Make Up For Ever has recently launched their holiday offerings, which include a nine-pan eyeshadow palette that is packaged in a tin.
And I won't be buying.
Here's the thing. As I have said often, I really, really love Make Up For Ever shadows. But I seriously question the brand's decisions when it comes to releasing palettes. Despite being disappointed for almost every single Make Up For Ever palette release, I still get excited each holiday season to see what they come out with and have hope that it will be something different.
And each year I am so disappointed. 2016 is no different.
This is the Make Up For Ever holiday 2016 palette:
Photo: Temptalia
This is the Make Up For Ever holiday 2015 palette:
Photo: Temptalia
This is the Make Up For Ever holiday 2014 palette:
As you can see, they pretty much look the same every year. The only exception is that this year, the palette is significantly smaller than previous years.
Another negative about the 2016 palette is that there are (once again) no matte shades other than the black and white (which have been in every other palette).
The holiday palette for 2016 also looks like a shimmery version of the Artist Palette Volume 4:
And it looks pretty similar to the Artist Palette Volume 2:
Honestly, I don't understand what Make Up For Ever is doing. With every palette release, customers complain and ask the same thing each time:
- Stop reusing shadows from palette to palette
- Incorporate matte shadows
Personally, I don't collect makeup. I like makeup for its practical use, and I would never buy something that I wouldn't wear just for the sake of collecting it. But I know a lot of people collect all interactions of brands' lines of palettes, including those from Make Up For Ever. These people are the ones with the loudest voices, saying that they have some shadows three and four times over because Make Up For Ever keeps putting them in palettes.
I read one very fair critical review that said Make Up For Ever has hundreds of shadows in the Artist line to choose from, so it makes absolutely zero sense why they keep using the same few shadows. And I absolutely agree with that criticism.
Putting my frustrations of the brand aside for a moment, personally, I am not a fan of the color selection of the holiday 2016 palette. I purchased the palette from holiday 2015 and found myself using the same two or three colors, which were the only warm shadows in the entire thing. I decluttered the palette shortly after purchasing and gave it to my cousin who doesn't have an extensive eyeshadow collection like me. And even she uses the same few colors in it because smokey colors and blues just aren't all that practical for day-to-day use.
The palette is far too cool-toned for me, and it is also way too dark. I, like most people (probably), use light shades for the majority of most of my looks. I do incorporate dark shades, but I use a small amount and only use them to provide some depth and dimension. So a palette made up primarily of dark shadows just does not excite me.
On a more practical standpoint, I hate the packaging. I don't know why they would switch the format from a palette with a magnetic closure to a metal tin.
One last note about the shade selection, beside the obvious that Make Up For Ever has repeated this several times over, this is also not an innovative selection in the slightest. Urban Decay came out with the Smoked palette several years ago (I want to say 2011 or 2012?), which has an incredibly similar color scheme:
Finally, let's talk price. The holiday palette is $49 and contains nine shadows. The Artist Palette Volume 1 (probably their best-seller) also has nine shadows and is $44. The Artist Palette Volume 2 that bears a very strong resemblance to the holiday palette also has nine shadows and is $34. And the color selection is far more interesting.
As far as quality is concerned, I assume the holiday palette has the typical Artist shadow formula. If so, the quality is fantastic. But I really don't appreciate the price gouge, especially considering that there is absolutely nothing new or interesting happening. If you're interested in the holiday palette, I strongly recommend checking out the Volume 2 palette instead. The colors are more diverse and exciting, and it is significantly cheaper.
I might have to finally accept that Make Up For Ever palettes are a no-go for me and stick to purchasing their singles. It's a shame, too, because in theory a cohesive Make Up For Ever palette at the typical (non-gouged) price is actually a really great value. But I continue to be disappointed by the repetition, and until something changes, I won't be buying.
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