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Rant & Rave: Eyeshadow Palettes

Share: Tell us what you love and hate about Eyeshadow Paettes!

my answer: I love that they can be a really great way to get a lot of shades without paying the same price as you would for them individually. I don’t like when it feels like they skimp on the quality!

40 Comments

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Carrie Avatar

I think palettes are a fantastic way for newbies to get their hands on a good amount of product for reasonable price (especially at the holidays) but once you have a decent sized collection, it’s way too easy to pick up things that have dupes or colors you know you won’t wear in them and so I see their value decrease.

Sarah Avatar

what is the rainbow eyeshadow palette picture that you used in the Facebook link photo? I feel like a few of us are dying to know what it is!

Christine Avatar

I like being able to try several types of eyeshadows from brands I haven’t had a chance to try before. I also like the variety some brands put out. But like you mentioned Christine, sometimes you can tell quality is lacking! It makes me really sad to see really high-end brands put out really poor performing palettes.

patsyann Avatar

Palettes are great for travel and for getting a lot of different shades for a reasonable price (usually!). My only rant would be that I wish there were more all-matte palettes. I know that there are a few good ones out there and I have them! But most palettes do not have enough matte shades to be able to work for my tired old eyes.

Maryann Cole Avatar

I have to agree that there are not enough matte palettes out there but on the flipside it has lead me to try shimmery shades and not be so afraid to experiment.

Rae Avatar

I’m having a bit of a love/hate relationship with eyeshadow palettes right now, honestly. A good colour pairing always makes me want to buy or use the duo/quad/palette, but I always find myself reaching for other shades to complete the look — and then all of a sudden, you have four different palettes that you have to bring with you if you want to touch up.

That said, I am really loving palettes with removable eyeshadows right now (for this very reason)!

Nathalie Avatar

Palettes are my #1 weakness when it comes to makeup, especially warm toned neutrals. I love palettes that are “complete” meaning they have all the shades required for a full look, including plenty of mattes! What I don’t love is when I buy a palette because I gravitated towards one or two shades and realize that I don’t use any of the others.

Kat Avatar

Raaaave rave rave. I don’t even buy singles unless absolutely nothing compares. I love the value and the convenience, and I just stay away from the ones with cut quality.

candleashes Avatar

I love palettes for price. The packaging is usually pretty, and all of the LE and holiday sets are exciting. And it makes it easier to pull a look together in the morning. I do think that they can decrease creativity though. Having everything pre-selected for you. Makes me neglect my pretty singles

Andrea Avatar

I own quite a few and I have to be careful about cross referencing palettes to be sure I’m not getting close to doubling up on comparable shades and finishes. Especially in the neutral department. I love every palette I own. With that being said I love when a brand combines core collection must haves for beginners and enthusiasts alike. What I hate is the fact that so many palettes have a matte…stinking….black. And not all matte blacks are created equal. So include a good one or remove it altogether for a more inspired shade. That is all. ❤️

Mariella Avatar

I love the excellent value that palettes represent and also the chance to try shades I might otherwise not have purchased. What I don’t like is having to buy a whole palette to get just one shade that isn’t available any other way, which is how I ended up with UD’s BOS3 (to get Loaded, which is now available on its own) and TooFaced Romantic (for Honeymoon) and Boudoir (for Voulez-vous) and also the UD Mariposa palette (for Mushroom which didn’t used to be available on its own but, like Loaded, now is). And I don’t like gimmicky, awkward, overly large packaging. But I DO LOVE EYESSHADOW PALETTES.

Veronica Avatar

I like it when brands make sure the palette has good consistent quality on all the shades. I also like it when the palette has shades that work with every other shade included.

Hate when the quality is inferior and the eye shadows are chalky and powdery with little pigment. I also hate it when palettes include random colors that don’t go that well together, and you have one or two odd ones that are left unused.

Madelyn Avatar

I love mid end/high end palettes that doesn’t have useless space or packaging. I really do not need that crappy brush/sponge tip that comes with it. If you have enough money to spend on high end makeup, I’m pretty sure you have a decent set of brushes.

I also hate the all in one palettes that mixes powder and creams. Really? You don’t think that that dark eyeshadow isn’t going to get into that lip gloss. Just no!

Chi-Chi Avatar

I’m a big fan of eyeshadow palettes.
They take alot of the guesswork out of coming up with looks, because all the colors are laid out right there for you to compare, match, etc.
They are also great for trips because with one palette, you can have everything you need for any situation. And you get a bunch of colors usually at a better price, and without the hassle of how to organize or store them.

What I don’t like is when you have a palette with a big difference in shadow quality, or when you have a palette with colors that don’t look good on you, with a bunch of colors that look great.
It’s sad because you have a bunch of colors all untouched and then a bunch that are almost down to the pans. Feels like a waste of money.
That’s why I’ve taken to making my own palettes. Time-consuming, but they are exactly what I want and they all get use.

