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What was your first eyeshadow palette?


What was your first eyeshadow palette? Share!

I’m sure it was a MAC holiday eyeshadow palette of some sort, a 6-pan one, but I have no idea what it was called (I also depotted it years ago!).

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Katherine T. Avatar

It was probably a Cover Girl or Maybelline eyeshadow palette from the 1980s, in plum colors. I read in one of the teen magazine that plum shadows made brown eyes stand out. And this was when Prince and Purple Rain were hot, so I bought it. It wasn’t a good palette, but I had such fun playing with it.

Momo Avatar

It was a CoverGirl Trio Eyeshadow palette in Shimmering Sands from around 1999-2000 that I got for Christmas. I still have it! It’s a bit broken and tattered, but it’s still usable. Awww, the memories and mistakes I made with that palette. Good times. 🙂

Nancy T Avatar

I now feel ancient….I had quads and such from back in the early 80’s from Almay and Maybelline, but for the life of me, I haven’t got a clue what their names were! Just the colors, teals, blues, purples, fuschia too. My first “large” palette was WnW Comfort Zone, followed by Bleu Had Me At Hello. And only a couple years back I bought the first of my more HE palettes, Lorac Unzipped & UD Naked 2 .

Nancy T Avatar

After looking at some old pictures from way back around 1981-83, I remembered that my FIRST quad was from Almay, and it had such gorgeous shades of metallic gold, red-copper, deep bronzey brown and a golden beigey shade! I do not remember its name, but I used up TWO quads of it throughout the 80’s! I don’t know how I could have forgotten about this one!

Rita Avatar

Mac Spiced Chocolate when I really started with makeup. In the 80’s I had Dior palettes and a Kanebo magnetic palette where you could buy single magnetic eyeshadows or blushes.

Stacey Avatar

Eyeshadow palettes were not like the ones today. Limit four colors. Most of my shadows were single. The first duo was Chanel in A beautiful pink and purple. I still have it.

Victoria Avatar

I think when I was getting into makeup, it was something from Cover Girl. Think it was called Ice Princess. But my first high end palette is Naked 2 and I got it back in 2014. I think it was 2014, if I’m not mistaken. O_o

nina Avatar

My first drugstore palette was the Wet N Wild Comfort Zone palette during high school. The first high end palette I purchased was the Urban Decay Naked palette I got as a present for myself after graduation.

Claire L Avatar

A Bourjois 2 shades palette, it was in dark brown and pale yellow. I thought at the time (I was about 15) that I had warm colouring but I actually have cool to neutral colouring. I couldn’t work out why it didn’t look very good on me!

Mariella Avatar

Well, back when I was in my late teens – about a century ago! – it was one from Mary Quant that was all golds and browns. But in my more recent “incarnation”, first would be a neutral quad from Lise Watier and after that – believe it or not – the original Naked Palette!

Helen Avatar

I probably has some small Avon or drug store palettes but the first palette I remember and cherished was the first edition of the Urban Decay ammo palette. Before then I had some UD single shadows and I would do every look with all UD super glittery shades. Lol. Shortly after I built a 4 color palette from MAC that I distinctly remember had Electric Eel in it.

Renè Avatar

My first official palette that I bought for myself was Too Faced Natural Eye palette a couple years ago. My very FIRST palette was when I was young as a child. I received it as a gift; it was a gigantic, dingy plastic palette of eyeshadows, blushes, lipsticks, mini brushes….it was a cheap play palette that one could buy in Walmart or the Dollar store for 2 dollars. At the the time, it was fun just making a big mess with it.

Grlnxdor Avatar

Estee Lauder Five Color Eyeshadow Palette in 05 Desert Heat. My 1st palette from about 6 years ago. Still use it occasionally. It’s a great choice for those of us with green eyes.

Tessa Avatar

Ooooh,wait. Actually, years before THAT, when I was in my early teens, I had a Cover Girl 8-pan palette that I LOVED and wish I could find even pictures of it now, to recreate. It had Champagne and Vanilla and the prettiest wine burgundy color, plus a foresty green… and… some other stuff? Mostly I used Champagne and the burgundy color. Given how problematic a lot of pinks are on me, this palette did very well. But it also had a green component to it. If anybody knows this palette’s name…

Dani Avatar

Can’t remember excatly, but one of mine is definitely Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette, and my BFF’s is Tarte’s holiday palette maybe 7 years ago. I remember we went to our local Sephora in Center city Philadelphia and the store was still newly opened at the time. She kept starring at it for the whole afternoon and got totally hooked. After carefully asked the employee at the counter if she could return ( and she did later!), she grabbed it eventually. We were just poor students back then and a palette was such a splurge for us!
Now I can afford and collect anything of my liking, but I still keep my Alice palette just for sentimental values. It is still a beauty to look at now!

Linda Avatar

Technically, a little purple trio from Revlon in 1996. Sponge applicator and all…

(As per previous comment, yes I was also influenced by a teen magazine recommending purples for brown eyes! Too funny!)

After that it was only MAC singles for many years until I tried Naked2 a couple years ago.

