Make-up Palettes - Worth the splurge?...

It's almost that time of year when our favourite shops start offering their Christmas wares, music to get you in the mood, beautiful people smiling  at us wearing the most glorious shades of everything and of course, the ever present palette of wallet emptying wonder.
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I've bought my fair share of make up over the years and started to question – are palettes the greatest trick the beauty industry ever came up​ with?

I started with quads and no-one did it better than Chanel. I've gotten through several but actually when I thought more about what I'd used....it was a couple of the colours, three at most and mainly they were too shimmery for everyday use. Then it was blitzed so I threw it in the beauty bin. 
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These days, I don't consider them very good value for money. Around £44 for 4 small eyeshadows and some ridiculous sponge applicators feels like style over substance to me. If you're after something of that size, with a simple sponge applicator, go for Dior 5 Couleurs – but both are only offering around half of some other well known palettes so one can't help think....I expect more for this money.

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I'm attracted to several shadows that will create different looks or move me from night to dark. I also appreciate a complement of contour, blush, highlight and shadows along with the very useful mirror. This however, brings it's own problems. The Tarte collection I purchased recently is proof positive that taking a little of everything means bigger packaging – travel for the weekend no problem but who can put this in their everytday handbag and get away with it?

Then of course, there's the ones that just bedazzled me. Some are sitting at the bottom of my make up case whimpering "pick me, pick me"....
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For most of us, buying a palette is all about how it looks. Shimmer sells. Do the colours suck you in, does that glorious packaging bedazzle and is there a brush or mirror....oooh must have. I know I don't need or use this much bling or blush but it's soooo pretty....

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​Just as I was editing this blog (which admittedly took longer than it should), I purchased another little mini palette, from Wet and Wild. Again there are colours I have but this time, it's a petite portion. Something I can use for simple eye looks and keep it in my handbag if I want to. Some are comparing it to an Anastasia Modern Renaissance palette. I think they're right about the overall colour scheme but the quality is a little more powdery when you first pick up and it doesn't have the same staying power, however, for an inexpensive facsimilie I love it. It's the cheapes of all the palettes I've ever purchased at £3.75.​

Now YouTube plays a part in our everyday decisions are you led by the latest reviews of glamour influencers? Does the waiting list hook you? Is it perhaps that EVERYONE with credibility has this palette?

For me, that's where the make up industry has us by the you know whats. You want to be one of the
in-crowd using the latests kit. You absolutely feel bereft when you see so many people have bought Jeffrey's latest blockbuster, Juvia's got a whole new Place to try out and the weekends would not be complete without dipping into something Urban and Naked..... 

​In reality however, many palettes from a single brand only change a few colours each time they release a new palette – Anastasia Beverly Hills is a great example – check out the last 4 or 5 palettes for similar shades (though admittedly, they are great quality and highly pigmented), it's so impractical to keep buying shades we already have but with the hype that comes with each promotion, they are just so tempting.

Thinking about it on a practical level (I know, it can be boring), but I have a small number of palettes that I use regularly and appreciate how good value they really were, judging by the number of times I reach for them. What makes them the best value? The quality of the shades, how many looks I can create, if I can get multiple use from a pan (contour, bronzers or highlighters that are also brilliant eyeshadows) but most of all, make-up is not about how it looks but how it makes you feel about how you  look. I'm betting most of use have at one time or another winked at ourselves in that godess moment.

So when that happens,  they're definately worth the splurge!