Make Up For Ever #2 Colors You Crave Artist Palette ($42.00 for 0.54 oz.) contains eight eyeshadows and two blushes–yes, two shades are technically blushes–in an assortment of colors tempered by lighter neutrals and deeper, richer hues. I would only consider three of the ten shades to be truly bright, and two of those are the blushes. Four are more neutral, and then two shades are darker colors, but the depth makes them smokier and intense but muted. I think the palette is less intimidating for someone who isn’t as used to bright eyeshadows. The two blush shades are actually the two weakest performers in the palette, with one being a little under-performing and the other being unimpressive. The eight eyeshadows are very good, with four receiving perfect scores. That purple blush almost made me withhold my recommendation, but the other shades are that good.

I wish Make Up For Ever had included two other, vibrant eyeshadows rather than two blushes, though–perhaps two of these: ME338 Acidic Green, ME304 Emerald, I238 Blue Cedar, or D826 Fig. They could have also used a different neutral than ME512 Golden Beige, as it is also in the Nudes You Need palette, and they have plenty of golden-beige kind of shades to choose from. I would have also liked to see one or two more mattes/satins included here–7 of the 10 are of the metallic family.

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).

I872 Pearly Pink is a very light, pinky-white with a pearly sheen–just shy of a truly metallic finish. It had rich color payoff with a really smooth, buttery texture that was incredibly easy to use on the skin. The color wore well for nine hours before creasing very slightly. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

D552 Crystalline Gray Beige is a warm-toned, golden pewter with a sparkling, metallic finish. There is very slight sparkle to it, but the texture is dense enough to support the sparkle and actually keep it adhered to the skin with the most minimal fall out, even after nine hours of wear (like two sparkles). It was nicely pigmented with a creamy, blendable texture. 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.

ME910 Electric Magenta is a bright, fuchsia-magenta with cool, blue undertones and an iridescent violet sheen. It had good pigmentation, but it wasn’t as rich as the average Artist Shadow, and the texture felt thinner and less blendable as a result. The texture of my individual pan seemed better with a creamier, easier-to-use texture. It still wore well as a blush for eight and a half hours. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

ME232 Turquoise Blue is a brightened, medium aqua-blue with a hint of warmer green undertones and a frosted finish. It was intensely pigmented with a beautifully blendable, buttery texture. It wore well for nine and a half hours before creasing very slightly. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

ME700 Amber is a golden copper with warm undertones and a frosted, metallic finish. The color payoff was fantastic with rich, full color coverage. The texture felt creamy, dense, and remained very blendable on the eyelid. It wore well for nine and a half hours before fading a bit. This is an incredibly dupable color, though this version is excellent. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

S924 Purple is a brightened, medium-dark purple with warm, pink undertones and a satin-matte finish. The texture was thinner and drier, and it was harder to really apply this one evenly as a blush, as it didn’t blend easily. It had semi-opaque color coverage, which was noticeably weaker than the individual I have of it. My single of this shade was also more blendable, though it wasn’t the best Artist Shadow for blendability that I’ve tried. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

ME302 Peacock is a blackened, brown-black with green-teal frost. The texture is incredibly cream-like, despite being a powder eyeshadow, and goes on as such: blendable, fully pigmented, and smooth. It wore well for ten hours before creasing. This shade was more pigmented and has a stronger bluish tone to its shimmer than my single, though when I blended the one in the palette out more, it appeared slightly greener. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

ME930 Black Purple is a blackened purple with subtle, warm undertones and a frosted sheen. It had fully opaque color coverage with a cream-like, buttery texture. It felt creamier in the palette than when it released in the Artist Palette of it feels with a smoother sheen–almost as if the base is stronger and covers the shimmer a bit more–but it is more comparable to my single, though the palette version seems creamier still. It wore well for nine hours on me. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Make Up For Ever #2 Colors You Crave Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #2 Colors You Crave Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #2 Colors You Crave Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #2 Colors You Crave Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #2 Colors You Crave Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #2 Colors You Crave Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #2 Colors You Crave Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever #2 Colors You Crave Artist Palette

Make Up For Ever I872 Pearly Pink Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever I872 Pearly Pink Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever D552 Crystalline Gray Beige Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever D552 Crystalline Gray Beige Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME512 Golden Beige Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME512 Golden Beige Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME910 Electric Magenta Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME910 Electric Magenta Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME910 Electric Magenta Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME232 Turquoise Blue Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME232 Turquoise Blue Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME700 Amber Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME700 Amber Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever S924 Purple Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever S924 Purple Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever S924 Purple Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME302 Peacock Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME302 Peacock Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME930 Black Purple Artist Shadow

Make Up For Ever ME930 Black Purple Artist Shadow

D552 Crystalline Gray Beige (inner lid), ME700 Amber (middle of lid), ME232 Turquoise Blue (outer lid),
ME302 Peacock (crease), ME512 Golden Beige (brow bone), Marc Jacobs Beauty Top Seacret Eyeliner

D552 Crystalline Gray Beige (inner lid), ME700 Amber (middle of lid), ME232 Turquoise Blue (outer lid),
ME302 Peacock (crease), ME512 Golden Beige (brow bone), Marc Jacobs Beauty Top Seacret Eyeliner

Additional Looks

These are looks I’ve done previously that include at least one of the shades from this palette, but they are using previously released versions — these are more for collective inspiration

I318 Linen Khaki (inner lid), ME232 Turquoise Blue (outer lid), I212 Periwinkle (crease)

I318 Linen Khaki (inner lid), ME232 Turquoise Blue (outer lid), I212 Periwinkle (crease)

I606 (inner lid), I662 (middle of lid), ME930 (outer lid), M636 (outer lid/crease),
D868 (outer lid), Marc Jacobs Plum(age) Eyeliner

I606 (inner lid), I662 (middle of lid), ME930 (outer lid), M636 (outer lid/crease),
D868 (outer lid), Marc Jacobs Plum(age) Eyeliner

D552 (inner lid), ME644 (middle of lid), I628 (outer lid), ME614 (crease), S502 (brow bone)

Make Up For Ever D552 Crystalline Gray Beige Artist Shadow