Top 10 of 2012: Makeup Palettes

There were actually a lot of fantastic palettes released this year! I already pulled up twenty that to consider for the top ten, and I had only reached August (I go backwards).  So here are my picks–and I tried to include a variety of brands that were all excellent, but full disclosure: could have easily included more bareMinerals, Guerlain, and another Tom Ford (Enchanted).

• Chanel Harmonie du Soir — absolutely loved the formula
• Guerlain Turandot — one of my favorite products of the year
• Urban Decay Naked Basics — I like the way it complements N1 & N2
• Tarina Tarantino Emerald Pretty — beautiful textures, rich pigmentation
• Estee Lauder Violet Underground — bright pops of color
• Tom Ford Emerald Lust — rich, buttery textures and shades
• Disney Cinderella Storylook — fantastic value and overall quality
• bareMinerals The Star Treatment — beautiful warm-toned palette
• Guerlain Calligraphy — buttery and pigmented
• Le Metier de Beaute Nouvelle Vague — great pigmentation and texture

What was your favorite makeup palette from 2012?

My Wedding Makeup

I actually didn’t know what I was going to do quite yet for my makeup until I tested out Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette (which I reviewed last month).  I loved the way it looked on me, and the colors were perfect for autumn.  I knew at once that it was a happy medium that used color and not just neutrals, but it wasn’t too bold or smoky, as our ceremony was being held in the late morning.  I went with a gold eyeliner on the bottom lash line, because it brightened up my eyes, so naturally, Honey was my go-to, as it was one of my all-time favorites.   With the warm-toned eyes, I knew I’d be going with corals, which I tend to like on myself.   I wore the same eyes and cheeks all day long, but for our evening reception, I changed the lips to Chanel Dragon and Bobbi Brown Naked Plum.

I won’t have my photos back for approximately a month, but when I have some to share, I will be sure to share a few.  These are the only photos I managed to take in the last few minutes before we had to leave to go to the ceremony location.  I spent a half hour on makeup, even if I used a truck-load of products!

Eyes:

• NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base
• Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette
• Burberry Trench Eyeshadow
• Urban Decay Honey 24/7 Eyeliner
• Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Waterproof Mascara
• MAC Espresso Eyeshadow
• MAC Clear Brow Set

I applied a layer of primer on from lash line to brow bone.  Then, I applied the lighter plum eyeshadow on the inner third of the lid, followed by the darker brown eyeshadow on the outer third of the lid.  I patted the gold eyeshadow directly on the center of the lid and pulled it outwards and inwards to blend with the other two colors.  I used separate MAC 239 eyeshadow brushes for those three colors.  I swept on the darker plum shade into the crease and diffused it upwards using Make Up For Ever’s #17S crease brush.  Next, I took the MAC 239 again with the gold eyeshadow and patted it on the inner tear duct and then pulled it upwards over the inner crease.  I lined the lower lashes with Honey eyeliner.  I filled in brows using Espresso eyeshadow and MAC’s 266 brush, then combed through them with a clean mascara spoolie and set with brow gel.  To finish the look, I heavily applied Eyes to Kill mascara (waterproof, of course) to upper and lower lashes.

Face:

• Eve Pearl Moisturizing Primer
• Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer
• Guerlain Parure Gold (02 & 03)
• OCC Concealer (Y2)
• Cle de Peau Concealer (Beige Ochre)
• Guerlain Terracotta Light Touch Highlighter (02)
• Tom Ford Love Lust Blush
• MAC Sculpt Sculpting Powder
• Guerlain Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush
• Guerlain Teint Rose Pressed Meteorites

I applied the moisturizing primer first, just prior to applying my eye makeup, so it would have a chance to sink in.  After fifteen minutes or so, I applied the Mineral Veil primer, and I let that sink in for five to ten minutes.  I used one pump of #02 and half a pump of #03, then mixed them between my fingers, and dotted it all over the face.  I used Hourglass #2 Foundation Brush to blend and diffuse the foundation on the face and down the neck.  I applied two pats of Cle de Peau’s Concealer on my under eye area and blended just over the bridge of my nose.  I then patted OCC’s Concealer over that.  I finished the under eye area by lightly tapping Terracotta Light Touch to brighten.  To add color to cheeks, I tapped Love Lust blush on apples and blended towards temples with MAC’s 116 brush.  I lightly contoured the hollows of my cheeks with MAC Sculpt and MAC’s 168 brush.  I lightly swept on Parure de Nuit as a highlighter on cheek bones with MAC’s 165 brush.  To set everything into place, I used MAC’s 184 brush and Pressed Meteorites.

Lips:

• Guerlain Gems Rouge G Lipstick
• Cle de Peau #2 Lipgloss
• Bobbi Brown Citrus High Shimmer Lipgloss

I applied Gems lipstick onto lips with a lip brush.  I lightly patted Cle de Peau #2 on the center of the lower lips, then pressed lips together.  I finished by applying a full coat of Citrus and lightly pressing my lips together.

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It Is… Love!

For the holidays, Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette ($59.00 for 0.25 oz.) features four eyeshadows–two matte and two iridescent shades. It should start popping up retailers and counters in October.

The first shade is a light-medium golden orange–more like an orange-toned gold than your expected yellowy gold. It has a soft, frosted finish with a silky-smooth, finely-milled consistency that applies beautifully on the skin. The pigmentation was true-to-pan, and it didn’t require any layering or packaging to achieve opaque color. Milani Gold Dust is a smidgen darker and has a more metallic finish. Clarins Enchanted Summer is darker, less orange. Giorgio Armani #1 is similar, slightly less orange. MAC Goldmine is much yellower.

Next, there is a rusted, reddish-brown with a satiny finish. It had good pigmentation, and it was very soft to the touch and easy to blend on the eye. NARS Self Portrait 3 is lighter. MAC Magnetic Attraction is similar but has more gold shimmer. MAC In the Sun is redder. NARS California is richer, more orange. MAC Mythical is lighter. Guerlain Les Fauves has a shade that’s a bit darker, browner.

Below, there is a darker, muted reddish-plum with a hint of brown. The finish has a slight sheen to it, but it is mostly matte. The color payoff was good, and the texture was soft, blendable, and easy to apply. MAC In the Sun is shimmery. Le Metier de Beaute Bordeaux reminded me–just barely–of this shade, but it is much darker, more burgundy. theBalm Racy Kacy is more orange/brown.

The last shade in the palette is a gray-tinged medium-dark brown with subtle warm undertones and a frosted sheen. It had a soft, buttery texture that made opaque color a breeze to achieve. Dior Fairy Golds has a very similar shade in it. Urban Decay Barlust is darker. MAC Havana is warmer. MAC Chestnut is warmer.

Turandot is a warm-toned palette that combines surprisingly well; I thought the shades might not offer enough contrast, but they can and do.  The two middle shades are similar but have different undertones, so they’re noticeably different when placed near each other.  I would not say that any of these shades are particularly unique, so the color combination could be replicated with products you may already own.  It’s, of course, nice to have them all in a single palette.  I don’t think I would have thought to put these particular shades together.  It does seem a little autumnal in color, even if it is for the holidays.

The quality is good across the board, with the two more matte shades having just slightly less color payoff compared to the shimmery shades.  They held up well on the eye, all four shades lasting for ten hours without any fading or creasing, both over a primer and without one. It’s one of my personal favorite palettes that have come out in the past year!

The Glossover

	Turandot A
	The quality is good across the board, with the two more matte shades having just slightly less color payoff compared to the shimmery shades.
	Product 9.5/10 Pigmentation 9.5/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 5/5
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Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Turandot Eyeshadow Palette