Palette Madness

Hello, my name is Kerry and I'm a make up addict. Palettes are my biggest fix, eye shadow to be precise. High end or budget I go crazy for these compact little beauties which is why I've built up a bit of a collection.

The first high end palette I got was the MAC Cool Neutral palette, a collection of 15 mac eye shadows and all neutrals with a cool tone for £65. This was a big investment but I figured it was worth it for 15 MAC quality eye shadows, unfortunately I don't actually think these are the same quality as the single MAC eye shadows; don't get me wrong they are aren't bad quality but they're just not the high quality I've come to expect. This was my most reached for eye shadows but since building up a bit of a collection I have found this going slowly to the back of the pile, mainly because the colours are beautiful but I just can't get the pigmentation I need from these.

On the other end of the price scale are the Make Up Revolution Redemption Palettes, I've got three of these £4 palettes and I have to say I love them. I have the Iconic 1, the Iconic 2 and the Romantic smoked but I'm planning on getting a few more. These are such good quality for the price and there is a bit of fall out from these eye shadows it's no more than any of the other more expensive eye shadows I own. These also have a nice mix of mattes and shimmers which makes a change from the majority of budget palettes which are mainly shimmers that I find difficult to wear in the day time.

The Stila In The Know palette has to be my favourite of all the palettes I own, it's a palette of ten matte eye shadows ranging from deep browns and greys to oranges and pale muted shades. The was £25 and is one of a number of palettes from the "In The" range, these are the best quality matte eye shadows I have come across; there is no chalky texture and no fall out whatsoever. I find that these shades also blend beautifully with shimmer shades from other palettes which I have found to be a problem with a lot of other matte palettes.

Another high end matte palette that I own is the Urban Decay Naked Basics, this is a brown toned neutral palette it has 5 mattes and 1 shimmery white highlight shade at £22.  Most of these shades are wearable but the black shade I find isn't one I ever reach for because it is so matte and chalky it doesn't blend easily enough to make it wearable. I do find the palette good for all over base shades but unlike the In The Know palette these don't blend easily with other types or finishes.

On the slightly more expensive end of the budget palettes are the Sleek i-Divine palettes, these are £7.99; I have Oh So Special and Original. These are mainly shimmers but the mattes they do have aren't the chalky kind, most of these shades are a bit to bright for day time looks but for a super pigmented night time eye these are a delight. I find a lot of these palettes are a bit to in your face for my daily make up so I don't think I'll be buying any more.

Next up is The Balm NUDE'tude palette which is a mixture of mattes and shimmers for £26, this is a beautiful neutral palette ranging from pinks to deep purples and browns. This palette is one that I absolutely adore because it's got some real stand out shades but it's also really wearable, I put off buying this for ages because I thought it would be difficult to wear but it truly is one of a kind and one of my ultimate favourites.

Another set of super budget palettes are the MUA range, these are £4 and they have a huge selection  of colours including their dupe of the Urban Decay Naked palette. I have the Ever After, Starry Night and the Undressed which is the dupe. These are mostly shimmer except for the Ever After palette, these aren't the best quality but if you're on a budget they're a great option for £4 and with the variety there will always be something for everyone.

The ultimate neutral palettes are the Urban Decay Naked range, many companies have duped them but these are the ultimate according to most bloggers. I have the Naked 2 palette which I do think is really expensive at £37 considering there are a lot of good dupes out there but this is a beautiful palette so I don't mind the price. This has to be up there on the top palettes list along with the dupes that haven't quite got the colours right, my favourite shades are Pistol and Busted. The shades are beautiful and the shadow quality is pretty good with minimal fall out so I do find myself reaching for this palette a lot because the shades although mainly shimmer are easy to wear during the day.

The final  eye shadow palette in my collection is a Naked 3 dupe from the brand W7, this is a collection of rose gold and purple shades which I really love; although these shades aren't high end quality they are great quality for the £7 price tag. I do find myself reaching for this over some of the high end palettes I own, I find that the shades are slightly powdery but I think the colours more than make up for it. This palette along with the Make Up Revolution are the closest dupes to the original Naked palettes and for a fraction of the price, They have a dupe for the original Naked palette that I'd suggest if you're looking for a cheaper alternative.

I have two other palettes that I'd like to share and they're blush palettes, one palette is cream and the other is a powder palette. I picked up the Stila Convertible Colour palette on offer for under £10 recently and I'm really enjoying it, this is a palette of four lip/cheek shades and one highlighter shade which are creamy and easily blendable. These have high pigmentation and last for hours, the four colour shades are actually easily used for both lip and cheek colour and they cover pinks and reds in both natural and more vibrant shades. The other blush palette is from Make Up Revolution for £6 and contains six powder blushes and two highlighter shades, these shades are super pigmented and require only a touch or your brush to pick up colour. These have pinks, corals and more natural shades; one of which is a dupe for MACs Tenderling. The two highlighter shades from this palette are a beautiful silver toned and a pinky shade, these give a lovely sheen when used lightly and stay on for hours.

So there you have it, my dirty little secret is out. I have put myself on a spending ban but I have no doubt I will end up buying many more beautiful palettes in the future.