The Magic of Shadow Palettes.

Few things are as exciting and enchanting as a new eyeshadow palette. Single shadows are fun, and I like leaving Sephora or Ulta with just one pop of color. But palettes are beautiful and full of possibility. Prestige cosmetics tend to have gorgeous packaging and presentation and I don't mind paying for that. I take the palette as it comes though I may not use every shade.

My current favorite palettes are probably Urban Decay's Moondust and Too Faced Glitter Bomb. The former's case is gunmetal glitter, and every shade from pale peach to cobalt is lovely. The latter has shaky glitter on its black case, and the glitter does not disappoint. But I've had so many gorgeous palettes.

When I first fell for expensive makeup, I fell again for Hard Candy (which now only exists as a Walmart line). My chest still flutters when I think of all those small silver eyeshadow quartets. I bought two on my 16th birthday: Pixie (sparkling white and pink with a red glitter black) and Disco 2000 (glitter purple, cream, and brown with a multicolor glitter liner shade). Tiny (a few inches) glittery sponge applicators and angled liner brushes were in each set.

These brought me a joy that got me though my summer youth group trips and my first days at a public high school. Everyone might be more popular than I, more beautiful, more ambitious, more intelligent...but I was a writer and I wore fantastic makeup. Getting pretty got me out of bed. I remember at a camp, one girl from my youth group reverently asking if she could look in my makeup bag, so we sat together on my bunk, and I showed her my treasures.

I've also loved Too Faced small palettes with plenty of sparkle, especially the country-music-themed one. And I have Cinderella, Little Mermaid, and Aladdin palettes from a Sephora and Disney project. Those are dreamy! And again, the packaging is so satisfying--princess silhouettes, sparkle, velvet. And I love all the names for each shade.

Mom and I have talked about the appeal of palettes. We agreed that it's related to our girlhood (and current!) obsession with dolls that have trunks full of clothes and accessories--color, shine, and endless combinations. I love sharing the fun of palettes with my mom. I probably gave her one or two palettes a year as gifts. Buying makeup for others is so fun.

I also like the Z palettes or empty magnetic palettes that let me create my own combination of shadows. I have a Tarte palette with green and black sequins. It's huge, and I've barely filled 1/3 of it with greens, blues, and pinks.

Palettes are makeup fun every day!