Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite Makeup Palettes
Some of my beauty blogging buddies started a group to share their Top Ten products on a regular basis and I decided to join in on the fun. The first topic is Top Ten Palettes which is so up my alley.
As much as I love makeup, pairing eye shadows is not my forte. I have a ton of single shadows in my arsenal but, more often than not, I gravitate towards palettes for my eye looks. I like that someone took the guesswork out of it for me and over the years I’ve amassed quite a selection of palettes.
Check out my faves and a few I’m lusting after for the upcoming holiday season.
Oldies But Goodies
These palettes may no longer be available but I still love them.
Too Faced The Quickie Chronicles were some of the first palettes I bought and The Man Eater became my go-to for quite some time. Even though I should toss it, I can’t help but hold on to it for sentimental reasons.
Too Faced "The Man Eater"
Too Faced "The Man Eater"
This Prescriptives PX Pink Ribbon palette that was part of the annual Estee Lauder Companies BCA campaign and it convinced me I could wear “pink chocolates.” As you know, I’m not a pink girl but this palette changed my mind a bit.
Prescriptives PX Pink Ribbon Palette
I always look forward to the holiday palettes from MAC. There is usually at least one eye palette that draws me in and, over the years, I’ve collected a fun range of shades. And while I don’t normally go for lip palettes (they get messy and I prefer tube lipsticks), the Viva Glam lip palette from 2007 is one I treasure.
MAC Holiday Eye & Lip Palettes
MAC Holiday Eye & Lip Palettes
Tried And True
I’ve mentioned my love of the Urban Decay Naked palettes in the past. Well I have used one of these two palettes every single day since they came out, with a few exceptions. I tend to use Naked 2 the most as the taupe shades flatter my pale, cool complexion but when I’m sporting a faux glow, it’s original Naked all the way!
Urban Decay Naked
Urban Decay Naked 2
When it’s time to create a smoky eye for a special night out, I always look to my Chanel Smoky Eyes Quad. I wore this quad to a wedding a couple weeks ago and the shades just blend so well together. Love it!
Chanel Smoky Eyes Quad
I’ve been attempting to learn to contour. It’s not a technique I have mastered. Part of the reason is I haven’t been able to find the right contour shade for me. The bronzer in this MAC Antonio Lopez: Face “Coral” palette is the ideal shade for me. I still haven’t got it quite right but I’m trying.
MAC Antonio Lopez Face: Coral Palette
MAC Antonio Lopez Face: Coral Palette
As much as I love my green nail polish, I don’t wear green eye shadow as much as I should. I guess part of the reason is, I can’t seem to put together the right color combination that looks subtle, not HELLO, GREEN! That is, until I came across this Clinique All About Shadow Quad in On Safari. The muted and golden undertones in this quad look fab on me in the summer. I still need to find a cooler version for winter. Got any suggestions?
Clinique All About Shadow Quad - On Safari
On My Wish List
As I mentioned above, I love the MAC Holiday eye palettes and this year is no different. The MAC Stroke of Midnight Cool Eyes Palette ($39.50) is on my radar and I see a purchase coming soon.
MAC Stroke of Midnight Cool Eyes Palette
Even though I don’t wear bright colors that often, I always get sucked in by Urban Decay’s holiday palettes and Urban Decay Vice 2 ($59) is no different. Right now, it’s on my “potential buy” list. It’s the two right rows of color that are calling to me but is that enough to buy the whole palette?
Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette
At the Nordstrom Pretty Party that I presented at last Saturday, I got a good look a the Laura Mercier Luxe Colour Wardrobe Dual Decker Colour for Eyes & Cheeks and I literally swooned! It’s pricey ($125), so unless someone loves me enough to buy it for me (hint, hint Mom!), it won’t be mine anytime soon. But I love the leopard accent, the amount of product you get and the shade range. *sigh*
Laura Mercier Luxe Colour Wardrobe Dual Decker Colour For Eyes & Cheeks
What are your go-to palettes? Do you prefer palettes or individual products? Do you have any special palettes on your holiday wish list?
Disclosure: Product samples were provided by MAC, Clinique, Prescriptives, Urban Decay and Chanel. For more info view my Disclosure Policy.
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
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Oh, I have the same MAC on my wish list! And I love love love that old Too Faced palette!
I think I’m going to pull the trigger on the MAC palette.
I REALLY need to finally try Naked 2!
Yes you do! I couldn’t live without it now (overly dramatic statement)!
OMG I remember the Too Faced quickies!!!!!! I was obsessed with collecting those and always used to buy them as gifts too. So awesome!
They were so great. I really miss them.
I have UD Vice 2. I think it’s a decent palette. I wouldn’t say it’s a must-have. I talk about it here:
http://themakeuptrain.com/2013/10/08/urban-decay-vice-2-palette-swatches/
Thanks for the link to your review. It was really helpful. Maybe I won’t splurge on it after all.
I want that Laura Mercier. That is stunning but expensive. If I buy it on a 10x points night at Nordstrom I could almost justify it. I love your choices. I do have a ton of MAC palettes and the UD palettes but they aren’t in my Top 10 even though I really like them.
That is a good way to almost justify it. I just can’t pull the trigger.
Oh MAC holiday palettes. I have the one in the upper left. The light pink is the only eye shadow I’ve ever used up and had to repurchase. My usual look is a pink smokey eye using all three colors on the left. I have one of the other colors of the middle one (my palette is green) and I bought my sister the one on the low left.
Boyfriend usually gets me something from MAC holiday for my Christmas stocking. Last year was the Nicki viva glam set. It is a little hard to wear because it’s so bright, but I’ve been experimenting more with a nude eye and bright lip this year.
What a sweet boyfriend you have. I love that he’s not afraid to buy you color.
I want the Laura Mercier one so, so bad!!!!
I’m really hoping I get it as a gift.
I love the Naked palettes! Both of them are in daily use for me! I have the Vice 2 palette, and it’s worth it!
I’m definitely going to pick it up soon.
I have one of those MAC holiday palettes that you have! I love your choices
Madison Street Beauty (https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadisonStreetBeauty) is having a 60% off sale right now. They sell single eyeshadows, but have several collected sets that you can buy. I bought a few things from them a couple of weeks ago and have been very pleased with the ones I’ve tried so far!
Thanks! I haven’t tried any makeup from Etsy. I’ll give it a look
I had that Pink Ribbon Palette and used the heck out of it!
Such great picks! That MAC Stroke of Midnight Cool Palette is on my wishlist, too! BTW, try the MAC Pro Sculpting Creams for goof-proof contouring!
Thanks Nance!
i’ve been using the urban decay ammo palette. not sure if you’ve used it before but it’s a great mix of colours in a very portable palette and it’s one of my best buys ever!
Thanks for the suggestion!
I’ve been a makeup artist for years. As far as your green palette goes, try adding a little gold to it right in the center of your eye. It’ll warm it up, and work in the fall/winter months.
I love your blog!
In response to the green eyeshadow thing: there’s an Estee Lauder 5-color palette called Emerald Oasis that’s beautiful and mostly cool-toned (I think? I’m not so good at telling which colors are cool or more neutral). It’s pricey but so, so pretty!
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll check it out
Enjoy your posts here in Canada (near border city of Detroit so I can shop ULTA). Regarding your comment about “contouring”, you should check out Wayne Goss, Makeup Artist from England, who has some great vids on YouTube about it. He makes it look so easy! I don’t contour but I agree it can look amazing for special outings.
So funny you should mention him. I just came across one of his videos and I’ve been slowly going through his library.