e.l.f and Essence Palette Ranking May 16, 2020
When it comes to makeup, it true that you only get what you pay for? In today’s post, I’ll be breaking down which of my ultra-affordable eyeshadow palettes can compete with my high-end palettes and which palettes are duds. Keep reading for my e.l.f. and Essence palette ranking.
e.l.f. and Essence Palette Ranking
Over the years, many drugstore eyeshadow formulas have gotten bad reputations from eyeshadow addicts like me. However, I am happy to say that many affordable, drugstore brands have made major formula improvements over the years. Keep reading for my e.l.f. and Essence palette ranking.
Truffles & Rose Water Bite Size Palettes from e.l.f.
5 | e.l.f. Bite Size Palette – Rose Water ($3.00, CF & Vegan)
Of the four e.l.f. Bite Size Palettes in my collection, Rose Water is my least favorite quad. Compared to the other e.l.f. quads that I own, Rose Water was the hardest to build up and produced the most fallout. I still enjoy this palette, but it is not my favorite. Check out my in-depth review of the e.l.f. Bite Size Palettes.
4 | e.l.f. Bite Size Palette – Truffles ($3.00, CF & Vegan)
Just above Rose Water, is the e.l.f. Bite Size Palette in Truffles. This cool-toned neutral quad comes with 3 creamy mattes and one taupe-silver metallic. The quality of this palette is perfection; however, I typically only use this palette paired with another e.l.f. quad.
Essence Ola Rio Eyeshadow Palette
3 | Essence – Ola Rio Palette ($9.99, CF)
The Essence Ola Rio Palette is the first eyeshadow palette that I’ve tried from this affordable European brand. While I enjoy this palette for creating soft glam looks, this palette lacks the depth that I would expect from a brand inspired by Brazil.
Essence Ola Rio Eyeshadow Palette Swatches
2 | e.l.f. Bite Size Palette – Cream & Sugar ($3.00 USD, CF & Vegan)
When I picked up the Cream & Sugar Bite Size palette from e.l.f. I was shocked by how much I loved this little quad. This is a very simple, soft glam quad that is perfect for everyday wear.
RELATED: Discover inexpensive Cruelty-Free makeup brands in this roundup of 65+ affordable Cruelty-Free brands
1 | e.l.f. Bite Size Palette – Pumpkin Spice ($3.00 USD, CF & Vegan)
Of course, Pumpkin Spice reigns supreme in my e.l.f. and Essence Palette ranking. This warm, orange-brown neutral palette is my favorite affordable palette. Although it may lack the range of other palettes included in this list, I love the basic looks I can create with this palette. Additionally, the quality of the mattes and metallics in this palette is superb.
Cream & Sugar and Pumpkin Spice Bite Size Palettes from e.l.f.
Final Thoughts on e.l.f. and Essence Palette Ranking
Although Pumpkin Spice is my top pick within my e.l.f. and Essence palette ranking, I am excited to own each of these affordable palettes. As someone who loves trying everything from affordable to indie to luxury makeup, I fully believe that many affordable eyeshadow formulas can compete with high-end ones.
I would recommend each of the palettes included in my e.l.f. and Essence Palette ranking to any makeup lover looking to try more affordable formulas. Also, these palettes are amazing steals for any beauty addicts on a budget.
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Catch up on My Collection Series
Did you enjoy reading my e.l.f. and Essence Palette ranking? Follow along with the rest of my makeup collection series here:
- Cheeks: Blush | Bronzer | Highlighter | Face Palettes
- Base: Primer | Concealer | Foundation | Setting Products
- Lips: Nude Lipstick | Bold Lipstick | Lip Crayon | Lip Liner | Liquid Lipstick | Lip Tint | Lip Gloss
- Eyes: Eyeliner | Mascara | Brows | Single Eyeshadow Collection | Single Glitters | Indie Single Shadows
- ColourPop: Pressed Shadows | Super Shock Shadows | Monochromatic Palettes | Pressed Palettes
Have you tried any of the eyeshadow palettes featured in my e.l.f. and Essence palette ranking? Which palette is most appealing to you? Let me know in the comments below.
affordable makeup beauty beauty review Cruelty Free cruelty-free makeup elf cosmetics essence makeup eyeshadow palette makeup
PoojaG says
May 16, 2020 at 3:34 pmYasss I was so happy to see you tried E.L.F and Essence palettes! I just bought a bunch of stuff from both- the quarantine is not great for people who love shopping- and I’m really looking forward to trying the palettes.
The Newbury Girl says
May 29, 2020 at 9:46 pmOmg isn’t that the truth tho??? Like a love of online shopping + buying bargains has been so tempting. Can’t wait to see what you picked up and how you like it!
