I’d prefer smaller format cheek palettes, like duos or trios, and I really appreciate when brands release at least two (low bar!) versions to at least attempt to address the needs of multiple skin tones!
— Christine
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I agree, I like duos or trios best! I also have strong opinion on highlighters, so it’s generally not my preference when a highlighter is included.
I also find it frustrating when brands always cater their face palettes to medium-light skin, as there is often a value or bundled discount buying a palette (versus singles). It comes across as though these brands want to offer discounts just to lighter skinned customers, which in turn indicates a preference for a type of consumer.
I really don’t “need” cheek palettes since I’m almost always just using one product – a blush. So it doesn’t make sense to have to grab an oversized palette with 3 or more products in it when I’m only after the one. But even more of a turn off for me is that almost always, they include at least one (and often more than one) shade that doesn’t work for me and clashes with my natural undertones so they’re not usually a good value.
I love to have a cheek palette that allows me to mix colors together or layer. My favorite palettes have always been ones where the shades inside are part of the permanent lineup from the brand. In particular I think about palettes from TheBalm.
100% agree – it’s 2020 so we all know that a single “universal” color story doesn’t work and isn’t acceptable, *especially* for any mainstream brand. So so disappointed in Hourglass this year and won’t be purchasing from the brand until they update their powder/creme products to realistic shade ranges.
Love them!
I have light/medium skin but I find myself gravitating to deeper, richer shades now that I know how to make them work on me and if I only bought single pan blush that I liked the look of, I’d have 98% rose, mauve, coral and nothing else.
Buying palettes with a bright orange or a rusty brown or a lilac purple have made it easier to experiment and push my options outside my comfort zone (or boring as rut, you decide, ha ha) and I like to see how shades look layered and blended, especially with highlighters involved.
My ideal palette would be a neutral satin finish bronzer with two or three coordinating blushes, i.e. similar undertone and intensity. Maybe a coral, a brown, and a pink or red. No highlighter. I haven’t seen anything like this although it could exist in the animal-tested space.
I really like a “complete” cheek palette…a good universal blush, contour, highlighter and bronzer. Haven’t found one yet. I like Charlotte Tilbury’s Bronze and Glow, both light and dark. One for spring/summer and one for cooler temps. I appreciate that Kevin Aucoin’s contour shade is small but buildable when traveling so I don’t have to cram multiple products into my carryon..
As long as I can use all the shades on my medium peachy olive complexion and love the way they look, these can come in very handy. I do have a handful of them!
But what burns my bisquits is when certain brands only offer up one version, and that version is designed specifically for fair thru lt.-med people only. *Ahem* Hourglass. Probably one of the worst offenders in this category.
Mostly I don’t like cheek palettes because always they contain shades I would not use.
I prefer single shades or duos at best.
They’re great for travel when you can travel. They would have to work perfectly with your skin tone and Hourglass does with mine and I know they lean to med/light tones and they are not inclusive to other skin tones, hopefully they will get their act together and listen to their customers because their formula is so nice.
I love face palettes for efficiency. Not having to open multiple compacts is a relief. But, it’s not often that every shade works perfectly for my complexion. When I travel I’m willing to compromise, but when I’m at home I’ll sometimes pull in a single where I need it. I do agree with what you are saying about brands releasing just a single version. In this day and age, that’s not just neglectful, it’s discriminatory.
I love them for travel and variety. They’re a compact and easy way to pack products. I usually don’t like when they include bronzers, as they tend to be too dark, too orange, too shimmery, or all three. I have pale skin, so I have to skip a lot of palettes because too many of the blush and highlighter shades are too dark.
I have to buy singles, I have never seen a cheek palette where I can use all the shades. And the shades never, ever look the same on my skin as in the pan. I’ve been wanting to try Hourglass, but I won’t pay that kind of money for a product where I can’t use more than one shade. I also don’t need more cheek products, so I save money anyway! =)