When it comes to the holiday wish list of a makeup junkie, there's a good chance at least one palette will make the cut. This year there are some seriously enviable options to choose from, so much so that it may be hard to pick just one! To get you started, I've rounded up 9 of the most hyped face and eye palettes on the beauty scene as well as a few dark horses that I think could very well steal the show.
1. A lot of people rave about the absolutely fabulous nail polishes that have come out of the collaboration between Olivia Palermo and Ciaté, however I haven't heard many rumblings about this eyeshadow palette, despite it getting crazy high reviews on the Sephora website. The Olivia Palermo x Ciaté London The Smouldering London Eye Palette ($39) has 9 sultry eyeshadow colors (5 matte and 4 pearlescent) to create a gorgeous smokey eyed look for the holiday. I especially appreciate the color selection, which balances a few neutral shades for blending and transitioning with some muted pops of color (how gorgeous is that cranberry?). The packaging on this palette looks super sleek and high end, and each of the pans are a pretty generous size. Reviewers rave about the buttery texture and blendability of the shadows, so it definitely seems like you'd be getting your money's worth.
2. I have yet to be disappointed by a powder product I've tried from theBalm, so when I saw that they were releasing this palette I was seriously overjoyed. theBalm In the Balm of Your Hands Makeup Palette ($39.50) is basically your one-stop-shop for trying all of the most popular blushes, bronzers, shadows and highlighters from the brand. Inside you get three powder blushes, a bronzer, four eyeshadows, a mini MaryLouManizer, a cream blush, and a lip cream. If you want to introduce someone (or yourself) to the greatness that is theBalm, this is pretty much the perfect way to start. It would also be really handy for traveling too!
3. Last year the LORAC Mega Pro Palette was definitely one of the most raved about palettes of the holiday season. So its no surprise the brand decided to bring back a newly revamped version for 2015. The LORAC Mega Pro Palette 2 ($59) contains 32 gorgeous eyeshadows in a variety of colors and finishes, all sporting the well loved formula from the original Pro Palette. There is a nice mix of warm and cool tones, lights and darks, metallics and shimmers...it's basically an eyeshadow lover's dream. This palette is an Ulta exclusive, and Limited Edition, so you may not want to wait until the last minute to pick this up if you're planning to gift it this year.
4. This palette is undoubtedly pricey, however, serious makeup mavens will be blown away by the quality of these shadows. A staple among Hollywood Makeup Artists, The Viseart Eyeshadow Palette ($80) brings stunningly pigmented, vibrant shadows with unparalleled blendability. There are several different variations available, from a selection of dark mattes, to a bridal palette, to an electric collection that would put Urban Decay to shame. This may be a little beyond the needs of the casual makeup wearer, but if you have an friends or family that are or are aspiring to be MUA, they would probably be thrilled to find this wrapped up under the tree.
5. NARS palettes get a lot of hype in the blogosphere, but this time around I think it might be well deserved. The NARS Steven Klein Collaboration One Shocking Moment Cheek Palette ($69) contains generously sized pans of 7 different face powders that allow you to really create a full face look. You get an extra large Laguna Bronzer (a cult classic in the beauty scene), four gorgeous blushes, and two shades for highlighting and contouring. First off, can I express how happy I am to finally see a NARS palette that doesn't have Orgasm in it? Yes, its a gorgeous shade, but I feel like it's a bit overdone, and there are so many other NARS blushes that deserve equal attention. The colors that were chosen for this palette are beautiful, and you know that the quality is going to be spot on.
7. Even though EVERYONE and their mom has been talking about this palette since the moment pictures and rumors of it started appearing, I had to throw my two cents in as well. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit ($80) is SO overly hyped its kind of ridiculous. Now, a couple years back I purchased the Ambient Lighting Palette, which at $58 was a total splurge for me. However, I will say that these powders are pretty incredible, and there's nothing quite like them out on the market for giving you that diffused, poreless, perfect looking skin. Also, the amount of product you got in that palette was roughly equivalent to a single full sized powder, so I figured that, for the money, I was happier to get a few powders to choose from that were smaller, than get a huge pan of a single one. The Ambient Lighting Edit, however, is such a giant rip off it's kind of ridiculous. While you do get 6 beautiful products to play with, the pans are so teeny tiny you can barely dip your full sized face brushes into them. If you're really curious about the powders, I would recommend going with the original Ambient Lighting Palette instead. Otherwise, I think your money would be way better spent with one of these other full-face palettes if that is what you're after.
8. After trying the Anastasia Brow Wiz, I know that I'm a believer, and am that much more curious to try out one of her eyeshadow palettes. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Self Made Eyeshadow Palette ($35) in particular has some really stunning and unique colors in it that are calling my name. Reviews on this palette promise top-notch pigmentation and blendability, which gives me high hopes. Also, compared to many other eyeshadow palettes that are in the $50 to $60 range, this one is crazy reasonable in price. Do I need another eyeshadow palette? Probably not. But if I was going to buy one, this would probably be my top pick!
9. Last but certainly not least, we can't leave out the palette which will give us some serious #highlightonfleek. The Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne Glow Palette ($34) looks like it may already be sold out on the Sephora website (to the surprise of no one) so hats off to those of you who were lucky enough to snap one up. This palette had a trio of Shimmering Skin Perfectors, including Jaclyn Hill's wildly successful Champagne Pop. If you missed out on your chance to purchase this palette, never fear. You can still purchase the YouTuber's LE highlighting shade if that is what you're truly after. You may also want to check out the Ulta Exclusive Afterglow Palette, which contains 3 Shimmering Skin Perfectors and 2 beautiful blush shades.
Are there any palettes on your wish list this year? What would you be most excited to receive?
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