Eyeshadow palettes are one of the most versatile and fun makeup products to own. They allow you to create different looks for different occasions, from natural to dramatic, from matte to shimmery, from neutral to colorful. But with so many eyeshadow palettes on the market, how do you choose the best one for you? How do you compare the quality, performance, and value of different palettes? And which one will give you the most bang for your buck?
In this article, I will compare and review four popular eyeshadow palettes that have been released in 2023: Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam II Mini Eyeshadow Palette, Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IX: Huetopian Dream Eyeshadow Palette, ColourPop Stone Cold Fox Eyeshadow Palette, and Juvia’s Place The Warrior III Eyeshadow Palette. I will evaluate each palette based on its shade range, pigmentation, blendability, wear time, packaging, and price. I will also show you some swatches and eye looks that I created with each palette. By the end of this article, you will have a better idea of which eyeshadow palette is the best for you and your makeup needs.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam II Mini Eyeshadow Palette
The Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam II Mini Eyeshadow Palette is a mini version of the original Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette that was launched in 2018. It contains eight shades that are curated from the original palette, featuring four mattes and four metallics. The shades are:
- Tempera: a light beige with a matte finish
- Dreamer: a champagne pink with a metallic finish
- Orange Soda: a light peachy orange with a matte finish
- Dusty Rose: a dusty mauve with a matte finish
- Sultry: a bronze with a metallic finish
- Mulberry: a deep burgundy with a matte finish
- Noir: a black with a matte finish
- Rose Pink: a rosy pink with a metallic finish
The palette is designed to create soft and glamorous looks that are suitable for day and night. The shades are versatile and flattering for different skin tones and eye colors. The palette is also travel-friendly and easy to store, as it comes in a sleek black cardboard packaging with a mirror inside.
The quality of the eyeshadows is excellent, as expected from Anastasia Beverly Hills. The mattes are smooth, pigmented, and easy to blend. They do not have much fallout or kickback in the pan. The metallics are buttery, shiny, and reflective. They apply best with a finger or a dampened brush. They do not crease or fade throughout the day.
The price of the palette is $29 for 0.32 oz of product, which is reasonable for the quality and quantity. However, some people might find it redundant to buy this palette if they already own the original Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette or other similar neutral palettes.
Overall, I think this is a great palette for anyone who loves neutral eyeshadows and wants a compact and convenient option for everyday use or travel. The shades are easy to work with and can create beautiful looks for any occasion.
Here are some swatches of the palette on my arm:
swatches of ABH Soft Glam II)
And here is an eye look that I created with the palette:
eye look with ABH Soft Glam II)
Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IX: Huetopian Dream Eyeshadow Palette
The Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IX: Huetopian Dream Eyeshadow Palette is the latest addition to the Mothership series of eyeshadow palettes that are known for their luxurious and innovative formulas and finishes. It contains 10 shades that are inspired by the utopian vision of beauty and artistry. The shades are:
- Skinshow Nude: a champagne beige with a shimmer finish
- Bronze Solaris 005: a golden bronze with a metallic finish
- Astral Venusian Orchid: an iridescent pink with a glitter finish
- Lotus Luxe: a coral pink with a matte finish
- Bronze Desire 003: a coppery bronze with a metallic finish
- Xtreme Plum Noir: a deep plum with a matte finish
- Blitz Bordeaux 005: a burgundy with a metallic finish
- Fuchsia Flame 005: a fuchsia pink with a metallic finish
- Megabyte: an emerald green with a metallic finish
- Astral Amethyst Moon: an iridescent purple with a glitter finish
The palette is designed to create stunning and artistic looks that are out of this world. The shades are vibrant and diverse, ranging from neutrals to brights, from mattes to shimmers, from metallics to glitters. The palette is also a collector’s item and a statement piece, as it comes in a luxurious black lacquered case with a gold logo and a mirror inside.
The quality of the eyeshadows is outstanding, as expected from Pat McGrath Labs. The mattes are velvety, pigmented, and easy to blend. They do not have much fallout or kickback in the pan. The metallics are creamy, shiny, and opaque. They apply best with a finger or a dampened brush. They do not crease or fade throughout the day. The glitters are sparkly, multidimensional, and smooth. They apply best with a finger or a glitter glue. They do not have much fallout or transfer.
The price of the palette is $125 for 0.47 oz of product, which is very expensive for an eyeshadow palette. However, some people might find it worth it for the quality and uniqueness of the eyeshadows and the packaging.
Overall, I think this is an amazing palette for anyone who loves colorful and creative eyeshadows and wants to splurge on a high-end and luxurious product. The shades are stunning and can create breathtaking looks for any occasion.
