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The best limited edition makeup palettes to add to your Christmas wish list

Catch ‘em all before they’re gone forever

By Briar Clark

Beauty Crew Beauty Editor / November 30 2023

If you thought the gifts of the holiday season were limited to carefully wrapped parcels found under your Christmas tree... you’d be wrong.

Because while dear ol’ Saint Nick might incur an otherwise unmatched level of anticipatory glee in the hearts of children, nothing hits quite as hard for a diehard makeup fan as a limited edition Christmas makeup palette (except for perhaps Christmas candles and fragrance gift sets).

So follow our expert advice and don’t bother worrying about whether you’ve been naughty or nice this year, because let’s be real – even if your loved ones deem you unworthy of a limited edition piece of luxury, your grown ass can always splurge on yourself.

It is 2023 after all and sisters are doing it for themselves – Santa who?

Tarte All Stars Amazonian Clay Collector's Set

If you’re going to invest in a holiday palette, then why not select something you can use well after the festivities have finished? This versatile selection of wearable golds, shimmer-enhanced greige hues and peppy plums is everything you need to create a stunning light-reflective eye look in a matter of minutes. Better yet, with not one but four palettes to choose from, take your favourite look with you on the go.

$88 at Tarte

Too Faced Maple Syrup Pancakes Eyeshadow Palette

Trust Too Faced to bring us some delicious food-inspired palettes to celebrate the silly season. This generous selection of eyeshadows boasts a wealth of maple-hued neutrals, while still leaving room for some moreish metallic delights. A feast for the eyes (literally), you’re going to be stunting on everyone at Christmas lunch after you swipe on these buttery-soft, maple syrup-scented shadows.

$101 at ASOS

DIOR Diorshow 5 Couleurs Couture Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette

The folks over at Dior have decided to bless us with a palette to celebrate the holiday season, and boy, have they made it hard to resist. The five shade selection honours the glitz associated with the special time of year, while still honouring makeup lovers' current predilections for all things neutral. Think warm but wearable golds and true browns in satin finishes – divine.

$126 at Adore Beauty

M.A.C Squall Goals Eye Shadow Palette x 6: Cabin Fever

This six-shade warm-toned eye palette is giving us the ultimate 'chestnuts roasting by the open fire' vibes. The rich, highly-pigmented powders are made to stay all day. Bring on the silly season because we’re fully equipped for long nights out with this in our kits.

$79 at MAC Cosmetics

Charlotte Tilbury The Beautyverse Palette

No one in the makeup industry loves Christmas quite like Charlotte Tilbury. The makeup artist’s talent for delighting her global fanbase with glitzy makeup palettes each holiday season is unmatched. Case in point? Her latest limited edition colourway. Formulated to add a touch of glam and sparkle to any eye look, this is the eye palette pick that’s going to take your average glam look to new heights.

$120 at Charlotte Tilbury

NATASHA DENONA Christmas Mini Eyeshadow Palette Kit

The holiday season is the perfect time to indulge in Denona’s luxurious, buttery-soft eyeshadow formulas. The makeup artist’s limited edition mini palette features two seasonally-appropriate gold and green metallic shades that are supported by some undeniably wearable neutral mattes. Regardless of the time of year, this versatile little palette has something to offer.

$46 at Natasha Denona

HOURGLASS Ambient Lighting Edit Jellyfish

We don’t know about you, but nothing gets our blood pumping quite like the annual holiday collection from Hourglass. No, seriously, we’ve paid extortionate shipping rates just to get our hands on one of their iconic palettes. Learn from our rookie mistakes and be sure to snag this year's ambient lighting edit before it sells out. Just think of all the haters you can blind with your glowy complexion...

$160 at Selfridges

CHANEL LUMIÈRE GRAPHIQUE EXCLUSIVE CREATION Eyeshadow Palette

She's classy and she's cute. If you're looking for a palette you'll truly cherish this holiday season, opt for Chanel's Lumiere Graphique. With five fail-safe neutral options to pick from, channel the 'she's expensive' glam at your seasonal Christmas parties.

$130 at Myer

It ain’t Christmas without an advent calendar. These are the best beauty advent calendars for Christmas...

Main image credit: @georgieeisdell

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).