Massive Holiday Makeup Palettes Haul/Review
Lorac Bejeweled Day & Night Jewelry Box
Pros:
- Richly pigmented eyeshadows and blushes
- Palettes are sleek and easy to travel with
- Fairly good variety in colors and finishes in eyeshadows
Cons:
- Tacky packaging, plus the drawers stick some
- Not the best use of space- instead of 1 really large bronzer, how about a mini blush palette?
- Eyeliners are too dry
- Blushes are too similar in color
Rating:
- Packaging: 2
- Quality: 4
- Overall: 3
- Would I buy again? Maybe
- Price: $56
For full review go to: LORAC Bejeweled Day and Night Jewelry Box Review
Pixi Ultimate Beauty Kit
Pros:
- Sleek packaging, so is great for travel
- Nice variety of blush colors
- Excellent quality in blushes
- Great variety in eyeshadow finishes- matte vs shimmery
- Fair price for the amount of makeup included
Cons:
- Needs more variety in eyeshadow colors
- A few eyeshadows could be more pigmented
Rating:
- Packaging: 5
- Quality: 3
- Overall: 4
- Would I buy again? Yes
- Price: $40
Where to Buy
For full review go to: Pixi Ultimate Beauty Kit Review
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Too Faced Sweet Dreams Makeup Collection
Pros:
- Beautiful and creative packaging
- Richly pigmented eyeshadows and blushes
- Nice variety in matte and shimmer blushes/bronzer
Cons:
- Not suited for travel
- Could use a few more matte finish eyeshadows to balance out all the shimmery ones
Rating:
- Packaging: 5
- Quality: 4
- Overall: 4
- Would I buy again? probably- it makes a super cute gift
- Price: $52
Where to Buy
For a full review go to: Too Faced Sweet Dreams Makeup Collection Review
Smashbox Click You’re It Eye Palette
Pros:
- Excellent quality eyeshadows and cream liners
- Nice variety of colors
- Good mixture between matte and shimmery shadows
- Great idea of including cream shadows/liners along with the eyeshadows
Cons:
- Although packaging is great for travel, it doesn’t look unique enough for a holiday gift
- Needs a dark brown or black for blending
Rating:
- Packaging: 2
- Quality: 4
- Overall: 4
- Would I buy again? Not sure
- Price: $49
Where to Buy
For a full review go to: Smashbox “Click You’re It” Eye Palette Review
Tarte The Starlet Makeup Vanity
Pros:
- Gorgeous case with beveled mirrors and glass pull knobs
- Nicely pigmented and smooth blushes
- Fair price for what all is included
Cons:
- Poor pigmentation and texture of eyeshadows
- Not enough variety in eyeshadow colors
- Could have had 1 matte finish blush instead of all shimmery
Rating:
- Packaging: 5
- Quality: 3
- Overall: 3
- Would I buy again? Not thinking so
- Price: $52
Where to Buy
For a full review go to: Tarte “The Starlet Makeup Vanity” Review
NARS All About Cheeks Palette
Pros:
- Sleek case that is perfect for travel or for makeup artists to include in their kit
- Great quality blushes- very pigmented and smooth
- Nice variety in colors- is convenient to have a bronzer and highlighter included with the blushes
Cons:
- Needs a light pink or another matte finish blush instead of 2 peachy pink colors
- Price is a bit steep for the average consumer
Rating:
- Packaging: 5
- Quality: 5
- Overall: 5
- Would I buy again? Most likely
- Price: $65
Where to Buy
For a full review go to: NARS “All About Cheeks” Palette Review
Stila Dream in Full Color Palette
Pros:
- Smooth and fairly pigmented eyeshadows
- Packaging is a unique idea, but not practical
Cons:
- Poor quality blushes
- Eyeshadows are too small to fit a brush into
- Packaging seems cheap
Rating:
- Packaging: 2
- Quality: 3
- Overall: 3
- Would I buy again? Nope
- Price: $39
Where to Buy
For a full review go to: Stila “Dream in Full Color” Palette Review
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Do your ever that the eye make up hurts eyes and the skin around it much???
Not usually unless I take off and reapply a few times during the day (if I tape more than 1 video a day…)
Oh no! The Tarte, Smashbox, and Nars palettes have the same reviews.
Yeah, I saw that to!
All fixed now! whoops!
