Perfect palette tag

The most fun tag has been going round the Interwebs: The Perfect Palette Tag. And now there are two things I love most about make up: eyeshadows and palettes. Put those two together and you have a perfect addiction which I can’t get enough of. Curious to see which palettes I’ve picked as my favorite, biggest regret or best color pay off? Then keep on reading!

1.) Best packaging: Urban Decay Vice Palette

From the rubbery deep purple outside with the embossed jewels on the front to the gigantic mirror and the button you use to open this palette: this packaging simply rocks. It’s sturdy, handy and not so big that it becomes impractical. Plus the colors in here are gorgeous. I haven’t used it much, but I love this thing to death.

2.) Best color pay off: Inglot freedom system

This is only one of my freedom system palettes, but every single one of them not only consists of gorgeous colors, but the color pay off is great. Even for matte shades (Inglot is my fave in that respect) the colors are creamy and the color you see in the pan is what you get on your lid. I’m especially impressed with a few of their matte pastels (yellow and minty green anyone?) which go on so smoothly and are so boom opaque in your face, that you only need a little to make them work.

3.) Most versatile: Sleek Au Naturel

What I see most people pick for this question is a palette with as many colors as possible. Not me. I’m going with the natural gem. When I think versatile, I don’t think: color. I think: with which palette could I make the most eye looks in one go? Which palette can go from day to night, night to day, would be great for traveling as it would be all you’d need on the entire trip? That’s versatility to me and that’s how I ended up with this one. From a creamy white highlighter and nice overall lid colors, to mattes and perfect crease colors: this palette has it all. It even has some purple toned shades so you can take a trip away from the browns if need be. This one is a winner.

4.) Best for traveling: Benefit Smokin’ Eyes

I picked this one as this was my go to travel palette for a long time. It has everything you need to make a quick eyelook and it even allows you to do your brows. From a black kohl pencil to some pretty charcoal grey colors this palette is great to take along on short trips. The cardboard packaging is sturdy enough so you can chuck it in your purse and the sleeve prevents it from opening up. It even comes with a mini brush which for once is not horrendous.

5.) Biggest regret: Sephora + Pantone Universe

One of the rarer palettes in my make up collection, yet one of my least used ones. I bought this on my vacation in the US last year because I fell in love with the colors. And it’s not that, which makes me not grab this palette as much. It’s the texture of the eyeshadows: they are so powdery! They have a good pay off, but the product is very soft and fragile. How I managed to take this palette home in my suitcase unscathed is a miracle. Add to that the fact that it won’t close unless it’s laid flat and you have a make up palette that disappears at the bottom of your stash. I regret buying it because it’s so pretty and I can’t get myself to throw it away, but yet it just sits there and I never really reach for it. Pointer for 2014: use this puppy more often and find a way to work with it!

6.) Best color names: Catrice LE Duo Expect the Unexpected in Mustard & Custard

Is this really an eyeshadow palette? It’s a duo and I say it is. Plus it has the best names ever! For two reasons. I have no other palette that a) is so aptly named and b) has color names which rhyme. My inner language nerd does a happy dance and smiles a little every time I see this palette. The lighter color is a great matte highlighter and really, how often do you find a mustard colored eyeshadow? Not the most wearable color, but hey, when make up and language come together who’s to blame me?

7.) Least used: Urban Decay Sustainable

I bought this Urban Decay palette when I first got into make up and didn’t really know much either. I bought this and have hardly used it. My biggest regret was between this one and the Sephora palette, as I use both very little, but the other one was more expensive so I thought that was a bigger miss. The only color in here that I really like and use? Twice Baked. The problem with this palette is that a lot of the colors with glitter in them are a nightmare to work with, which is more than half the palette and two of the colors have since showed up in the Naked 1 and Naked 2 palettes. Meh.

8.) Most used: MAC palette

My MAC palette is hands down my most used palette. If I have no inspiration whatsoever, I grab this thing, slap on some woodwinked with some satin taupe or green smoke, or arena with shale and sketch and TADAH, I’m done. This thing has all the colors that I like to wear most: purples, greens and browns and plenty of neutrals to tone things down. The pinks are not necessarily my cup of tea, but I’m considering buying two of the new style palettes and transferring these eyeshadows into them with a few additional colors.

9.) Most loved & Desert island: Urban Decay Naked 1 & Naked 2

My most love palettes are hands down both of my Urban Decay Naked palettes. If I would be stranded on a desert island and I had either one of these I would be in make up heaven. I tend to gear more towards Naked 2, but recently I’ve been dabbling around with Naked 1 again and I find that these warmer colors suit me better now winter is on its way. Neutrals are and will always be my favorite way to go as it’s suitable for every occasion and easy to work with if you don’t know what to do.

10.) Wish list: Urban Decay Naked 3 and Vice 2 palette

I hope this doesn’t come as a surprise to any of you? Yep, Naked 3 will be bought as soon as I can find a way to get my hands on it. I love the rosy shades in it, as I don’t have anything like it and I’m thinking this will be a great palette to create a I’m-wearing-make-up-but-not-really type look. And Vice 2 is a continuation of the original Vice palette. I looked up swatches, watched reviews on this palette and know I have to have this. (Just think for a minute how well Urban Decay named these palettes!) And ssshhht don’t tell anyone, but I may or may not have bought myself this palette as a Christmas present. 😉

Feel free to take over the tag if you want to do it.