The Gloss Report: Eye Palettes
12 November 2014
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The Gloss Report: Eye Palettes
With parties aplenty round the corner ‘tis the season of the eye palette. The key to a good one? Easy on the go application, long-lasting staying power and high colour pay-off. Which of our edit of eye pallettes came out on top? Click through to find out…
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Tom Ford Eye Colour Quad in Cognac Sable
Price: £63
Feedback: Containing four deliciously rich and warm shades, this eyeshadow quad is the perfect party palette. Intensely pigmented and formulated with a silky soft texture, this Tom Ford pack contains a sheer sparkle, a shimmer, a satin and a matte tone that work to create both subtle and more buildable, dramatic looks. With beautiful bronzes and muted metallics set to be a big trend this season, this palette is a great replacement for the stagnant black smokey eye - the only problem is, you might have to remortgage your house first!
Was it worth the money?
It’s a lovely palette but I reckon you could achieve a similar look at a much cheaper price.
Would you recommend this to a friend?
I would mention how much I love it but would be unlikely to recommend just because it’s so expensive.
Score: 7/10
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YSL Couture Palette in 01
Price: £39.50
Feedback: This shade (called ‘Tuxedo’ though it doesn’t say this on the box) is perfect for a standard smokey eye. With five shades included ranging from black to an iridescent silver, you can build up intensity easily. I was impressed at how smooth the shadow is and it’s more highly pigmented than it looks, which is always a plus. One tip: use your own brush.
Was it worth the money?
It has beautiful packaging and everything you need for a sexy, smokey eye, so I would say yes - if you don’t mind paying a little more for high quality. My only concern is that it might not last very long.
Would you recommend this to a friend?
If they wanted a single palette to create a smokey eye, yes.
Score: 8/10
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Lancome Hypnôse Drama Eyes Palette in Mon Smoky
Price: £37.00
Feedback: The five shades range from black to a light pink. They are well pigmented, easy to apply and the colours blend well. Combining the pink and lighter greys (not the black) gave a more subtle smokey eye which I would use for the day. Beware, when using the strong black colour as it can drop onto your face and is hard to remove.
Was it worth the money?
Yes - it was long lasting with a good variation of colours that produced multiple effects. The brushes made it easy to apply.
Would you recommend this to a friend?
Yes, to a friend that is not necessarily into makeup - it was easy to apply with a good range of colours.
Score: 8/10
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Naked 2 Urban Decay Basics Palette
Price: £22
Feedback: This is the perfect palette for those, like myself, with olive and darker complexions. Containing beautiful neutral matte shades, this eye-shadows can be used to achieve a sophisticated daytime look or even a modern tweak on the traditional smoky eye. Long-lasting and highly pigmented this palette is also the perfect size to pop in your clutch for on-the-go touch-ups.
Was it worth the money?
Yes - it's both high quality and long-lasting.
Would you recommend to a friend?
Definitely! Especially for those with an olive complexion.
Score: 10/10
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Chanel Les 4 Ombres 228 Tisse Cambon
Price: £40
Feedback: This beautiful Chanel palette has all you need to create a dramatic eye look. Offering four highly pigmented shades, each colour is inspired by the threads of Chanel tweed. There are two shades, a warm-toned mauve and a light-medium pink to add colour to the lids and contour your sockets, a deep violet to add depth and definition and a pale pink-white to highlight. Once applied, the eyeshadows’ soft texture glides on to the eyes without any excess dropping. Each shade has a sparkling, or satiny sheen, making them the perfect addition to your makeup kit in time for party season.
Was it worth the money?
While it was a gorgeous product, I’m not sure if the small size of each shade is worth the money.
Would you recommend this to a friend?
Only if they were willing to spend a bit more. Due to its size, I’m not sure if it would last very long.
Score: 8/10
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Bobbi Brown Cool Eye Palette
Price: £37.50
Feedback: Merging high colour payoff with ease of application, this palette of eyeshadows makes for a winning combination for creating the sultriest of smokey eyes. Pigmented enough to show up on my dark skin tone, the black and deep brown colours in particular were stand out shades, with only a small amount needed to take my makeup from day to night time seamlessly.
Out of the 6 shades, I’d say that I’d get the most use of out of 4 of them which is pretty good going as far as eyeshadow palettes go. The dual-ended makeup brush was especially handy for both shading and blending the different colours on my eyelid and lining my lower lashline for added depth and intensity.
Was it worth the money?
Yes considering the number of eyeshadows it has. The pigment certainly packs a punch too.
Would you recommend this to a friend?
Yes.
Score: 9/10
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Charlotte Tilbury Golden Goddess Palette
Price: £38
Feedback: When dressing for a night out I am much more likely to favour a bold lip over a smoky eye so was hesitant to try an eye palette, however, if anyone was going to persuade me it would be Charlotte. The ethos behind the Charlotte Tilbury makeup brand is that anyone can use the products (not just a pro like Charlotte) and this product is no different. With 4 shades (prime, enhance, smoke and pop) plus a handy video tutorial from the master herself, the process is flawless. I tried the Golden Goddess palette and personally liked the first two shades which when blended together create a natural but still defined look that is perfect for my pale complexion. If you're looking to amp it up or have a darker skin tone I reckon you might be more tempted by the darker shades.
Was it worth the money?
I am a sucker for packaging so I would say yes. The burgundy and rose gold packaging makes it worth the hefty price tag for me.
Would you recommend it to a friend?
Yes, especially someone with an olive or dark complexion who could pull off all four of the golden goddess shades.
Score: 9/10
9 / 9
Topshop Smokey Eye Palette
Price: £22
Feedback:A simple but chic palette comprising of four easy-to-wear shades of brown. I found the shades blended realy well together, although I would definitely use a proper eyeshadow brush to blend as opposed to the simple applicator provided. I used the two lighter shades in the day and added the darkest shade for after work drinks. The only issue I had was that it didn’t last all day. A pretty good dupe for naked palette fans - with a little bit of added sparkle for Christmas! It was the perfect day to night palette and small enough to take with you for emergency top ups.
Was it worth the money?
Yes - all the shades had a nice amount of pigment to them and you get four nice sized shades for your money!
Would you recommend this to a friend?
Yes.
Score: 8/10