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Makeup Palettes | 2013 Editor's Favorites
Choosing my top ten favorite palettes from the ones I tested and reviewed in 2013 was a lot more difficult than I anticipated! To give you an idea on how stiff the competition was, there were 128 reviews filed under “makeup palettes,” so you can see there were plenty to choose from! (And if you were curious, I have 1,261 posts filed under “reviews,” and the majority of those posts feature more than one shade, for the past year.) I considered which ones gave me warm, fuzzy feelings, that were high quality, and that I could really reach for over and over again. With those things in mind, here are my favorites…
- Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow Palette — nicely pigmented, rosy-themed palette that I loved and will definitely be traveling with in the future
- Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette for Eyes — it’s no surprise that this was a favorite, given how difficult it was to track it down, but I loved the plummy vibe and mixture of mattes and satins
- Sleek Makeup Sunset i-Divine Palette — this palette was incredibly pigmented; not only is it incredibly affordable, it was fantastic in quality
- Dior Bonne Etoile Eyeshadow Palette — a gorgeous palette featuring five shimmering, earthy shades–wish Dior made this their regular formula
- Too Faced Pretty Rebel Eyeshadow Palette — it’s no surprise that this makes the list as it was bright, colorful, intensely pigmented, and a cinch to use
- Le Metier de Beaute Femme Fatale — an interesting color combination and filled with more unique shades than not–if only LMdB was more accessible and wasn’t so limited
- bareMinerals The Wild Thing Eyeshadow Quad — mint, chartreuse, and blue? shades that speak to my heart, so thank goodness they were of quality!
- Sugarpill Cold Chemistry Eyeshadow Palette — a cool-toned, four-pan palette that’s nearly irresistible
- LORAC Pro Palette — it’s a great option for someone who likes warm-toned eyeshadows and can’t decide between matte and frost
- Guerlain Coup de Foudre Eyeshadow Quad — I loved the unusual color combination
Too Faced Pretty Rebel, UD Naked 3, bareMinerals The Wild Thing, and Sugarpill Cold Chemistry are all on my list. I also loved the UD Theodora and Glinda palettes, Kat Von D Spellbinding, and Aqualillies for Tarte, too.
I almost included the Glinda palette, and I had the Spellbinding pulled up initially (I think I had about 25 open before I whittled everything down). Both were nice palettes!
Spellbinding is totally on my list.
LORAC Pro and NAKED2 have been the best for me, I think!
Two classics!
My faves (not all may have been released in 2013 but I got them in 2013) would be:
Bare Minerals Power Neutrals
Stila In the Garden
Clarins Forest quad (thanks to Christine for alerting me to this beauty)
Dior Bonne Etiole (ditto on the thanks)
Clarins Odyssey (from last Holiday season but I got it in 2013)
Urban Decay Vice 2
and seeing Phyrra’s answers, I wonder how on earth I could forget the Tarte Aqualillies palette. I love that one, especially for the shades Hammock, Bikini and especially Barefoot
All awesome choices, Mariella! I haven’t tried Clarins Odyssey or Stila’s In the Garden. I almost included Power Neutrals, but I ended up with The Wild Thing for its more unique color combo!
I really love In the Garden (much to my surprise, to be honest, but so many of the colours in it are actually the sorts of neutrals I really love). Odyssey was LE and it’s not available any longer. It has a gold shade in it, though, that looks like particles of gold leaf – very beautiful to look at though a bit tricky to apply.
Ahh – sounds like while pretty, I would be fussy about that gold shade, lol!
I am really loving the recent posts and adding things to my wish list Christine 😀
I have naked 3 ( which will arrive in a month or two soooo ) also have GUERLAIN and i want too faced pretty rebel badlyyyy
and i havent tried Bare minerals till now 😀 so want one palette to start my journey 😀
my fav would be UD VICE 2 i guess 😀
too faced is very under rated brand and i need to start buying their palettes now 😀
I really liked Vice 2 as well, but Naked3 won my heart for UD palettes this year!
I love these year end posts… Wow, I own half of these! But oh, Dior Bonne Etoile, the one that got away… *tear*
Fingers crossed Dior repeats the formula at least sometime this year!
It nearly got away from me too because my Dior rep went on vacation and the gal filling in, who was supposed to call me, DIDN’T!!! But I managed to get the very last one at the store and I am so happy; I’d have been really distressed if I’d missed this beauty.
The Dior palette looks GORG!!
It is/was!!
My top palette of the year is Too Faced Pretty Rebel! A++ palette in my book! Runner up for me would be the Sleek Sunset palette, the pigmentation and quality of that palette for the price blows my mind!
Haha! A+ in my book, and for a palette, that is pretty tough to do 😉
Sleek’s Sunset was also phenomenal!
Nice timing, the BareMinerals Wild Thing Quad is on the sale section of Sephora and with the extra 20% off sale items right now I just snagged it for about $17! Always love your year end Top 10 posts!
YAYYYY! Hope you love it, Deb!!
Yes, I just ordered mine, as well:) awesome deal with the sephora sale & an extra 20% off!!!
