I have been in an eye makeup rut for the longest time ever and even the thought of pulling out an eyeshadow palette in the mornings tire me. I just want something fast, and so I’ve been using a lot of cream shadows. But recently, I started making the effort to open the drawers again and experiment and things are getting better. Still in a rut, but slowing climbing back out.
Which is when I noticed that I have an inordinate number of eyeshadow palettes from various brands.
And I noticed that I tend to reach for palettes more than I do eyeshadow singles! In fact, I have relegated my eyeshadow singles to the lower drawers of my storage and that just simply means I reach for them less often. I mean, you don’t really want to be bending that far down in the mornings do you? You just want to pick out something easy and go.
So I started thinking – do you prefer using or owning eyeshadow palettes or singles? Or are you one of those who depots all their singles and put them into palettes anyway?
I have found that I prefer pre-made eyeshadow palettes. The primary reason is because with most palettes, and I say “most”, they contain all the colours and textures you need to create a full eye look. Your base shade is there, and so is your liner or crease shade. You have the colour for highlighting and most of the times, the colours come coordinated, so mistakes in colour selection are reduced.
Also, if you look at the colour arrangement in some eyeshadow palettes, there is some form of pattern in there and you can actually figure out which colours go where, or which colours go with which. Basically, an eyeshadow palette is like having a template. Everything is thought out for you, you just have to use it.
With eyeshadow singles however, you have to put a little more thought into it. If you aren’t the sort to depot their products, like I am, then you will have to pull out a few colours just to get one eye look going. Sometimes, that is just too much bother. Other times, it could be that after you apply the colour, it suddenly doesn’t look right.
Single eyeshadows offer more room for creativity in this regard, and if you are the sort who loves depotting their products then you can effectively build your own palette based on something you like, instead of being saddled with a pre-made one that stifles your creativity.
If I wear single eyeshadows, I find I tend to go for those that are a little more complex that allow me to wear them alone. This, as you might notice, is the lazy girl’s way out 😀 With one complex colour, I can just swipe on one shade and go. No need to fuss about with other shades. Otherwise, I tend to shy away from eyeshadow singles.
I’ve bought enough in my time to realise that it isn’t for me. I will more often than not, be more interested in a pre-made palette because someone else has done all the creative thinking for me. I just need to use it! 😀
What is your eyeshadow preference? Singles or palettes or are you a fan of depotting and making your own palettes instead?
I don’t depot because I like seeing my things in their original cases. I am less inclined to use a product after it’s been put into a large palette where the pans don’t line up properly or are in different shapes. Also, I have no illusions about being a makeup artist so large palettes don’t hold my interest at all. I much rather deal with a smaller palette, whether duo, trio or otherwise. In fact, even the large Naked2 palette doesn’t hold my fancy very much, simply because there are too many colours in there. The maximum I’d accept in a palette is 6 and that’s only because the gorgeous Guerlain Ecrin 6 palettes have 6 colours. Otherwise, 4-5 colours in a palette is more than enough for me 🙂
Paris B
Rute says
Palettes for me pls! Urban Decay are always my favourites and the ones I always go back to when in doubt. But for singles, I like the Inglot ones that you can put into palettes, but I never get around to buy them, I only have 4 colors at the moment, ahah.
But yeah, palettes are the most fast way to get ready in the morning, in my opinion!
Paris B says
UD does make some big palettes but I have to admit that I have a soft spot for the 15th Anniversary palette. It is one of my faves! (I only have 2 UD palettes anyway haha) Inglot is great for letting us customize our palettes isn’t it? I have a couple of palettes but I realised they didn’t go as well together as I initially thought. Hence the reason I need an expert to sort these things out for me LOL!