Oh no! The only review I was intrested in is all messed up..lol Please fix it, I would love to see more details about the NARS blush pallette…=)
I have the Danmari palette, and all I can say is GET IT!!! If you don’t already own a bunch of the colours in it, it’s such a great value! The blushes are fantastic, and wear so well. I haven’t used the bronzer much, because I’m uber pale, and scared of it, but all the other colours are great. Even the bronzer is great, if you like bronzer.
i totally agree. The NARS palette is a must have. I love the bronzer because I’m really pale but it’s light enough on my skin to look good
I have the Danmari palette as well and I can’t say enough good things about it, I am also VERY pale porcelain with pink undertone skin and the bronzer is wonderful if applied with a soft synthetic brush. If you use a brush with natural hair it will go on too dark, just my experience
I was just wondering if you could review the Laura Mercier Book of nudes palette (i think it’s a holiday palatte as well! :])
can tell you that the Book of Nudes is a very nice palette to have in your wardrobe of netural colors . They all have a matte finish and are extemely great for a conservative look. Im a makeup artist and have used this palette on many age groups . It also has a aweome wet/dry cake eyeliner. I think its a MUST have for everyone.
You said theres swatches in your video…. no swatches…your blog review doesnt line up with your video reviews either…. which one is your honest opinion?!?!
Mistakes can happen.
That has nothing to do with honest opinion. It’s a matter of copy and paste. 
She probably wrote it somewhere else and there was some mistake in pasting it. 
Shes Not going to swatch each and every single eyeshadow from each and every pallete?? She did swatches from each pallete on her fingers, that gives us viewers an idea. And if you really interested, go into the store and swatch it yourself, they have displays. And how does it not line up with her blog view? It clearly does.
More swatches are coming- there’s individual reviews of each palette, but have to post them all still
There’s just so many! haha
Marlena I am liking the Kat Von D Tatto Chronicles Candelabra Edition for my deeper skin tone. May be a little expensive for the number of eyeshadows (16) and a full mascara and a nice size mirror.
This review is coming up soon too
I am very pale skinned and the Kat Von D Candelabra Edition Palette is my go to palette, I found the shadows to be better quality than the first tattoo chronicle palette and the mascara is wonderful if you are patient enough to apply more than one coat
only downsize is the size, a little bulky, but not a big enough issue to keep me from recommending to everyone!
Hi Marlena! I was hoping to see one of the new Tarina Tarantino palettes. I have a few of her shadows (palettes and singles) and I am in love! Have you ever used her products?
BTW, major kudos for what you do! You have saved me a ton of money so far with your reviews!
I just though i’d add this little bit that I learned in my Sephora training from Stila. Their pallete is a bit different as you follow the petal design from the center highlight color out to the blush (using four shadows in that row), and that would be a “look.” She showed us several ways to use them, but I agree with the middle shadows being too small. When we used our brushes, not a lot of them fit, but her Stila brushes fit perfectly. Surprise, surprise.
Wow, what a great blog post. Thanks for being so thorough and for the great swatches. Helps me narrow down my beauty gift shopping list.
Thank you so much for doing this video for us! You just saved me a whole lot of time and money. I’m thinking as expensive as the NARS shadows are…I might just get my brothers to buy it for me for the holidays…hehe gotta love brothers!
Wow! thank you for this post! I already bought the Too Faced Palette because I fell in love with a couple of the colors at Sephora when I was shopping the other day! I really like the packaging but like you said not suited for travel which kinda stinks but over all I love it! I don’t know if you have already or not, so forgive me if you have, but have you seen the e.l.f. 24k gold palette? I was wondering if it was any good or any different than their other palettes. Let me know!! and thanks again!!
Marlena, you are the best guru on Youtube. You are real, you know more than two words to describe a product, you give the best reviews, and you are honest. You are so beautiful and charming! Do not ever let anyone put you down! The makeup I own is all what’s available in my country, and I can’t get my hands on any of this palettes, but I just love listening to your voice, and watching your videos. You help me relax and calm down. I wish you the best of luck, a lot of success and love! Have the happiest holidays and may all your dreams come true!
Ally,Bulgaria
Hi Marlena
Im so glad you reviewed the Pixi Pallet, I love the product and think its really great quality. There under eye concealer is very good too. Check it out!
Lydia D
New Jersey:)
I too was VERY DISAPPOINTED with the Tarte Starlet holiday palette. I have other Tarte palettes and they are very pigmented and they blend so nicely. The Starlet palette eyeshadows are not pigmented at all and they feel real chalky. Tarte should be ashamed of themselves of putting together such a poor quality product and selling it at a pretty expensive price.
This is an awesome review!
Hi Marlena,
Just wanted to say thank you for all you do! You are so helpful and a beautiful person inside and out.
Could you maybe do a review of the Mac sets that are out this season? Im asking for some but im wondering why they are so reasonably priced….
If you search makeupbytiffanyd on YouTube she has a review of MAC holiday palettes.
