My (Current) Custom Palettes

If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you probably know how much I love to depot eyeshadows and make custom palettes. One of the reasons I'm not the biggest fan of the current marketing trend of trying to convince consumers to buy more and more is because it is all based on novelty. And, as we all know, novelty wears off pretty quick. But with custom palettes, novelty doesn't matter. Because once that wears off, I can just dismantle the old palette and make a new one. 

I'm often in flux with my custom palettes. I'll think I've finally made a palette that can be a "permanent" fixture in my collection, but then that all goes out the window when a new palette comes out that I want to dupe or I find some other source of inspiration.

Case in point: My Schitt's Creek palette, which I talked about in my last post:

As much as I loved this palette, I felt like it was still a bit too warm to really feel like the show and be an ideal cool-toned palette. I had always wanted to include some smoky, cool shades, but I just didn't have any in my collection. So, I actually purchased some new singles recently precisely to fill this void. 

And here is my new Schitt's Creek palette:

To say that I love this new version of the palette is an understatement. I think it is such a perfect cool-toned palette, and had something like this been created by a brand, I absolutely would have purchased it. But, instead of spending $50 – $130, this palette is mostly repurposed from shadows I already owned. 

I've updated/changed all of my custom palettes, so I thought it could be fun to share where my custom palettes currently stand (knowing that these configurations are only ever temporary).

Longtime readers will also know how much I loved my duped/reimagined Too Faced Peachy Mattes palette:

This was a favorite palette for a long time, but I didn't use it much last year. This was largely because I wasn't as interested in creating pink eyeshadow looks (I might have burnt myself out with that in 2017) and because it was mainly a companion palette, and I just don't reach for those very often. 

So, I changed/upgraded it:

I've included some of my favorite shimmer shadows to use with the "peachy" mattes and removed the shades that didn't get as much use from me. I think this now has a really great balance of finishes and shades, and it has reinvigorated my desire to use it. 

I'm still loving my duped Emily Edit: The Wants palette:

I've slightly altered the color scheme, but not in any considerable way. My feelings on the original palette by Makeup Revolution have not changed (it was my biggest fail of the entire year), and neither has my love of Emily's color selection. I still think she curated a fantastic color scheme, and I'm so glad that my collection could mostly duplicate the shades.

My next custom palette contains most of my duochrome shadows:

And I've incorporated other complementary shades. I love looking at so many duochromes all in one place, and I quite like the selection of matte shadows as well. I think this has a really fun color scheme while still being mostly neutral. 

My final palette was inspired by the new Coloured Raine Safari palette:

It includes a dupe of this palette as well as an expansion of the color scheme:

The Safari dupe can be found in the first three columns, excluding the fourth row. I was finally brave enough to depot my beloved Viseart Dark Matte palette, and I couldn't be happier that I did. Dark Matte was the one Viseart palette I could never bring myself to depot, but, much like my duped Peachy Matte palette, I found that I wasn't using it because it wasn't depotted. I cannot express how excited I am about this custom palette. Much like my Schitt's Creek palette, if this was a palette a brand would have created, I would have purchased it. To me, this palette feels unique, which is hard to do when the makeup community is as saturated as it is. But I love the earth tones in this palette, and I find it quite inspiring. What's even more exciting is that this palette gives me ALL the excitement of a new purchase, but these are all shadows I've owned for a while. On top of that, I recently purchased a new palette, and I haven't even used it yet because this one has been too exciting. 

So, that's it for this post. I just wanted to show my "new" custom palettes. In a way, I suppose this is like a haul, because all of these feel like new products to me, but it's more of a "shop my collection" post. I know depotting isn't for everyone, and there are certainly palettes that I would never depot (like Pat McGrath Mothership IV, my Natasha Denona palettes, and BH Cosmetics Zodiac), but when you start to look at shades in a palette as colors instead of part of the whole of a palette, it really opens up quite a bit of creative freedom. 

Hopefully my "new" custom palettes will inspire you to look into your own collections if you're feeling bored or stagnant instead of buying something new. 

My Schitt's Creek Palette

I recently saw a video on the Leesha YouTube channel called "My Kingdom Hearts III Eyeshadow Palette," which is part of her "fantasy palette series." In the video, Leesha created her own custom eyeshadow palette based on one of her favorite video game series. She chose the color scheme based on characters and items in the games, and she also created names for the shadows that related to Kingdom Hearts. 

It was a video that I really enjoyed for multiple reasons. I loved that she was using shadows she already had in a new and creative way. And I enjoyed that she took inspiration from something she loved. It's a really clever idea to encourage people look at their own shadows in a new way, and as soon as I saw the video, I knew this was something I wanted to try as well. 

When I thought of what movie or television show I loved enough to try and replicate this project, one immediately stood out: Schitt's Creek.

I was introduced to this show by a close friend when I was going through a bit of a tough time. The show brought me immense joy, and I have probably rewatched it more than any other show. Every time I just want to feel good and laugh, I turn to Shitt's Creek. It has become quite important to me, so I figured having an eyeshadow palette full of colors that reminded me of it could only be a positive. 

