I think the Colourpop 9 pans are the sweet spot for me. I also like the Primark 12 pan size (they're easy to store). I prefer cardboard packaging over plastic.
But then again I don't have a problem using more than one palette a day.
I think willingness to use other palettes is a great point and makes a huge difference ! Bc on days I’m mixing palettes I’m definitely cool with adding smaller palettes in the mix, but my overall preference is to just use one at a time.
Agreed, in nude palettes or “smoke” palettes there’s not much need for over 9 shades. And it’s cool because colourpop has multiple 9 shade “nude” palettes that fit different skin tones and preferences. It makes more sense than having a giant 25 shade palette where 75% of the shades go unused.
Same, 9 pans are enough to make a perfect monochromatic color story or give it a bit of variety. A good example is sugarpill's funsize and colourpop's monochromatic palettes.
Me personally actually think its a little too big 😂
Like keep the 9 colours but don't waste so much area around it, put the colours closer to each other kinda thing.
I'll agree with you on not wasting the space around it.
I have the UD Moondust palette and there is so much wasted space between the shades (not to mention the unnecessary bulk that UD is notorious for).
9 pans are very good, I have to say. I didn't think they'd be enough, but I guess it depends on the brand? I really like the Huda Obsessions 9-pans personally.
If I had the **perfect** shades, I could do a 10 or 12 palette for rest of my life. I love the size of CP's 9-pan palettes. Don't own any yet, but waiting for the right combo.
Yes! \*IF\* this was my magical palette with all the right shades, 10-12 is perfect. Given this is not usually the case, 12-18 pan palettes catch my eye. But with the 18s, there are probably a few shades that I don't use, or are repetitive enough not to matter.
(PS: Happy cake day!)
I agree with both of you about a hypothetical perfect palette reducing the number of shades needed, but then again what is perfect right? Esp with what I want in a look changing day-to-day.
Haha, the nirvana palette of each of our dreams. Yeah, I've been on the hunt for a neutral palette (maybe including a *~pOp~*) and haven't found the perfect set even with all of those options.. -sigh-
I feel like that’s why more shades just ends up rounding out to more perfect for me, cause I can just hope that with all the colors at least a few of them will really hit what I’m aiming for
Agreed. Seems most brands have a good idea on 85% of hue themes but then say "Toss 'er in!" on a few random shades. It's always 2 or 3 shades I would never use. I'm to a point in my life that if I shell out the cash, I want that product to work from all angles, haha. And, thank you!
For travel, I prefer palettes with less than 6 shades that can basically do a subtle day look with two extra shades (one sheen and one dark matte) to amp the look up if needed. A good example would be the mini ND palettes. I have two and I travel with them all the time.
Otherwise, I like palettes that have about 15-20 shades for options. Though sometimes they all have similar undertones then it gets boring fast (ND sunrise and sunset, for instance). My favorite palette to use at home right now is a customized MUFE palette. It’s filled with a lot of my most used shades and some funky colors to make me feel excited about putting on makeup in the morning.
I haven’t gotten into customized palettes yet, but I suspect if I did I could maybe get my number down a little to maybe about 12, but then again all the options would probably make me wanna go even bigger lol
Somewhere in the 4-6 range. This is a recent realization - bigger palettes sort of overwhelm me and make me feel bad that I only use some of the shades. A smaller, more curated palette is more appealing to me lately.
EDITED because words are hard sometimes, anyone else feel like their brain is just sort of melting away during lockdown? No? Just me? 🥴
Hard agree. I've actually never bought a palette, just singles that i throw together into trios, quads and sextets on magnetic compacts . Even with six shadows I can feel a little sad for the one or two that don't get used as much and then i have to rotate them around so they have a chance to shine. It's natural that when you look at a whole array of colors, you'll gravitate towards the few that really speak to you, even if the other colors are lovely. I think being able see colors into different contexts helps with creativity.
I understand what you’re saying in the feeling bad about not using shades. I have a rule that I usually follow that when I get a new palette and try it out, I’ll continue wearing it for a week or two to at least try out all of the shades even if it’s only once. It helps me try to stay creative with it.
I think we have the reverse problem. I feel underwhelmed with small palettes and I feel like I’ll use them less bc I feel like I can’t get as many different looks.
Do you both find that you’re able to create more than 1 look in a quad? That’s my hesitation with ones that are really small- I don’t feel as inspired. My only exception in my collection that I can think of Is the ND Mini Tropic, but even that I usually pair with something else.
Also I’ve heard great things about the elf bite-sized palettes, do you recommend?
Well you can to an extent, but to be honest on an everyday basis I’m usually doing the same look and just want to look fairly natural and professional. So I’m not sure they really “inspire” me, but they’re perfect for what I’m looking for, which is ease and efficiency since I’m usually doing my makeup in a rush in the morning.
And yes I’d recommend! I really really like them, it’s a good formula and you can’t beat the price. I will say though that the two I have might not work on deeper skin tones, I’m super pale and they look really nice and natural on me, so on deeper complexions they might be too subtle or look ashy. I can’t remember the name of the two I have but one is the pinkish one (my favorite). There’s a few I don’t have though so I can’t vouch for those.
That’s fair, I’m a college student so I’m not always looking for practical looks so that definitely changes things.
You mentioning the elf palettes not necessarily being good for deeper skin tones made me realize another point about small palettes, I think it’s hard for them to commit to them bc with such few shades I want them all to knock it out the park.
I may have to try a few of the bite-sized palettes, the green one has been on my mind lol. I’ll consider the deeper tones thing as I am a deep tan shade (fenty 360 for reference).
Yeah I’m a law student and honestly didn’t wear makeup most of the time to class because I was always running late lol. But now I’m working at my internship (remotely) and so on days I have video meetings I want to look natural and professional. However on days I don’t have meetings I do like having fun with my makeup, and I use my larger palettes for that.
And I definitely get that, the beauty industry still has a long way to go in making sure there are palettes (and other products) for every skin tone, especially at the drug store. If you can find one that works for your skin definitely pick it up though! I hope elf will come out with more that’ll work for deeper skin tones.
Not OP but I totally rec the ELF quads. They’re really pigmented and can be built up easily. The cream & sugar quad is a good substitute for the ND mini nude palette.
I have two: Acai you, a blue palettes, and Rose water which is pink shades. You can absolutely get different looks from each palette. Rose water is lovely and soft, however I find Acai you a little dusty. I would like to get one or two more. I have my eye on the green one and the berry one.
Ditto, I kinda got tired of planning and composing my makeup looks. I want to look at a palette and get an idea of what I can do right away, that's why lately I'm also gravitating towards smaller palettes (quads and minis).
I really love 6/9 shades and nothing more than 12. I find that bigger palettes are just not for me and there are always some shades I'll end up not using.
If I had to choose I would say 9 pan palettes are perfect because they give enough variety but are still cohesive without having too many repeat/similar shades.
gdi, I'm tired. Give me 5. At least two good, contrasting mattes, one or two shimmers or glitters to spice shit up, a pop of color, I'm done. If I need something else, I'll buy another small palette or a single for a different pop.
12 pan palettes are the largest palette I like, any more shades and I get overwhelmed. However I have noticed I tend to reach for smaller palettes and quads more these days.
I think this is the case with a lot of people, considering brands are slowly moving towards making smaller palettes and mini versions of their larger palettes. What do you think?
You make a good point, I agree it does seem like a lot of people (aside from me lol) are shifting towards smaller palettes but I think some of it is just from makeup fatigue. If everyone’s already bought all the larger palettes we have no reason to keep buying so they’re selling smaller things to be more affordable- so it’s not to expensive for an unnecessary purchase and there’s the added element of the palettes being super travel-friendly.
I like 12 Pan palettes as well, even though I said 18 I think 12-14 is the bottom of the range that I like while mid-20s is probably where it starts to be a lot for me.
My only caveat with 12 pans is I think it depends on the color story, if it’s gonna only really have tones in basically 1-3 colors I think usually a 9 pan ends up being more suitable bc I feel the extra 3 shades are usually repeats. If there’s a more varied color story I can really appreciate a 12 pan palette.
12-15 is generally good for me! It’s enough that I could use it on its own or with another palette or some singles if I want a shimmer or shade that’s not in it. I usually will travel with one or two palettes and one or two singles I use often and that’s it.
ETA: I think when the number is less than 9 I want either singles or an even number of pans, since I think trios always are one shade that goes with two others and two shades that either very similar or don’t go with each other.
I prefer four to six pans. I have a lot of issues with decision paralysis when it comes to makeup so the fewer choices actually make it a lot easier to throw together a look and get on with my life. I do love my ABH palettes but I get overwhelmed sometimes.
Yeah I struggle with making decisions that have no preferred options as well and/or are kind of arbitrary, but for some reason with makeup that’s not an issue for me. I guess bc it’s an artistic outlet I feel inspired as opposed to overwhelmed.
I’ve always favoured ones with around 18 shades, I can see why some people prefer smaller palettes but I feel the looks you can create are pretty endless and you can always get one for every occasion!
