8 Best Face Palettes 2024 | UK Makeup Artist Reviewed
We love a good face palette to add a little contour, blush or highlight to our look. Palettes for the face come in a cream or powder, and contain shades organised by skin tone to ensure we grab the closest match. You'll often find a palette with more than one use, so you can rely on it to sculpt your full face, from lining your cheekbones with a dark contour cream to adding a little colour with a rosy blush.
We tracked down professional makeup artists' favourites from brands such as Benefit and Too Faced as well as some fabulous high-street hits to provide you with the best list of products around. We've also included a buying guide to help you shop, explaining the pros and cons of each choice along the way. All of the face palettes on our list are available to buy on either Amazon, John Lewis, Boots, or ASOS, so keep your eyes peeled!
Quick List - Top Face Palettes
NYX Professional Makeup
The Best Choice for Skin Inclusivity
As a professional make-up artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK working at top events, on TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all her clients she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
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Table of Contents
- With Specialist Advice From Makeup Artist Marie Dancer
- Top 8 Best Face Palettes in the UK
- No. 1NYX Professional Makeup | 3 Steps to Sculpt Face Sculpting Palette
- No. 2NYX Professional Makeup | Conceal, Correct, Contour Palette
- No. 3Smashbox | The Cali Contour Palette
- No. 4Sleek MakeUP | Cleopatra’s Kiss Palette
- No. 5L'Oréal | Infallible Blush Trio Soft Rosy
- 3 more products
- Application Tips on a Quick Look From Marie Dancer
With Specialist Advice From Makeup Artist Marie Dancer
As a professional make-up artist of ten years, Marie's job has taken her all over the UK working at top events, on TV shows and making up beautiful brides. For all of her clients, she loves emphasising their natural beauty by creating a flawless base that still looks like skin.
Find out more about Marie and what are her favourite makeup products are through her Instagram! She even shares some industry tips on makeup application too. And if you're interested in getting your makeup done by Marie you can contact her via her email found at the top of her page.
How To Choose a Face Palette in the UK - Buying Guide
To make sure that your palette is the perfect fit for your makeup routine, let's dive into the details and discuss how the products below can benefit you. We'll take a look at both creams and powders and tell you everything you need to know to make an informed decision.
Choose Your Poison: Cream or Powder
Whether you prefer your look to be subtle or dramatic, a full face of makeup is an art. When choosing a face palette, the first point of question is the texture - this determines the finish of your face.
Powder Creates an Elegant Matte Look
A powdered product is lightweight and subtle, allowing you to dust over your cheekbones to add even the softest hint of colour or sparkle. Powders are the most common choice for those prone to an oilier complexion as the dry consistency soaks up any greasy residue on the skin and mattifies the finish.
In addition, powders can be easily layered on top of each other to create a heavier look, or they can be topped up throughout the day if you're busy on the go. Overall, the powdered look is chic, matte, and perfect for a long-lasting finish that stays from dawn to dusk.
Powder products are a brilliant choice for textured skin, enlarged pores or fine lines as they will gently smooth the appearance of imperfections. They can be layered for a more dramatic look, suitable for evening wear and if photographs are going to be taken.
For oily skin, choosing a powder will act as a barrier to absorb shine and elongate the wear of your make-up. Powder is also a more sanitary option for acne-prone skin as it won't harbour bacteria.
Cream Provides a Natural-Looking Finish
Cream makeup products have become increasingly popular over recent years as cosmetic lovers have begun to appreciate a lighter, more natural look. Absorbing into the skin instead of sitting on the top, a cream will easily blend in with your skin tone creating soft edges and a gentle sheen.
Another benefit of a cream face palette is that you can easily remove or wipe away any mistakes when you're doing your makeup. A powder can curdle if it's messed with or hasn't been set properly, but a cream can be taken off and reapplied as many times as needed.
Cream face palettes are perfect for quick application as they can be blended in with fingertips to create a natural, seamless finish that looks like skin. Cream textures have a high level of wax and oil which nourishes dry patches giving a healthy, glowy look - an ideal choice for dry or mature skin types.
If you're a make-up newbie I would recommend starting with a cream palette to experiment with the placement of blush, contour and highlight. Mistakes are easy to correct, if you feel you've applied too much just blend over the top with your foundation brush!
Looking for Anything in Particular? Check Out the Contents List
The contents of your palette could be a one-stop-shop for everything you need, or it could specialise in one area like blush or contour. The trick is to look at the shades and see which ones stand out the most for you - we'll guide you through it.
Blush and Highlight Add a Glittery Hint of Colour
A blush product can make a huge difference to your complexion, accentuating the cheekbones and lifting your face with a splash of colour. The general rule of thumb is to opt for lighter shades of baby pink and rose if you have fair skin and gradually fade to bolder colours like orange and red, the darker your skin shade is. A bronzer is a valuable option for those who prefer a neutral, golden style without the bright colours.