Unlike Leesha, I didn't rename the shadows or pick colors for specific characters or moments from the show. (Had I done so, I would have ended up with an orange shadow that I would have lovingly called "Fold In the Cheese" and a blackened brown that would have been called "What Does Burning Smell Like?" And I didn't necessarily want those colors in this palette.)

Instead, I selected colors from my collection that reminded me of the Rose family (the protagonists of the show):

And this is the palette I made:

Row 1: Colourpop Glass Bull, Jouer Magic Hour (from Skinny Dip), Jouer Star Light (from Skinny Dip), Viseart matte cool-toned brown, Touch of Glam Beauty Merlin's Wand, and Looki Beauty Stiletto.

Row 2: Natasha Denona Glam Green, MAC Haux, ABH Pink Champagne, ABH Dusty Rose, Urban Decay Chase, Natasha Denona Industrial, and Ardency Inn Rose Gold. 

Row 3: Jouer Skinny Dip (from Skinny Dip), MAC Satin Taupe, Natasha Denona Antique Olive, Coloured Raine Duchess, Jouer Midnight Swim (from Skinny Dip), Looxi Beauty Foxy Lady, and Touch of Glam Beauty Dark Knight. 

I chose these colors because they felt luxurious to me. When I imagine the show and these characters, I think of decadent shades of gold and silver, and, of course, black. Interestingly, I don't own a black eyeshadow single, and I have never depotted one with the intention of keeping it. It's always so perplexing to me when people say a matte black eyeshadow is a "must" in every makeup collection because... I don't like black eyeshadow. If my choices are between a back and a very dark brown, I will always choose the brown. 

So, in lieu of a black shadow, I chose several dark and complex shimmers, like Jouer Magic Hour, Jouer Midnight Swim, MAC Satin Taupe, and Touch of Glam Beauty Dark Knight.

Here are seven looks I did with this palette:

Look 1:

Lid: Jouer Star Light

Transition: Viseart matte cool-toned brown

Crease: Natasha Denona Antique Olive

Inner corner: Touch of Glam Beauty Merlin's Wand

Lower lash line: Natasha Denona Antique Olive

Look 2:

Lid: MAC Satin Taupe

Transition: MAC Haux

Crease: ABH Dusty Rose

Inner corner: Urban Decay Chase

Lower lash line: Jouer Midnight Swim

Look 3:

Lid: Ardency Inn Rose Gold

Crease: ABH Dusty Rose

Outer corner: Coloured Raine Duchess

Inner corner: Looxi Beauty Foxy Lady

Lower lash line: Coloured Raine Duchess

Look 4:

Lid: Natasha Denona Glam Green

Crease: MAC Haux

Inner corner: Looxi Beauty Foxy Lady

Lower lash line: MAC Haux

Look 5:

Lid: ABH Pink Champagne

Crease: ABH Dusty Rose

Outer corner: Coloured Raine Duchess

Inner corner: Looxi Beauty Foxy Lady

Lower lash line: ABH Dusty Rose

Look 6:

Lid: Ardency Inn Rose Gold

Crease: ABH Dusty Rose

Outer corner: Coloured Raine Duchess

Inner corner: Looki Beauty Stiletto

Lower lash line: Coloured Raine Duchess

Look 7:

Lid: Natasha Denona Industrial 

Crease: Viseart matte cool-toned brown

Outer corner: Natasha Denona Glam Green

Inner corner: Looki Beauty Stiletto

Lower lash line: Jouer Midnight Swim

I've loved using this palette, and every time I look at it, it reminds me of this show I love so dearly. This is also a color story that I would have never chosen on my own without a source of inspiration behind it. The palette definitely leans cool—especially since all the mattes I chose are cool—which is, frankly, different for my collection. Almost everything in my collection leans very warm, which makes sense since warm colors flatter my skin tone. But the colors within this palette are cool tones that also work for my skin tone. And it has been refreshing to have a cool-toned palette. 

Creating this palette has also enabled me to create color combinations that I likely would not have thought of otherwise, like in Looks 2 and 4. 

A main reason, I think, that people continue to buy palettes with shadows that they already own is because a certain arrangement of colors can be really appealing, especially if you haven't seen those colors arranged in that way before. I still catch myself being affected by this all the time. I get sucked into a beautiful color scheme and have to take a moment to remind myself that I already own those colors. I just don't currently have those colors in that arrangement. 

This is why I love singles so much and am such a fan of depotting eyeshadows. It allows you to change the shadow arrangement and essentially get a "new" product whenever you feel uninspired or in a rut. I hadn't used many of the shadows in this palette for a very long time, but bringing them into their own arrangement that was inspired by one of my favorite shows has brought new life to them, and I've loved using this palette.

I want to thank Leesha for this great idea, and I think it's fantastic that more content creators are encouraging people to be creative and use what they already have instead of mindlessly spending more money on what we already own. 

Weekly Looks: BH Cosmetics Zodiac and Singles

I've had an interesting revelation over the past few weeks, which is that for all the time I spent obsessing over eyeshadow palettes, looking up swatches, and watching reviews—and all the money I have burned buying them—I really just don't like many of them.

