THE MOST EXPENSIVE EYESHADOW PALETTES IN MY COLLECTION | WERE THEY WORTH IT?

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I think eyeshadow palettes have really jumped off the deep end price-wise... Remember when £37 on an Urban Decay Naked palette was a special splurge for a birthday or for Christmas? Well, fast-forward to 2019 and many YouTubers don't bat an eyelid at £200 for one! Through running this blog and being gifted things, as well as just through those sorts of special occasions, I've had a chance to try a few palettes that are really 'up there' in price. But, can an eyeshadow palette ever be worth so much money? Let's grab the most expensive ones from my collection and find out...


Natasha Denona Gold Palette | £111 | full review and swatches 

For full transparency; I was kindly gifted some store credit by Cult Beauty which I put towards this palette, otherwise I don't think I'd have had the stomach to cough up £111 (!!!!!) for this. I like this palette but I don't love it. I guess I was just expecting to have my mind blown by it for the price and sadly it remained totally unblown. I think my hopes were probably a bit unrealistic, however I don't recommend you buy this palette unless you're lucky enough to have no concerns about money and you just like these colours. You can get similar shades for far less money elsewhere (I duped the shades from this palette in my full review). The formula is very nice; the mattes blend beautifully and are very pigmented and there are lots of different textures and finishes in here that are really nice. However, I guess it just isn't unique enough for me to say it's worth the price-point.

Was it worth it? No!

Natasha Denona Sunrise Palette | £60 | full review and swatches 

I picked up this palette as a birthday gift to myself, armed with a 20% off discount code! I really like that Natasha Denona has released a smaller palette in better packaging because, at the end of the day, I'm not panning eyeshadow palettes on a regular basis so I'd rather have less product at a lower cost. This colour story really spoke to me so - despite my hesitancy after being disappointed with the Gold palette - I decided to pick it up. £60 is by no means cheap but (particularly with a good discount), it didn't make me want to hurl... I actually thought this palette was worth it for me and the main reason is because of how good these bright, bold mattes are. Yellows, purples and reds are notoriously hard to get right, particularly when it comes to mattes, but these are smooth, they blend incredibly well, they're totally opaque and pigmented, as well as lasting on me. If you're like me and tend to go for warm neutrals but want one brighter palette to incorporate into your eyeshadow looks then this is a sound investment. If you don't want to spend this much on a palette, there are some affordable alternatives linked in my full review. There are some gorgeous jewel-toned shimmers in here too with a few duo-chromes.

Was it worth it? Yes

Viseart 01 Neutral Mattes Eyeshadow Palette* | £69

I was kindly sent over a couple of Viseart palettes by Feel Unique and was really excited to try this legendary makeup artist brand. Neutral Mattes is a staple for many MUAs and I can see why; it's the perfect companion palette. As well as being great for natural, everyday matte makeup looks, this has everything you need for any neutral eye and can be paired with creams, liquids and glitters. I really like the texture of these shadows - they're very creamy and they apply opaquely. Even the very light shades in here have amazing pigmentation and are very smooth in their texture. I really can't fault this product, I'm just not sure it's worth this much money, given it's essentially a basic neutral matte palette and there are a lot of those in the world, many of which are far cheaper. What I will say though is that their mini Theory palettes* are just as good in terms of quality, have a few shimmers in them and come in at a more purse-friendly £35, so if you're interested in trying Viseart I'd recommend starting there.

Was it worth it? Not for me

Huda Beauty Rose Gold Remastered Palette* | £56 | full review and swatches

This isn't a palette I was even considering picking up, but when I was gifted it; I decided to give it a go. And I ended up loving it! This colour story is right up my street; it mixes warm neutrals with some richer, more opulent pinks and yellow golds. This metallic formula won't be for everyone, as it does really apply best with the fingers, however it gives the most stunning, long-wearing finish. The mattes are also pigmented, easy to work with and last. I reach for this palette so much when I want a beautiful smoky eye look and often travel with it because it's pretty versatile too. I'm so glad I was sent this because it's become one of my absolute favourites!

Was it worth it? Absolutely!

Pat McGrath Labs MTHRSHP Sublime Bronze Ambition Palette | £50 | full review and swatches

Pat McGrath's makeup line is notoriously expensive and ranks up there with Natasha Denona in that respect, however I do have one of her smaller palettes and I absolutely love it! I actually got this from Sephora in the US before it was available in the UK, so paid a little less for it, however the larger 10-pan palettes come in at an eye-watering £115 over here. I absolutely love the smooth, opaque, almost dewy metallic formula - it makes an incredible impact on the eyes. There's only one matte in here but it blends so nicely and is incredibly pigmented - this almost butterscotch brown is also one of my favourite crease colours. Overall the colour story is very 'me', making it a great staple in my collection - I reach for it a lot, so it's a sound investment if you like these sorts of colours.

Was it worth it? Yes!

Have you ever tried a super-expensive eyeshadow palette? Was it worth it for you?

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