Pixi has really come a long way yah I like the flat packing i like the smashbox one too thanx it makes shopping ir asking for. Christmas lol presents for me
Thanks for the great reviews! I can’t find the specific review for the Lorac palette on makeupgeekxtra YouTube channel. Have you not posted it yet?
Do You get all your MAC makeup from the MAC store??
Great review! Love your videos! I was wondering if this Smashbox palette on QVC is same quality as the one you reviewed? Here is the link. http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.A217751.desc.smashbox-Photo-Op-78-Shade-Mega-Palette.
Also, I want to try MAC products. Any suggestions for a starter kit? Thank you!
Wauuu what a beautiful Christmas tree.
Are you not doing a Christmas look this year just like when you did the Holiday Makeup: Green and White look, I know it’s a few tears ago now but I really love that look.
hi Marlena I really enjoyed your holiday palette reviews I want to get one for my mom this holiday since she does not have good quality makeup wich palette would you suggest for a person over 50 thanks for ur vids u rock!!!
Great reviews! I found a different Stila palette at Costco (of all places) with more eyeshadows than the one presented, blushes and lip glosses. All of the colors are circle shaped and easy to get brushes into. The best part is the palette was 19.99! Great deal for the cost!
This was a great roundup of makeup palettes. Your videos are awesome. I also liked that you gave us some options in a couple of price ranges. Like Ady, what do you suggest for palettes for the older gal, 40+?
i’m confused. why are there dark colors in the stila swatches when i don’t see them in the palette itself? are there a few different palettes to choose from? oO
Thank you so much for all these reviews! Must’ve been pretty expensive and time consuming… But it definitely was very helpful:D
I think I’m guna go ahead and buy the Nars and Too Faced palettes (we don’t have Pixi here)
Since they’re limited edition, how long do you think they’ll still be available for purchase? (specially the Nars one).
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Thanks again!!
Could you please do a product review on Sephora Studio Blockbuster Palette 2011?
I would really like a professional opinion on the quality and all.
Thank you!!
Hey Marlena
Would you say the quality of the eyeshadows in the Pixi palette are comparable to NYX singles?
What about the Sephora palette? It has 96 eyeshadows, 48 lip glosses, 4 blushes, 6 creme eyeliners, 2 pencil eye liners and a mascara for just $50. Do you think that’s a steal? Or could I find others that are better in amount of makeup per price?
Oh, and of course the quality! That’s the most important thing of all. Thank you!
Hi Marlen,
Happy Thanksgiving…
Thank you for the review for the Stila Palette i was so indecisive about purchasing it & now that i read your review im not even going to bother more intrested in the Smashbox now
Thanks :]]]
Glorious and thoughtful reviews, Marlena. They save us time and money, though we covet them all! I saved them up for a ‘total immersion’ in what’s on for Christmas, and it’s a true treat. I tell everyone at my MWJ (minimum wage job) who has made any effort @ makeup, about your great blog/videos. Even some local makeup artists (Boston area MAC) have been very appreciative. Thanks to Shellaster for mentioning the Mercier palette with a preponderance of mattes. You touched on it, and it has been very on my mind, as an older geek. I’m glad I wear glasses, what with all the shimmer and glitter stuff out there. Even NAKED is very shimmery and metallic. NAKED, but not particularly natural. A good round up of mattes, that aren’t boring, would be JTT. A low end matte palette reviewed elsewhere looks very blah. A nice matte neutrals palette, maybe with green or purple accent colors, would fly off your shelves at the MUG store. Or make a standard set of four or five neutrals, with a choice for the other one/two. Maybe a warm/brown based one, and a cool/gray based one. Best of luck with the MUG store venture! Much as I love UD and Nars, some days you don’t want to be OTT with the E/S. Mercier might be perfect for those days. My XMAS faves thus far? UD cream pencils and Book IV. The pencils are a no brainer and blend beautifully. My current covets: the Smashbox and Too Faced, though the Smashbox E/Ss don’t get much play around here. Have a happy and healthy holiday season, and thanks ever so much! Please make sure that the E/S blending video is archived as always accessible from your home page. I rewatch all the time, and think it should be a high school graduation requirement!
I want the nars palette so bad! I just wish I had ANY other shade besides super orgasm! So much glitter.
Are we going to see tutorials using your #1 choice…the Pixi palette??
HI there! Could you do a review on sephora’s blockbuster palette please?
Thank you
WOW Marlena, thanks for all the hard work you do for us Mugs and helping us satisfy our makeup addiction!
Happy holidays to you and yours. Catch ya next year!
Great review Marlena!
Can you please do some tutorials using the Pixi palette? Thank you
Yes, Pixi palette tutorials please!