See what I did there? I’d totally do a custom, singles-of-my-choice palette over a pre-made if we’re talking forever… but I’m between Sydney Grace Autumn’s Reign (discontinued) or Natasha Denona Star palette… at least, when I’m answering today 🙂
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At first, I thought I’d choose one of the two original Naked palettes, or maybe the original Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette (which I’ve only recently “rediscovered”) but after a bit of consideration (because, of course, this IS a really important issue for “people like us”), I’d go with either UD’s Vice 2 or Vice 3 palettes because they have a LOT of shadows and so a LOT of choices.
What I find amusing is that “people who aren’t like us” would probably only have one or two palettes to choose from and not understand why this question would require so much thought and decision-making.
I’m with you on this one! I absolutely LOVE my Vice 3. I’ve hit pan on all but 3 or 4 colors, but those colors I still use for holiday or costume looks so everything has been used to some degree. Neutral look? Check. Colorful look? Check. Cool tone? Warm tone? Yes and yes. It is bulky in size, but I love it regardless.
What do you like most about the Star Palette for the ranking, Christine? I am torn. I would have to say Midnight Sun because it has my beloved blurple shade and all the other colors I could use across a variety of needs. I am hoping to purchase Green Brown this year but otherwise have actually fallen out of love of a lot of Natasha Denona palettes – how many times can one have teal and gold? Dior Tutu is an excellent small workhorse quint I could see myself using forever
Well, I use teal and gold all the time, soo there’s that 🙂
I just enough the textures, tones, and how they come together!
After I hit post I lolled because I know they are staples in your looks! I can work with the gold but I never know how to wear teal shadows in a flattering way so I am stuck when it is so many of her palettes in so many variations (Gold, Metropolis, large Zendo, original Blue Purple, Circo Loco and 10 Pan). You make them look very flattering and have inspired me to try wearing more orange.
Speaking of grungier colors, can I ask you how your Metropolis palette has aged? I find that the creams are still quite workable for me but the pans have some funnier textures and have lost a bit of pigmentation over time
I haven’t noticed any issues with Metropolis but I don’t use it anywhere near as much as a consumer might, since I am testing other products most of the time!
Thank you Christine!
ABH Modern Renaissance. It’s my perfect and most used and I’d be happy with it if it was the only palette I had. But of course, I’d prefer a customized palette of my chosen singles!
The first Pat McGrath Mothership. I can wear it everyday for work but still have some fun with the color shift shades. I just love that palette!
That’s my pick too! Amazing palette
UD Born to Run. I can do warm or cooler, smoky looks with it and there even is a shade that works to fill in my brows and another that works as blush in a. emergency. My custom palette would have more green and peachy shades, PMG Crimson Fire, and better quality shimmers but if it has to be a lone pre-made, Born to Run would be my choice.
I’ve given much thought to it (way too much!) and I think it should be ABH Sultry 🙂
I love colorful shades, but I also use transition shades in every makeup, and modern pallets don’t seem to have transitional shades anymore 🙂
But if I had to go with 2 palettes, I would choose ND Glam (for neutrals and transition) and something from Pat for the wow effect!
There was a point about 5 years ago when I only owned the Urban Decay Naked Smokey Palette; I could totally do it again, if it wasn’t discontinued. But given I could still always use my face contour shade in the crease.
I would have picked ND Star but I am allergic to the reddish shade in there and that’s the only red shade I am allergic too. I mean like why lol
However, if I had to pick one, it would be ND bronze palette. Boring but for my everyday needs it’s the best one out there!
Makeup Revolution 24K Gold Chocolate Palette. It’s perfect! Super flattering for my skin tone and the quality’s great.
This is what I would do: I’d buy one of those monster size double sided Adept Cosmetics empty palettes, then I would put all my favorite single shadows in it from MAC, UD, CP, plus depot all my favorite shades from all my palettes!
I’d make sure that ND Lila and Glam fit in it somehow. UD Beached, too!
Nice try, Nancy, but Christine specified in her question that it has to be a pre-made palette. So no putting together your favourite singles into a self-assembled palette! So you have to choose one of those others you mention that were assembled by someone else.
Ah, rats! 😭 Well, I did try it 🤣
In that case; UD Born To Run or PML Midnight Sun 😊
I think the limitation was the challenge (again, for folks like us; most “normal” people would probably say “what’s an eyeshadow palette” or “I have 3; I’d choose…”). I love the Born to Run palette. I almost passed on it because of the shades that just don’t flatter me but I’ve found ways to make most of them work and the colours that do work are so excellent and there’s a bit of everything in there, from highlight and flesh toned shades (for lighter or darker skin tones) to every day neutrals to stunning neutrals to edgy “not quite neutrals”.
Nancy, you rebel, you. LMAO. I like how you think.
I have ND star palette 1.0 and I am so not in love with it. I love the colour story and have been tempted so many times to pick up 2.0. I like the versatility.
I read this early this morning and I have been tortured all day long. I guess I will be boring and say ND Biba. The decision comes from knowing I will buy a backup of this palette some day.. that is noteworthy enough.
