Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette Review: Is It Really Cool-Toned?
Finding an eyeshadow palette that is genuinely cool-toned can be harder than it sounds. I've tried plenty of grays and neutrals that look cool in the pan, only to have them turn warmer once they're actually on my skin.
That's one of the reasons I was so interested in the Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette.
This five-pan palette is filled with gray, silver, charcoal, black, and a soft cream shade, without the warm browns and golden tones that often appear in neutral palettes.
I bought this palette with my own money, and I'll admit that one shade in particular convinced me to get it: Mist. It's a beautiful light gray with a subtle blue/gray tone, which is exactly the type of shade I love.
After swatching the palette and wearing the shadows on my eyes, I can confidently say that this Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette review has a very straightforward verdict: it is definitely cool-toned.
There are a couple of things I would change, including some fallout from the darker shades, but overall, the color story is beautiful.
A Note About Our Photos
All photos featured in this review are original and have not been edited, filtered, retouched, or otherwise manipulated to change the appearance of the makeup, colors, or results. Some images may be cropped solely to protect the identity and privacy of the models. What you see is intended to represent how the products and shades looked in real life as accurately as possible.
Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette Review: The Shades
The Mini Xenon contains five coordinated shades that take you from a very light cream all the way to black:
🖤 Blackest Black: A deep matte black
☁️ Gloom: A dark matte charcoal gray
✨ Chromatic: A highly reflective metallic silver
🐋 Mist: A pale, cool blue-gray matte
🍦 Puff: A soft light cream matte
One color detail I really appreciate is Puff. The lightest shade isn't a stark pure white. It's more of a soft cream color, which makes it much easier for me to incorporate into an everyday eye look.
The five shades also give the palette more versatility than you might expect from something this small.
There are enough light colors for daytime makeup and enough depth for a full smoky eye at night.
A Very Familiar Color Story
I realized after opening the Mini Xenon that the color story looked strangely familiar. Then I looked at Aurora.
Apparently, I've been living with the perfect cool-toned palette inspiration all along.
I did not test it on her, don't worry!
How Small Is the Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette?
This really is a mini palette.
I am in Canada and purchased it via Sephora Canada.
To show the size more accurately, I photographed it next to my full-size Urban Decay Naked3 Palette.
It's considerably smaller, which I actually like. The palette doesn't take up much room, and you're getting five shades that work together rather than a large collection of colors you might rarely touch.
It's also an easy size to throw into a makeup bag when traveling. I bought the smaller one because it was less expensive and had the main shades I would use.
The bigger version is gorgeous and very popular, especially with the Alt baddies!
Is the Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette Really Cool-Toned?
Yes. Very.
This is one of those rare palettes where I don't have to stare at a shade and wonder whether it's going to turn brown, beige, or strangely warm once it touches my skin.
The grays actually look gray. Mist retains its beautiful blue-gray quality, Chromatic is an icy silver, and Blackest Black gives you a true smoky black.
That's one of the biggest reasons I've enjoyed this palette.
If you're specifically looking for a cool-toned eyeshadow palette, Mini Xenon delivers. It gives you icy, smoky colors that work particularly well for creating the types of gray eye looks that can be surprisingly difficult to find.
Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette Review: Swatches and Pigmentation
My first swatches gave me a pretty good idea of how differently the five shades perform.
The deeper colors showed up well, and Chromatic immediately stood out. Mist and Puff were considerably more subtle.
You can see how sheer the two lightest shades look compared with Chromatic, Gloom, and Blackest Black. Puff and mist in particular almost disappear into my skin with one swatch.
The glitter shade, Chromatic is sooooo gorgeous. I wish I was more of a bold-look girl because it is just so beautiful.
I was a little surprised because Mist was the shade I bought the palette for.
So, I went back and applied a second layer of Mist and Puff.
The difference is easy to see. Both shades can be built up, although they still don't have the immediate intensity of the deeper colors.
The important thing is that I've found Mist in particular performs much better on my eyelid than the initial arm swatch suggests.
Mist Is the Shade That Made Me Buy the Mini Xenon Palette
Mist was the shade I wanted from the moment I saw this palette.