In every palette I own, there are colors that I don't like and don't use. There was a series going around YouTube for a while were people talked about their least favorite shadows in every palette. Because it is impossible for a brand to put out a palette where every single person will love every single shade. And it is also very rare to come across a pre-made palette where you love every single shadow and wouldn't change anything about the color story.

And I noticed that in the palettes that I have duped or put together myself, I don't typically have a least favorite shadow because I replace any shade I don't like with one that I do.

Because of this, I've been using my palettes less and less and favoring my singles or palettes I've made myself. But toward the end of this week, I used an old favorite and was reminded of how how great—and rare!—it is to find a palette you really love.

Here are six looks I did this week.

Look 1: Fyrinnae Aztec Gold

Lid: Aztec Gold

Transition: Viseart matte warm brown

Crease: Makeup Geek Cocoa Bear

Inner corner: Make Up For Ever Pearl

Brow bone: Viseart matte white

Lower lash line: Aztec Gold

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Fyrinnae's Aztec Gold is one of my absolute top favorite shadows and one of the most unique in my collection. It has been a while since I used this shadow (mainly because I haven't been doing as many "neutral" looks), but as soon as I put this on, I was kicking myself for not using it more often. I just love this shadow and think it completely complements my warm-toned olive skin. 

Look 2: Duped The Wants

Lid: Makeup Geek Mai Tai

Transition: Costal Scents Petal Peach

Crease: Viseart shimmer purple

Outer corner: Coloured Raine Queen Mother

Inner corner: Make Up For Ever Pearl

Brow bone: Viseart matte white

Lower lash line: Ardency Inn Violet

This was an experiment, and I liked the look more in theory than in application. I really liked Mai Tai paired with Violet, but the Viseart shimmery purple in the crease made the look a little too warm-toned than I was wanting. 

Look 3: BH Cosmetics Zodiac 

Lid: Cancer shimmer

Transition: Virgo matte

Crease: Cancer matte

Inner corner: Center highlight

Brow bone: Center highlight

Lower lash line: Taurus matte

I pulled out BH Cosmetics Zodiac by the middle of the week and immediately remembered how much I love it. I wanted to use some shadows that I hadn't used before, so I started with the Cancer shimmer. This isn't typically a color that I reach for, but I absolutely loved it paired with the lilac shades. The Virgo matte shade is easily one of my favorite shadows in the palette and most loved transition color, and I enjoyed how it gave a little warmth to an otherwise cool look.  

Look 4: BH Cosmetics Zodiac 

Lid: Capricorn shimmer

Center of lid: Center highlight

Transition: Aquarius matte

Crease: Capricorn matte

Inner corner: Center highlight

Brow bone: Center highlight

Lower lash line: Capricorn matte

This was also a look that I loved, though I partially wish that I would not have used the center highlight shade in the middle of my lid. I thought it was going to be more light-reflective and transformative, but it ended up making the olive look a little too gold. This was the most "neutral" of all the looks I did with this palette, but I still thought it was interesting and pretty. 

Look 5: BH Cosmetics Zodiac 

Lid: Aries shimmer

Transition: Virgo matte

Crease: Cancer matte

Inner corner: Center highlight

Brow bone: Center highlight

Lower lash line: Taurus matte

This look is a bit similar to one I've done before, but I typically use a blue with a lot of gold in it instead of one that is more cool-toned. I received a ton of compliments on this look, and people told me that they felt it really showed off my eye color. I found that interesting because if I want my eyes to stand out, I usually wear gold or olive colors, but I appreciated the compliments. I felt a bit like a mermaid when I wore this look, which is never a bad thing. 

Look 6: BH Cosmetics Zodiac 

Lid: Taurus shimmer (applied wet)

Transition: Virgo matte

Crease: Gemini matte

Outer corner: Taurus matte

Inner corner: Center highlight

Brow bone: Center highlight

Lower lash line: Taurus matte

For this look, I was inspired by the Taurus section of the palette, which has a shimmery champagne and a dark purple matte. I knew that I didn't want the look to be overly dark, so I went with a cool-toned lavender in the crease and darkened that with the deeper purple in the outer corner. This is a look that feels neutral to me but also bright and colorful, which I love. 

I'm glad to have "rediscovered" my BH Cosmetics Zodiac palette this week, and I feel confident to say that if I did a complete purge of all of my pre-made eyeshadow palettes (which I might do!), this would be one that would stay. 

This is also why I personally was so disappointed in the Makeup Revolution Emily Edit: The Wants palette. About the formula and quality, I've heard so many people say, "What do you expect from a $20 palette??"

Well, THIS is what I expect. 

I expect rich pigment, metallic shimmers, smooth mattes, and saturated looks. I bought BH Cosmetics Zodiac for $24, but at the time of writing this post, it is on sale for $18. This palette, I think, has phenomenal quality, and this is what I meant when I said that I was not going to spend time to make shadows in The Wants palette work when I already own great shadows that perform well on their own (even those from less expensive brands). 

This palette is such a winner for me, and I still love it close to a year after I bought it. 

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