Back

7 face palettes for endless makeup play

Because who doesn’t love options?

By Briar Clark

BEAUTYcrew Beauty Editor / October 19 2021

We don’t know what it is about face palettes, but every time we get our hands on one, the mundanity of our everyday makeup routine suddenly escalates to artistic new heights.

Face palettes provide endless opportunity for makeup play, delivering unexpected yet complimentary coordinations of base formulas.

Think: summer-inspired buttery bronzers cosied up next to creamy pops of cheek-enhancing blush and iridescent illuminators that leave skin looking like glass. And all in a travel-friendly compact? Sign us up.

Here, you’ll find seven complexion-boosting face palettes that are sure to inject some creative fuel into your next face-beating sesh.

Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Book Volume III

You’ll undoubtedly be enticed by the finely-milled neo-bronzer in this palette, but we can assure you it’s the collection of wearable cheek-sculpting matte contour shades and pearlescent highlighter hues that’ll keep you coming back to this contour book time and time again.

$84 at MECCA

DIOR BACKSTAGE Glow Face Illuminating Makeup Palette in 'Pure Gold'

In our opinion, why put on highlighter if it’s not going to make an impression *cough* blind the haters *cough*? This decadent palette of pure gold shades allows you to imbue the complexion with a luminescence reminiscent of a gilded renaissance painting. Who needs a halo-effect when you could be dripping in Dior, amiright?

$76 at Sephora

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow

If you have never had the opportunity to dress your skin in a dusting of Charlotte Tilbury’s bronze and glow palette, then you have not lived. Subtle, buildable and wearable on a variety of skin types, you are likely to have a very visceral and emotional response once you hit pan on this sculpting bronzer and illuminating glow powder (a devastating realisation, trust us).

$97 at Charlotte Tilbury

HOURGLASS Ambient® Lighting Palette

The only problem with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders is that typically we can only select and enjoy one shade at a time (boo). That’s why this 3-in-1 compact is so bloody handy and mesmerising to boot. The peachy-hued ‘dim light’ serves to blur imperfections and enhance radiance, while opalescent ‘Incandescent Strobe Light’ brightens the skin and adds an otherworldly glow, and complexion enhancing ‘Radiant Light’ adds a warm glow wherever it is placed on the skin.

$91 at MECCA

NATASHA DENONA Bloom Palette

If you’re anything like us over here at team Beauty Crew, then you’re probably partial to a cream blush formula. This deliciously decadent palette combines two rich cream blush and illuminator formulations with two buttery and blendable powder illuminators for makeup looks inspired by gilded bouquets. Effortlessly amp up cheek colour with the rosy-hued blush or layer with the illuminators for a multi-dimensional makeup moment.

$84 at Sephora

MECCA MAX Triple Threat Face Shaper Powder

You can’t really go wrong with this three-pan palette which features all of your go-to’s in one handy compact. Sculpt cheekbones with the contouring bronzer shade, add a swathe of dusty-rose coloured magic to cheeks and turn up the radiance with a touch of the warm champagne-hued highlighter. No fuss, no muss.

$30 at MECCA

Youngblood Weekender Face Palette

If you thought that a standard face palette was exciting then you’re probably not fully prepared for the drama of this multitasker. Not only does this compact boast two standout highlighter pans and two peach and rose-hued blushes, but it’s also home to a nine pan eyeshadow palette. So you can enjoy an enviable face beat and an impressive collection of neutral and blush-toned eye shade selections.

Was $115 now $92 at ActiveSkin

While we’re on the subject of palettes… Here are 8 cute and compact eyeshadow palettes you'll actually use.

Main image credit: @rosiehw

Briar Clark

Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).