Palettes I Wish Existed | Recreating with Singles (A Follow Up!)

Okay, okay! I’ve put together some ways to get the vibes of the palette mockups I posted yesterday.

I pulled from Sydney Grace’s catalog if I could, since they’re more affordable and have a very robust singles range (compared to ColourPop’s, which always feels like 50% discontinued at a given moment!). In that process, I noticed that Sydney Grace has gaps in deeper, richer mattes, especially outside of taupe/brown, not nearly enough in the platinum/pewter camp, and where are all the richer teals?!

If one of the color stories I created caught your attention, and you have a decent collection already, here’s how I would approach recreating with what you have…

Identify the colors that standout. These are the ones drawing you in, and then you’ll want to think about if you have anything similar. The other shades are often “grounding” or help to build out the story. Possibly you’ll discover that you have 75% of the shades but there’s one or two more standout shades you’re missing–then obtaining a single or two might be totally reasonable.
Think about the “look” you’d wear, and then just recreate that look (likely a narrower set of shades!) rather than the whole “palette.” You can also do this by looking at each row or column.
Try clicking on one of the shades I’ve shown to recreate and then look to see if you have any of its dupes!

Pat McGrath Dream Palette #1: Enchanted Forest

In Enchanted Forest, here’s how I would have described each dream color:

Warm beige with subtle, peach-to-green shift, pearl finish
Medium-dark, taupe-brown with neutral-to-warm undertones, matte finish
Medium-dark green with subtle, cooler undertones and warmer, golden sparkle and subtle green pearl, metallic finish
Medium-dark pewter with highly reflective sheen, metallic finish
Bright, mint green with subtle, warmer undertones and a mix of blue and pink pearl (possibly shift), sparkling finish
Muted, deep green with moderate warm undertones, matte finish
Medium olive green with muted, warm undertones and an intense sheen, metallic finish
Muted burgundy with subtle, warm undertones, matte finish
Rich, true teal, slightly cool-leaning, with smooth, reflective sheen, metallic finish
Sparkling gold duochrome, green-to-teal shift, sparkling, metallic finish (it’s basically VR Fire Opal, maybe a smidgen lighter)

In terms of products that are permanently available, shades 1, 4, 5, 9, and 10 were harder to get a 1:1 replacement. I was surprised at how lean permanent teal eyeshadows are–someone produce 10 shimmery teals, stat!

Enchanted Forest

2

Save

Enchanted Forest (V2)

1

Save

Pat McGrath Dream Palette #2: Subversive Odyssey

In Subversive Odyssey, here’s how I would have described each dream color:

Warm golden peach base with strong pink-to-gold shift, pearl finish
Brighter plum, subtle warm undertones, matte finish
Sparkling, medium purple with subtle, warmer pink undertones, sparkling, metallic finish
Bright, richer minted green with pale gold sparkle, metallic finish
Light, very cool-toned blue base with pink-to-gold shifting sparkle, metallic finish
Rich, deep blue-teal with moderate, cool undertones, matte finish
Medium-dark green with subtle, warm olive undertones, sparkling, metallic finish
Deep, purple-taupe with cool undertones, matte finish
Vivid, medium-dark violet purple with smooth, reflective sheen, metallic finish
Transparent base with green-to-gold shifting sparkle, sparkling finish

Subversive Odyssey

3

Save

Subversive Odyssey (V2)

0

Save

Pat McGrath Dream Palette #3: Vintage Rose

In Vintage Rose, here’s how I would have described each dream color:

Light beige with iridescent pink and violet shift, satin-to-pearl finish
Muted, medium-dark taupe-brown with subtle, cooler undertones, matte finish
Darker purple with subtle, warm undertones and reflective, smooth sheen, metallic finish
Brighter, lighter purple with warmer, pink undertones and faint blue and gold pearl, metallic finish
Light, grayish-lavender with neutral-to-warm undertones with lighter, gold-to-pink shifting sparkle, metallic finish
Deep burgundy with subtle, warm undertones, matte finish
Dusty, medium-dark pink with muted, warm undertones and a reflective sheen, metallic finish
Deep plum with subtle, warm undertones, matte finish
Rich, reddish-plum with intense sheen, metallic finish
Bright, light-medium pink base with cooler undertones paired with golden shift, metallic finish

Vintage Rose

2

Save

Natasha Denona Dream Palette #1: Woodlands

In Woodlands, here’s how I would have described each dream color:

Medium, bluish-aqua with subtle, cool undertones and flecks of gold and iridescent teal pearl, metallic finish
Light-medium taupe with subtle, warm undertones, matte finish
Medium, muted grass green with subtle, warm undertones, matte finish
Medium green with subtle, warm undertones and warmer, golden shimmer, metallic finish
Deep taupe with warmer, olive and gold flecks of shimmer, metallic finish
Rich, deeper berry with subtle, cool undertones, matte finish
Light-medium gold base with gold-to-green shifting shimmer, pearl finish
Dark copper with muted, redder undertones, matte finish
Light-medium brown with moderate, warm undertones, yellow-peach leaning, matte finish
Medium-dark purple-taupe with subtle, cool undertones, satin finish
Medium-dark olive green with moderate, warm undertones, matte-to-semi-matte finish
Muted, dark blue with strong, cool undertones (almost leaning purple), matte finish
Bright, medium blue-aqua with subtle, cool undertones and barely-there gold pearl, satin finish
Deepest forest green with neutral-to-cool undertones, satin finish
Medium-dark emerald green with subtle, warm undertones and reflective sheen, metallic finish

Woodlands

1

Save

Woodlands (V2)

1

Save

Natasha Denona Dream Palette #2: Neon Lights

In Neon Lights, here’s how I would have described each dream color:

Intense, dark purple with cooler undertones and bluish-violet shifting pearl, reflective sheen, metallic finish
Neon, medium-dark coral with warmer, more orange undertones, matte finish
Bright, purple-berry with pinker undertones, reflective sheen and faint iridescent pearl, metallic finish
Bright, medium purple with neutral-to-cool undertones paired with flecks of blue-to-teal sparkle, metallic finish
Muted, medium green-teal base with golden pearl, pearl finish
Deep gold with warmer, olive undertones paired with pink-to-peach shift, metallic finish
Deep berry-red with subtle, cool undertones, matte finish
Vivid, deep coral-red base with flecks of violet and pink pearl, metallic finish
Medium, warm lavender with pink undertones, matte finish
Medium coral, leaning slightly pinker in base, paired with peach-to-gold shifting pearl, metallic finish
Deep purple with subtle, warm undertones, matte finish
Bright, medium-dark green with neutral-to-cool undertones, matte finish
Rich, deep blue-teal with cool undertones, matte finish
Medium, rosy mauve with warm undertones, matte finish
Deep red with subtle, warm undertones, highly reflective sheen, metallic finish