Let's Gold

Make Up For Ever Let’s Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette ($45.00 for 0.54 oz.) is a subtle, neutral palette with a mix of shimmers and mattes across browns, greens, and coppers. If you’re familiar with the Artist Color formula, forget about it because this palette is nothing like those and isn’t advertised similarly at all — if you go in expecting the pigmentation and quality associated with Make Up For Ever eyeshadows over the last decade, you’ll be disappointed. The formula in a the palette is supposed to have “buildable payoff and blendability” that can create “natural to high-impact” looks.

For me, a lot of the shades ran together in practice as several didn’t build up, and the shimmers often lost a lot of sheen/shimmer applied that they were was less and less chance at achieving depth. There’s no “high-impact” out of this palette; I tried five looks, and they were terrible; the one posted was the best I could get after spending 45 minutes to try and build up and achieve depth for ONE eye (I normally spend 10-15 minutes per eye) and using the “better” shades in the palette.

The majority of the shades were more medium to semi-opaque with denser, stiffer textures that were more sensitive to oil build-up as half of my shades hardened after two uses and had to be scraped off to use again. The mattes tended to be more pigmented and a little softer, while some of the shimmers were firmer, thin, and hard to build up or blend out with brushes and only usable with fingertips. I wouldn’t call the formula buildable myself as it was more all over the place with some shades that were true-to-pan in color, some that looked way lighter, some that were easy to use, and others that were not worth using again. Some of the eyeshadows would clump up or bunch up on my lid, which resulted in patchy application, fallout, and a lack of buildable coverage. The wear was between six and seven hours for most shades.

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Pure

Pure is a soft, yellowy beige with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had nearly opaque color coverage in a single layer, but it was more powdery, so it sheered out as soon as I applied it. The consistency was soft and silky to the touch, but again, that powderiness made it prone to fallout and hard to keep opaque (or build it back up). It stayed on nicely for five hours on me before fading noticeably.

Mine

Mine is a medium-dark brown with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had semi-opaque pigmentation that was buildable to full coverage, but it always looked patchy as parts of the powder darkened more than others on my skin. This shade developed a hard crust over the top of the pan within two uses that had to be rubbed off with a rough, paper towel. The color was difficult to apply evenly and to blend out evenly along the edges. It lasted for six and a half hours on me before I noticed fading.

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• Sydney Grace Golden Wheat (PiP, $5.25) is warmer (90% similar).
• Too Faced Tutti Cutie (PiP, $16.00) is lighter (90% similar).
• ColourPop Teddy Bare (PiP, $4.50) is darker (90% similar).
• LORAC Earth (LE, $19.00) is cooler (90% similar).
• MAC Ground Brown (P, $17.00) is more muted (90% similar).
• Tom Ford Beauty Cocoa Mirage #4 (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
• Guerlain Tonka Imperiale #5 (DC, ) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
• KVD Beauty Adele (LE, ) is darker (90% similar).
• LORAC Java (PiP, $19.00) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
• NARS Sophia (P, $19.00) is lighter, cooler (85% similar).

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Digger

Digger is a light-medium olive green with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had opaque pigmentation–not buildable coverage–that applied fairly well with just a smidgen of fallout when initially applied. The texture was smooth, firm without being stiff, and easy enough to use. It wore well for seven hours on me before fading noticeably.

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• Fenty Beauty Phatigue (PiP, ) is warmer (95% similar).
• Glaminatrix Down to Earth (PiP, $7.30) is lighter (95% similar).
• Make Up For Ever M322 Khaki (DC, $21.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
• Melt Cosmetics Agua Ardiente (PiP, ) is darker (90% similar).
• Sephora Omen (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
• Natasha Denona Lodge (283CP) (LE, ) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
• ColourPop Lay Out (LE, $4.50) is lighter (90% similar).
• Sydney Grace Walkin' Stick (LE, $5.25) is lighter, cooler (90% similar).
• Melt Cosmetics Dank (LE, ) is darker (85% similar).
• MAC Natural Wilderness (P, $17.00) is lighter, warmer (85% similar).

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Soil

Soil is a muted, light-medium orange with warm undertones and a matte finish. The texture was soft, silky, and smooth, but it was on the more powdery side. It was fairly pigmented, but in practice, it ended up sheering out almost as soon as I applied it, so the real coverage was more semi-sheer and only a little buildable. It stayed on decently for five and a half hours before I noticed fading.

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• Sydney Grace Peach Crush (P, $5.25) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
• ColourPop Dreamer (LE, $4.50) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
• Natasha Denona Fake Tan (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
• ColourPop Original (PiP, $4.50) is darker, cooler (95% similar).
• ColourPop Copy Cat (LE, $4.50) is lighter (95% similar).
• ColourPop Compose (LE, $4.50) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
• Natasha Denona Quoin (211CM) (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
• Viseart Apricotine (LE, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
• ColourPop Wind (LE, $4.50) is warmer (90% similar).
• Natasha Denona Guava (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).