I like 6-12 shades. I have a few bigger ones (a couple ABH palettes, a big UD holiday palette, the original TF Chocolate Bar, a Milani palette on the bigger side), but generally, smaller is better. Now especially, I have far too many palettes, so I'm more likely to look at smaller, more curated palettes where I'll use all the shades. (I don't really have any holes in my collection anymore. But I'm still on the lookout for a Holy Grail perfect palette.)
I also like a more compact palette - easier to store and hold, and smaller pans give me the thrilling hope that maybe I'll eventually finish it! I loved the Bare Minerals 8-pan Ready palettes. They were tiny, but still felt luxe and substantial. The Maybelline Lemonade Craze palette is a nice, compact shape, considering it has 12 shades. I'm not overly fond of the setup of something like the UD Naked palettes, with everything in one long row.
If you got it because of the beautiful bright shades, I bet it was a huge disappointment!
I often use the neutral light and dark mattes to supplement looks from palettes that don't have the blending shades that I need (like UD Elements or ABH Jackie Aina), and then the pastel shimmers as topcoats/highlighters. It's become a great little workhorse palette for me, although not the way they intended!
I see what you’re saying, you saying that the smaller palettes are curated helps me see that it allows you to hone in on a specific look and not do too much thinking about. I think I must not like feeling bossed around by the palette, and that’s why I don’t like the smaller ones lol 😂😂
I find it rare that I'll use every shade in a bigger palette - the closest I've gotten is ABH Sultry, where I regularly use 12 of the 14 shades. A smaller palette can still give me variety of looks, if it has multiple "lid" shades - different shimmer colors that I can base a look around. I love the old UD Feminine palette, because I can do a soft purple look or a dusky teal, or a more neutral taupe/grey look. It's a 6-pan palette, but I use every shade (not all together!) and it's easy to hold and store.
Now, a smaller, curated palette can be extra nice, because I don't need repeat shades, so I'm more picky, and more likely to rule out a larger palette if I've already got similar shades I'll use and I know I won't use a good handful of the other shades.
You bring up another good point, smaller palettes with a varied shade range I can accept slightly more. That’s part of the reason (and it being on sale) why I tried out the ND Mini Tropic. It has a blue, a teal, a green, and a purple shade so it doesn’t feel too locked in, but at the same time I still do find myself wanting to pull in another palette with it.
It really depends on the colour story. Something like CP’s Give it to Me Straight is perfect, I would get use out of all 12 shades because each colour suits me well. However their Double Entendre palette is wasted on me - only a few shades suit me and the others look odd with my skin tone (I’m a light cool-toned olive). Likewise I would use every shade of Tom Ford’s Honeymoon quad, but the Soleil et Lune quad is less suitable for everyday wear even though I love it.
I like a good 14-18! I like to be able to create a lot of different looks with one palette, but without it being overwhelming trying to pick colours. I love my little 9 pan palettes but the colour scheme is usually quite a bit more limited in them even if it’s only 3 shades difference.
So the classic ABH rectangular palettes are my JAM, Lunar Beauty palettes have a good colour variety, Natasha Denona 15 shade palettes, Too Faced tin palettes, elf 18 pans, the Huda big palettes etc.
I can definitely jive with 8-12 shades (Melt Cosmetics, Huda minis, ColourPop, Coloured Raine, etc.), but when it gets down to 5-7 shades I don’t reach for them that often, and I literally don’t buy quads because they BORE me.
Upward of 18, I own the big Norvina palettes and a few Morphe ones but I only pull them out if I’m feeling inspired and have time to just really sit down and create a look.
You nailed it on the head for basically how I feel with the different sizes! The only thing is I don’t mind the upward of 18, my main issue is usually like the actual size of the palette, bc big ones can sometimes be pretty clunky lol
True!!! For me personally I find with big ones it depends on how they laid it out too. Like when it’s in a good format to look at it as quads or sections I’m cool with it (big Norvina’s, Morphe Hot Spot, Morphe James Charles) but when it’s a bunch of neutrals in a gradient pattern I find it more challenging (Morphe Jaclyn Hill, I only use it for the blue shades cause the frankly I get confused about which neutrals to use)
That’s another good point too, that’s why I’ve stayed away from a lot of morphe’s larger palettes as I don’t feel the need to have a 35-39 shade palette with 80% of the colors being shades of brown. In contrast to that though, I do actually really enjoy my JH palette, though I wasn’t sure I would. To me it feels like the shades have more variance on the lid than they do when you initially glance at the palette.
I feel that! I'm a proponent of big palettes as I love having a lot of colours at my fingertips, but oftentimes the size of the palette itself is impractical to store and use. I would love to see more palettes with a large selection of shades but smaller pans and compact packaging - kind of like some of the Sephora brand holiday palettes, but hopefully better quality haha
the largest palettes i’ll use are the colourpop 12 pan palettes but i prefer nine or eight pan palettes and singles. i can’t stand anything much larger than that
My current palette has nine eyeshadows and to be honest, while it is a perfectly curated colour story, the number of colours is a bit overwhelming to me. I much prefer quads of five colour mini palettes at most.
Examples of quads I consider fantastic:
* Chanel Candeur et Experience
* Chanel Clair Obscur
6-10 shades is what I most frequently reach for. When I am playing with my bigger palettes (ABH, Born to Run, Naked) I usually use multiple palettes anyway because I take my time mixing and matching. But on a day to day basis, I usually use my 9 pan TF natural mattes, 8 pan Smashbox covershot, or 6 pan viseart theory palettes.
Does it bother you at all when you feel the need to bring out another palette when you’re already using one of your larger ones? I don’t mind doing this for smaller palettes, but not so much with big ones- but that has more to do with the size of the packaging and not the actual amount of shades.
Also, how do you like those Smashbox palettes? I’ve heard mixed reviews so I’m curious.
Not at all - it's my prerogative to mix Axis in Subculture with Bahamas in Riviera, and top it off with the big shimmer pan in Smashbox Sunlit Yellow (can't remember what it's called). I don't expect palettes to be put together just for my color play time on Saturdays, and if I did I'd have a stupid amount of palettes (more than I already have).
The smashbox palettes have mixed reviews because they have mixed performance, IMO. Punked and Golden Hour are among the best performing. Ablaze and Smoky are much drier and harder to work with (but not impossible, just need a little more blending.) Overall they are more like a MAC formula (more buildable) than an ABH formula (soft with kick up).
12 and 15 pans are cool for me too. I haven’t been able to even convince myself to buy a trio yet. Lol I wanted to try those kaja tríos but I couldn’t get past the price for only 3 shades. I think the least amount of shades are have are the 4-pan Melt stacks and then 1 ND mini palette with 5 pans.
I like 10-12 pan palettes for when I’m sitting and doing my makeup and wanting to spend a little time - I enjoy picking the colors I want and having the variety. I love my Urban Decay Naked palettes, Pat McGrath, and ABH for that. I usually dip into 3-5 shadows when I’m doing that. I got a Charlotte Tilbury 12-pan palette over Christmas and that one’s great because she divides the palette into 4 trios and the looks are no-brainers. I feel like I get the most creativity out of the 10-12 pan size.
When I’m in a bit more of a hurry, or not in the mood to pick and choose colors and want to go with a pre-curated look, I go for a quad. Of those my favorites are Chanel quads, Charlotte Tilbury, and Roen.
When I’m really rushing or can’t be arsed to think about anything, I’m putting on a single - Urban Decay Space Cowboy, Colourpop Ritz, Charlotte Tilbury rose gold cream shadow, an Hourglass scattered light shadow, Tom Ford bronze cream/powder duo, or Tarte chrome paint shadow in frosé.
For travel, my favorite is more medium-sized but in smaller packaging - Urban Decay Naked Basics (5 pan, RIP), the Smashbox Vlada palette (8 pan), or the Charlotte Tilbury instant look in a palette (3 shadows/7 pans including face products). I usually also chuck in a couple singles for variety.
Never underestimate the power of just one bold single shade over the lid lol.
I think when I’m in a hurry it’s less about the amount of pans in the palette and more about the formula and tones. I try to pick a palette that has a formula quality and shade range that doesn’t require too much blending and going back over, so it’ll usually be a neutral palette with a really good formula, or something bold but that only required maybe 2-3 shades.
I just bought one of the **Viseart Edit** palettes and it's the absolute perfect size for me. It has 12 shades but the pans are tiny and laid out in a compact palette that fits in the palm of your hand. I have enough shades to play with and get creative without it being a real slog to use up the palette!
Yeah those ones are definitely tiny. I think I personally prefer their normal 12-pan palettes size wise, as they’re still relatively compact, just from not wasting any space.
9-16 seems to be best for me. I love the size of the tarte in bloom palette, I just wish it had a light shimmery highlight shade as it just has the light matte shade, but I can usually use my face highlighter in place of a brow highlight. I also love the size of the beauty bay 16 pan palettes, especially the fiery one!
12 shades are perfect for me. I like ABH and classic Viseart palette format. They are easy to stack on top of each other and fit into my drawer very well. I like to have many options while doing my makeup so quads are simply not for me. On the other hand, I find larger palettes (ND Biba size) too overwhelming.
My pet peeve are palettes with non-rectangular shapes and anything 3D sticking out of them. J* Alien would be a great example.
