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What Palette Works for What? A Definitive Guide to All Things Compact

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I think it’s fair to say that across the board, we all get a little heart-eye emoji when it comes to palettes. Is it the promise of a travel-friendly beauty solution (though I think that’s something we all say just for justification)? Or the prettiness of a tonal range of shades laid out? Or maybe it’s because most take the guess work out of colour pairing? Who knows. Whatever it is, palettes are well and truly having a moment and it ain’t stopping anytime soon. There’s an absolute tonne out there and it takes every ounce of willpower in me to not go wild and purchase them all, but instead I have just a handful that I think are well worth the dollar…

The Good ‘All-Rounder’ Eyeshadow PaletteUrban Decay Naked Palette. It’s an oldie, but a goodie and the one I always recommend from the Naked palette dynasty. I find the Naked 2 too cool and the Naked 3 a bit too pink and sparkly, so the original Naked always hits the sweet spot for me. The packaging might be a little lacking in chicness, but the colours inside can do it all from everyday neutral to full-on midnight glam. It’s the only palette my best mate Mel ever uses.

The Luxury Eyeshadow PaletteCharlotte Tilbury Colour-Coded Eyeshadows in The Dolce Vita. If you’re having a ‘Treat Yo’Self‘ moment then the Charlotte Tilbury quads are where you want to head. The buttery, creamy textures making blending a joy and with this colour combination you can throw on the the neutral shades for a work-appropriate look, then press on the glitter to make it dance floor ready. The glitter is DIVINE. It makes the whole thing and entices everyone’s inner magpie.

The ‘Do It Yourself’ Palette –  Z Palette Large. If de-potting is your thing, then you really can’t go wrong with a Z-Palette. They come in all shapes and sizes, but I like the large ones because you can fit in all of the makeups. The 15-pan MAC Palettes seem like such a waste when you see just how many shadows you can cram into these bad boys. With a ready magnetised base your shows don’t budge and the clear-top makes it easy to locate certain colours.

The Non-Orange Contour PaletteKat Von D Shade & Light Contour Palette. Falling into the light-to-medium complexion category, this is the best contour kit I’ve found for my use. The shades aren’t too warm and I can find a way to make all the colours work for me, be it on the eyes, cheeks or face. Oh and they’re so darn creamy for a powder texture. Those with darker complexions I’d point you in the direction of the Anastasia Contour Kits that come in a tonne of colours.

The One-Stop Face PaletteHourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. When it comes to face powders, this is all I’m using right now. The trio of finely milled powders have just a subtle hint of dewiness to them that make them great for highlighting and setting all over. Personally I love Dim Light all over the face with a bit of Incandescent Light over the tops of the cheeks and if I’m feeling really rebellious I swish my brush through all three and dust it all over. WILD.

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