2019 was such a good year in makeup releases. Brands gave us a rainbow of colors to play with in eyeshadow palettes. The lipstick bullet came back with a bang and in satiny, hydrating formulas to boot. Drugstore foundations had a serious moment and gave us some now beloved formulas.

But, in my opinion, one product outshined them all. That is Tati Beauty’s premier launch, Textured Neutrals Vol. 1. This is my favorite product of 2019 and, dare I say, the decade. I was lucky enough to snatch up this palette on its initial launch, and I’ve been playing with it over and over since then. In fact, this is the eyeshadow I chose to wear during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.

It has been sold out for a while now, but Tati just announced a restock for Friday, Jan. 10th at 10am PST. If you’re on the fence about purchasing this palette, I have some thoughts on why it is a worthy investment.

The Details

Textured Neutrals costs $48.00 and contains 24 separate eyeshadows in six shades. It is unique in that each shade comes in four different textures: matte, sequin, metallic, and glitter.

The palette itself feels weighty in the hands, and I find the combination of the muted black cover with the gold lettering of “Tati Beauty” to be quite sophisticated. It looks sharp on the vanity. Now, the palette is composed of a soft-touch matte material, which tends to attract any powder that kicks up while using it. I personally have no problem with this. An eyeshadow-smudged palette is like a food-stained cookbook: well loved. And, it’s easy enough to clean up the outside of the palette with makeup remover.

Lastly, I want to call out the mirror. It expands close to the edges of the palette and offers a crisp, clear reflection when looking into it. So nice!

The Swatches

With the overall concept of this palette being textures, I wanted to categorize my swatches as such. Although neutral palettes are nothing new, this theme of using the same six shades for each finish within the palette is quite original. As we go through each texture, I’ll share my thoughts on how they apply.

The Mattes

The bottom row of Textured Neutrals is the most basic of all, but absolutely essential. The mattes create a perfect base for layering up the other finishes. The formula of these is buttery smooth and pigmented. It’s important to dip your brush lightly into each shade, so as not to pick up too much powder. Yet, when blending and buffing these into the crease, they practically do the work for you.

Aura and Memory are the two standout shades in the matte row. Aura is beautiful for setting any concealer or primer used on the lids before going in with deeper shades. Memory is truly the best matte black eyeshadow I have ever used. It is as black as black can be and makes for effortless eye lining. In fact, the winged eyeliner I’m wearing in a couple of the pictures further down in this post were made using Memory.

The Sequins

Perhaps the most unique texture in this palette, the sequins are basically matte eyeshadows with the finest glitter strewn throughout. Unfortunately, the photo above doesn’t even come close to capturing how gorgeous these are. In real life, they pack a subtly glamorous punch on the eyes. The glitter captures the light as you move and blink, making for a refined sparkle.

However, I will say there is a slight learning curve to making the sequins shine their best. If you go straight in with a fluffy brush, the glitters will fall down onto the under-eye area. I actually do use the sequins in this way, but I also tend to do my eyeshadow before applying foundation and concealer. That makes for a much easier clean up.

The best way to apply these is using your finger or a flat brush to gently press the eyeshadow onto the lid. Sweeping motions will cause the glitters to, once again, fly. I also refrain from setting the primed portion of my lid where I plan on applying a sequin shade. This give it a more tacky base to cling to, maximizing the sparkle.

The Metallics

Though the metallics seem almost basic compared to the sequins and glitters, they are anything but. They pack a pretty punch on the lid and add dimension when layered under the glitter shades. I have heard some reviewers mention inconsistencies in the formula and feel from one metallic to the next. I have also noted these differences, but I actually feel it is intentional. For example, Memory has a thicker, more textured look than the other metallics. It lends to a hyper-metallic gunmetal finish on the lid. Ritual, Soothe, Aura, and Poet all behave more like traditional metallics, while Story almost has a duochrome look to it. Each seems to make sense within the larger context of each color story.

Also, the metallic Aura makes for a lit-from-within glow on the cheeks.

The Glitters

Finally, the glitters! Once again, my photo doesn’t do these justice. They just dazzle in real life. Yet, they have a sophisticated touch. Glitter for adults. I couldn’t imagine Tati creating them any other way.

I have to admit, I was worried these wouldn’t work on my hooded eyes. Pressed glitters often have a tacky texture so that they stick to the eyelid with the need for cosmetic glue. For me, that tackiness usually means instant creasing. Since the lids of my eyes literally touch the hoods of my eyes when open, it can feel uncomfortable, too.

Well, I’m here to say that if you have hooded eyes, these are the glitters for you! I was blown away the first time I pressed one of them onto my lids. They are not tacky at all, yet they somehow stay locked in place all day. I don’t experience any creasing when I use them either. Seriously, I don’t know how Tati pulled this off, but I’m so glad she did.

The only thing to note is that a little goes a long, long way with these. Just gently tap your finger over the glitter, and that should be enough. I haven’t experienced any itchiness or irritation when using these. But, it goes with out saying, don’t let it get in your eyes!

The Looks

Swatches are fun, but the most important thing is how they apply on the eyes. I’ve compiled some of my favorite looks using Textured Neutrals over the past month and a half.

Ok, I know, it’s a lot of looks. But, I really wanted to capture the range of unique finishes that can be created by layering the different textures over each other. Hopefully these show just how much dimension Tati’s eyeshadows have on the lids!

Final Thoughts

At this point, it is no surprise that I would recommend Tati’s palette to anyone who loves makeup. The quality of these eyeshadows is top notch, and I still can’t get over those glitters. Hooded eyes-approved! These eyeshadows take minimal effort to use and can be trusted to last all day.

What’s really interesting to me, though, is that Tati succeeded in making the neutral eyeshadow palette fresh again. If the other palette reviews I’ve written on this blog are any proof, I’ve really been into colorful eye makeup. And, I still am. But, with this palette, I’m starting to lean toward neutrals once more. It’s the combination of refined classic shades and glamorous textures that makes this palette one of a kind.

xoxo Kelli