Kevyn Aucoin Nude Pop is a workhorse for me, but I do think that PM Midnight Sun would be more versatile. Can I have both?
The practical answer, considering I’m on my third one already, is ColourPop’s Going Coconuts. I’ve hit pan on every color except for the light white gold shimmer and it’s my go-to when I’m pressed for time or just don’t feel like thinking.
However, the answer I WANT it to be if I was my most colorful self every single day is Natasha Denona’s Sunrise. It’s the first palette where just from the promo I had this visceral, gut reaction that it had to be mine and I actually ordered it at midnight on release day. Sunset would probably be the more practical pick than Sunrise to pull complete looks from, but I love the color story of Sunrise so much more. It just needs like one neutral matte medium brown for me to be the whole package, but otherwise looking at it now still gives me butterflies.
Honorable mention to Sydney Grace Enduring Love. If I wore cooler-toned eye looks more often, this would have been a no brainer – it’s a really nice palette. But I have blue-grey eyes and tend to gravitate towards oranges, coppers, and warm reddish browns like 70% of the time.
I’ve hit pan on half the Star palette. And that’s with countless other shadows in my vanity… I vote Star palette as well. The pink (Vega) is perfect for my cheeks and there’s a brown (Gemma) that’s perfect in my crease. There’s a blue-brown which I love and it’s got both cool and warm tones. I love this palette so much and I have the old iteration. Curious about the newer formula.
I cannot get any pigmentation off the right side of the palette, the old iteration.. my two favourite shadows particularly: phoenix and electra. :(. I have serious fomo and snapped it up when it was released and I must have a duddier one.
I don’t care for palettes so I’d make one with all my favorite single eyeshadow’s!
I agree with ABH Modern Renaissance. Perfect for me!
I’m going to say the UD Born to Run Palette. It has a fantastic formula that I would hope would play nice as my eyes age even more. I like the variety of finishes, including a good amount of mattes and satins, and the color variety. It’s so hard to guess what will work as I continue through middle age and become a senior. But even if I had to augment with more neutral singles, this palette feels like a reasonable guess.
I considered ABH Modern Renaissance, Huda Beauty New Nudes, UD Vice Ltd, UD x Gwen Stefani, and Tarte Tartelette.
I think ABH Soft Glam II (the mini guy) or Tati’s Textured Neutrals. I really like the Natasha Denona Sunrise midi, too, and reach for it a lot.
I would say ND’s Glam because it goes with everything else I have. To me, it is the best neutral palette around – although I do love Naked 2.
ABH Sultry would be next on my list, with Maybelline’s Burgundy Bar.
Something like Coloured Raine’s Cheers to the Beauty palette? At least it has a few different pops of color that are pretty shimmery (not shimmery enough for me though) and some matte neutrals for when I want to be more understated.
Pick one! Gah! I would have to go with a neutral as that is something that I fall back on often as a quick eye look. ND Mini Glam is short and sweet and would do the job for me.
My own creation with alot of indie brands……. Sydney grace (mostly), givemeglow (2ndly), some of Clionadeh, ……. I forgot I do use some shimmers from my viseart palettes…… sulty muse mostly!…… Its funny…… this caused me to really think……. but I pretty much use alot of color pop…… and ND also….. but I always use other shades from other palettes with everything….. also Pat…… I use and mix and match all brands from above and more….. make up geek……. mac……..Emme…… terra moons….. divinah………makeup forever……. bareminerals……..anyway I get off topic…… so hard to consider………..
I’d go with the Urban Decay XX Vice palette because it has a bit of everything—neutrals, greens, purples.
The ABH Jackie Aina Palette. It has almost all my favorite shades.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Bejeweled palette is my kind of everyday palette. Pat McGraft’s Decadence and Urban Decay’s Born To Run are more versatile though. Man I can’t choose, lol
Omg. I realized after thinking about this question for a day that I have no idea. I don’t own a pre-made palette that’s my everything. But every single day I use a deep brown eyeshadow and almost every single day I use a black. So maybe Tartlette in Bloom? If UD Smoky’s formula was updated to what it is now (or, the Honey palette), I could easily see myself using that one forever. Great shades for me from highlight to black and it’s even good on my brows. But the formula is actually kind of dull when I reach for it these days in comparison to my more recent purchases.
If, IF Melt had put a plain light shimmery whitish champagne in their Mary Jane palette in lieu of one of the chunky sparkles (so not their jam), I could easily just reach for that one forever.
I’ve thought about this before and it’s Urban Decay’s XX Vice palette. It just has everything from neutrals to blues, purples, and greens. I don’t have Born to Run, and maybe I’ll get it when it’s time to say goodbye to XX!
I would go with Mothership VII Divine Rose. Pat’s eyeshadows perform just incredible.
One eyeshadow palette forever???!!! NO can’t image! But okay, I play the game (crying)…Natasha Denona Glam palette, I do so like the Star palette, but I’m getting older, so the Glam wins out as I age.
I’m really torn between the Enduring Love palette, Huda Beauty!s Mercury Retrograde and the new Zendo palette from ND.