Here are some swatches of the palette on my arm:
swatches of PML Mothership IX)
And here is an eye look that I created with the palette:
eye look with PML Mothership IX)
ColourPop Stone Cold Fox Eyeshadow Palette
The ColourPop Stone Cold Fox Eyeshadow Palette is a cool-toned neutral eyeshadow palette that contains 30 shades in various finishes, such as matte, metallic, and super shock. The shades are:
- Truth Hurts: a light beige with a matte finish
- Hard Place: a light taupe with a matte finish
- So Fine: a silver with a metallic finish
- Stone Age: a cool brown with a matte finish
- Lux: a champagne with a metallic finish
- Rock Bottom: a taupe with a matte finish
- Bitter Better: a taupe with a metallic finish
- Gravity Hill: a cool mauve with a matte finish
- Magnetic Moon: a mauve with a metallic finish
- Cult Classic: a cool brown with a matte finish
- Enigma: a taupe with a super shock finish
- Rumor Mill: a cool brown with a matte finish
- Baby Doll: a pinky mauve with a metallic finish
- Quarry Days: a cool mauve with a matte finish
- Truffles: a cool brown with a matte finish
- Fascinated: an ivory with a super shock finish
- Sediment To Be: an icy pink with a metallic finish
- Mystery: an icy lavender with a metallic finish
- Gneiss Guy: an icy blue with a metallic finish
- Smokin’: an icy gray with a metallic finish
- Fickle Fate: an icy taupe with a metallic finish
- Dreamful: an icy silver with a super shock finish
- Gravity Hill: an icy purple with a metallic finish
- Snake Eyes: an icy taupe with a metallic finish
- Rock Steady: an icy gray with a matte finish
- Spy Glass: an icy blue with a matte finish
- Ignite: an icy purple with a matte finish
- Star Struck: an icy silver with a metallic finish
- Fine Print: an icy black with
a matte finish
The palette is designed to create cool and sophisticated looks that are suitable for any season or occasion. The shades are versatile and flattering for different skin tones and eye colors. The palette is also affordable and generous, as it comes in a sturdy cardboard packaging with names printed under each shade.
The quality of the eyeshadows is very good, as expected from ColourPop. The mattes are soft, pigmented, and easy to blend. They do have some fallout and kickback in the pan, but nothing too major. The metallics are smooth, shiny, and reflective. They apply best with a finger or a dampened brush. They do not crease or fade throughout the day. The super shocks are bouncy, sparkly, and creamy. They apply best with a finger or synthetic brush. They do not have much fallout or transfer.
The price of the palette is $34 for 1 oz of product, which is very reasonable for the quality and quantity. However, some people might find it overwhelming or boring to have 30 shades of cool-toned neutrals in one palette.
Overall, I think this is an excellent palette for anyone who loves cool-toned neutrals and wants an affordable and generous option for everyday use or travel. The shades are easy to work with and can create beautiful looks for any occasion.
Here are some swatches of the palette on my arm:
swatches of CP Stone Cold Fox)
And here is an eye look that I created with the palette:
eye look with CP Stone Cold Fox)
Juvia’s Place The Warrior III Eyeshadow Palette
The Juvia’s Place The Warrior III Eyeshadow Palette is a colorful and vibrant eyeshadow palette that contains nine shades in various finishes, such as matte, metallic, and duochrome. The shades are:
- Fanti: a bright pink with a matte finish
- Kongo: a cobalt blue with a matte finish
- Nana: a mustard yellow with a matte finish
- Karama: a green with a metallic finish
- Feso: a purple with a duochrome finish
- Benin: a teal with a metallic finish
- Bakwa: a gold with a metallic finish
- Gola: a coral with a metallic finish
- Jara: a copper with a metallic finish
The palette is designed to create bold and adventurous looks that are inspired by the ferocious and beautiful women warriors of Dahomey. The shades are vibrant and diverse, ranging from warm to cool, from light to dark, from matte to shimmer. The palette is also affordable and unique, as it comes in a colorful cardboard packaging with African-inspired artwork.
The quality of the eyeshadows is very good, as expected from Juvia’s Place. The mattes are smooth, pigmented, and easy to blend. They do have some fallout and kickback in the pan, but nothing too major. The metallics are creamy, shiny, and opaque. They apply best with a finger or a dampened brush. They do not crease or fade throughout the day. The duochrome is sparkly, multidimensional, and smooth. It applies best with a finger or a glitter glue. It does not have much fallout or transfer.
The price of the palette is $20 for 0.63 oz of product, which is very reasonable for the quality and quantity. However, some people might find it too colorful or intimidating to use on a regular basis.
Overall, I think this is an excellent palette for anyone who loves colorful and adventurous eyeshadows and wants an affordable and unique option for special occasions or fun experiments. The shades are stunning and can create eye-catching looks for any occasion.
Here are some swatches of the palette on my arm:
swatches of JP The Warrior III)
And here is an eye look that I created with the palette:
eye look with JP The Warrior III)
Conclusion
In conclusion, these are four popular eyeshadow palettes that have been released in 2023, each with its own pros and cons. Depending on your preferences, budget, and makeup needs, you might prefer one over the other. Here is a summary of each palette:
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam II Mini Eyeshadow Palette: A mini version of the original Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette that contains eight neutral shades in matte and metallic finishes. It is great for creating soft and glamorous looks that are suitable for day and night. It is travel-friendly and easy to store. It costs $29 for 0.32 oz of product.
- Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IX: Huetopian Dream Eyeshadow Palette: A luxurious and innovative eyeshadow palette that contains 10 shades in matte, metallic, and glitter finishes. It is inspired by the utopian vision of beauty and artistry. It is great for creating stunning and artistic looks that are out of this world. It is a collector’s item and a statement piece. It costs $125 for 0.47 oz of product.
- ColourPop Stone Cold Fox Eyeshadow Palette: A cool-toned neutral eyeshadow palette that contains 30 shades in matte, metallic, and super shock finishes. It is great for creating cool and sophisticated looks that are suitable for any season or occasion. It is affordable and generous. It costs $34 for 1 oz of product.
- Juvia’s Place The Warrior III Eyeshadow Palette: A colorful and vibrant eyeshadow palette that contains nine shades in matte, metallic, and duochrome finishes. It is inspired by the ferocious and beautiful women warriors of Dahomey. It is great for creating bold and adventurous looks that are eye-catching and fun. It is affordable and unique. It costs $20 for 0.63 oz of product.
I hope this article has helped you to compare and review these four eyeshadow palettes and to decide which one reigns supreme for you. Thank you for reading! ?