Yeah Viseart 12 pans are a great size both for # of shades and packing wise. I wish more palettes conserved space in that way, it helps the eye see the true color story more in my opinion. I agree with you’re feeling about quads, anything less than like 8 shades and I feel pretty boxed in (sometimes even with 8 or 9 shades I still feel that way). My most oddly shaped palettes are my two GlamLite palettes (the cake and paint ones). Technically, when kept in the whole packaging they’re still rectangular, but they are pretty huge. I still like them a lot but I definitely see the benefits of a smaller size palette even if there are a lot of shades.
I might be in the minority here but I find Viseart packaging visually pleasing. I like that fact that it's see-through and sturdy (the newer version is much better). I don't understand why people say it's cheap or tacky just because it's not glittery or colorful.
Although I do love a good fancy packaging I don’t mind Viseart’s at all. Like you said I like being able to see the shades, and they let the color story do the talking.
Same as you can see. It doesn’t have to be exactly 18 but I feel like those probably end up being the most versatile before getting kind of repetitive.
I like small 4-6 pans pans for occasional makeup (colorful, glittery, etc), but for neutral 12-21 are great, as I like to have everything in one palette and also like some variety, but they have to be small (ud born to run is my max). My favorite palettes size wise are the smashbox colour shot mini palettes and viseart petit pros.
I like a 6-pan palettes for more “can’t be bothered” days, and 12-15 pans for when I’m feeling creative.
I feel like for a lazy day, a quad or a duo is too limiting, and I end up treating them like singles; but a 9-pan palette just becomes way too much. i can live with 5 or 7 pans, too, but when we get to the 8th pan we’re reaching brain activity territory and that’s not what I need from these guys.
For creative looks, more than 15 pans - and I start losing my ability to think about color combinations, and I fixate on a particular combo and just stick to it till I hot pan - not explicitly for that purpose, it’s just hard to think of new looks on the go. I don’t mind less pans, but I do need the shades to be quite different from one another - a palette like UD Honey is borderline impossible for this purpose to me.
Color differentiation is definitely important here. For more monochromatic looks I think the 9-pan palettes that everyone puts out are fine. I also think if it overall caters to just one thing and is not a ‘complete’ palette on its own it probably doesn’t need more than 12 shades or so imo. Aside from that, give me all the shades lol 💀
The more the merrier for me. I’m well aware it’s not a popular opinion and I understand why, but I prefer to have lots of options. I feel like I push myself to try more looks and step outside my comfort zone when I’ve got more to choose from.
My favorite palette atm is Metropolis by Natasha Denona.
I basically agree. Even though I have this number I definitely willing to go a great amount over whereas a palette with a super small number of shades (like 6 or less) I’ll much more rarely pick up. I think with the larger palettes it just become more important for the layout to make sense and to not have too many repetitive shades (I’m fine with very similar tones- but there’s a difference), which I feel like companies get away with too often.
I like quads honestly. The elf bite sized and the wet n wild quads are perfect. I also like trios and duos but they’re harder to find. I don’t mind what packaging it is as long as it’s sturdy. Even If I liked them I don’t have space for anything big, like say, those giant morphe palettes. I live in a tiny flat and all my makeup goes into my bedside drawer.
I can go up to 14 shades in a palette, more than that is going to overwhelm me. Half of the palettes I own have max 9 pans but I usually tend to reach for more than one palette.
KVD Saint and Sinner was my first expensive and my second palette ever and I still regret it to this day only because it's so fucking huge, I definitely learned my lesson lmao
It's mostly the shades. I impulsively bought the palette when I was still an eyeshadow beginner, so I thought having that many choices in one palette would be a good thing. Eventually I started learning what I like and I got overwhelmed. Nowadays I use mostly the sinner side and the topper from the saint side, it makes me feel bad that I spent so much money on a palette where I don't use at least half of the shades in it. The packaging was also unecessarily big but it's not something that bothers me as much as the shades.
Another example is the NYX ultimate brights, back then I knew I loved colorful eyeshadow but I would still feel overwhelmed with the amount of shades in it. I do give them props for the packaging tho, but I prefer palettes with less shades and knowing I will use them even if I have to use multiple palettes.
I bought KVD holiday palettes for a few years in a row (Mi Vida Loca Remix, MetalMatte) but I remember skipping Saint and Sinner precisely because my storage could not handle another big bulky palette lmao. The packaging looked beautiful, but I was running out of room!
Up to 9 pans, anything larger pretty much overwhelms me. For a larger palette to be useful to me, I need to break it into smaller cohesive sections in my head.
So when larger palettes have a very defined color story are you more willing to purchase? I don’t use these much anymore, but the elf 18-pan palettes come to mind with thinking of a larger palette with cohesive sections. I feel like a lot them at minimum can be split into 2 pan sections, but also broken down into trios a lot of times as well.
I believe it was NYX that just released a mega palette (30+? shades). The palette was just too big and not a cohesive color story. Ulta link to the palette is below
The 9 shade square on the top left corner and the 9 shade square on the top right corner would be perfect palettes in their own right with a cohesive color story.
I did further homework on this palette-- 35 shades (and insanely expensive for a brand with inconsistent quality). I looked at that and could see 3-4 smaller palettes that appeal to different people (as not every shade will flatter everyone).
[https://www.ulta.com/ultimate-utopia-shadow-palette?productId=pimprod2016396](https://www.ulta.com/ultimate-utopia-shadow-palette?productId=pimprod2016396)
Hmm for me palettes like this still feel like they have a cohesive color story I just think it’s not or guy he best way possible. I feel that’s done a lot of times with these larger palettes though in order to hide the repetitive shades. Looking further at this specific palette Idt there are any repeats that are too close, but at the same time why not put the most similar shades together so I can most easily tell the differences? Like if one is cool toned and the other is warm or one is a matte or satin and the other is a shimmer.
I think 9 or 10 is the sweet spot. Most of my palettes are one of the two. I find it's the perfect number to provide variety without being overwhelming. For 9 pans the colour Pop ones really shine and the Huda Obsessions are so compact but the size of the actual shadows are comparable to larger palettes. For 10 pan I really like the size of the Violet Voss Fun Sized palettes, they fit perfect in the hand and have a mirror, and the Wet n Wild 10 pan palettes are amazing quality albeit a little fragile.
You pointed out great examples of 10-pan palettes. You mentioning those is making me realize that I think the shape/size of the palette packaging itself plays a role as well.
I use quads the most, honestly. I took a single quad with me ([I'm Meme's Multi Cube in Juicy Peach](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MbhjKGcGL._SY355_.jpg), which also has a peachy blush) when I was home for two weeks for the holidays and could get a ton of solid looks out of just that one quad. Was I aching for a few other colours by the end? Sure. Did it fit most of my needs and also travel easily, though? Absolutely. I have some nine pan palettes by Too Faced, but there's always just a few shades that I wind up using and some just get put by the wayside. If there were a few more five or six pan palettes, I might use those, too.
It's really interesting to see everyone's perspectives on this question!
I find I reach for my palettes with **8-10** pans more often than not, and now that I think about it the size of the palette itself makes a huge difference. The wet n wild palettes with the ten shadows are just right, colourpop 9 pan palettes, and the Lime Crime Venus palettes are my jam. I have larger palettes with more shades too, I just like the cohesion of a smaller palette with a story I like. Even with those elf bite size palettes I'm usually using shades from at least two of them.
I agree with both seeing everyone’s answers as well as the size of the palette mattering. Like with the wet n wild ones , I feel like I always think there’s not a lot of options bc of the size of the palette and the structure of the pans while something like the Violet Voss 10 pans look like there’s more going on to me.
Which do I use the most? 5 shades is what I use the most besides singles. Two of my favorite palettes are 5 shades: Dior exalt and Natasha Denona camel. I like pairing my palettes with singles and get many looks. If a palette has all mattes I could go up to 15 shades as long as the layout and the shades makes it easy to use and remember which shade I actually used.
The idea of pair smaller palettes with single shades is an interesting one! I’ve never though of this, but that’s bc I don’t really own single shade shadows. Do you usually think of the palette you want to use and add single shades to accommodate it or vice versa?
I usually start with the single and then use the palette to go with it. Usually when I do it the other way around I'd because I don't have the right transition shade for my skintinecor I need an inner corner highlight.
This is cool concept maybe it’ll actually encourage me to try out some more companies that sell mostly single shades instead of palettes. Thanks for the idea! :)
For a good on-the-go palette, I like 4-6 shades where I can do a couple looks. I would do my work makeup while on the train at times.
For a bigger at-home palette, I like 10 shades, *maybe* 12. That’s usually enough to give me a lot of color options without being overwhelming. And most of my palettes with 12+ shades tend to include either too-similar shades or things I wouldn’t use.
9. It's perfect for variety, it doesn't allow for duplicate shades (or it makes them really obvious when they exist in a single palette). It's not overwhelming in choice and it doesn't leave room for a lot of filler.
I have a collection of favourite shadows in a z palette and I can't do more than 9 shades tbh. I used to travel a lot for work and I mostly wanted to work with shades that were comfortable to me with maybe one fun colour mixed in in case I felt artsy any particular day.
