Next to my makeup mirror there's a jumble of palettes — nothing sorted, nothing pristine, but they're the ones I've clung to and reached for again and again since buying them. I give away plenty of my makeup to friends and family (with the understanding that the next charity tin they encounter gets a donation), so whatever's left is what I genuinely couldn't bring myself to throw out.
My Go-To Palettes of 2017
You can tell I haven't fussed over arranging these for the photo — better to show them as they really look, well-loved and worn in. I've also extracted the most frequently used colour from each one and lined them up in a row, just to imagine what kind of palette they'd form if combined. Kicking things off is the Marc Jacobs Scandalust (£39 HERE), with the second shade, At The Office, being the clear winner.
My Go-To Palettes of 2017
Then comes the limited edition MAC Mischief Minx, where the second golden shade, V. Frisky (rather a daft name), has been my constant. It's a warm-toned gold that works beautifully on the inner corner of the eye or swept lightly over a deeper shade to add extra depth. Priced at £32, it's no longer available on the MAC website, so clearly others felt the same way, though I tracked it down HERE (and a free makeup bag comes with it).
Fortune Favours The Brave
The worn-down appearance of Fortune tells you everything about how often it gets pulled out! I do actually have another one open as well, but I'm working my way through shades I neglected earlier. As you can see, the absolute favourite is the first colour, Glimmer. After that, Hope and Yes Please come in close behind — I couldn't separate them as the runner-up, so I've swatched both. Hope is a soft, shimmery brown while Yes Please leans khaki. It's £9.99 HERE. I'm amazed the palette I designed with Makeup Revolution is still holding up so well.
Charlotte Tilbury Instant Eye Palette
This one has been a joy to use — it's arranged into 'looks', though I've completely ignored that structure. The middle shade of Date Eye is my favourite, though the middle shade of Disco Eye has also seen plenty of action. It retails for £60 and is currently unavailable online (though I spotted House of Fraser marking it down to £45, so their stores might still have stock at that price).
Zoeva Opulence Palette
I've kept hold of several Zoeva palettes this year, but recently this Opulence edition has been the standout, particularly the shade Imperial. The standout, though, is Get Your Glory in that rich wine red — it's incredibly striking paired with black kohl and mascara. The balance between bold shades and softer, everyday-friendly ones appeals to me; it nudges you towards experimenting, like telling yourself, go on, try that blue! It's £18 HERE.
Huda Rose Gold Palette
It features a brilliant khaki shade called Dubai, which has meant I've cracked it open far more than I should given the brand apparently has no interest in featuring on BBB because, well, we're not deemed cool enough. We're evidently not Huda's ideal customer base, so arguably I shouldn't be promoting it at all. However, I can't pretend otherwise — I've used it relentlessly, as the photo shows. Maneater is brilliant for a red-toned eye look (I considered calling it a wine eye but that sounds off!), and I've also reached for Rose Gold, Fling and Trust Fund as foil toppers. It's £56 HERE.
Urban Decay Heat
The Urban Decay Heat Palette really pushed the sunset eye look forward over the summer. I actually carried it in my bag so I could show friends how stunning they looked with orange-toned eyes. I cannot emphasise enough how brilliant this is — it flattered absolutely everyone. My most-used shade is Lumbre, with Dirty Talk coming in second, though I've worked my way through most of the matte shades as well. Find it HERE (RRP £39, though FU is selling it at 10% off, bringing it to £35.55).
The Final Line-Up!
So here's what a custom palette, built from all my top shades pulled from other palettes, would look like! Hmm… I'm not entirely convinced. I definitely need something darker in the mix, so I'd probably grab the very last shade from the Charlotte Tilbury palette. Apart from that, it's At The Office (Marc J), V. Frisky (MAC), Date Eye (CT), Imperial (Zoeva), Hope, Yes Please (both Fortune), Rose Gold (Huda) and Lumbre (Naked Heat).
Non-affiliate links: MAC, Fortune, Marc Jacobs, Zoeva, Huda, Urban Decay.
Unless stated otherwise, all products arrive at my door as samples from brands and PR agencies. Affiliate links may appear throughout. Posts are never driven by affiliate partnerships.