It's a very light gray with a slight blue quality, and it's stunning on the eye.
This is also a good example of why I don't think you can always judge eyeshadow solely from swatches.
On my arm, Mist initially looks very sheer. Once it's applied to my eyelid, the color is much easier to see. I get that pale, cool gray effect I wanted without the shade becoming overly dark.
It's easily one of my favorite colors in the palette. If you love soft, cool-toned neutrals, you may also want to see my Urban Decay Tease Eyeshadow Review.
I tested and swatched this popular taupe to see whether it really stays cool on the skin.
Puff Makes the Mini Xenon More Wearable
Puff is another subtle shade, and I really like that Natasha Denona chose a soft cream rather than making this pan pure white.
A stark white could have made the palette feel much more dramatic. Puff gives me a light shade that I can actually incorporate into softer looks.
Like Mist, it isn't incredibly pigmented in my initial arm swatch. It's a shade I find more useful when I'm actually applying makeup.
The combination of Puff and Mist is also what makes the Mini Xenon more than just a smoky eye palette.
The Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette Works for Daytime Makeup
One of the things I didn't fully appreciate until I started using the palette is how easily it can go from day to night.
For daytime, I can concentrate on the two lightest shades, Puff and Mist.
Puff gives me a soft, light base or highlight, while Mist adds that beautiful wash of pale blue-gray.
Together, they can create a subtle cool-toned eye without looking overly smoky or dramatic.
If I want a little more definition, I can add a small amount of Gloom through the crease or along the lash line.
Then, when I want something more dramatic, Gloom, Blackest Black, and Chromatic can completely change the look.
Gloom Is a Great Crease and Liner Shade
Gloom is the dark gray matte in the palette, and I've found it particularly useful in the crease.
It gives me more depth than Mist without immediately making the entire eye look black.
I can gradually build Gloom through the crease or outer corner depending on how smoky I want the finished look to be.
I've also tried Gloom as eyeliner.
It works well for that purpose, although it naturally doesn't have the same intensity as Blackest Black. I actually like having both options.
Gloom gives me a softer charcoal line, while Blackest Black creates much stronger definition.
Blackest Black Works Beautifully as Eyeliner
Blackest Black has been one of the nicest surprises for me.
The shadow glides on easily, and I can use a small brush to apply it along my lash line as eyeliner. The pigmentation is strong enough that I can get a defined black line without needing a separate pencil or liquid liner.
That makes the palette particularly useful for traveling because one of the five shadows can essentially perform double duty.
Blackest Black can also deepen the outer corner or transform one of the softer gray looks into a much smokier nighttime eye.
Chromatic Has Serious Pigmentation
Chromatic is the one metallic shade in the palette, and it definitely isn't shy.
The pigmentation is excellent, but the fallout is SUBSTANTIAL, as you can see from the photo above!
You can see in my arm swatches how immediately reflective it is. It's an intense, bright silver that catches the light beautifully and gives you a very different finish from the four matte shades.
I wouldn't describe Chromatic as an understated shimmer. It gives you an obvious metallic, almost glittery silver effect, which is exactly what I want from a shade like this.
I also think it would be gorgeous around the holidays. The icy silver has that festive quality that would work beautifully for Christmas parties, New Year's Eve, or any occasion where you want a little more sparkle.
Does the Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette Have Fallout?
Yes, I did notice some fallout, particularly with the darker shades and most of all with the glitter shade.
It's not enough to ruin the palette for me, but it's something I'd keep in mind when applying Gloom and Blackest Black.
With shades this dark, even a small amount of fallout can be noticeable on lighter skin. It helps to tap excess shadow off the brush before going near the eye and build the color gradually.
Another option is doing your eye makeup before your complexion makeup when you're planning a particularly dark smoky look.
It's a minor drawback for me, especially considering how nicely I like the finished result.
How the Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette Looks on Brown Eyes
I really like the effect these shades have with brown eyes.
The gray and blue-gray tones create a smoky frame around the eye, and Chromatic gives you the option of introducing a much brighter silver accent.
The palette also lets me control the intensity quite easily. Mist can be the main color for a light look, Gloom can add definition, and Blackest Black can take everything much deeper.
