Shelter; My Eyes are on the Palette!

Urban Decay kick started my desire for eyeshadow palettes!  Their NAKED sets are now iconic with a mix of textures from matte; satin to sheer glitz, they’ve become a must have for professionals and consumers a-like.   Luxury brands launched their own versions in this style and format but if I really think about it Dior’s five colour eyeshadow set was my first palette thirty years ago but the ‘lined up in a row’ design somehow helps me to see and understand the colour combinations better.  Most brands have a colour theme for lighter to darker skin tones or blondes to brunettes, it makes it easier choosing the correct one to compliment your colouring ensuring that eventually all the colours will be used (with confidence) as opposed to some hardly ever being touched.  MAC and Bobbi Brown have customisable palettes enabling you to compile your favourite colours so no wastage there.  I thought ‘the Palette’ was going to be my saving grace to a lighter professional kit but I just seem to fall in love every time I see a new one… here are my favourites:

The two palettes I always take to every job are MAC’s Semi Sweet because all the colours are matte – good quality matte shadows can be hard to find – plus the black is so so deep, and Urban Decay’s NUDE, for all the reasons mentioned above.
MAC Semi Sweet Times Nine
Urban Decay NAKED Palette 

There’s something really beautiful about the Hourglass packaging and presentation, for me they’re the ‘new kids on the block’ and totally lived up to my expectations.  The colours transfer well and do not crumble or drop down. 
Hour Glass Graphik Eyeshadow Palette

Kat Von D have an added bonus of three contour colours for neutral, warm and cool complexions.  All are matte so I use this palette for a buildable stronger eye make-up.  Ms Von D has proven that pigment quality can be achieved as a 100% vegan brand too!
Beauty Pie is a buyers club and and I have to admit I don’t quite fully understand how that works, all I know is if your a member you pay a lot less than if your not…and the quality is really good too, maybe it has something to do with being made in some of the worlds leading beauty labs?
Kat Von D ‘Shade + Light’ Eye Shadow Palette
Beauty Pie The Ten Best Eye Shadow Shades

Actually, I also take this Zoeva Palette on every job with me as well as the MAC and Urban Decay I mentioned earlier. The shadows pick up really well and have a lovely silky texture, the warm tones transfer and blend effortlessly.  My first synthetic brushes were from Zoeva, before then I never believed synthetic brushes could be as good as natural hair, some of these are even better.

Earlier this year MAC brought out an Aaliyah collection.  It’s like a rare piece of treasure to me, I’ll bring it out just to be admired, only to then be polished and carefully placed back.
Zoeva Caramel Melange Eye Shadow Palette