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Wealthy

Wealthy is a muted, medium-dark copper with warm undertones and a matte finish. The eyeshadow had opaque pigmentation in a single layer (not buildable!) with a smooth, velvety texture that felt firmer in the pan but wasn’t stiff to work with. It might have been the best of a very disappointing experience but still a far cry from what I’ve experienced from Make Up For Ever in the past. It lasted for six hours on me before there was visible fading.

Lavish

Lavish is a muted, medium plum with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had semi-opaque, buildable pigmentation with a smooth, velvety texture that was thinner and appeared dry applied to my lid (emphasized my lid texture a bit), it blended out without much effort. It wore well for five and a half hours before fading noticeably on my skin.

Hotshot

Hotshot is a soft gold with warm, yellow undertones and a frosted finish. It had semi-opaque color payoff that adhered decently but had a bit of fallout. When I tried to build up the coverage, the product lifted and clumped together and created a patchy result. The consistency was denser, more firmly-pressed in the pan, but it was blendable along the edges without too much work. It wore nicely for six hours on me before fading a bit.

Famed

Famed is a medium gold with strong, warm orange undertones. It had semi-sheer coverage that did not build up well, as the more I tried to apply, the clumpier and patchier the application appeared. The texture was drier, firm, and thin, which showed on my lid. It lasted for five hours on me before fading noticeably.

Bullion

Bullion is a light green with strong,w arm undertones and a satin sheen. It appeared a few shades lighter than the pan color, was sheer, did not build up, and was hard to apply evenly to the lid as it didn’t adhere well without primer. The texture was smooth to the touch but firmer and thinner with so-so blendability. The eyeshadow had faded noticeably by the sixth hour of wear from what I could tell as it got lost on my skin tone more so than other shades.

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• Urban Decay Dothraki (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, brighter (90% similar).
• Burberry Gold Shimmer #1 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
• NARS Bayadere #3 (PiP, $19.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
• Smashbox Goldenrod (LE, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
• MAC Rose Blend #3 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
• Anastasia Gold Bar (P, $12.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
• Chanel L'Intemporel de Chanel #1 (LE, ) is lighter (90% similar).
• Guerlain Coque d'Or #2 (DC, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
• Anastasia Legend (P, $12.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
• theBalm D1 (LE, $16.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).

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Trophy

Trophy is a medium-dark gold with strong, warm orange undertones and a frosted finish. It had sheer coverage, which did not build up, and it applied poorly with a patchy application and did not blend out well. The texture was dry, thin, and stiff to work with. It lasted for four hours at best.

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• Too Faced Peaches and Dreams (PiP, $16.00) is less shimmery, warmer (95% similar).
• Anastasia Surface of the Sun (P, $12.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
• bareMinerals Tres Chic (PiP, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
• MAC Glam Gold (LE, $17.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
• Dior Eden-Roc #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery (90% similar).
• ColourPop El Rey (LE, $4.50) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (85% similar).
• Urban Decay Jones (LE, $19.00) is more shimmery, darker, more pigmented (85% similar).
• Tom Ford Beauty Leopard Sun #2 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, more pigmented, warmer (85% similar).
• KVD Beauty Galore #2 (LE, ) is more shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
• Clarins Brown Sugar #1 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, lighter (80% similar).

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Smelted

Smelted is a medium-dark orange with warm undertones and a satin finish. It had semi-opaque color payoff that did not not build up well, as it bunched up together and looked patchier when I used a second layer. The consistency was drier, thin, and harder to pick up evenly with a brush, and it absorbed oil very readily, which resulted in hard pan within two uses. This shade stayed on well for six hours on me before fading a bit.

Jewelry

Jewelry is a pale pink with warm undertones and a satin finish. It had sheer coverage and did not build up. Worth noting, it appeared much, much lighter applied than it did in the pan. The texture was drier, thin, and did not apply evenly on my skin. The only reason it didn’t look as bad as all that sounded was that it was close enough to my skin tone that it was hard to see all those issues. From what I could tell, it lasted for five hours at best.

Precious

Precious is a light gold with warm, yellow undertones and a satin finish. It had medium color coverage in a single layer, which built up to semi-opaque coverage; if I tried a third layer, it started to clump up on itself and lift the product off of my lid. The texture felt smooth to the touch but was thinner overall, and it was prone to hardening after two to three uses. It stayed on well for five and a half hours before fading on me.