Lavender says
Hi Paris
I combine palette with singles. My single eye shadow is mostly deep colours for definition. I find that some palettes do not have the color that is intense enough. So I usually use a single color eg inglot that has many selection
Paris B says
That does make sense and I do agree with you Lavender. Some palettes are really lacking in the liner department and it can be frustrating! The Lunasol palette in the picture for example, is far too light to just use on its own without a deeper shade, which means I need to pull out one from another palette or a single, every time I use it. Such a nuisance!
MARLA ROBINSON says
I really don’t wear a lot of eye shadow any more but if I had to choose, I would probably prefer palettes.
Paris B says
I think palettes just make a lot of sense, especially when you don’t wear a lot of shadow because you can then save space! 😉
Beauty Box says
I’m very attracted to big palettes like Urban Decay’s Naked etc. because they are value of money and just look so darn enticing for a makeup junkie like me. But I do find myself either going for the same colours/combos (2-3 shades) because thinking of new combos can be time consuming and a case of having too much variety and it is impossible to choose just one combo. Sounds so masochistic – haha! I like the ease of quads and fancy the odd singles, but like you, I prefer them to be complex so I can wear them on their own.
Paris B says
I actually know what you mean re: palettes like UD Naked. I tend to gravitate towards the same combinations most of the time too, because they’re tried and true and using something different might just screw up the look 😛 Guess we’re just creatures of habit or maybe not as creative as we’d like to think we are 😉
Jennifer says
Palettes! 🙂 I hear most of the beautiful ladies here chanting Palette as well. I like the versatility of the mix and match concept that comes with the palette. The colours that are put together complements each other, so that’s great for days when I woke up as a zombie. Palettes are easy to carry around and some say it is value for money too. Haha, plus the fact that I ain’t a very loyal person when it comes to singles…I did not quite know how to diversify my eye make up with the Maybelline Bad to Bronze. But it is quite oxymoronic that I realized I only use about 3 colours from the palette of 10 colours. So yeah, quads are good I guess 🙂
Paris B says
Yes! Beautiful ladies think alike! haha… You know, with the Maybelline Bad to Bronze, I just use it on its own, with liner and mascara! Perfect for a quick makeup look that helps you look polished. If you blend it out more towards your brow bone, it can actually create a bit of gradational look. I have been using a lot of cream shadows lately. Just so easy and I can use just one shade, which means I technically gravitate towards singles… if they are cream and palettes if they are powder 😀
Deepa says
Paris, I just love everything colourful so it is a danger for me anyhow.singles or doubles or even quadruples pose a similar threat to me. LOL. But as much as I like the Naked2 , my heart is not entirely loving it. le sigh* I mean, give me a 4 colour palette from Guerlain and I am a happy gurl….. hahaha, Oh and on an unrelated note, I have been reading about the Tom Ford cream foundation brush and it is apparently awesome possum!!! I was wondering, do you know of any online beauty stores that stocks this? I am so afraid of Evilbay and the other sites costs a BOMB to ship to Malaysia. boo hoo hoo…
Paris B says
Haha love your honesty Deepa! 😉 Like you, I’d take the Guerlain quad over the Naked palette any day! Did you see that they are releasing the duos soon? 😀 I too have been reading a lot of rave for the TF brushes. I don’t know of any online stores that stock Tom Ford unfortunately (or fortunately since my wallet would be emptied otherwise) so the closest will be Singapore or have it forwarded from the USA. I do have a brush coming to me soon but I can’t remember which it is LOL! I picked it up through a friend a few months ago and am now waiting to get it 🙂
Ika Roseworn says
Hands down, palettes!! I think singles are a waste of money, tend to add clutter and get lost in that clutter, so much so, that I depot many of my singles and put them either in a UNII palette or Z palettes. Palettes are just easier to work with, and I make sure I can work with ALL the colours before I make a purchase.
Paris B says
I’m like you Ika. I don’t buy a palette if there’s a colour in there that I can’t work with. Now THAT would make it a waste of money LOL!
Catherine says
I buy only palettes. Only once I bought single eyeshadow and then I felt bad with it so I got magnetic palette and bought more from the same brand (Makeup for ever).