Bonnie Avatar

Palettes are usually a great value, and the colors available in them are often coordinated in a way that can be used together in an endless amount of looks, which is convenient ! What I dislike about them is that some shades I may not necessarily like in the palette, but if I do find a shade I absolutely love it might not be available as a single shadow for purchase. Another problem I find with palettes is that some shades are so poor performing compared to others in the same palette, and it just angers me sometimes LOL

Stacey Avatar

Back in the Stonehenge age, quads were the largest palettes. So we had no option, but to but a bunch of singles which were permanent. Palettes are a must …for travel, price, storage etc. You can see that with U.D. as a popularity. The price for the naked a are now 54 bucks. It even crept up in price since Christmas by two and ten buck when it was introduced not too long ago with the brush substitute as an excuse.

Sarah Avatar

I love palettes for the color selection but hate them at the same time when I find a favorite eyeshadow that is not sold by a pan anywhere else.

Shelly Avatar

I think they’re great value if you know you’re going to use most, if not all, of the colours in them. I also agree with others that they’re handy for travel.

But if you’re not going to use every colour in a palette, it isn’t worth your money. Better to spend a bit more and buy single eyeshadows to customize a palette you’ll love and use loads than to buy a ready-made one and end up using only one or two shadows.

And yeah, if the quality isn’t there, it also sucks. 🙁

Genevieve Avatar

I really adore eyeshadow palettes – the range of colours and the ease at which you can create a look from a single palette. However I hate it if there are too many similar colours or they contain colours which do not suit me (too many neutrals, too many purples and pinks). For example I would love to purchase Lorac’s Mint Edition palette, but it only has one shade of mint – no other greens.
I am also “over” all the neutral palettes that are still coming out – has anyone finished their UD palettes yet?

Zainab Avatar

Provided the quality is up to par I generally think they’re all win. I like the fact pre-made palettes give me colours to experiment with that I probably wouldn’t have tried as singles, and I enjoy the convenience of MAC and Inglot build your own palette systems because I don’t have to drag around lots of singles or pay for packaging I don’t want.

The only potential downfalls of palettes are flimsy, bulky or large packaging and I hate when palettes home with useless brushes or sponge tip applicators that leave a gap when I inevitably lose them or throw them away.

Faith Avatar

I know I’m in the minority, but I’m not a fan! I don’t like being stuck with shades I’ll never use. If you repurchase a palette, then you have doubles of colors you don’t use! I’d rather just stick to individual shades that interest me.

Jan Avatar

Rave: Love to see how colors work together. A good palette can include combinations that those new to make-up might not have thought would work well. For instance, I never thought browns could be flattering. A good palette might also have one or two punch colors for contrast or more dramatic look. These options are typically less expensive when purchased in a palette.

Rant: One may need to go through several palettes to find a holy grail.

Megan Avatar

Not a huge fan. Occasionally one will come out and I’m all about it, but I’m way too anal retentive to be willing to purchase most of the. I absolutely loathe having to pay for the shades I’ll never use – even if it winds up cheaper that way. I don’t even want to have to look at it sitting there, untouched. I’ve got issues. :[

Danielle Avatar

In general I really like palettes, especially for travel. But I also agree with you Christine – I hate when brands releases lesser quality palettes, even though their single shadows may be great.

Christina D. Avatar

I love eyeshadow palettes which are by far my absolute favorite make up purchase. And that’s what I hate about them — I am addicted to buying them!

Chelsea Avatar

I love how packable they are. Anytime I’m going out of town, I’ll throw one or two palettes in my suitcase with a few blush and lip shades I know will coordinate. I don’t have to worry about individual looks ahead of time, because I’ll have flexibility with the various shades in the palette(s).

What I don’t like is that there’s always one or two shades that’s a dupe of something I already have. I hate knowingly paying for duplicates!

Maddie Avatar

I AM OBSESSED WITH THEM! I almost exclusively buy palette, unless there’s a single I really love. I love how it’s a cheap way to get a lot of colors that you may not use on a daily basis. I hate when they’re limited edition though… Blah.

Ellen Avatar

I have a weakness for palettes, which usually contain multiple eyeshadows. Ii love when a good neutral palette is put together so you can do your eyes with only one compact open on the limited space on my sink, not six!! That being said, you can wind up with many duplicate shades, palettes which contain one shade that you love more than the others but is not replaceable when it is gone, but the rest of the palette is not. They also tend to contain more shimmery shades than matte ones. I love a shimmery shade to highlight or use once or twice in an eye design, but three quarters should be matte, and they never are! The advent of make your own palettes should have eliminated these problems, but I guess we still depend on the make up companies to put together colors for us. I’d never wake up and say “oh boy, I’m gonna go out and spend $50 on an eyeshadow palette today!” (and a make your own with more than 4 shades could cost much more than that!) But when Bobbi Brown or Two Faced or Urban Decay releases a new palette in the $30 to $80 range, they usually have six or more shades, and they are Irresistable! Now that I am more comfortable with which shades look well on me an which don’t, I think my eyeshadow palette spending will be cut down or be more targeted. However, I would like to see more palettes that contain other items necessary for an everyday make up look. I don’t even wear eyeshadow everyday! But I do wear foundation, concealer, blush, powder, etc. I’d love to see a palette with some of these products in it, especially for travel, but also to make more room on the limited bathroom sink space!

Kierra Avatar

SOmetimes eyeshadow pallets can be overwhelming; especially for a beauty beginner like me. I personally love the small quads that explain which color is for the lid, crease etc. Its so quick and easy!

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