Ask Belle: All-in-One Palettes
Sep 23, 2014
Dear Belle,
I’m going on my honeymoon next month and I want to pack light. I decided to cut down my makeup bag to one foundation, one mascara and one makeup palette. I’m looking for a palette with a blush, a few shadows and maybe a lip gloss or two. Ideas for which brand makes the best palette?
xx, Tessa
I don’t usually recommend all-in-one palettes because I like to mix-and-match, but for traveling, they’re a great choice. The first thing to look at isn’t a palette, it’s the Trish McEvoy Makeup Planner. It’s a small pouch that you fill with pages, which magnetically hold your favorite foundation, concealer, blush, shadow and lip colors. They’re also refillable so, if you use your shadows unevenly (everyone has a favorite that runs out first), you can replace the shades as needed. And, since you can pick your own shades, you never feel boxed in by what’s available.
Trisha McEvoy is great, but it’s a bit pricey. So if you’re looking for something less expensive, Too Faced makes a nice palette. They make a natural palette with sun-kissed tones, and another with pink hues. Neither has eyeshadows per se, but you can easily use the brighteners and highlighters as eye color.
I also love this LORAC palette. It gives you six neutral shadows (two of which can be used as eyeliner), two blushes (one pink, one color) and a bronzer.
Need something under-$25? Try Victoria’s Secret. This palette gives you eight shadows, four lip colors and a neutral mauve-plum blush.
E.L.F. makes a great (cheap) all in one pallet: https://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/sets-and-palettes/palettes/makeup_clutch_palette
The NARS Hearts NYC palette is amazing! A beautiful rose-peach blush, a light bronzer, four eyeshadows, and it comes with a Dolce Vita lip gloss. It’s unstoppable.
Tarte makes some amazing palettes. I am currently obsessed with their Rainforest After Dark palette which comes with several generously sized eyeshadows, two bronzers and a full-size blush. There are also some great Tarte palettes on sale at Sephora right now.
I have this magnetic case and LOVE it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I30P5U4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I can put in whatever brands my heart so desires and it comes with magnetic stickers to adapt plastic cased items so that they wont fall out. I don’t fill it up all the way so that I can keep my small brushes in there too.
I love the Urban Decay Anarchy Face Case, but I’m not sure if it’s still available. Eye shadow, blush, highlighter, lip stain, and pencil all in one. Some might think it is a little wild but I think it is very wearable if you go easy on the eye shadows. A really good one for travel is the Stila’s The Natural Palettes at Ulta- they’re tiny and have eyes and cheeks and highlight in one. I have “Beauty in the Buff” and it is really versatile.
I 2nd the NARS I Heart NY recommendation.
Art Deco (https://www.artdeco.com/en/) have a whole range of make-up with magnetic bases that slot into their cases (various sizes available) and can be swapped in an out – choose a case, and choose your favorite components, so you get the color mix that you want (and not one with the inevitable one unused shadow as the rest get tattier and tattier).
I second the Lorac Pro to Go rec. Lorac Pro shadows are buttery and blendable to boot; you can pack on the color to sheer it out. Who doesn’t love versatility?
Alternatively, if Tessa is comfortable with de-potting her products, she could get a Z-Palette. They have small (https://amzn.to/1r8x3BE) and medium (https://amzn.to/1ohA90y) ones that would be great for travel – and they’re useful outside of travel, too.
MAC, Bibbi Brown, and Aveda all have magnetic or snap in pallets that are great for home and travel