For a palette containing only five pans, I can get quite a few different levels of intensity from it.
How the Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Looks on Green-Blue Eyes
I also wanted to see how the Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette would look on green-blue eyes.
My stepdaughter has an eye color that can easily be mistaken for either green or blue depending on the lighting, which made her a great person to test this cool-toned color story on.
The combination turned out beautifully. The smoky grays create definition around the eye, and the silver shimmer catches the light without overwhelming her eye color.
In this look, I especially love how the cooler shadows seem to bring out the gray-blue tones in her iris while still allowing hints of green to come through.
The palette also gives green or blue eyes plenty of options. Mist can create a soft, icy daytime look; Gloom adds smoky definition; and the silver shimmer can transform the same colour story into something much more dramatic for evening or the holidays.
The fallout I speak about earlier with the glitter shade is EVIDENT here. I didn't want to wipe it away, because for some people, the high pigment may be a deal-maker, or the fallout may be a deal-breaker.
If your eyes tend to shift between blue, green and gray, Mini Xenon is a particularly interesting palette to experiment with. Its charcoal, silver and icy gray shades can emphasize different tones in the iris depending on the lighting and which shadows you use.
Mini Xenon for Nighttime and Holiday Makeup
When I want a more dramatic look, that's when the entire palette comes into play.
Gloom can deepen the crease, Blackest Black adds definition around the lashes and outer corner, and Chromatic brings in that bright metallic finish.
This is where I think the palette becomes especially fun. The same little palette I can use for a soft gray daytime eye can create a full smoky look at night.
And for holiday makeup, Chromatic is easily my pick. Its strong pigmentation and icy silver finish give you sparkle without needing to reach for another palette.
What I Like About the Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette
The color story is easily my favorite thing about this palette. It's genuinely cool-toned, and I don't have to worry about the gray shades unexpectedly pulling warm once they're on my eyes.
Mist is still the standout for me. It's the shade that made me buy the palette, and I love its subtle blue-gray tone.
I also really like that Puff is cream rather than stark white. It makes the light end of the palette softer and more wearable.
Chromatic has fantastic pigmentation, Blackest Black doubles beautifully as liner, and Gloom gives me a useful middle ground when I want more depth without going straight to black.
What Could Be Better?
The biggest issue I've found is that Mist and Puff don't look particularly pigmented when I initially swatch them on my arm.
Both improve when they're built up, and Mist performs considerably better on my eye, so this hasn't stopped me from enjoying either shade.
I'd also mention the fallout from the deeper shadows. Gloom and Blackest Black can leave some shadow underneath the eye during application, so I prefer to use a lighter hand and tap off my brush first.
Neither issue is a dealbreaker for me, but they're worth knowing about before buying.
Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette Review: Is It Worth It?
For me, yes.
I bought the palette primarily because of Mist, and I'm happy that the shade looks as beautiful on my eyes as I'd hoped. I've also ended up getting more use out of the rest of the palette than I originally expected.
The light shades make sense for everyday makeup. Gloom and Blackest Black give me everything I need to turn those lighter colors into a smoky nighttime look.
Chromatic adds an intensely pigmented metallic silver that's especially fun for evening and holiday makeup.
Most importantly, the colors really are cool-toned.
Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette Rating: 4.6/5 ★★★★½
I'm giving the Natasha Denona Mini Xenon Palette 4.6 out of 5 stars.
The beautiful cool color story, blue-gray Mist, soft cream Puff, versatile Gloom, intensely pigmented Chromatic, and liner-worthy Blackest Black make this a palette I can use for everything from a simple daytime eye to a dramatic smoky look.
The lighter mattes could have been more pigmented in a single swatch, and I'd love a little less fallout from the darker shades. Those are fairly small complaints considering how much I like the colors once they're actually on my eyes.
If you've been searching for a genuinely cool-toned gray eyeshadow palette, the Mini Xenon is one I'd recommend looking at.
Looking for more options? I’ve rounded up the 5 Best Cool-Toned Eyeshadow Palette Options That Stay True on the Skin, with palettes featuring flattering grays, taupes, mauves, and other cool shades.
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