Make Up For Ever #1 (Nudes You Need) Artist Palette ($42.00 for 0.54 oz.) contains nine Artist Shadows in neutral hues. I absolutely love this palette, and it’s so refreshing to see a brand put out a palette of their existing products that actually maintains the quality across the two. The pans are slightly smaller (24mm) than your typical eyeshadow pan (26mm, like MAC/Urban Decay), but I suspect they are deeper, as the full-sized eyeshadows are noticeably larger but only contain 0.02 oz. more (full-sized is 0.08 oz. each, and each in the palette is 0.06 oz.). The Artist Shadows have a few different finishes, and I find all of them to have a similar except the mattes; all the other finishes feel like a powder and cream hybrid, as they’re denser, creamier and have really rich, color payoff that adheres well to bare skin. The matte finish is more like a traditional powder eyeshadow, though Make Up For Ever’s version is nice: silky, smooth, finely-milled, and pigmented.

This is an excellent palette if you enjoy neutrals, love (or want to buy more) Artist Shadows, and don’t mind that there aren’t any mattes in it. If you only like palettes with a variety of finishes, including mattes, you might find this one a miss. I think the quality is extremely high, and it would easily pair with your favorite neutral mattes that you might already have, but for travel, I can see this not working for those who like to incorporate a few mattes into their look. This is the major downside to the palette (they could have definitely popped in a matte and/or another matte/satin), and one minor downside is that–unlike the holiday palette–the shadows aren’t removable. I am sure you could depot it with the right tools, but they don’t lift right out. The other minor downside is that the palette is on the heavier side (and had the bottom been magnetic and the eyeshadows removable, I would have understood).

The value of the palette is $141.75 based on $21/0.08 oz., though Make Up For Ever has a discounting system if you buy two or three (plus the coordinating case) individuals at a time. Based on that, you could get three for $44 or $44/0.24 oz., which would give the palette a value of $99. Another way to look at it is the cost of purchasing all nine individually, and presuming you buy in trios to maximize your discount, you would spend $132. As long as you’d use at least three shades in it, then you’ll pay less than purchasing the three as singles (you would get more product, but a little goes a long way with these).

I528 Pearl is a brightened, pink-tinged white with cool undertones and a metallic sheen. It had mostly opaque color payoff with a smooth, creamy consistency that worked well on the skin. It wore well for nine hours. For me, this one seemed brighter and more white-based than my single of it (which is almost like a pale warm pink). I don’t notice the difference as much applied to the lid, so it might just be a mix of the shimmer catching more/less light. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

I514 Pink Ivory is a light beige with warm, creamy yellow undertones and a metallic sheen. It had good pigmentation with a creamy, blendable texture that worked well on bare skin and wore well for nine hours. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

ME512 Golden Beige is a light-medium gold with warm, yellow undertones and a frosted, metallic finish. It had great pigmentation with a soft, smooth, and creamy texture that just applied so well to the lid. It wore well for nine and a half hours on me. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

S556 Taupe Gray is a cool-toned taupe with a hint of gray-purple and a semi-matte finish. The satin finish is more apparent if you really sheer and blend it out, but if you wear it as a mostly opaque color, it has more of a matte look. It had good color payoff, while the texture was blendable and easy to apply. It wore well for nine hours. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

D562 Taupe Platinum is a medium-dark brown with warm undertones and a subtle gray-ish cast in its metallic finish. It was richly pigmented with a creamy, smooth texture. On the lid, it was easily blended and stayed on well for nine hours. The palette version seemed smoother and as a result, more reflective giving it a slightly lighter color in certain lighting. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

ME644 Iced Brown is a medium-dark, bronzy brown with warm, reddish undertones and a metallic sheen. It was intensely pigmented with an incredibly smooth, creamy consistency that went on beautifully. It wore well for nine and a half hours on me. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

S102 Onyx is an inky, deep dark black with a satin finish. It appears more matte on the lid; I don’t get a lot of sheen, but the satiny texture helps make it easy to blend. It had rich, fully opaque color coverage with a smooth texture. The color lasted for nine and a half hours before creasing on me. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

I544 Pink Granite is a medium-dark, warm-toned taupe with a pearly sheen. The color payoff was fully opaque, while the texture was smooth, blendable, and cream-like. It wore well for nine hours on me. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

D652 Celestial Earth is a deepened bronze with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It had intense color payoff that went on smoothly and evenly due to its very soft, creamy texture. It lasted for nine hours on me. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Make Up For Ever #1 (Nudes You Need) Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #1 (Nudes You Need) Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #1 (Nudes You Need) Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #1 (Nudes You Need) Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #1 (Nudes You Need) Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #1 (Nudes You Need) Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #1 (Nudes You Need) Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #1 (Nudes You Need) Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever I528 Pearl Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever I528 Pearl Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever I514 Pink Ivory Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever I514 Pink Ivory Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME512 Golden Beige Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME512 Golden Beige Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever S556 Taupe Gray Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever S556 Taupe Gray Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever D562 Taupe Platinum Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever D562 Taupe Platinum Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME644 Iced Brown Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME644 Iced Brown Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever S102 Onyx Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever S102 Onyx Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever I544 Pink Granite Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever I544 Pink Granite Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever D652 Celestial Earth Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever D652 Celestial Earth Artist Shadow

I528 Pearl (inner lid), D562 Taupe Platinum (middle of lid), I544 Pink Granite (outer lid),
S556 Taupe Gray (crease), S102 Onyx (crease), Marc Jacobs Beauty Navy Noir Eyeliner

I528 Pearl (inner lid), D562 Taupe Platinum (middle of lid), I544 Pink Granite (outer lid),
S556 Taupe Gray (crease), S102 Onyx (crease), Marc Jacobs Beauty Navy Noir Eyeliner