This week, I want to share some products that have inspired me this year (and I’ll still be doing my best-of posts at the end of the year); they’re products that translated into a look I loved, found their way into my must-haves list, or otherwise caused my heart to go pitter-patter for one reason or another.

ColourPop Chasing Rainbows

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As ColourPop’s newest palette for the holiday season, it was absolutely refreshing to see this color scheme during the holidays.  It also takes a special knack to include such a variety in colors, finishes, and undertones in a single palette and still have it work cohesively.  I loved how well the palette paired with the other eyeshadows and shades launched within the collection, too, because I think that’s part of the point of having a collection.  All three looks I created around this palette were colorful, vibrant, and brought a smile to my face.

Pat McGrath Bronze Seduction

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Over the last few months, I’ve been having an internal debate with myself as I start prepping and dialing in on year-end favorites and editor’s choice award winners on whether Pat McGrath’s eyeshadows might just be my very favorite.  So often when I use her palettes, I am enamored with my eye makeup–I love the way the textures and colors come together, how the sparkles twinkle, and the formulations themselves to a degree that I don’t feel all the time, even when a product is good.  Bronze Seduction, to me, made the brand’s larger Motherships more “accessible” in a festive, fun, and very holiday-esque combination but still injected something special into it.  I was more than happy to wear and test this palette with these looks!

Pat McGrath Decadence

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I really hope that Pat McGrath brings back the Decadence palette and makes it part of her core range or else releases singles of her eyeshadow range, because since I first reviewed it in late January, I’ve loved it every time I’ve used it. When there’s a rare moment where I wear makeup that I’m not testing, this is almost always the first palette that I think about using (sometimes I resist…).  I particularly loved how well it paired with Bronze Seduction in this look.  (Psst… we also added a way to look up looks by product! You can view the four looks I’ve posted using this palette here.)

Pat McGrath Subversive Metalmorphosis

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Out of the three six-pan palettes that Pat McGrath launched this holiday season, I feel like this one appealed to me the least (though by no means was I disinterested!) as it contained shades I felt like I had seen before… but the quality was so high, the textures were so creamy and smooth, and the pigmentation and shine were out of this world.  The way the six shades came together made me ooh and ahh in the mirror.

Urban Decay Born to Run

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Urban Decay makes some of my favorite eyeshadows, both past and present, but some of their eyeshadow palettes (especially in the last few years) haven’t always been as impressive as their singles are.  Born to Run isn’t just a high-quality palette, but it’s an excellent, versatile palette that’s permanent that features more than just one pop of color but several. I was able to put together an earthy, greenish look just as easily as a copper/plum look.  I was thrilled to see a brand add something like this to their core range!