PoojaG says
May 30, 2020 at 12:11 amLol they’re taking forever to reach me but I will share it on my blog whenever I get them!
Nicole says
May 17, 2020 at 12:27 amWow these are so affordable! My favorite is the e.l.f. Bite Size Palette in Truffles
http://www.nicolesanmiguel.com
The Newbury Girl says
May 29, 2020 at 9:47 pmTruffle + Sugar and Cream, together make an awesome dupe of the Huda Smokey Obsessions palette.
gabbyabigailll says
May 17, 2020 at 3:16 pmI absolutely love affordable makeup. E.L.F is definitely one of my favorite brands for this very reason. I feel like they just keep improving their products and bringing out many new gorgeous products. All of these palettes are stunning, especially the Pumpkin Spice palette.
I recently purchased new skin care products from E.L.F, so I’m going to get the Pumpkin Spice palette on my next E.L.F purchase. You’ve convinced me, LOL.
Much love always,
GABBY | http://www.gabbyabigaill.com
The Newbury Girl says
May 29, 2020 at 9:50 pmOooo prior to my no buy, I picked up a moisturizer from e.l.f. so I’d love to know how you like the skincare products you’ve tried!!
And yessss, Pumpkin Spice is so pretty and the shimmers are super impressive!
Castles and Hurricanes says
May 18, 2020 at 2:15 amI’m glad to see the ‘Pumpkin Spice’ palette was your favorite-I actually ordered one after you mentioned it in a previous post and am looking forward to trying it myself! The other palettes look pretty too, but I feel like I would use the colors in ‘Pumpkin Spice’ together more often.
The Newbury Girl says
May 29, 2020 at 9:51 pmLololol omg I’m so glad you felt inspired to pick one of these up!!! Hope you really enjoy it- it’s def my most reached for Quad from this line! 😄
Mimi says
May 18, 2020 at 12:50 pmI hate Essence eyeshadows, that palette was terrible on me, it’s always the same problem with affordable, I put on three shades, blend and they become a muddy mess. I gave it to my friend who seam to love it so it’s probably my issue more than anything ahhaah
The Newbury Girl says
May 29, 2020 at 9:56 pmLOLOLOL! I like the Essence palette. It isn’t the most amazing thing I’ve tried, but appreciate it for what it is – a fairly basic affordable palette for “natural” or no-makeup makeup days. That being said, I def find the e.l.f. formula to be more impressive!
Mimi says
May 30, 2020 at 7:50 amI’ll have to try it!
The Newbury Girl says
May 30, 2020 at 9:33 pmhonestly, what I’ve had my eyes on for affordable eyeshadow have been the two new LA Girl Pro Palettes (which are sold on Beauty Bay, I believe). The swatches look incredible for such an affordable brand!
Mimi says
May 30, 2020 at 9:47 pmYep LA Girl is not hard to get here, I remember they had a moment with their concealer but I’ve never tried it x
entirelybeauty says
May 18, 2020 at 1:01 pmIt’s interesting reading what people outside the UK think of Elf. Yes, the are super affordable and of the Elf Products I’ve tried they do represent great value for money.
I’ve been seeing a few bloggers and tubers singing the Bite Size palettes’ praises recently and feel I’m missing a trick as I haven’t tried them myself, but given your obvious enthusiasm (not to mention gawjus photos) – well, they’re on my to-buy list now! 🤣
I think I’ll be going for the Pumpkin Spice, those kinda orangey/browns – I’m obsessed!!!
Thanks for giving me a great coffee-break read x
The Newbury Girl says
May 29, 2020 at 9:57 pmThe Bite Size Palettes are truly so incredible for the value!! Pumpkin Spice is my ultimate fave of the bunch that I own.
entirelybeauty says
June 9, 2020 at 6:07 amThat’s out of stock at the moment, but I did get two others, one arrived broken so am waiting for a replacement & for Pumpkin Spice to come back in stock. See what you started lol
Glamour With Christine says
July 5, 2020 at 3:56 amI had to read this because Essence it one of my favorite drug store brands and so far, I haven’t found anything that I don’t like. 🙂
The Newbury Girl says
August 15, 2020 at 5:35 pmlol clearly I’m behind with comments. I’m still new to Essence since they aren’t sold in most US drugstores still, but so far I’ve been impressed by what I’ve tried!
Glamour With Christine says
October 9, 2020 at 1:39 amI believe you know by now where my preference lays. I think it is a good match for price and quality. 🙂
xx
The Newbury Girl says
October 9, 2020 at 1:29 pmI totally agree – I think its hard to beat this quality at this price point. I’m curious, is elf available in Belgium / is it as affordable? I’ve read online that these quads are like $11 in Sweden!