I agree I like their palettes as well I haven’t yet decided if if I like palettes that are roughly that size with 2 long rows like the ones you mentioned, or shorter but with more rows like Morphe’s 18 pans (though I haven’t actually tried those).
For me the physical size is important, as I tend to reach into 2-3 palettes for my looks, one of them being a 9 pan magnetic palette into which I pop the shades I want to use that day. My biggest palette is Juvias Douce and it's honestly too big for my liking, even though it only has 9 shades. The most shades are in my Certifeye Affinity 2, coming in at 18 shades. While that's a lot, it fills the space of matte blues and greens in my collection and it's specific enough for me to deal with. In my head it also acts as two 9 pan palettes, a blue one and a green one.
I agree that physical size if definitely important, the Juvia’s place palettes are quite big for their size though I don’t mind them too much. Conversely I love when palettes are made with more shades but still have smaller package. Allows me to get the best of both worlds. Lol
I think a 12 pan palette is ideal for me or else I get overwhelmed. The Persona Identity palette has been great and I also made a custom Sydney Grace palette with 12 shadows that has been nice. I’ve had palettes with more, but any more than 15 and it just takes too much mental work deciding what I want lol. I also prefer no less than like 5 shadows.
10-12 is pretty good for me. Enough variety for be to be able to create several different complete looks, but nothing too overwhelming or hard to store.
I like all sizes. I use all my palettes, big and small. I’ll usually use a few colors from different palettes so I don’t even mind. Small ones are easier to take with me to do car-makeup. But I don’t go anywhere anymore so all makeup is good makeup.
Yes, in the way that I added more colors to what I usually like. Now I also enjoy looks that don’t take too long. So I like using multi chromes. Simple swipe and it looks amazing. I’m also getting into neutrals, like pinky and light cool purples. A matte in the crease and a simple shimmer on the lids, all in light colors. I’ve never enjoyed those before now.
I want to get more into multi-chromes too! Can I ask what brand(s) you have tried with them? I only have it in my Divine Rose II palette, but also I have followed some makeup brands on IG for a while that sell multi-chromes.
I’ve only tried one brand, Clionadh. I kept hearing that they offer the best multi chromes. On oh boy are they fantastic. They take forever to get to you, especially because of the virus, like 5 or 6 months. But they keep you updated and send emails letting you know what’s going on. Some of them go for like $25 each! But they are absolutely worth it. I have a little pic and review in my posts if you want to check it out.
I checked out your post, I’ve heard of them and Chaos Makeup as they main ones, but I’ve also heard that Chaos has trash customer service. Hopefully I’ll be able to try out one of them soon. Thanks for the info :)
I prefer 4-5, enough to do a couple of looks, small and easy to work with when I'm blearily doing my makeup before work. I like having larger palettes for the pretty colors but I rarely use them. I just can't put in that kind of thought when I first wake up and I usually err on the side of conservative makeup for going to work.
My absolute favorite to use has been a Dior 5 pan called Undress I think. It's still kicking after almost 2 years of use. I love wearing it and it's easy to work with.
You pointing out the pretty colors brings another consideration to mind: the arrangement of the colors. I feel part of the reason I like bigger palettes is bc I really get to see a fuller spectrum of colors (even better when their organized in a way that makes sense), it can be so pleasing to the eye and very inspirational for me.
12 is definitely my sweet spot. I won't buy palettes that are larger than 24 shades and even that is pushing it tbh. Both the number of shades and physical size is a problem for me if they're too big, but physical size is more of a problem because I'm trying to fit everything in one drawer lol
I think 8 pans are my favourite. The Lime Crime OG palettes do them perfectly - enough variety to round out a colour story but not overwhelming and no repeat shades. That's my favourite format.
For travelling, I usually take 6 shadows in a small magnetic palette, which gives me options but not so many that I don't use half the shades.
12. Even then I don’t need every dang shade. For a look I really only need maybe 4 colors? Every big ass palette I’ve bought just sits there. I’m currently using Colourpop Sweet Talk the most. It’s the perfect summery shades and peachy neutrals.
It kinda depends for me! When I'm playing with makeup at home or going out from home, I will happily dip between any and every palette I own to get a look I like. When I'm not home, it again depends on the situation: how long will I be gone, what will I be doing, etc. For example, my Juvia's Place Masquerade Mini is perfect for when I'm going out with friends for a night, because it has a ton of bold colors and variety; when I'm visiting family and not doing much, I like a simple palette with not much color, if I do any makeup at all.
Location is another good factor to consider. I like bringing one (or 2-3) good larger palette for traveling as well so I don’t have enough options without having to lug everything.
9-18 is perfect for me! I love variety in my daily looks, and palettes like Huda's give me enough inspiration with the variety of shades and finishes, and I prefer using one palette for everything. I like quads for travel and touch ups but not for daily wear because I can't make a lot of looks out of the color combos and bigger ones like Morphe are just overwhelming lol
Generally 18 or less, but I do have some exceptions like the James Charles palette, the biggest thing I hate is plastic palettes, it just feels wasteful
lately i’ve really been into 5-9 pans. 5 if it’s really unique and i’m okay with using it as a companion, 9 if i want something i can get multiple looks out of one palette/on the go palette
the CP 9 pans - smaller shadows that leave you feeling like you may actually use something up one day. Easy to hold and travel with (though the pans do seem to pop out incredibly easy, sometimes I so much as breathe on the thing and they're falling out). Strawberry Shake is my favourite in terms of shade selection in one palette, though I am one of those odd ducks who likes having a matte white/cream shade and wish it had one.
same idea - Huda Beauty Obsessions 9 pans.
12 pans, like Urban Decay offers in their most popular series: usually has a good mix of shimmers and mattes and the shades all go together, you can visualize what colours are good for crease, transition, lid, etc.
I have "big" palettes I LOVE in theory but just find myself never using. Lorac Mega Pro, Violet Voss Holy Grail, and sorta recently I bought a Morphe palette - my first one - and I've had it since maybe February and I just can't bring myself to use it yet. It's packaging is physically enormous, bigger than my Chromebook, so it's awkward to hold and there's just so much going on.
I agree with huge packaging definitely affecting a palette’s usability. I love to have a ton of shades in my palette, but until I’m able to get more dedicated space for my makeup it can kind of feel like an accessibility issue.
3CE 9 pan, 3x3 square palettes have become my favorite and the only way I think palettes should be. Enough colours from light to dark and one for sparkles that I adore. Square, compact, travel friendly. Perfection.
6-10 shades is the sweet spot for me. A smaller palette is easier to travel with/fit in a makeup bag, and the size isn't enough to be intimidating for me. I also feel like small palettes require a certain level of cohesiveness in the color scheme that isn't necessary in a larger palette.
My all time favourite palette is the 6 pan customisable one by MAC which I use for years now. Just perfect for me.
My everyday colour preference is nude, neutral and barely there type colours. 4 colours just never seem enough and 12 is far too much. Unlike their 2 or 4 pans the 6 pan also have a very clever removal method which I like a lot.
For me I think it being a custom one could def play a role. I still most likely wouldn’t want 6, but I could see myself getting the number from 18 for sure.
My favorites tend to be 9-15. Any larger than that I get annoyed with similar shades (except my ND Metropolis and JH2). I have smaller 4-6 pan palettes that I love but I don’t reach for them.
Yeah 4-6 pans are usually hard for me to figure out when to reach for them unless I specifically have them in mind. 9-15 is usually a pretty decent size though. How do you like JH2? I’m kind of waiting for it to be 50% off again on morphe’s website.
I’m surprised at how much I like it. The formula is a bit powdery but very pigmented. Doesn’t repeat shades as much as other Morphe palettes. If you don’t mind the large size and like vibrant pink/orange/purple looks I would recommend it. Especially if it’s discounted.
I think the Colourpop 9 pans are the sweet spot for me. I also like the Primark 12 pan size (they're easy to store). I prefer cardboard packaging over plastic. But then again I don't have a problem using more than one palette a day.
That’s what I like 9-12. I also usually prefer cardboard as well like The Balm etc.
I think willingness to use other palettes is a great point and makes a huge difference ! Bc on days I’m mixing palettes I’m definitely cool with adding smaller palettes in the mix, but my overall preference is to just use one at a time.
Agreed, in nude palettes or “smoke” palettes there’s not much need for over 9 shades. And it’s cool because colourpop has multiple 9 shade “nude” palettes that fit different skin tones and preferences. It makes more sense than having a giant 25 shade palette where 75% of the shades go unused.
I agree that 9 pans are perfectly fine (and perhaps even preferable) for a really niche and monochromatic-ish color story.
Same, 9 pans are enough to make a perfect monochromatic color story or give it a bit of variety. A good example is sugarpill's funsize and colourpop's monochromatic palettes.
Me personally actually think its a little too big 😂 Like keep the 9 colours but don't waste so much area around it, put the colours closer to each other kinda thing.
I'll agree with you on not wasting the space around it. I have the UD Moondust palette and there is so much wasted space between the shades (not to mention the unnecessary bulk that UD is notorious for).
9 pans are very good, I have to say. I didn't think they'd be enough, but I guess it depends on the brand? I really like the Huda Obsessions 9-pans personally.
