Cheek Duos & Palettes | 2019 Editor's Favorites
2017 was the first time I put together a post featuring my favorite cheek palettes from the year, which was mostly a result of there being enough variety to merit picking favorites, and 2019 didn’t see a slowdown. I reviewed 62 cheek palettes from duos to trios and larger. Once you read through my list, it’ll be exceedingly obvious that I favor duos! I find that duos offer better value–two for the price of one–but are easier to work with, store, and you can pick the duo that’ll work perfectly for you rather than a larger palette where a couple of shades might not work well at all.
CoverFX’s Monochromatic Cheek Duos were one of my favorite products that I reviewed this past year. I was also happy to see Natasha Denona extend her cheek palettes with the Icy Nude/Pink-Champagne duo along with the Bloom and Tan quads. Clinique continued to release new Cheek Pop trios this year and long-time readers will know I love me a good Cheek Pop!
If you’re unfamiliar with how I like to do my year-end favorites, here’s the low down: I pull from the products I reviewed in 2019, regardless of whether they were new, limited edition, or an established range I’ve only just gotten around to reviewing. These are personal favorites, so they may or may not be the highest rated products reviewed during the year (though they will tend to be better rated, naturally!). (You can check out best of 2018 if you missed it.)
Temptalia’s Favorite Cheek Duos & Palettes | 2019
Cover FX Warm Honey Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains a satiny, medium brown blush with a more shimmery, peachy-brown blush. The...
Cover FX Warm Honey Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains a satiny, medium brown blush with a more shimmery, peachy-brown blush. The...
Cover FX Sweet Mulberry Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) includes a cooler, deeper plum with more of a matte finish paired with a...
Cover FX Sweet Mulberry Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) includes a cooler, deeper plum with more of a matte finish paired with a...
Natasha Denona Bloom Blush & Glow Palette ($55.00 for 0.48 oz.) is a new cheek palette that includes a cream highlighter, cream blush, powder...
Natasha Denona Bloom Blush & Glow Palette ($55.00 for 0.48 oz.) is a new cheek palette that includes a cream highlighter, cream blush, powder...
Clinique On the Glow Cheek Pop Palette ($29.50 for 0.36 oz.) is a new, limited edition trio of cheek colors--a highlighter, blush, and bronzer--in the...
Clinique On the Glow Cheek Pop Palette ($29.50 for 0.36 oz.) is a new, limited edition trio of cheek colors--a highlighter, blush, and bronzer--in the...
Fenty Beauty Afternoon Snack/Mo' Hunny Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter Duo ($34.00 for 0.24 oz.) contains highlighters in soft, peach-brown and...
Fenty Beauty Afternoon Snack/Mo' Hunny Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter Duo ($34.00 for 0.24 oz.) contains highlighters in soft, peach-brown and...
Cover FX Spiced Cinnamon Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) includes a richer, deeper coral with a matte finish paired with a shimmering,...
Cover FX Spiced Cinnamon Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) includes a richer, deeper coral with a matte finish paired with a shimmering,...
Clinique Cool Down Cheek Pop Palette ($29.50 for 0.36 oz.) is a new, limited edition trio of Cheek Pops that features one, limited edition and...
Clinique Cool Down Cheek Pop Palette ($29.50 for 0.36 oz.) is a new, limited edition trio of Cheek Pops that features one, limited edition and...
Cover FX Soft Peach Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains a soft, peachy matte blush complemented by a slightly richer, shimmering...
Cover FX Soft Peach Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains a soft, peachy matte blush complemented by a slightly richer, shimmering...
Clinique Warm Up Cheek Pop Palette ($29.50 for 0.36 oz.) is a new, limited edition trio of blushes with warmer undertones. The three shades performed...
Clinique Warm Up Cheek Pop Palette ($29.50 for 0.36 oz.) is a new, limited edition trio of blushes with warmer undertones. The three shades performed...
Natasha Denona Icy Nude/Pink-Champagne Mini Diamond & Glow ($19.00 for 0.141 oz.) includes a highlighter and blush, both of which originally appeared...
Natasha Denona Icy Nude/Pink-Champagne Mini Diamond & Glow ($19.00 for 0.141 oz.) includes a highlighter and blush, both of which originally appeared...
Cover FX Pink Dahlia Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains a matte, coral blush and a shimmery, warm pink blush. The two coordinated...
Cover FX Pink Dahlia Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains a matte, coral blush and a shimmery, warm pink blush. The two coordinated...
Cover FX Mojave Mauve Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains two, warmer pink hues, one with a matte finish and one with a more...
Cover FX Mojave Mauve Monochromatic Blush Duo ($38.00 for 0.51 oz.) contains two, warmer pink hues, one with a matte finish and one with a more...
Natasha Denona Tan Bronze & Glow Palette ($55.00 for 0.4 oz.) is for those who love gilded gold, wet and shiny-looking bronze god/goddess kind of...
Natasha Denona Tan Bronze & Glow Palette ($55.00 for 0.4 oz.) is for those who love gilded gold, wet and shiny-looking bronze god/goddess kind of...
Hourglass Ghost (Holiday 2019) Ambient Lighting Blush Quad ($58.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that features two brand-new shades,...
