Finding The Perfect Eyeshadow Palette

Eyeshadow palettes haven't always been something that I've found myself being drawn to as like any regular readers will know, I'm a one wash wonder kind of girl. But over the past year or so I've found myself being really drawn to eyeshadow palettes as shock horror, I've been experimenting a lot more. And in the blogging world, people are pretty gaga over eyeshadow palettes, I've lost count of how many times there has been a new IT product that people were on some sort of wait list for. My problem with palettes is that so often you're left with shadows you're never going to use but with the right choice, you can get the most of it and here are some of my favourites as well as a few things to bear in mind when buying a palette.

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND WHEN BUYING A PALETTE

Does it have a mirror?
What's the cost break down for the shadows?
Do the shadows work on your skin tone all year round?

Is it travel friendly?
How many shadows are realistically going to use?
Can the shades be used for more things than eyes?

ARE YOU A ONE WASH WONDER KIND OF GIRL?

For so long all I cared about was having one good shadow that I could wear every day and would go with everything and that's great to have in your beauty stash. I think if you are someone who just wears one type of shade and that's all you care to wear then an entire eyeshadow palette probably isn't for you. But if you're someone who likes to experiment with different shadows and create layered looks then that's the joy of a palette as they're so easy to take on the go and travel with.

MAKE YOUR OWN

There are a few brands where you can make your own eyeshadow palette which I think for so many people is the best thing that you can do to make sure you're going to use everything. However, they're an expensive investment to make but if you're going to use all the shadows then it is worth it. My favourite has always been MAC they have a huge range of shades, finishes and they're not horribly priced. My MAC shadows have lasted years with regular use so that's a testament to their quality.

NAKED PALETTES

It's probably a shock as a beauty blogger that I've never owned my own Naked palette. Only a Naked Basics palette and stolen my sisters Naked 2 palette plenty of times. And there is a reason why these palettes are so popular and once upon a time it was all you would hear people talking about in the blogging world. The shadows are so buttery soft and blend with ease and they have so many palettes that you're bound to find one that suits and works with your skin tone. If you're not a lover of shimmer then the Naked Basics palette is lovely if you're someone who tends to go for really simple eye looks. What I found was great is that they have simple bone shadows for the lid and darker shades that can easily be used through the brows. And that's what I like in a palette, something that can be used on the eyes and through the brows so that I don't have to take multiple products on the go.

TOO FACED PALETTES

A brand that has dominated my beauty routine a lot lately is Too Faced. I just can't deny their adorable packaging but it's not just about the packaging obviously, their products are incredible. Their eyeshadow palettes are always so hyped up and it's not a surprise even just on first impressions they're dreamy. They have pretty elaborate ideas like the sweet peach palette, the chocolate palettes and the peanut butter jelly palette. My favourites have always been the Chocolate bar palettes* as they typically contain a lot of neutral champagne shades as well as matte shades that are perfect for running through the crease. The shadows are buttery smooth and soft, they so easy to blend and work with, seriously I'm terrible with eyeshadow and can make them work. And even though they are so soft they don't fall down and they still work with oily lids which when a shadow is so soft can be problematic. The palettes typically range from £36 and you get 16 shadows I believe so that works out at around £2.25 a shadow which is something I don't think can be argued with for a high-end makeup item.

ZOEVA PALETTES

Typically I prattle on about Zoeva brushes like there is no tomorrow. But they also have their own makeup line and it's only something I've discovered over the past year and much like you'd expect it's great. Their palettes are always something that goes down well in the blogging world because they're a lot more affordable than the majority of palettes out there and they're on par with more high-end options in terms of quality. I've never quite found one that works perfectly for me in terms of colour as everything has always been quite bronzy, which the majority of beauty lovers adore but it's just not quite right for my skin. But the few shadows I have liked are always beautiful in terms of quality. They're not quite as soft as the likes of Too Faced but they're just as easy to work with and stay on the lids well. For me, the only downside is the packaging as they never come with a mirror but this is obviously where the brand will cut costs and it's not like getting a mirror in another beauty product is too difficult.