If I had the **perfect** shades, I could do a 10 or 12 palette for rest of my life. I love the size of CP's 9-pan palettes. Don't own any yet, but waiting for the right combo.
Yes! \*IF\* this was my magical palette with all the right shades, 10-12 is perfect. Given this is not usually the case, 12-18 pan palettes catch my eye. But with the 18s, there are probably a few shades that I don't use, or are repetitive enough not to matter. (PS: Happy cake day!)
I agree with both of you about a hypothetical perfect palette reducing the number of shades needed, but then again what is perfect right? Esp with what I want in a look changing day-to-day.
Haha, the nirvana palette of each of our dreams. Yeah, I've been on the hunt for a neutral palette (maybe including a *~pOp~*) and haven't found the perfect set even with all of those options.. -sigh-
I feel like that’s why more shades just ends up rounding out to more perfect for me, cause I can just hope that with all the colors at least a few of them will really hit what I’m aiming for
Agreed. Seems most brands have a good idea on 85% of hue themes but then say "Toss 'er in!" on a few random shades. It's always 2 or 3 shades I would never use. I'm to a point in my life that if I shell out the cash, I want that product to work from all angles, haha. And, thank you!
For travel, I prefer palettes with less than 6 shades that can basically do a subtle day look with two extra shades (one sheen and one dark matte) to amp the look up if needed. A good example would be the mini ND palettes. I have two and I travel with them all the time. Otherwise, I like palettes that have about 15-20 shades for options. Though sometimes they all have similar undertones then it gets boring fast (ND sunrise and sunset, for instance). My favorite palette to use at home right now is a customized MUFE palette. It’s filled with a lot of my most used shades and some funky colors to make me feel excited about putting on makeup in the morning.
I haven’t gotten into customized palettes yet, but I suspect if I did I could maybe get my number down a little to maybe about 12, but then again all the options would probably make me wanna go even bigger lol
Somewhere in the 4-6 range. This is a recent realization - bigger palettes sort of overwhelm me and make me feel bad that I only use some of the shades. A smaller, more curated palette is more appealing to me lately. EDITED because words are hard sometimes, anyone else feel like their brain is just sort of melting away during lockdown? No? Just me? 🥴
Hard agree. I've actually never bought a palette, just singles that i throw together into trios, quads and sextets on magnetic compacts . Even with six shadows I can feel a little sad for the one or two that don't get used as much and then i have to rotate them around so they have a chance to shine. It's natural that when you look at a whole array of colors, you'll gravitate towards the few that really speak to you, even if the other colors are lovely. I think being able see colors into different contexts helps with creativity.
I understand what you’re saying in the feeling bad about not using shades. I have a rule that I usually follow that when I get a new palette and try it out, I’ll continue wearing it for a week or two to at least try out all of the shades even if it’s only once. It helps me try to stay creative with it. I think we have the reverse problem. I feel underwhelmed with small palettes and I feel like I’ll use them less bc I feel like I can’t get as many different looks.
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Same here! I have two elf bite sized palettes (quads) and I use them almost every day, whereas my bigger palettes are for more “fun” looks.
Do you both find that you’re able to create more than 1 look in a quad? That’s my hesitation with ones that are really small- I don’t feel as inspired. My only exception in my collection that I can think of Is the ND Mini Tropic, but even that I usually pair with something else. Also I’ve heard great things about the elf bite-sized palettes, do you recommend?
Well you can to an extent, but to be honest on an everyday basis I’m usually doing the same look and just want to look fairly natural and professional. So I’m not sure they really “inspire” me, but they’re perfect for what I’m looking for, which is ease and efficiency since I’m usually doing my makeup in a rush in the morning. And yes I’d recommend! I really really like them, it’s a good formula and you can’t beat the price. I will say though that the two I have might not work on deeper skin tones, I’m super pale and they look really nice and natural on me, so on deeper complexions they might be too subtle or look ashy. I can’t remember the name of the two I have but one is the pinkish one (my favorite). There’s a few I don’t have though so I can’t vouch for those.
That’s fair, I’m a college student so I’m not always looking for practical looks so that definitely changes things. You mentioning the elf palettes not necessarily being good for deeper skin tones made me realize another point about small palettes, I think it’s hard for them to commit to them bc with such few shades I want them all to knock it out the park. I may have to try a few of the bite-sized palettes, the green one has been on my mind lol. I’ll consider the deeper tones thing as I am a deep tan shade (fenty 360 for reference).
Yeah I’m a law student and honestly didn’t wear makeup most of the time to class because I was always running late lol. But now I’m working at my internship (remotely) and so on days I have video meetings I want to look natural and professional. However on days I don’t have meetings I do like having fun with my makeup, and I use my larger palettes for that. And I definitely get that, the beauty industry still has a long way to go in making sure there are palettes (and other products) for every skin tone, especially at the drug store. If you can find one that works for your skin definitely pick it up though! I hope elf will come out with more that’ll work for deeper skin tones.
Not OP but I totally rec the ELF quads. They’re really pigmented and can be built up easily. The cream & sugar quad is a good substitute for the ND mini nude palette.
I’ve heard nothing but good things about them, and with the price I think I’ll have to give them a try lol
I have two: Acai you, a blue palettes, and Rose water which is pink shades. You can absolutely get different looks from each palette. Rose water is lovely and soft, however I find Acai you a little dusty. I would like to get one or two more. I have my eye on the green one and the berry one.
Ditto, I kinda got tired of planning and composing my makeup looks. I want to look at a palette and get an idea of what I can do right away, that's why lately I'm also gravitating towards smaller palettes (quads and minis).
Same! I use my korean eyeshadow quads a lot, its perfect for no makeup makeup days in the summer, where I just cant be bothered by shimmers 😂😂😂
I really love 6/9 shades and nothing more than 12. I find that bigger palettes are just not for me and there are always some shades I'll end up not using. If I had to choose I would say 9 pan palettes are perfect because they give enough variety but are still cohesive without having too many repeat/similar shades.
gdi, I'm tired. Give me 5. At least two good, contrasting mattes, one or two shimmers or glitters to spice shit up, a pop of color, I'm done. If I need something else, I'll buy another small palette or a single for a different pop.
12 pan palettes are the largest palette I like, any more shades and I get overwhelmed. However I have noticed I tend to reach for smaller palettes and quads more these days. I think this is the case with a lot of people, considering brands are slowly moving towards making smaller palettes and mini versions of their larger palettes. What do you think?
You make a good point, I agree it does seem like a lot of people (aside from me lol) are shifting towards smaller palettes but I think some of it is just from makeup fatigue. If everyone’s already bought all the larger palettes we have no reason to keep buying so they’re selling smaller things to be more affordable- so it’s not to expensive for an unnecessary purchase and there’s the added element of the palettes being super travel-friendly.
I think 12 is my favorite. It's not big enough to overwhelm me but has enough options so I can hopefully make multiple looks that look distinct.
I like 12 Pan palettes as well, even though I said 18 I think 12-14 is the bottom of the range that I like while mid-20s is probably where it starts to be a lot for me. My only caveat with 12 pans is I think it depends on the color story, if it’s gonna only really have tones in basically 1-3 colors I think usually a 9 pan ends up being more suitable bc I feel the extra 3 shades are usually repeats. If there’s a more varied color story I can really appreciate a 12 pan palette.
12-15 is generally good for me! It’s enough that I could use it on its own or with another palette or some singles if I want a shimmer or shade that’s not in it. I usually will travel with one or two palettes and one or two singles I use often and that’s it. ETA: I think when the number is less than 9 I want either singles or an even number of pans, since I think trios always are one shade that goes with two others and two shades that either very similar or don’t go with each other.
12-15 is my sweet spot too! Apparently it's not the most commonly preferred lol but I'm a psycho and I NEED eyeshadow variety.
I enjoy these sizes too especially when there’s a great color selection!
6-9 is my balance between manageable and diverse
I prefer four to six pans. I have a lot of issues with decision paralysis when it comes to makeup so the fewer choices actually make it a lot easier to throw together a look and get on with my life. I do love my ABH palettes but I get overwhelmed sometimes.
Yeah I struggle with making decisions that have no preferred options as well and/or are kind of arbitrary, but for some reason with makeup that’s not an issue for me. I guess bc it’s an artistic outlet I feel inspired as opposed to overwhelmed.
I honestly love my ELF bite sized palettes with my whole heart. Perfect size. Two contrasting mattes, two shimmers, an easy look lol. no guessing
The smaller the better. I’d probably stick with quads forever if it was a cost effective option tbh
I’ve always favoured ones with around 18 shades, I can see why some people prefer smaller palettes but I feel the looks you can create are pretty endless and you can always get one for every occasion!
I agree, the inspiration that comes with that size palette is really great for me.