Elizabeth Avatar

I have just started my foray to the world of beauty like last year. My first official palette was Sleek Storm. It got a mix of shimmery neutral and jewel tones, matte black, matte cool brown, and a useless matte light brown (it’s practically invisible on my NC45 skin). Love the super gorgeous darker hues!! Next thing I know, I got the WnW Comfort Zone just for the duochrome shade — I ended up loving the whole palette :))

Rachel R. Avatar

If a quad counts, it would be a matte brown Covergirl one. I bought it many times over from the mid-80s through the early 90s. I even wore it when I got married. (I had high end blush and lipstick, though. lol I thought that quad was really good quality and very flattering on me.) I don’t know if they still make it or what it was called. My first larger palette would have been a drugstore one with little squares of purples, pinks and such, but I can’t remember for the life of me what brand. Probably Maybelline or Covergirl.

Judy H. Avatar

My very first??? Probably a Cover Girl or Yardly palette I got at Sands’ Drugstore in the 1970s I was probably 14 or 15 years old, definitely not an age where young teenagers have money for highend cosmetics. The only money I had was saved babysitting money.

Kris Avatar

It was a Revlon palette my Mom got me for Christmas when I was about 16. I remember begging her for it and she said “What are you going to do with all that eyeshadow?” LOL If she had any idea how much eyeshadow I have now….

LMM Avatar

It was one ordered out of a teen magazine that promised 25 eyeshadows for $1. And delivered. If only I’d known what to do with it!

As an adult I was given the UD Book of Shadows 4 by a coworker that set off a whole obsession with UD palettes.

Ciara Avatar

Definitely something from Wet n’ Wild. I had a lot of their quads. Then I stumbled across the L’Oreal One Sweep eye shadows and I was hooked. I (this horrible eyeshadow applier) could actually make eyeshadow look good for once. So peeved they stopped selling them in stores!!!

Olivia Avatar

The first eyeshadow palette I bought was the Mystical Supernatural eyeshadow palette by Pacifica. Considering it has only four shadows, which is more of a quad ;), my second first eyeshadow palette was the Naked 2 palette by Urban Decay. I like Urban Decay’s naked palettes in theory but I don’t seem to use them.

Elisha Avatar

Pretty sure it was an urban decay face case, although I can’t remember which one. I promptly picked up another in different colors and have been obsessed with UD ever since.

Erin Avatar

OMG, I’m sure it was a quad from a drugstore brand. Probably from CG or L’Oreal based on my buying preferences at the time. My first high end was Lorac when they debuted the face disk. I got the cool colored one because I’d finally realized I didn’t have warm toned skin and it looked so good. I think this was around 2000? I used that thing until it broke, then I kept using it until the lipgloss melted all over the remains. God, I loved that thing.

Nancy Avatar

I was 15 in 1978 and wanted a nice palette. I purchased an Estée Lauder quad. LOL! I don’t even like Estée Lauder today! It had a light blue and some earthy colors I believe. Funny.

Genevieve Avatar

My first eye shadow palette was the Estee Lauder Sea and Sky – a beautiful selection of blues and teals. It first captured my eye in a department store on my birthday and it was the last one they had. I still use it today and it is gorgeous. Before then I had quads from Revlon, which were just not as good as this. I decided then and there to start buying some more HE eye shadow products. My next purchase was the EL Film Noir, which I still think is one of the best grey shaded palettes around.

fashn Avatar

I would have to say my first palette was Maybelline. But not paying attention to it being called a palette, I would say it could be Urban Decay’s first Naked.

Janet Avatar

Oh goodness My first real palette was one from Victoria secret years ago, still have lol. And my first high end palette was naked 2 and still live it as much as I did when I bought it and have continued to get every new one and love them all!

Meghan Avatar

I don’t really remember my very first one, which I imagine to be a CoverGirl quad or something. The one that started me off with the general makeup and palette obsession about 3-4 years ago was the Smashbox Be Discovered palette!

Lesley A. Avatar

It was something from the drugstore (Woolworth’s — does that even exist anymore?) when I was in junior high, so about 40 years ago. I was thinking of getting a palette with blue, green and purple but I got one that had yellow, gray, purple and (maybe blue)? The yellow and gray made me feel very sophisticated. 🙂

Staci Avatar

Too Faced Enchanted Glamourland. Still have it too. My Simple mirror sits on top of it. I never use the product anymore. It just functions as a mirror lift.

Quinctia Avatar

Before shadow primer was really a thing, I only ever wore cream eyeshadows because that’s what would stay on my eyelids. I went through a few different WnW cream palettes, and a few more dollar store range ones. Couldn’t really say which one was my first, though.

My first powder palette was a Coastal Scents 88-pan shimmer palette. I still break it out occasionally when my imagination has thought of a certain color I want to use and I can’t think of a good dupe in the nicer stuff I have.

Mimi Avatar

Something from the drugstore that was my sister’s. It was 3 shades of brown and one of vanilla. It made me look tired but I adored it. Hate to tell you but this was back when I was in middle school or junior high, whatever it’s called nowadays, in 1968!

Marte Avatar

Oh, it was the MAC Fascinatung Ruby palette, great colors for neutral everyday or smoky looks. Still have it, and still use it from time to time. I don’t have the heart to depot it, either, it’s still in the original casing 🙂

Anne Avatar

I didn’t really own my own makeup until I was in my early 20’s, mostly snagged stuff from my sister. First palette I bought on my own was a MAC one to fill up, but I think the first pre-made palette was the Stila “Eyes are the Window” palette in “Spirit” (which I think is highly underrated as it’s a compilation of some of their most popular shades like Kitten, and everyone seems to go gaga over their “Soul: palette which I find really dupe-able and not particularly special).

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