Eyeshadow Palettes Are Back!
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Kids these days will never understand the frenzy surrounding the launch of a new must-have eye shadow palette. Ripping the packaging open on Tarte and grav3yardgirl’s joint Swamp Queen palette or a 12-pan Urban Decay Naked (I faithfully collected the brand’s first three as soon as they each dropped) felt like opening up an entirely new world of beauty possibilities, one where creases were cut and more was more.
I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive Urban Decay for discontinuing its original Naked palette—something I’d consider one of the most formative products of my teenage years—and not just because its luxe brown velvet packaging always made me feel fancy. I’ll never forget how beautifully the palette’s pigmented shade range complemented my brown skin each time I applied it, a rarity for someone who haunted the aisles of her local drugstore searching for a decent foundation shade match.
Fast-forward to now. I’m a beauty editor and I’m happy to say the industry landscape has finally shifted in my favor, with hundreds of makeup options available and customized for my café au lait skin tone. But while I’ve found so many new mascaras, foundations, and concealers that I love as much as the OG Naked trio, traditional eye shadow palettes have fallen out of favor in my routine. Don’t get me wrong: A swipe of shimmery pigment across my lids still sets my heart ablaze, but for me, it’s usually in the convenient form of a travel-friendly crayon or blendable liquid formula. Can an eye shadow palette thrive in the era of clean-girl makeup?
When I got my hands on Byredo’s new Mineralscapes eye shadow palette, out now, I felt a rush come over me that I haven’t felt since 2016. To be completely transparent, I had flirted a little with a few smaller palettes before unboxing Mineralscapes: Pat McGrath Labs’ limited-edition Daring Desire: Luxe Eyeshadow Palette and Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Smoky Eye Brick in Tuxedo as of late. But even so, something seems extremely singular about Byredo’s newest makeup launch. And I’m not the only one who feels this way; Bazaar beauty director Jenna Rosenstein also has a crush on the earth-toned palette—it’s the first one we’ve been excited about in a really, really long time.
You’re probably asking yourself what makes Mineralscapes so great, so allow me to wax poetic for a moment. First, its packaging: The palette features a reflective surface that’s not only impossibly stylish but also provides a second option for product application. (A nice-size mirror is also housed inside.) Its cover features an embossed illustration of—you guessed it—colorful minerals that only add to its elevated look.
Upon opening the palette for the first time, I audibly gasped. Not just because of the transparent number of shade options included, which total 18, but honestly, because of how stunning and harmonious they all looked together. Mineralscapes’ mixed offering of sparkle, shimmer, metallic, and matte shades is a master class in makeup presentation. It’s perfect for anyone like me, who likes to stick close to neutral shades, but also likes to play with deeper or brighter shades on occasion. And with shadow names like Grounding Sky, Painting Land, Pink Flame, and Lunar Rhythm, I can’t help but be inspired to try them all.
If Byredo’s artful Mineralscapes is any indication, I think it’s high time we return to hyping up the shockingly beautiful eye shadow palettes of the world. While nothing could ever replace the void Urban Decay’s Naked palette has left in my heart, Mineralscapes is undoubtedly part of the next frontier in my makeup journey—I’m feeling newly inspired to attempt whatever a cut crease looks like in 2024.
You Might Also Like