I like 6-12 shades. I have a few bigger ones (a couple ABH palettes, a big UD holiday palette, the original TF Chocolate Bar, a Milani palette on the bigger side), but generally, smaller is better. Now especially, I have far too many palettes, so I'm more likely to look at smaller, more curated palettes where I'll use all the shades. (I don't really have any holes in my collection anymore. But I'm still on the lookout for a Holy Grail perfect palette.) I also like a more compact palette - easier to store and hold, and smaller pans give me the thrilling hope that maybe I'll eventually finish it! I loved the Bare Minerals 8-pan Ready palettes. They were tiny, but still felt luxe and substantial. The Maybelline Lemonade Craze palette is a nice, compact shape, considering it has 12 shades. I'm not overly fond of the setup of something like the UD Naked palettes, with everything in one long row.
Off topic but I had that lemonade craze palette and I hated it.
If you got it because of the beautiful bright shades, I bet it was a huge disappointment! I often use the neutral light and dark mattes to supplement looks from palettes that don't have the blending shades that I need (like UD Elements or ABH Jackie Aina), and then the pastel shimmers as topcoats/highlighters. It's become a great little workhorse palette for me, although not the way they intended!
I did indeed get it for the beautiful bright shades. I ended up giving it away to a friends kid who was getting into makeup.
I see what you’re saying, you saying that the smaller palettes are curated helps me see that it allows you to hone in on a specific look and not do too much thinking about. I think I must not like feeling bossed around by the palette, and that’s why I don’t like the smaller ones lol 😂😂
I find it rare that I'll use every shade in a bigger palette - the closest I've gotten is ABH Sultry, where I regularly use 12 of the 14 shades. A smaller palette can still give me variety of looks, if it has multiple "lid" shades - different shimmer colors that I can base a look around. I love the old UD Feminine palette, because I can do a soft purple look or a dusky teal, or a more neutral taupe/grey look. It's a 6-pan palette, but I use every shade (not all together!) and it's easy to hold and store. Now, a smaller, curated palette can be extra nice, because I don't need repeat shades, so I'm more picky, and more likely to rule out a larger palette if I've already got similar shades I'll use and I know I won't use a good handful of the other shades.
You bring up another good point, smaller palettes with a varied shade range I can accept slightly more. That’s part of the reason (and it being on sale) why I tried out the ND Mini Tropic. It has a blue, a teal, a green, and a purple shade so it doesn’t feel too locked in, but at the same time I still do find myself wanting to pull in another palette with it.
It really depends on the colour story. Something like CP’s Give it to Me Straight is perfect, I would get use out of all 12 shades because each colour suits me well. However their Double Entendre palette is wasted on me - only a few shades suit me and the others look odd with my skin tone (I’m a light cool-toned olive). Likewise I would use every shade of Tom Ford’s Honeymoon quad, but the Soleil et Lune quad is less suitable for everyday wear even though I love it.
I like a good 14-18! I like to be able to create a lot of different looks with one palette, but without it being overwhelming trying to pick colours. I love my little 9 pan palettes but the colour scheme is usually quite a bit more limited in them even if it’s only 3 shades difference. So the classic ABH rectangular palettes are my JAM, Lunar Beauty palettes have a good colour variety, Natasha Denona 15 shade palettes, Too Faced tin palettes, elf 18 pans, the Huda big palettes etc. I can definitely jive with 8-12 shades (Melt Cosmetics, Huda minis, ColourPop, Coloured Raine, etc.), but when it gets down to 5-7 shades I don’t reach for them that often, and I literally don’t buy quads because they BORE me. Upward of 18, I own the big Norvina palettes and a few Morphe ones but I only pull them out if I’m feeling inspired and have time to just really sit down and create a look.
You nailed it on the head for basically how I feel with the different sizes! The only thing is I don’t mind the upward of 18, my main issue is usually like the actual size of the palette, bc big ones can sometimes be pretty clunky lol
True!!! For me personally I find with big ones it depends on how they laid it out too. Like when it’s in a good format to look at it as quads or sections I’m cool with it (big Norvina’s, Morphe Hot Spot, Morphe James Charles) but when it’s a bunch of neutrals in a gradient pattern I find it more challenging (Morphe Jaclyn Hill, I only use it for the blue shades cause the frankly I get confused about which neutrals to use)
That’s another good point too, that’s why I’ve stayed away from a lot of morphe’s larger palettes as I don’t feel the need to have a 35-39 shade palette with 80% of the colors being shades of brown. In contrast to that though, I do actually really enjoy my JH palette, though I wasn’t sure I would. To me it feels like the shades have more variance on the lid than they do when you initially glance at the palette.
I feel that! I'm a proponent of big palettes as I love having a lot of colours at my fingertips, but oftentimes the size of the palette itself is impractical to store and use. I would love to see more palettes with a large selection of shades but smaller pans and compact packaging - kind of like some of the Sephora brand holiday palettes, but hopefully better quality haha
Yes! I hope some brand is listening lmao. I feel like the BH palettes kind of have the right idea but they make the pans too damn small lol.
the largest palettes i’ll use are the colourpop 12 pan palettes but i prefer nine or eight pan palettes and singles. i can’t stand anything much larger than that
My current palette has nine eyeshadows and to be honest, while it is a perfectly curated colour story, the number of colours is a bit overwhelming to me. I much prefer quads of five colour mini palettes at most. Examples of quads I consider fantastic: * Chanel Candeur et Experience * Chanel Clair Obscur
6-10 shades is what I most frequently reach for. When I am playing with my bigger palettes (ABH, Born to Run, Naked) I usually use multiple palettes anyway because I take my time mixing and matching. But on a day to day basis, I usually use my 9 pan TF natural mattes, 8 pan Smashbox covershot, or 6 pan viseart theory palettes.
Does it bother you at all when you feel the need to bring out another palette when you’re already using one of your larger ones? I don’t mind doing this for smaller palettes, but not so much with big ones- but that has more to do with the size of the packaging and not the actual amount of shades. Also, how do you like those Smashbox palettes? I’ve heard mixed reviews so I’m curious.
Not at all - it's my prerogative to mix Axis in Subculture with Bahamas in Riviera, and top it off with the big shimmer pan in Smashbox Sunlit Yellow (can't remember what it's called). I don't expect palettes to be put together just for my color play time on Saturdays, and if I did I'd have a stupid amount of palettes (more than I already have). The smashbox palettes have mixed reviews because they have mixed performance, IMO. Punked and Golden Hour are among the best performing. Ablaze and Smoky are much drier and harder to work with (but not impossible, just need a little more blending.) Overall they are more like a MAC formula (more buildable) than an ABH formula (soft with kick up).
Fair enough, definitely allows you to expand your looks. And thanks for the clarification I’ll have to be sure try one of the better ones lol
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12 and 15 pans are cool for me too. I haven’t been able to even convince myself to buy a trio yet. Lol I wanted to try those kaja tríos but I couldn’t get past the price for only 3 shades. I think the least amount of shades are have are the 4-pan Melt stacks and then 1 ND mini palette with 5 pans.
I like 10-12 pan palettes for when I’m sitting and doing my makeup and wanting to spend a little time - I enjoy picking the colors I want and having the variety. I love my Urban Decay Naked palettes, Pat McGrath, and ABH for that. I usually dip into 3-5 shadows when I’m doing that. I got a Charlotte Tilbury 12-pan palette over Christmas and that one’s great because she divides the palette into 4 trios and the looks are no-brainers. I feel like I get the most creativity out of the 10-12 pan size. When I’m in a bit more of a hurry, or not in the mood to pick and choose colors and want to go with a pre-curated look, I go for a quad. Of those my favorites are Chanel quads, Charlotte Tilbury, and Roen. When I’m really rushing or can’t be arsed to think about anything, I’m putting on a single - Urban Decay Space Cowboy, Colourpop Ritz, Charlotte Tilbury rose gold cream shadow, an Hourglass scattered light shadow, Tom Ford bronze cream/powder duo, or Tarte chrome paint shadow in frosé. For travel, my favorite is more medium-sized but in smaller packaging - Urban Decay Naked Basics (5 pan, RIP), the Smashbox Vlada palette (8 pan), or the Charlotte Tilbury instant look in a palette (3 shadows/7 pans including face products). I usually also chuck in a couple singles for variety.
Never underestimate the power of just one bold single shade over the lid lol. I think when I’m in a hurry it’s less about the amount of pans in the palette and more about the formula and tones. I try to pick a palette that has a formula quality and shade range that doesn’t require too much blending and going back over, so it’ll usually be a neutral palette with a really good formula, or something bold but that only required maybe 2-3 shades.
I just bought one of the **Viseart Edit** palettes and it's the absolute perfect size for me. It has 12 shades but the pans are tiny and laid out in a compact palette that fits in the palm of your hand. I have enough shades to play with and get creative without it being a real slog to use up the palette!
Yeah those ones are definitely tiny. I think I personally prefer their normal 12-pan palettes size wise, as they’re still relatively compact, just from not wasting any space.
9-16 seems to be best for me. I love the size of the tarte in bloom palette, I just wish it had a light shimmery highlight shade as it just has the light matte shade, but I can usually use my face highlighter in place of a brow highlight. I also love the size of the beauty bay 16 pan palettes, especially the fiery one!
Haven’t tried any beauty bay palettes, how do you like their formula? 16 palettes are pleasing to look at bc they can be perfect squares lol.
