Archived Post

How do you use products that have multiple shades within the same pan?

If it’s a duo, then I probably would use them separately, but if it was a cheek/face product with thin strips that a small blush brush would not fit comfortably in, then I’d use them altogether.

— Christine

19 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Erica Avatar

If it’s eyeshadow, I use them separately but tbh I rarely buy a palette that has different colors molded together like say the Hourglass palettes.

If it’s a blush or bronzer palette, I swirl the colors together

Mariella Avatar

I tend to avoid that sort of product. The only ones I can think of – that I purchased deliberately – are MAC Mineralize Eyeshadows – Illusionary/Burning Ambition and Family Silver – and I use the 2 shadows in each as singles. I do have a few “shimmer brick” type products from Dior and Too Faced and I tend swirl those together; using them individually is generally too much faffing around for me.

Anne Avatar

Yes. Usually it’s more cost efficient to buy palettes than single items. I also love the concept too since I need to conserve my make up collection space.

Erica Avatar

The question isn’t talking about palettes vs single shadows per se but rather palettes that contain multiple colors like a highlighter with multiple colors or an eyeshadow pan with multiple colors like MAC mineral shadows. Of course a palette is more cost effective but how do you use eyeshadow or blush with multiple shades? Do you use the colors separately or swirled together. Just fyi:)

xamyx Avatar

If it’s an eye product, I typically use them separately, but I tend to “swirl” at least two of the shades together. That said, I really do tend to avoid them, overall.

Linda Avatar

I find them so hard to get consistent color as it all depends on which shades I catch if I try to swirl or rub over more than one color. Oddly, I have a lot of these products for some reason, but I will actively avoid them in the future.

Karen Johnston Avatar

I have a few face products like that, the Neo palette and a Laura Geller both come to mind. The overall size of the palettes are large so I have no problem using the shades individually, which I do. I can’t think of any that I own that would be difficult to use separately so perhaps I am avoiding them and don’t have any or I am just using by swirling my brush through the pan, using as one shade, and it is not even registering as a multiple.
I can think of three eyeshadow products that fall into this category, two are Stila products and one is a Nars Andy Warhol palette. All get used as individuals. (TBH though, I don’t use the Nars very much at all…)

MacKenzie G. Avatar

I generally avoid that type of product because it can be difficult to get a consistent color from it. But, if it’s something like the Too Faced Sweet Tea bronzer, which is large enough to use one shade or the other, I either do that or try to go right down the middle.

ChynnaBlue Avatar

I’m another who tends to avoid this, but it depends on the product. I’m very fair and a lot of these products have at least one color that’s too dark for me. Laura Geller’s Balance and Brighten is a good product, but the marbling is SO inconsistent and I can get one compact that’s mostly fair colors and one that’s mostly brown, all labeled as Fair or Light. Because it’s too easy to get one that’s too dark, I just avoid it. But I do have and love the MAC mineralize skinfinish in Lightscapade, because the shades are so similar. I don’t like single pans with 3 shades of highlighters or bronzers for the same reason. The NikkiTutorials Offra highlighters has three colors, but the dark color is way too dark to be anything other than an eyeshadow for me and I wouldn’t use it very often, so that’s not a good option for me when I can instead get one pan of a single color I’d actually use.

Linda Avatar

Yes! I find Lightscapade very consistent no matter what, despite the marbling. Even though there’s so much yellow powder (and blue!) it always comes off a very lovely subtle illuminator with a pink shift.

Silvia Avatar

I’m very pale/cool toned and these two that I mention are the only ones that suit me well especially the blushes. Even the bronze color in P.F. can be strong on my face if used by itself but together is just a lovely healthy glow. I stay away from the reddish or brown colors they’ll be totally wrong on this ghostly woman!

Lea Avatar

I use them both ways – face palettes would depend on what look I was going for, but I’ve used them separately or all swirled together. It’s definitely all swirled if it’s not possible to used shades individually. For eyes, those I tend to use individually more regularly, but I have done the swirl method for shadows.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!