Hourglass Ghost (Holiday 2019) Ambient Lighting Blush Quad ($58.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a new, limited edition palette that features two brand-new shades,...
MAC Light Star-Dipped Face Compact ($42.50 for 0.48 oz.) is a new, limited edition quad that features two blushes and two highlighters, all of which...
MAC Light Star-Dipped Face Compact ($42.50 for 0.48 oz.) is a new, limited edition quad that features two blushes and two highlighters, all of which...
Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow & Blush Palette ($45.00 for 1.18 oz.) is a cheek palette that features one highlighter, one bronzer, and four blushes. I quite...
Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow & Blush Palette ($45.00 for 1.18 oz.) is a cheek palette that features one highlighter, one bronzer, and four blushes. I quite...
Glossover Averages
Your Year in Review: Cheek Palettes
I thought it would be interesting to read through how readers used products throughout the year, what favorites emerged, what products fell by the wayside… so, if you want to join in, copy and paste the questions below and add your answers via a comment!
- Is there a cheek palette that became a go-to?
- Did you travel with any cheek palettes this year?
- Do you think you’d purchase another cheek palette in 2020?
Is there a cheek palette that became a go-to? Yep! The Hourglass Ghost Quad! But I still have my Nars Holiday 2018 cheek palette as a go-to as well.
Did you travel with any cheek palettes this year? Frankly, I didn’t travel last year. Not even an overnighter!
Do you think you’d purchase another cheek palette in 2020? With 7 of your listed picks above on my own WL, you can bet that I will! I really want CoverFX Warm Honey and ND Bronze Tan & Glow for spring.
Ghost Quad is a huge win for me too! I really like mixing the two right-hand shades together lately, but it is all good no matter how I put it on if I am honest.
I agree with the both of you! I’m doing a makeup tracker for 2020 and practicing tracking this week, and I had to remind myself I owned more than just that quad.
Is there a cheek palette that became a go-to? Clinique on the glow…. love!!
Did you travel with any cheek palettes this year? Not much travel this year…
Do you think you’d purchase another cheek palette in 2020? The Cover Fx duos are on my wish list. All of them ?
Charlotte Tilbury Lovegasm is a great new find for me! Also liked MAC’s holiday med-dark cheek palette. There were a lot of great cheek products released this year.
Is there a cheek palette that became a go-to?
No, because most of the cheek palettes contain shades that don’t work for me.
Did you travel with any cheek palettes this year?
No I didn’t.
Do you think you’d purchase another cheek palette in 2020?
The Cover FX Soft Peach duo would be the one I would choose.
Is there a cheek palette that became a go-to? The Soft Cheek Palette from Laura Mercier. 3 beautiful highlighters and 3 gorgeous blushes – can’t go wrong with it.
Did you travel with any cheek palettes this year? Nope, packed a neutral blush that went with the eyeshadow palette I packed.
Do you think you’d purchase another cheek palette in 2020? Possibly
Is there a cheek palette that became a go-to? I only use a single blush at home.
Did you travel with any cheek palettes this year? I have the Hourglass Unlocked Palette that I keep in my suitcase.
Do you think you’d purchase another cheek palette in 2020? There are a few that are calling my name: ND Tan Bronze and Glow Palette and the Cover FX’s Blush Duos are impressing me. I have to resist! I don’t need any more to pack and move.
Is there a cheek palette that became a go-to? NARS Exposed Spring 2019 Cheek Palette and Natasha Denona Mini Diamond & Glow in Icy Nude/Pink-Champagne. NARS Hot Tryst from Holiday 2018 remained a go-to through 2019.
I just got several really great cheek palettes for Christmas, and I’m sure a couple of those (at least) will become go-tos.
Did you travel with any cheek palettes this year? NARS Exposed Spring 2019 Cheek Palette, Tarte Blush Bazaar, and Tarte Pin-Up all went on shorter trips 2-4 day trips with me.
I was space constrained on our longest and farthest away trip, so I didn’t get to take a blush palette. Just theBalm’s Balm Desert, which worked brilliantly.
Do you think you’d purchase another cheek palette in 2020? Probably. I tried to buy less this year, but some great sales and birthday/Christmas gifts got the better of me. I did refrain from buying Tarte blush palettes. Even I have enough corals from them, and the last couple years Tarte has been really coral-heavy. I was tempted by the holiday blush trio sets, but I’ve stayed strong so far.
Is there a cheek palette that became a go-to? The ND Bloom Blush & Glow palette it one of my favorites along with the Beauty Bakerie Cotton Candy Champagne palette.
Did you travel with any cheek palettes this year? No, but I didn’t travel in the last year. I’m heading to Florida in a month and am debating between my Hourglass Ambient Light Ghost Unlocked palette or my CoverFX Monochromatic Blush Duo in Soft Peach.
Do you think you’d purchase another cheek palette in 2020? No, I don’t think so.
Is there a cheek palette that became a go-to?
No there isn’t a go to cheek palette at the moment, but I am quite interested the Cover FX Soft Peach duo but it is hard to get here in Aus.
Did you travel with any cheek palettes this year?
I just travelled with my EA Sweet Peach blush, which travelled well.
Do you think you’d purchase another cheek palette in 2020?
I would like to if the shades are right for me.