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• Anastasia Legend (P, $12.00) is more shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
• Tom Ford Beauty Golden Mink #1 (PiP, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
• Pretty Vulgar Free (PiP, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
• ColourPop Super Hard Core (LE, $6.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
• Sydney Grace Hidden Treasure (P, $6.25) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
• Viseart Starlight (GPV2 #2) (P, ) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
• MAC Kiss of Klimt (P, $20.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
• Kevyn Aucoin Iced Gold (LE, ) is more shimmery (85% similar).
• Coloured Raine Glisten (DC, $6.99) is more shimmery (85% similar).
• Sydney Grace Demure (P, $6.25) is more shimmery, cooler (85% similar).

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Fortune

Fortune is a soft brown with warm undertones and a satin sheen. It had semi-opaque color payoff in one layer, which was buildable to full coverage with a second layer. This shade hardened after two uses, so I had to scrape off the top layer using a paper towel in order to keep using it. I had to do this every 2-4 uses, depending on how much of it I used. I have normal-to-dry lids, and I do not use a primer, but this is unusual behavior of powder eyeshadows in my experience. The color applied evenly and blended out without much effort. It lasted well for six and a half hours on me before I noticed fading.

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• Anastasia Sherbert (LE, $12.00) is lighter (95% similar).
• MAC Can't Escape Me (LE, $17.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
• Wet 'n' Wild Flock Party #3 (LE, ) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
• Inglot J313 Honey (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery (90% similar).
• Milani Bella Cappuccino (03) (P, $4.49) is less shimmery (90% similar).
• ColourPop Triton (LE, $4.50) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
• Becca Toasted Marshmallow (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
• Tom Ford Beauty White Suede (Nordstrom) #3 (LE, ) is darker, cooler (85% similar).
• Urban Decay Dormouse (LE, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (85% similar).
• Natasha Denona Skin (75S) (PiP, $29.00) is more shimmery, darker (85% similar).

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Treasure

Treasure is a medium-dark green with warm, olive undertones and a frosted finish. The color payoff was opaque in a single layer, though it appeared lighter and had less depth than it did in the pan. The texture was drier, thin, and stiffer in the pan, so I had to jab my brush at the surface to get an even amount of product onto the brush for application. It wore well for six hours on me before fading noticeably.

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• Chanel Cuir Brun (928) (LE, $30.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
• Bad Habit Laurel (PiP, ) is lighter (95% similar).
• Natasha Denona Dark Sepia (47P) (PiP, $29.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
• Isamaya Motor (PiP, ) is more shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
• Chanel Lumiere et Opulence #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery, cooler (95% similar).
• Anastasia Bronx (LE, $12.00) is lighter (90% similar).
• Tarte DIY (LE, ) is warmer (90% similar).
• Charlotte Tilbury Dream Glow (Smoke) (LE, ) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (90% similar).
• Tom Ford Beauty Smoked Opaline (LE, $36.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
• Smashbox Hundo (PiP, ) is less shimmery, warmer (90% similar).

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Glorious

Glorious is a medium-dark, reddish-brown withw arm undertones and a pearly sheen. It had nearly opaque color payoff that adhered somewhat evenly to bare skin, but I had to be careful to only blend the edges or else the color seemed to sheer out. The texture was soft enough to pick up well with a brush and did not have fallout. It stayed on well for seven hours before fading noticeably.

Igneous

Igneous is a medium orange with warm, golden-orange pearl. It was more satin than metallic, and it almost read semi-matte depending on how terribly the application went. The texture was very thin, smooth to the touch, but difficult to pick up with a brush and had a tendency to harden after two uses. The eyeshadow had semi-sheer color payoff that built up to medium coverage, but if I tried to do more than two, thin layers, it bunched up and became patchy. It lasted for five and a half hours on me.

Molten

Molten is a soft coral with warm, orange undertones and pink shimmer. It had semi-opaque color coverage that applied unevenly and was difficult to build up with half of it disappearing and the rest clumping together in a delightful, texture-emphasizing mess. The texture was drier, thin but didn’t actually suggest it was going to be such an abomination on my skin from how it felt alone. This shade wore well for five hours before fading noticeably on me.

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

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Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Let's Gold 18-Pan Eyeshadow Palette

Make Up For Ever Pure Radiant Shadow

Make Up For Ever Pure Radiant Shadow

Make Up For Ever Mine Radiant Shadow

Make Up For Ever Mine Radiant Shadow

Make Up For Ever Digger Radiant Shadow

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Make Up For Ever Precious Radiant Shadow

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Make Up For Ever Treasure Radiant Shadow

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Make Up For Ever Igneous Radiant Shadow

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Make Up For Ever Molten Radiant Shadow

Make Up For Ever Molten Radiant Shadow