10 best face palettes to streamline your make-up bag

If you’re shopping for a face palette that covers all make-up bases, this Sculpted by Aimee palette combines eyeshadow, setting powder, highlighter, blush and bronzer, all wrapped up in a gorgeous gold compact with an application mirror. Helpfully, the use for each shade is stamped on the separate powders, too.

Whether you’re a make-up expert or unsure where to start, this palette is incredibly easy to use. We tend to use the three shimmery and matte eyeshadow colours to add definition and texture to lids, while the silky soft transparent setting powder is ideal for adding a matte finish to concealer or foundation. The pretty pink blush has a cream effect and can be layered with bronzer and highlighter or worn alone.

Adding this palette to our product line-up made our morning routine quicker, and top-ups throughout the day were easy to apply, too.

A palette featuring a whopping eight different blush shades, this pick has both matte and shimmery options to choose between. As such, there are two pastel colours that double up as a highlighter and blush – we popped them on our cupid’s bow and in the corner of our eyelids, too.

From tan to peachy, classic pink and earthy, the shades are varied. We found the powders to be lightweight, making them buildable. There’s no application mirror included but, with this palette coming in at less than a tenner, we really can’t complain.

While, technically, this is an eyeshadow palette, we used its three sparkly colours as a dot of highlighter on cheekbones and in the corner of our eyelids. There are nine colours in total, with five neutral and tan shades in matte, a vibrant gold and the three aforementioned shimmery options. This is a useful palette for day-to-day looks, with the lightweight powders delivering pigmented colour across our lids. The shades can be worn alone or together, and we applied them either dry or wet (seeing longer-lasting colour with wet application).

Meanwhile, the glitzy metallic options make for a showstopping party eye make-up look. The three sparkly shades are very similar, however – we would’ve liked a bit more variation but they do complement each other well for a buildable finish.

A stylish palette with a signature Charlotte Tilbury rose-gold case covered in stars, this cheek duo comes in light to medium and tan to deep shades. Inside, there’s a blusher and highlighter, and both add a vibrant pop of colour whether worn alone or layered together. We found the highly pigmented cheek shade offers long-lasting colour and a matte effect, while its shimmery counterpart adds iridescence and sparkle.

This product is a brilliant compact size, while the sturdy case features a mirror for application. In short, this palette has become a staple in our make-up routine.

We were impressed to see the full line-up of blush, highlighter, eyeshadow and bronzer in this slimline compact, complete with a mirror. There’s both a matte and shimmery blush option, alongside a matte bronze and light golden highlighter, all of which we either used separately or layered together. Similarly, two neutral eyeshadow shades are joined by a sparkly option, making this palette ideal for both daytime and evening wear. We rated how well the powder formulas blended, plus, we think the price is reasonable, given the number of options covered. 

Presented in a celestial-themed golden compact, this palette has an application mirror and four highly pigmented shades – there are three blushes (in varying colour intensity) and a highlighter. The four options added glamour to our usual make-up look but also worked well ahead of a night out, and we love the rich tones that offer instant colour pay-off. It also offers lots of versatility. This palette has everything you need for the cheeks, whether you want a quick make-up lift or a full face finish.

If you’re a fan of contouring, this is the face palette to try. It features six individual shades to contour, conceal and highlight. There’s a large application mirror included, and the shades can be used to bake, bronze, and add definition. You can dip in and out of the different colours or blend a few together, and the lightweight nature of the powders offers a buildable effect. We’ve also found that once applied, the powders stay put for long-lasting wear. You can buy it in both light/medium and medium/dark shades (£39, Maccosmetics.co.uk).

This compact includes five power shades that run into each other and has been created for use on cheeks as both a highlighter and blush hybrid. We like that you can home in on individual tones within the shimmer brick or blend several together at once. The result is akin to a tailormade cheek colour and highlighter. There’s a selection of shades to choose between, including bronze and rose, and we used every single colour component.

This large face palette features eight shades, from a blush to a bronzer and highlighter. It comes complete with an application mirror, for ease, and there are palette variations to suit different skin tones, including fair, medium, tan, and rich. The palette combines matte and shimmery finishes, and we found each one to be lightweight while still creating a noticeable effect. The versatile shades cover both subtle natural make-up days and bolder party looks.

This brightening palette features a trio of highlighting tones. We’ve been using ‘volume I’, which includes dim light, incandescent light and radiant light hues. During testing, we liked sweeping the colours across browbones, cheekbones, cupid’s bow area and wherever the light hits. Each shade helps to elevate a natural eye make-up look, too.

It’s worth noting that, while this palette has a higher price point, the bronze packaging is particularly robust and bougie.