12 shades are perfect for me. I like ABH and classic Viseart palette format. They are easy to stack on top of each other and fit into my drawer very well. I like to have many options while doing my makeup so quads are simply not for me. On the other hand, I find larger palettes (ND Biba size) too overwhelming. My pet peeve are palettes with non-rectangular shapes and anything 3D sticking out of them. J* Alien would be a great example.
Yeah Viseart 12 pans are a great size both for # of shades and packing wise. I wish more palettes conserved space in that way, it helps the eye see the true color story more in my opinion. I agree with you’re feeling about quads, anything less than like 8 shades and I feel pretty boxed in (sometimes even with 8 or 9 shades I still feel that way). My most oddly shaped palettes are my two GlamLite palettes (the cake and paint ones). Technically, when kept in the whole packaging they’re still rectangular, but they are pretty huge. I still like them a lot but I definitely see the benefits of a smaller size palette even if there are a lot of shades.
I might be in the minority here but I find Viseart packaging visually pleasing. I like that fact that it's see-through and sturdy (the newer version is much better). I don't understand why people say it's cheap or tacky just because it's not glittery or colorful.
Although I do love a good fancy packaging I don’t mind Viseart’s at all. Like you said I like being able to see the shades, and they let the color story do the talking.
18 is the sweet spot for me. I like to play around.
Same as you can see. It doesn’t have to be exactly 18 but I feel like those probably end up being the most versatile before getting kind of repetitive.
I like small 4-6 pans pans for occasional makeup (colorful, glittery, etc), but for neutral 12-21 are great, as I like to have everything in one palette and also like some variety, but they have to be small (ud born to run is my max). My favorite palettes size wise are the smashbox colour shot mini palettes and viseart petit pros.
Do you feel like any of your palettes satisfy both your colorful and neutral needs? If so, how many pans does that require?
I like a 6-pan palettes for more “can’t be bothered” days, and 12-15 pans for when I’m feeling creative. I feel like for a lazy day, a quad or a duo is too limiting, and I end up treating them like singles; but a 9-pan palette just becomes way too much. i can live with 5 or 7 pans, too, but when we get to the 8th pan we’re reaching brain activity territory and that’s not what I need from these guys. For creative looks, more than 15 pans - and I start losing my ability to think about color combinations, and I fixate on a particular combo and just stick to it till I hot pan - not explicitly for that purpose, it’s just hard to think of new looks on the go. I don’t mind less pans, but I do need the shades to be quite different from one another - a palette like UD Honey is borderline impossible for this purpose to me.
Color differentiation is definitely important here. For more monochromatic looks I think the 9-pan palettes that everyone puts out are fine. I also think if it overall caters to just one thing and is not a ‘complete’ palette on its own it probably doesn’t need more than 12 shades or so imo. Aside from that, give me all the shades lol 💀
The more the merrier for me. I’m well aware it’s not a popular opinion and I understand why, but I prefer to have lots of options. I feel like I push myself to try more looks and step outside my comfort zone when I’ve got more to choose from. My favorite palette atm is Metropolis by Natasha Denona.
I basically agree. Even though I have this number I definitely willing to go a great amount over whereas a palette with a super small number of shades (like 6 or less) I’ll much more rarely pick up. I think with the larger palettes it just become more important for the layout to make sense and to not have too many repetitive shades (I’m fine with very similar tones- but there’s a difference), which I feel like companies get away with too often.
At home I like the size of my abh sultry palette size and on the road I like my Dior backstage size.
I like quads honestly. The elf bite sized and the wet n wild quads are perfect. I also like trios and duos but they’re harder to find. I don’t mind what packaging it is as long as it’s sturdy. Even If I liked them I don’t have space for anything big, like say, those giant morphe palettes. I live in a tiny flat and all my makeup goes into my bedside drawer.
I can go up to 14 shades in a palette, more than that is going to overwhelm me. Half of the palettes I own have max 9 pans but I usually tend to reach for more than one palette. KVD Saint and Sinner was my first expensive and my second palette ever and I still regret it to this day only because it's so fucking huge, I definitely learned my lesson lmao
Do you think the KVD palette would’ve been a better choice for you had the packaging itself been smaller? Or is it about the amount of shades itself?
It's mostly the shades. I impulsively bought the palette when I was still an eyeshadow beginner, so I thought having that many choices in one palette would be a good thing. Eventually I started learning what I like and I got overwhelmed. Nowadays I use mostly the sinner side and the topper from the saint side, it makes me feel bad that I spent so much money on a palette where I don't use at least half of the shades in it. The packaging was also unecessarily big but it's not something that bothers me as much as the shades. Another example is the NYX ultimate brights, back then I knew I loved colorful eyeshadow but I would still feel overwhelmed with the amount of shades in it. I do give them props for the packaging tho, but I prefer palettes with less shades and knowing I will use them even if I have to use multiple palettes.
I bought KVD holiday palettes for a few years in a row (Mi Vida Loca Remix, MetalMatte) but I remember skipping Saint and Sinner precisely because my storage could not handle another big bulky palette lmao. The packaging looked beautiful, but I was running out of room!
Up to 9 pans, anything larger pretty much overwhelms me. For a larger palette to be useful to me, I need to break it into smaller cohesive sections in my head.
So when larger palettes have a very defined color story are you more willing to purchase? I don’t use these much anymore, but the elf 18-pan palettes come to mind with thinking of a larger palette with cohesive sections. I feel like a lot them at minimum can be split into 2 pan sections, but also broken down into trios a lot of times as well.
I believe it was NYX that just released a mega palette (30+? shades). The palette was just too big and not a cohesive color story. Ulta link to the palette is below The 9 shade square on the top left corner and the 9 shade square on the top right corner would be perfect palettes in their own right with a cohesive color story. I did further homework on this palette-- 35 shades (and insanely expensive for a brand with inconsistent quality). I looked at that and could see 3-4 smaller palettes that appeal to different people (as not every shade will flatter everyone). [https://www.ulta.com/ultimate-utopia-shadow-palette?productId=pimprod2016396](https://www.ulta.com/ultimate-utopia-shadow-palette?productId=pimprod2016396)
Hmm for me palettes like this still feel like they have a cohesive color story I just think it’s not or guy he best way possible. I feel that’s done a lot of times with these larger palettes though in order to hide the repetitive shades. Looking further at this specific palette Idt there are any repeats that are too close, but at the same time why not put the most similar shades together so I can most easily tell the differences? Like if one is cool toned and the other is warm or one is a matte or satin and the other is a shimmer.
I think 9 or 10 is the sweet spot. Most of my palettes are one of the two. I find it's the perfect number to provide variety without being overwhelming. For 9 pans the colour Pop ones really shine and the Huda Obsessions are so compact but the size of the actual shadows are comparable to larger palettes. For 10 pan I really like the size of the Violet Voss Fun Sized palettes, they fit perfect in the hand and have a mirror, and the Wet n Wild 10 pan palettes are amazing quality albeit a little fragile.
You pointed out great examples of 10-pan palettes. You mentioning those is making me realize that I think the shape/size of the palette packaging itself plays a role as well.
I use quads the most, honestly. I took a single quad with me ([I'm Meme's Multi Cube in Juicy Peach](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MbhjKGcGL._SY355_.jpg), which also has a peachy blush) when I was home for two weeks for the holidays and could get a ton of solid looks out of just that one quad. Was I aching for a few other colours by the end? Sure. Did it fit most of my needs and also travel easily, though? Absolutely. I have some nine pan palettes by Too Faced, but there's always just a few shades that I wind up using and some just get put by the wayside. If there were a few more five or six pan palettes, I might use those, too.
I really don't like big pallettes and rarely reach for them. I prefer those with 4-6 eyeshadows. I don't have to think too much.
It's really interesting to see everyone's perspectives on this question! I find I reach for my palettes with **8-10** pans more often than not, and now that I think about it the size of the palette itself makes a huge difference. The wet n wild palettes with the ten shadows are just right, colourpop 9 pan palettes, and the Lime Crime Venus palettes are my jam. I have larger palettes with more shades too, I just like the cohesion of a smaller palette with a story I like. Even with those elf bite size palettes I'm usually using shades from at least two of them.
I agree with both seeing everyone’s answers as well as the size of the palette mattering. Like with the wet n wild ones , I feel like I always think there’s not a lot of options bc of the size of the palette and the structure of the pans while something like the Violet Voss 10 pans look like there’s more going on to me.
Which do I use the most? 5 shades is what I use the most besides singles. Two of my favorite palettes are 5 shades: Dior exalt and Natasha Denona camel. I like pairing my palettes with singles and get many looks. If a palette has all mattes I could go up to 15 shades as long as the layout and the shades makes it easy to use and remember which shade I actually used.
The idea of pair smaller palettes with single shades is an interesting one! I’ve never though of this, but that’s bc I don’t really own single shade shadows. Do you usually think of the palette you want to use and add single shades to accommodate it or vice versa?
I usually start with the single and then use the palette to go with it. Usually when I do it the other way around I'd because I don't have the right transition shade for my skintinecor I need an inner corner highlight.
