I’ve featured several makeup palettes on this blog but there’s no better evidence than how grubby a palette looks to prove how much it’s been worth your time. These are the realistic Top 3 plus I have an honorable mention. I kind of feel guilty about not having done this earlier because I’ve featured quite a few palettes on here but have never confessed to which ones I really use the most. In fact the NAKED2 palette is still right there in my kit sitting pretty, slightly used, slightly sulky simply because these have proven to be so much better for me in finish. Two of the top 3 might still be available locally. Now a disclaimer is that my work as a professional makeup artist has helped in the path towards “grubby”, that aspect of work has especially sped up the use of the NARS palette. I guess it helps in proving that the pro makeup, wedding, and TVC industry thrives on these shades worn by the clients or talents, so as Anna of Vivianna Does Makeup says “Hint Hint, Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink…”
CLOCKWISE: Pixi Natural Minerals quad “St. Tropez” Php500+ StrawberryNET HK, NARS “And God Created the Woman” Palette $39.00/Php1800+, Young Blood Mineral Cosmetics Palette Php2400+
Only one palette among these three is pretty new and was released this year, that’s the NARS “And God Created the Woman” palette which I’ve reviewed in full here. The other two are old faithfuls that are generally still available in the market and I just never got around to reviewing them. Read more to get to my full reviews on those two and why these palettes have been worth my while all this time.
This Young Blood Mineral Cosmetics Palette is by far one of the most reliable and convenient palettes I’ve ever worked with and owned. It’s about 6×5 inches in dimension and my aunt purchased this for us in Beauty Bar over 2 years ago…(powder products don’t spoil quickly, it takes years) and gave it to me and another cousin for Christmas.
On the left you have two blushes that are somewhat “Orgasmic” but what’s so cool is the top one is a sort of rose gold satin sort like the original NARS Orgasm and the one beneath is a matte version. The eyeshadow shades from the top down are 1) a satin flesh shade similar to MAC Brule but silkier and less chalky, 2) a less shimmery champagne doppelganger of MAC All That Glitters, 3) a strikingly similar dupe for MAC Woodwinked…then 3 lip glosses that I won’t bother describing lol…you can see for yourself.
The winning thing about this palette as well is the gripped mirror stays put in whatever angle you open it up to, so gravity doesn’t work against you when you want to keep the palette open on the go and you won’t have to worry about it falling shut on your fingers while holding it. That alone makes it the perfect “in the car” palette, it snaps tightly shut and it’s compact enough to slip into a medium-ish hand bag without any accidents happening inside. And another thing…the shades…*swoon*.
I took pics of the swatches under two different types of light so you could see how it looks in naturally diffused daylight as well as direct daylight. The palette doesn’t seem to have a name and neither do the shades. I’m not 100% sure if they’ve updated the palette recently or if it’s still in all Beauty Bar stores like right now but as of a year after I was given these they were still available. A girlfriend of mine told me our other friend was recommending this palette to her earlier this year, so it might be a permanent product I think of Young Blood cosmetics.
This next palette, a Pixi Natural Minerals one is the oldest one I have, about 3 years but it is still sooo okay, it’s a cardboard accordion sort of box palette that has cream bronzer/blush and lip glosses in two more stacked tiers beneath this one. Of course I don’t use the cream products anymore because of how old this one is, but I still use the eye shadows, obviously.
This is a great quad for a warm sort of smokey eye and it has the best satin champagne cream eyeshadow I’ve ever used, if I’m not mistaken the name of the shade is Fairy Light? I think Pixi do single eyeshadows as well. Sorry I messed up the bronze swatch…I sneezed while swatching it, you’ll know why in a few sentences.
The brown bronze is GORGEOUS for deepening the look without going too far, but the catch with that particular shade is you have to deal with a lot of powder fallout and I mean A LOT…it gets everywhere. However, like me if you know how to handle fallout (like we should as humans in the years to come) and stick on a primer it is so beautiful over warm Asian skin and I deal with the fallout just to use it because it’s just too nice not to use.
For the NARS And God Created the Woman palette I won’t say much since I’ve already given it a standalone review right here and you can check that out for more in-depth notes and photos. All I’ll say is that highlight shade and Kalahari (which has hit pan) are the bomb. This happens to be the palette I used for my showstopping look for the Star Magic Ball, the photo of which I’ve used for my Shiseido Ibuki biopic.
This NARS set was limited edition but depending on what country you’re in it’s still available in small random quantities. It’s way more than worth the Php2k++ price mark because of the goodies that come with it in the set, you get a travel size tube of NARS Pro Prime and a fluffy eyeshadow brush. So you can still check if it’s available from Rustan’s or random stockists.
Now for my honorable mention…which is a completely matte selection, the Stila In the Know palette which I have also reviewed in the past here.
Since I’ve reviewed it already in the link I provided I’ll make this quick for those who’d rather not make the link jump, I haven’t gone deep yet on this one compared to the others because it’s newer than two of the top 3 (except NARS) but you’ll notice…I’ve already touched steadily on EVERY shade. This is a foolproof palette to use for TVCs which often require “NATURAL barely there” make up in which I need to bring out the eyes without them screaming “made up”
So what do you think of my horribly dirty, well-loved triumvirate of neutral palettes? I was actually supposed to include my SLEEK Storm palette in this selection but I have no idea where it’s hiding…for now.
