Being underrated is obviously very subjective. Amanda from Makeup.Just.For.Fun on YouTube got me thinking about this topic when she posted a recent video on her underrated neutral palettes under $30. For me, an underrated product is one that no one ever talks about, or they used to talk about it, but now you don’t see it mentioned. Let’s dive into my opinions about some underrated palettes.
e.l.f Nude Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette, $11 (reformulated and now falls under the Perfect 10 Eyeshadow Palettes. The new formula is different than the one I reviewed.)
Update September 27, 2025: The e.l.f Nude Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette featured here has been reformulated and now falls under the Perfect 10 Eyeshadow Palettes. The new formula is different than the one I reviewed. I have seen this palette available on Target’s website, but I’m not sure if they’d send the new formula in its place if you tried to order it.
This one is underrated to me because you used to hear a lot about these 10-pan palette options from e.l.f., but now people are really focused on either their bite-sized Eyeshadow quads or the 18-pan eyeshadow palettes.
I was trying to branch out and get a different color story than I usually pick out, so I opted for this version of e.l.f.’s 10-pan palettes instead of the warmer Rose Gold Sunset Palette. As I indeed could have predicted, I mostly only like the warmer shades (6 and 8). I found that I could only get use out of shades 5-10, as 1 and 4 were too light, and shades 2 and 3 were too light and sheer in application. Shade 5 was a bit sheer and took more building, and I wasn’t crazy about the shade on the eyes.
I think you can probably tell from the swatches that the second half of the palette is just more flattering on my skin in terms of color choice. I do like the colors and functionality of the bottom row of swatches. There is nothing super metallic in this palette, but shade 6 has the most pigment and shine to it. Shade 7 is what I used to transition and blend out the edges of other shades. Shade 8 does work as a lid shade, but it doesn’t draw as much light to the center of the eye for my skin tone. It performs nicely, though. When I wanted depth, I used shade 9 rather than 10. That is just a personal preference; deep purples make my slightly hooded eyes appear even more hooded. Shade 10 does have specks of larger mica particles in it, but since I didn’t use it much, I can’t say how annoying that might be.
I think they are easy to use and buildable eyeshadows, and I enjoyed the looks I’ve done. I do wish I could use more of the palett,e and this is why I shy away from buying palettes in general. I prefer a single shade (even if it costs more per shade) than to have to look at a palette full of shades I don’t like or can’t use. I find that now that I’ve tested the shades, I really only want to use shade 6 on the lid and shade 7 to blend the edges. Using shade 7 is purely for the sake of using more of the palette; I’d much prefer to use a different shade for that, or nothing at all from a color choice perspective.
Despite some of the issues I’ve had, I still think this is underrated because I think the problems I experienced have more to do with my skin tone and my preferences than the overall formula. If you enjoy cooler-toned eyeshadows, have a tan to a lighter skin tone, and you like the e.l.f. formula, then you’ll likely enjoy this. I would worry that those lighter shades might also cancel out a lot of the palette for darker skin, unless you typically use a light eyeshadow base. I did find that shades 2, 3, and 5 performed worse than the others, so that is something to keep in mind. They are workable, but they just take more effort than the other shades. But I can recognize that at this price point, most people are willing to work with a formula. I really think that even the shades that I found to be sheer would have an entirely different appearance on a lighter skin tone. Some people don’t mind a sheer formula, and someone who is paler than me could more easily work with them since the color would be more forgiving on them.
Juvia’s Place The Warrior Eyeshadow Palette, $20 (@ juviasplace.com)
This palette was not underrated when it was first released. However, I think it is underrated in today’s beauty landscape, where countless palettes on the market contain shades that are too light for darker skin tones. Sometimes these shades take up half of the palette. Just compare the difference to the e.l.f. Rose Gold Nude Palette, which I referenced above. Based on that, I would expect this palette to receive more attention as a go-to neutral option for darker skin tones.
While $20 is the regular retail value of this palette, you can definitely get Juvia’s place on sale on their website and at Ulta (if you are more comfortable shopping there). It was on sale for $12 when I purchased mine last year. Update September 27, 2025: This is now listed as $25 on the Ulta website, but remains $20 on the Juvia’s Place website.
I continue to be impressed by this eye palette and the brand’s eyeshadows overall. Even at the $20 price point, it is well worth the money. The metallic shades work better for me with a finger, but if you prefer brushes you will be fine but you do have to build more depending on the color intensity you like. I have no issues blending the mattes, they are buildable and easy to blend. I was most surprised by how smooth these look on the eyelids despite the metallic shine. These remind me of how smooth my bareMinerals Gen Nude Latte Palette looks when applied.
This palette retails for $20.00, but again, I would wait for a sale.
MAC Flame-Boyant Eyeshadow Palette (discontinued, click here to see its replacement, the Connect in Colour Future Flame Palette, $56)
Update – In 2023, MAC replaced this line of eyeshadows with the Connect in Colour Eye Shadow Palettes. The replacement for this palette is now called Connect in Colour: Future Flame. You can read my review and see swatches of the MAC Future Flame palette by clicking here.
This palette is from a newer line of palettes that Mac released in the Spring of 2019 called the Art Library Collection. I purchased the warm version called Flame-Boyant but they also have a colorful version called It’s Designer and a neutral version called Nude Model. I think this palette is underrated because Mac as an entire brand seems underrated these days. It seems that people don’t gravitate to the brand unless it is a big launch and even then, it seems that people always feel that Mac has missed the mark.
It seems to me that these shadows have a softer press than the single shadows that I have from Mac. The shade Flame-Boyant (3rd row, 2nd shade) has fallout when applied, regardless of whether I use a brush or my finger. I never wet my brush, so I can’t speak to whether that would improve the fallout during application. La vita mocha (1st row, 4th shade) also has a small amount of fallout during application, but it makes a nice smokier tone without being too heavy. I have slightly hooded eyes and find that if I go too dark on the lid, it makes my hood appear heavier, which I didn’t experience with this shade. Dali wood (2nd row, 3rd shade) is very pigmented, so I’d be careful not to pick up too much product initially, but it does blend easily. The shade Embark (2nd row, 4th shade) definitely has a softer press in this palette than the single refill pan that I already had.
Update – In 2023, MAC replaced this line of eyeshadows with the Connect in Colour Eye Shadow Palettes. The replacement for this palette is now called Connect in Colour: Future Flame. You can read my review and see swatches of the MAC Future Flame palette by clicking here.
While the press is softer, I still think these aren’t too far off from what people might be expecting from Mac eyeshadows. If you tend to prefer the softer, loose press of Anastasia Beverly Hills or even Lorac, these may be a slight adjustment for you.
Have you had any experience with any of these palettes? Please consider sharing your thoughts in the comments section below.
If you’d like to check out more of my content, here are some places to start.
- Blush Index
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- Bronzer & Highlighter Index
- Brush Index
- Concealer Ranking
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- Foundation Round-Up
- Lipstick Index
- Makeup Storage and Organization Ideas
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Nikki From HR 