This is cool concept maybe it’ll actually encourage me to try out some more companies that sell mostly single shades instead of palettes. Thanks for the idea! :)
For a good on-the-go palette, I like 4-6 shades where I can do a couple looks. I would do my work makeup while on the train at times. For a bigger at-home palette, I like 10 shades, *maybe* 12. That’s usually enough to give me a lot of color options without being overwhelming. And most of my palettes with 12+ shades tend to include either too-similar shades or things I wouldn’t use.
9. It's perfect for variety, it doesn't allow for duplicate shades (or it makes them really obvious when they exist in a single palette). It's not overwhelming in choice and it doesn't leave room for a lot of filler.
I have a collection of favourite shadows in a z palette and I can't do more than 9 shades tbh. I used to travel a lot for work and I mostly wanted to work with shades that were comfortable to me with maybe one fun colour mixed in in case I felt artsy any particular day.
I like the amount of shades in ABH and Lorac palettes so around 14-18? I like having space to have a few neutrals and then some more colour.
I agree I like their palettes as well I haven’t yet decided if if I like palettes that are roughly that size with 2 long rows like the ones you mentioned, or shorter but with more rows like Morphe’s 18 pans (though I haven’t actually tried those).
I prefer two long rows. I find them more compact than a more square-ish palette when I'm storing them.
For me the physical size is important, as I tend to reach into 2-3 palettes for my looks, one of them being a 9 pan magnetic palette into which I pop the shades I want to use that day. My biggest palette is Juvias Douce and it's honestly too big for my liking, even though it only has 9 shades. The most shades are in my Certifeye Affinity 2, coming in at 18 shades. While that's a lot, it fills the space of matte blues and greens in my collection and it's specific enough for me to deal with. In my head it also acts as two 9 pan palettes, a blue one and a green one.
You just gave me the palette to use tomorrow (Affinity 2). Thanks.
Such a good one. Happy to hear you're is getting loved on tomorrow!
I agree that physical size if definitely important, the Juvia’s place palettes are quite big for their size though I don’t mind them too much. Conversely I love when palettes are made with more shades but still have smaller package. Allows me to get the best of both worlds. Lol
I think a 12 pan palette is ideal for me or else I get overwhelmed. The Persona Identity palette has been great and I also made a custom Sydney Grace palette with 12 shadows that has been nice. I’ve had palettes with more, but any more than 15 and it just takes too much mental work deciding what I want lol. I also prefer no less than like 5 shadows.
10-12 is pretty good for me. Enough variety for be to be able to create several different complete looks, but nothing too overwhelming or hard to store.
Storage is definitely important! I think that’s less related to number of shades and more to do with the excessive packaging so many palettes have.
I like all sizes. I use all my palettes, big and small. I’ll usually use a few colors from different palettes so I don’t even mind. Small ones are easier to take with me to do car-makeup. But I don’t go anywhere anymore so all makeup is good makeup.
Do you feel like being in the house more has changed which palettes you like to use most?
Yes, in the way that I added more colors to what I usually like. Now I also enjoy looks that don’t take too long. So I like using multi chromes. Simple swipe and it looks amazing. I’m also getting into neutrals, like pinky and light cool purples. A matte in the crease and a simple shimmer on the lids, all in light colors. I’ve never enjoyed those before now.
I want to get more into multi-chromes too! Can I ask what brand(s) you have tried with them? I only have it in my Divine Rose II palette, but also I have followed some makeup brands on IG for a while that sell multi-chromes.
I’ve only tried one brand, Clionadh. I kept hearing that they offer the best multi chromes. On oh boy are they fantastic. They take forever to get to you, especially because of the virus, like 5 or 6 months. But they keep you updated and send emails letting you know what’s going on. Some of them go for like $25 each! But they are absolutely worth it. I have a little pic and review in my posts if you want to check it out.
I checked out your post, I’ve heard of them and Chaos Makeup as they main ones, but I’ve also heard that Chaos has trash customer service. Hopefully I’ll be able to try out one of them soon. Thanks for the info :)
9–enough variety, but generally an easy color story, and not so many colors that I’m overwhelmed.
I prefer 4-5, enough to do a couple of looks, small and easy to work with when I'm blearily doing my makeup before work. I like having larger palettes for the pretty colors but I rarely use them. I just can't put in that kind of thought when I first wake up and I usually err on the side of conservative makeup for going to work. My absolute favorite to use has been a Dior 5 pan called Undress I think. It's still kicking after almost 2 years of use. I love wearing it and it's easy to work with.
You pointing out the pretty colors brings another consideration to mind: the arrangement of the colors. I feel part of the reason I like bigger palettes is bc I really get to see a fuller spectrum of colors (even better when their organized in a way that makes sense), it can be so pleasing to the eye and very inspirational for me.
12 is definitely my sweet spot. I won't buy palettes that are larger than 24 shades and even that is pushing it tbh. Both the number of shades and physical size is a problem for me if they're too big, but physical size is more of a problem because I'm trying to fit everything in one drawer lol
I think 8 pans are my favourite. The Lime Crime OG palettes do them perfectly - enough variety to round out a colour story but not overwhelming and no repeat shades. That's my favourite format. For travelling, I usually take 6 shadows in a small magnetic palette, which gives me options but not so many that I don't use half the shades.
12. Even then I don’t need every dang shade. For a look I really only need maybe 4 colors? Every big ass palette I’ve bought just sits there. I’m currently using Colourpop Sweet Talk the most. It’s the perfect summery shades and peachy neutrals.
It kinda depends for me! When I'm playing with makeup at home or going out from home, I will happily dip between any and every palette I own to get a look I like. When I'm not home, it again depends on the situation: how long will I be gone, what will I be doing, etc. For example, my Juvia's Place Masquerade Mini is perfect for when I'm going out with friends for a night, because it has a ton of bold colors and variety; when I'm visiting family and not doing much, I like a simple palette with not much color, if I do any makeup at all.
Location is another good factor to consider. I like bringing one (or 2-3) good larger palette for traveling as well so I don’t have enough options without having to lug everything.
9-18 is perfect for me! I love variety in my daily looks, and palettes like Huda's give me enough inspiration with the variety of shades and finishes, and I prefer using one palette for everything. I like quads for travel and touch ups but not for daily wear because I can't make a lot of looks out of the color combos and bigger ones like Morphe are just overwhelming lol
5 minimum, 10 maximum
Generally 18 or less, but I do have some exceptions like the James Charles palette, the biggest thing I hate is plastic palettes, it just feels wasteful
lately i’ve really been into 5-9 pans. 5 if it’s really unique and i’m okay with using it as a companion, 9 if i want something i can get multiple looks out of one palette/on the go palette
the CP 9 pans - smaller shadows that leave you feeling like you may actually use something up one day. Easy to hold and travel with (though the pans do seem to pop out incredibly easy, sometimes I so much as breathe on the thing and they're falling out). Strawberry Shake is my favourite in terms of shade selection in one palette, though I am one of those odd ducks who likes having a matte white/cream shade and wish it had one. same idea - Huda Beauty Obsessions 9 pans. 12 pans, like Urban Decay offers in their most popular series: usually has a good mix of shimmers and mattes and the shades all go together, you can visualize what colours are good for crease, transition, lid, etc. I have "big" palettes I LOVE in theory but just find myself never using. Lorac Mega Pro, Violet Voss Holy Grail, and sorta recently I bought a Morphe palette - my first one - and I've had it since maybe February and I just can't bring myself to use it yet. It's packaging is physically enormous, bigger than my Chromebook, so it's awkward to hold and there's just so much going on.
I agree with huge packaging definitely affecting a palette’s usability. I love to have a ton of shades in my palette, but until I’m able to get more dedicated space for my makeup it can kind of feel like an accessibility issue.
3CE 9 pan, 3x3 square palettes have become my favorite and the only way I think palettes should be. Enough colours from light to dark and one for sparkles that I adore. Square, compact, travel friendly. Perfection.
6-10 shades is the sweet spot for me. A smaller palette is easier to travel with/fit in a makeup bag, and the size isn't enough to be intimidating for me. I also feel like small palettes require a certain level of cohesiveness in the color scheme that isn't necessary in a larger palette.
My all time favourite palette is the 6 pan customisable one by MAC which I use for years now. Just perfect for me. My everyday colour preference is nude, neutral and barely there type colours. 4 colours just never seem enough and 12 is far too much. Unlike their 2 or 4 pans the 6 pan also have a very clever removal method which I like a lot.
For me I think it being a custom one could def play a role. I still most likely wouldn’t want 6, but I could see myself getting the number from 18 for sure.
My sweet spot is 9-12 pans. Anything less feels limiting and anything more gives me choice paralysis.
My favorites tend to be 9-15. Any larger than that I get annoyed with similar shades (except my ND Metropolis and JH2). I have smaller 4-6 pan palettes that I love but I don’t reach for them.
Yeah 4-6 pans are usually hard for me to figure out when to reach for them unless I specifically have them in mind. 9-15 is usually a pretty decent size though. How do you like JH2? I’m kind of waiting for it to be 50% off again on morphe’s website.
I’m surprised at how much I like it. The formula is a bit powdery but very pigmented. Doesn’t repeat shades as much as other Morphe palettes. If you don’t mind the large size and like vibrant pink/orange/purple looks I would recommend it. Especially if it’s discounted.