I own 5 of your top 10, they are also on my top list as well! (Naked 3, Laura Mercier Artist’s palette, Too Faced Pretty Rebel palette, Sugarpill Cold Chemistry palette, Lorac Pro palette), I also love love the Kat Von D Spellbinding palette, Kat Von D Ladybird palette, Urban Decay Glinda palette, Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, as well as Too Faced A Few of my Favourite Things palette. Love these all so much!
I almost forgot Urban Decay Vice 2! Love it lots too!
Great minds think alike, Karen! 🙂
I was considering both Kat Von D palettes you mentioned, as well as UD’s Glinda palette – but those were some awesome palettes as well! It was a good year for makeup, it seems!
The Naked 3 palette is definitely on my list too. I would also put the Too Faced A Few of My Favorite Things palette as one of my favorites.
I loved the theme of that Too Faced palette!
I’d add IT Cosmetics Naturally Pretty, an alternative to UD Naked 3, and I loved my little bargain from the Stila warehouse sale: Under the Mistletoe
Yay for bargain palettes 😀
I mostly used single shadows this year for colorful looks but LORAC Pro, Naked, and theBalm nude ‘tude (all bought in 2013) got plenty of use too – I actually hit pan on a few shades!
I really wanted to try the Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette but couldn’t get my hands on it sadly.
WOW! I can’t believe you hit pan on some!! That’s awesome 😀
I know! I was so excited 🙂 since it means I can much more easily justify new purchases in 2014 😀
My “Number 1” pick is NYX Butt Naked “eyes” palette, although I’m not sure when it was released. Although I’m not loving the “face” products, at $25 for 15 eyeshadows, which are completely foolproof for me, it’s well worth it. This is the only palette I’ve used almost exclusively for the last 2 months, which os something I’ve *never* done!
Kat von D Ladybird is another top pick, but more as a “companion” palette for the others. Since picking thos up, I used my other palettes a lot more than I ever have.
LORAC Pro is definitely one that needs to be on the list. While not “unique” in any way, it’s a complete workhorse, and is nearly as foolproof as the above stated NYX palette.
Rounding off the top 5 are Kat von D Spellbinding & UD Vice 2, although they’ve both been sitting virtually untouched… I love them for the quality & value, as well as variety, so although I haven’t used them much (yet!), I see myself using them quite a bit in 2014!
Good to know that the Butt Naked palette is impressive! Thank you for the recommendation!
I own the Sleek Makeup Sunset palette, and I agree with you the quality of the eyeshadows is amazing, they are so pigmented, but I thought they were a bit more on the brown side when I bought it, only to discover it was a nice mix of different colors. I’m dieing to get my hands on the urban decay naked 3 palette but it’s sold out everywhere
It is CRAZY pigmented. I can’t get over it!
NYX Butt: Naked Turn the Other Cheek and the Smokey Look Collection (which I received 5 days ago and am still playing with but so far, so good) were cheap and surprisingly decent quality.
I loved Sleek i-Divine Vintage palette and the Sweet Cheeks Candy Blush by 3.
And I just bought Dior’s Constellation e/s palette yesterday – I haven’t used it yet but I KNOW I am going to love it.
Enjoy Constellation! I ended up going with Bonne Etoile, well, you know… blues and teals and yeah. There was no help for that 🙂
Really need to check out some of these NYX palettes! Too many options…
Where did you find the constellation palette?
My favorites for 2013 is Naked 3 and Laura Mercier. I am still trying to track down the Anastasia Lavish palette! The Lorac pro palette has been sold out on Sephora’s site every time I try to purchase it. 🙂
I hope you can find the Lavish palette, Sabrina!
At least LORAC Pro is permanent, so you don’t have to worry!
I got Sleek Sunset and UD Naked3 and I love them both! I also got Too Faced Natural at Night palette, and I like it a lot. In 2013 I bought all 3 of the Naked palettes and I can’t believe i waited so long to buy them. 🙂
Welcome aboard the Naked train 😉
I love Naked 3 (just got it for Christmas) and Sleek Sunset – haven’t tried the others on your list, but I also love Balm Voyage, Too Faced A Few Of My Favourite Things (a Christmas buy) and Sleek Vintage Romance from this year!
Hope you’re enjoying your new Naked3 palette, Renu 🙂
My biggest regret was not picking up Dior Bonne Etoile. Seriously, it’s glorious.
Total surprise hit. I’m hoping Dior repeats the formula this year!
I’m loving the new Naked 3–my first Naked palette. It’s pretty much a no-brainer for people with green eyes like myself. I snagged the last one in stock at the Fox River Mall in Appleton, WI a few days before Christmas. I was surprised to see that they still had Laura Mercier’s Artist Palette in stock at the time. If some of you are still looking for that palette you might want to try that Sephora location.
Happy first Naked palette!! 🙂
The palette I almost didn’t purchase and use more than most is the Urban Decay Glinda palette, it also seems to be the palette I go to for that “gosh what color do I need now” color.