A highlighter adds a little sparkle to raised areas such as the cheekbones, the nose, the brow line, and the cupid's bow. This allows your face to catch more sunlight for a naturally dewy glow. It's ideal for summer when the bright weather is in full swing. We guarantee you'll love the benefits in your selfies!
As foundation blocks out all colours in the skin, using blush and highlight is key to achieving a healthy-looking complexion. If you have redness try a matte, peach blusher or opt for a bronzer instead. For dull or sallow skin, a warm-toned glowy pink will brighten the complexion.
Highlighter brings features forward so avoid any texture, blemishes and discolouration and instead lift the face by applying it under the brow, to the top of the cheeks and in the inner corner of your eye. Apply using a fan brush as it will evenly distribute the product without leaving a stripe.
Contour, Bronzer, and Concealer Sculpt the Face
To truly sculpt the face, look to the famous trio; contour, bronzer, and concealer. A contour provides the shadow to contrast the light of a highlighter. Use it under the cheekbones, around the forehead and on the sides of your nose to smoothen your complexion.
A concealer should be used under the eyes, on the cheeks, the jawline, and the bridge of your nose. This blurs any imperfections and creates a soft, glowing appearance. Concealer palettes provide a range of different shades that you can use to touch up on any area of the face, keeping your finish looking smooth and professional.
Contour is used to alter the shape of your face, creating a balanced, slimming effect - apply where you want to reduce the appearance or size of your features. These products will have a cool, grey undertone that mimics a shadow to give a realistic, sunken look.
Concealer does the opposite, it brings forward and draws attention to where it's used, notably under the eye and down the centre of the nose. Bronzer warms up the complexion, often with a peachy or golden undertone. Buff in the bronzer all over using big circular motions to give a sun-kissed and glowing effect.
Find a Palette to Compliment Your Skin Tone
Be sure to check the skin tone recommendation to clarify the colours in your palette are an ideal fit for you. (We've also included this in the specification tables for our list of products below). This is a crucial step as a darker shade on light skin could create a cakey, unnatural illusion, and vice versa with light shades on dark skin. It's best to stick to the tone that pairs closest with your own to get the best results.
Bear in mind that you may need a darker palette to complement your suntan in the warmer months. This would make a multi-shade palette highly beneficial as you can find a use for each shade throughout the year.
Often palettes will include multiple contour, blusher and highlight shades which makes it hard to know which one to use and when. To create depth, start with the lightest contour colour and build up to the darker tone for a more intense look - taking you from day to dancefloor.
For fairer skin tones lookout for light pink and peach blushers with iridescent or champagne highlighters. For medium to deep tones go for the palettes with golden, rosy highlights and richer, berry tone blushers.
Skin Tone Inclusive Products Will Have More To Offer
Some palettes on our list may only be suitable for light or dark skin, although a number of them have various options that are more skin tone inclusive. We would like to remind you to check the number of palettes available in the specifications table and if there are more than one, check the EC site links to explore your options.
Many palettes by brands such as Benefit and Too Faced contain shades exclusive to that particular palette. If you'd like to shop with more versatility, NYX and Revolution are two great leading brands for this.
Face palettes are perfect for travel as you have your bronzer, blush, contour and highlight all in one handy palette. Some palettes also include a mix of powder and cream shades which are multipurpose.
For the most diverse range of shades, I would start with a cream palette. You can become your own artist by mixing together different colours to customise your perfect match. I often mix blush and highlighter to create a glowy tint or brighten up the skin so don't be afraid of getting creative and trying something new.
Top 8 Best Face Palettes in the UK
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | NYX Professional Makeup 3 Steps to Sculpt Face Sculpting Palette | | The Best Choice for Skin Inclusivity | |
2 | NYX Professional Makeup Conceal, Correct, Contour Palette | | Blend Your Look to Contour and Highlight | |
3 | Smashbox The Cali Contour Palette | | Get That Warm Summer Glow | |
4 | Sleek MakeUP Cleopatra’s Kiss Palette | | A Light Subtle Glow With a Splash of Colour | |
5 | L'Oréal Infallible Blush Trio Soft Rosy | | Rosy Cheeks on a Budget | |
6 | Benefit Cheek Stars Reunion Tour Palette | | Sculpt and Brighten Your Complexion | |
7 | Max Factor Miracle Contouring Palette | | An All-in-One Contour Concealer Pack | |
8 | MAKEUP REVOLUTION Ultra Cover and Conceal Palette | | Ultra Concealed Coverage for Brighter Looks |
NYX Professional Makeup 3 Steps to Sculpt Face Sculpting Palette
The Best Choice for Skin Inclusivity
Complete your look in just three steps with this easy-to-use palette with specially selected shades for a dramatically sculpted contour. The thing that we love most about this product is the inclusivity in shades, as it's highly beneficial for a long list of buyers of many different ethnicities.
