Calathea has similar sheer/buildable color payoff as creamy powders I’ve used in older Natasha Denona palettes but Fushi has a waxier feel (and smell too!) with noticeably higher color payoff.
Pros and Cons
Things I love:
- Neutral but not basic.
- Shimmers have impressive shine and color payoff.
- Formula is easy to work with.
- Excellent wear time for most shades. 7-8 hours without primer, 10-12 with primer.
- A few brighter/bolder complementary colors to play with.
Drawbacks to consider:
- Sparkling metallics do have some fallout.
- Two deepest mattes require extra time to get even application.
- Wear time is pretty short for the creamy powders. Around 4 hours with or without primer.
- Acacia and Tipu are nearly dupes.
Do I Recommend It?
Yes. The overall quality is there and the color story is approachable without being boring. The drawbacks I mentioned are not enough to deter me from getting a lot of enjoyment out of this palette.
Looks
Here are some looks I did with this palette. If you’re interested in one specifically, these are available as tutorials on YouTube.