So glad you ended up purchasing that palette, Donna! It’s really lovely 🙂
Kat Von D Spellbinding and Urban Decay Smoked make this girl very happy!
Both lovely palettes!
Dior
Which Dior palette, Raeda?
My favorites of this year were theBalm Meet Matt(e) Nude, LORAC Pro, UD Naked 2, and I have a feeling Naked 3 will be a 2014 favorite.
I love hearing how many people are enjoying the new N3 palette. Looks like it’s on its way to classic status like the other two!
Do you think the LM Artist’s Palette has a lot of dupes to Naked3?
I don’t – the finishes and undertones are quite different.
My obsessions this year:
Chanel Charming
Chanel Seduction
Chanel Raffinement
Dior Constellation (Mystic Metallics)
Dior Smoky Khaki
Guerlain Les Violets
Guerlain Les Roses
Tom Ford Sahara Haze
Urban Decay Naked 3 (totally addicted to it!!)
What a lovely list, Aida!! 🙂
I swatched the Pretty Rebel palette when I was in a Paris Sephora, and then moved on, assuming there would be other things. *kicks self*. We don’t have the brand (or Spehoras) here, and I don’t think I’ve ever swatched a sparkly black eyeshadow that matched up to the Miss Sparkles in that palette!
I’ve been eyeballing that Cold Chemistry one too…! 😀
Aww 🙁 I’m sure there will be something like it again!
Oh ! I missed on the Laura Mercier Artist Palette! Love Naked 3 and Lorac Pro Palette.few of my favs would be voyage palette by thebalm and kate von d ladybird palette
Those are great picks, Vineetha!
oh wow i have 4 of these!!!
i’m really impressed with the lorac pro palette, as i just got it for christmas.
i LOVE the naked 3 and can’t believe i was so scrooge-y about it haha
i just ordered the sleek sunset palette!
and i bought the dior one based on your post about it! i love it so much!
and i just adore every palette kat von d releases!!!!
Haha! I’m so glad trying the Naked3 palette changed your mind, Amara 🙂
I have Naked 3 and Lorac Pro Palette and I love them both! Escpecially the Pro Palette. Its just so versatile! I really want that Sleek palette though. Its so pretty and I don’t own a lot of orangey shadows
You gotta try that Sleek palette, Fancie!
Are you doing the Editor’s Choice Awards this year, or are these “Top 10 ___ of 2013” posts taking its place?
Hi Audrey,
I do both – you can see that I have done these in the years before as well. Editor’s Choice is completely different and separate from these, as Editor’s Choice is, for the most part, focused on formulas, not necessarily shades 🙂
I love the Guerlain palette mentioned above with the Naked 3. I didn’t expect to like the Naked 3 but really love it.
The Laura Mercier palette I really tried to love. The colors seemed like something I would love but I couldn’t. I even went to return it and the sales girl at Sephora convinced me to keep it, only to take it back after two more tries. It just really disappointed me.
Faves of the year:
The Balm Meet Matte
The Balm Nude Tude
Naked Basics
Nars Voulez Vous
Tarte Off theCuff
Sorry to hear that the Laura Mercier palette didn’t work out for you, Cindy! 🙁
still kicking myself for not getting the Laura Mercier pallete, not it’s gone =(
love your year-end list and your review!
x
Thank you! 🙂 Hopefully next year LM releases one that is just as good, if not better!
My favorites are:
1) Chanel Ombres Matelassees Eyeshadow Palette in Charming
2) Dior 5 Couleurs Mystic Metallics in Bonne Etoile
3) Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in Coup de Foudre
4) Laura Mercier Artist’s Palette for Eyes
5) Urban Decay Naked 3
Charming is a really nice smoky neutral palette!
Lol, I own five on your list Christine. My most used of the five is the Too Faced Pretty Rebel palette. I like to put Girly on my lid with Totally Fetch in the crease, Charming on my outer corner and a touch of the gold on the tear duct. It makes for a really eye catching look 🙂 I used Nars’ Lovejoy on my checks and Bite’s Mulberry on my lips with a sparkly nude MAC glass on top…colorful but not over the top.
That sounds like a gorgeous look, Christine! I might have to try it! 🙂
Thanks 🙂 I think it would look gorgeous with your “celestial” eyes 🙂 Girly packs a nice punch on its own but this weekend I applied it with a damp brush…wow!
LoracPro, YSL Pure Chromatics, Naked3
Which Pure Chromatics? I think that’s just the formula but I could be forgetting!
The palette I have used more than any this year is the Urban Decay Glinda. Love it!!
That’s a gorgeous palette, Erin! What’s your go-to combo with it?
I vote for Chantecaille’s Wild Horses!
Such a pretty palette to look at!
I have the Lorac Pro palette and Too Faced Pretty Rebel. I was so disappointed I couldn’t find The LM Artist palette anywhere. I’m always on the hunt for an awesome cool toned palette. Besides Sugarpill Cold Chemistry what other cool toned palettes could you recommend?
I can’t actually recall any other cool toned palettes – at least nothing is coming to mind!