I feel like I get more for my money (I never counted it though), it seems more practical to store/travel with. I also would never try green eyeshadow if not the fact that it came in palette with lovely purple and gold which I just had to have!
My favourite for a long time was Naked 2 but after my last trip some shades crumbled 🙁
Paris B says
Haha you’re so cute Catherine! I have never felt bad enough for my single eyeshadows to get them more friends 😀 But Make Up For Ever does very good singles too! I have a couple of them (which I put into a palette when I had the chance LOL!) You’re right too about how palettes can force us out of our comfort zone and discover colours. I would never wear Fuchsia on my eyes but because it’s in that Guerlain palette, I have tried and it works! Much to my surprise 🙂
Hani Lutfi says
I prefer palettes over singles because they are more to value (of money lol) and you just get more colours. It’s such a fuss (and a headache to my ATM card tbh) to pay for so much on one single eyeshadow color when you can buy a palette abt the same price. Of course there’s the con of buying a palette for one colour that you really like and hating the rest of the colors but that’s pretty unlikely, isn’t it? But then all of this depends on quality.
Paris B says
You’re absolutely right about the value for money bit, Hani! I used to do the math and get the really giant palettes only to realise I hardly use most of the colours in them so now I get smaller palettes, but still palettes because they just make sense 🙂 I try to get a palette where I’d use all the shades. Just too wasteful (and irritating) to have that one colour staring at you that you know you’d never use LOL!
No Milk Tea says
Palettes allll the wayyy! I just love looking at eyeshadow palettes and thinking about all the combinations of looks I can make with it. They’re also usually very travel friendly which is a huge factor of whether I like it/want to buy it or not. Single eyeshadows are only good if I’m looking to buy a certain shade or if it’s particularly gorgeous. They’re much more bulky though, so oftentimes I’ll depot them to save space.
Paris B says
Haha so many raves for palettes! I think they make the most sense too both in terms of money and practicality. I’ve learned over the years that some brands specialise in making good palettes, and others in singles and usually, those who do palettes well don’t do singles very well at all! haha…
Sam Still Reading says
I agree – palettes almost all the way. Pretty time poor on work mornings, so palettes are easier and simpler. I still like singles to mix things up though.
Paris B says
I’m going to try and be a little more hardworking using the singles I have. It’ll be such a waste not to! But then, palettes just take the guess factor out of things, don’t they?
jk says
Without blinking, my choice would be Palettes. Makes painting the face so easy – all the workable colors in 1 place and managed in 1 hand whilst the other hand wields the brush.
Paris B says
Plus, portable and streamlined too! No need to litter the whole dresser with little pots of colour 😀
Tina says
I like palettes more! They are practical, you don’t have to think about colour combination, will the colours blend well…
The only problem is to find the right one for my eye colour. Meaning to avoid having similar colours in different palettes, especially the ones i don’t use much, to find the right colour combination, right finish…
The problem i have with singles is that i have to see which one goes well with ones i already have…So it takes me time to figure out the best combinations. And most of the time i end up looking funny 🙂
It hit me when i realised i had over 100 singles, some of them was bad purchase or a colour i wasn’t sure i could pull out. So i depot most of them into palettes of my own, and some of them i gave to friends…
Now i think twice before i buy a new one, because they come in more oz/gr/ml then ones in palettes, so it takes me more time to hit the pan, and i already have more than enough!
Paris B says
Very practical and well thought out, Tina 🙂 You’re right, sometimes having too many singles can lead to more confusion when it comes to pairing colours together. It does seem to make sense to buy just one if it’s all you’ll use, but I think for most of us, one is never enough anyway! 😀
Riya says
Hi…I stumbled upon your blog when I was thinking what kind of eyeshadow to get…very informative post! I also agree that smaller palettes are very convenient and not to mention so much classier looking too, I’ll definitely go for smaller ones. Quality over quantity is always best!