The creamy powder formula blends seamlessly with your foundation base or natural skin to create a flawless matte finish with a dewy highlight glow. It's a perfect choice for natural, everyday makeup routines.
NYX Professional Makeup Conceal, Correct, Contour Palette
Blend Your Look to Contour and Highlight
This is a product that covers all the bases, from priming concealer to shady contour. Featuring a red and yellow colour correcting set, this palette is essential for anyone who suffers from dark undereye circles and dull patches of dry skin.
The palette is available in three neutral shades ranging from light to dark, but there's also an additional palette specifically dedicated to colour correction. If you like full coverage and a look that will last all day, this would be ideal for you.
Get That Warm Summer Glow
You're sure to love how the colours in this palette scream summer vibes as they perfectly complement any sun-kissed skin. Create an effortlessly gorgeous glam glow with the terracotta blush and sunshine gold highlight.
The brand recommends doubling this palette as an eyeshadow product, too, so you can coincide your colours with style and ease. It's essentially a full face of makeup in one small, beach-bag friendly palette!
A Light Subtle Glow With a Splash of Colour
If a glow is what you're looking for, then the search ends right here. This quadruple pack of shimmering highlights is a nationwide favourite when it comes to Sleek products.
It's suitable for all skin tones as it's made with super versatile shades, and it's even available in four other styles, so you can pick between bold reds and dreamy blues depending on what matches your outfit.
Rosy Cheeks on a Budget
If you're searching for a new blush or contour, then you can look to these compact palettes for one of the best budget finds on the market! Use a flat angled brush to swipe all three colours at once for a perfect ombre effect, or swirl the brush around and create a beautiful blend of rose shades.
On the Amazon link, you'll also see two contour palettes; one light, one dark. At under £5, you could buy each of these for less than £15, which is a quarter of the average face palette price! This L'oreal product is the most affordable product on our list.
Sculpt and Brighten Your Complexion
If you're a sucker for Benefit products, you'll be pleased to know that this palette contains a little taster of all the best powders, from the famous Hoola Bronzer to the Sugarbomb Blush - everything you need for a flawless, popping contour.
This is a brand-exclusive product that was released as a bespoke collection, meaning that there aren't any variations for lighter or darker skin tones. That said, the Cookie highlighter is definitely a one size fits all.
An All-in-One Contour Concealer Pack
Contour, lift and highlight your nose and cheekbones with this lightweight, easily blendable cream palette. According to happy customers, this pigment offers full coverage without looking overdone, so you can create your style whether at the office or out with your friends.
The contrast between the dark and light shades varies a little too much to be suited to one person without looking too dramatic. If you like to share makeup among friends, this shouldn't be a problem as you can choose the colours that suit you best.
Ultra Concealed Coverage for Brighter Looks
This palette can be used as a concealer for all skin tones and as a contour for lighter skin, by using the darkest shades. It offers full coverage that's bound to last all day, and the lightweight texture is especially useful for beginners who have never blended cream makeup before.
Our only qualm is that the dewy consistency could easily be mistaken for oily, with reviews from buyers pointing out a greasy appearance after applying. If you have dry skin, this wouldn't be an issue, although if you're combination or a little oily it's best to look to either a powder or a different cream product for the best results.
Application Tips on a Quick Look From Marie Dancer
"Face palettes are multi-purpose so if you want a quick look, grab your powder palette and use the bronzer or blusher on your eyelid with a pop of highlight under your brow and in the inner corner of your eye. Add eyeliner and mascara and you are good to go! A top tip, if you can't find a matching lipstick to your blusher, apply a small amount of your cream blush on the lips - don't worry, it has the same ingredients as a lipstick so you've always got a lip tint to hand."
"I always get asked what order is best to apply the products: Conceal - Contour - Bronze - Blush - Highlight. Layering products in this order always gives the best finish. Another top tip: for long wear and more intense colour start with a cream product then set with a powder version on top."
Author: Annie Speight
Top 5 Face Palettes
No. 1: NYX Professional Makeup ｜3 Steps to Sculpt Face Sculpting Palette
No. 2: NYX Professional Makeup ｜Conceal, Correct, Contour Palette
No. 3: Smashbox｜The Cali Contour Palette
No. 4: Sleek MakeUP ｜Cleopatra’s Kiss Palette
No. 5: L'Oréal｜Infallible Blush Trio Soft Rosy
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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