Stila Travel Palettes

I love the idea of a good palette. It's flat. It's fuss-free. No pots to mess with and if credit card sized, travels very well.

So when Stila launched their Travel Palettes -- based on the names of cities (Wonderful in Waikiki, Striking in South Beach, Pretty in Paris), I was pretty psyched. It's a chance to try out a slew of Stila items, take your makeup on the go, with colours that work well together, and all for $9!

There's just one problem. As a limited edition, this isn't a permanent solution. For someone who sticks with a colour for years - once I find one that works - just ask me about Origins Rain and Shine colour 1 - I don't like the idea of anything that I will have trouble finding once I fall in love.

But Stila told me, they are coming out with these, for as many cities as they can, for as long as they're popular, and one every few months.

So within a couple of weeks of me loving the Pretty in Paris (shadows in Crepe, Cherie, Jolie, Chocolat, and a blush in Rosebud), it was sold out. Sigh.

Therein lies the rub. The colours are lovely, the compact is handy, the price is right, but not every city will suit every complexion. And some of the cities just have crazy colours -- check out the blue shadow in Trendsetter in Tokyo.

At the time of writing this, Make an Impression in Moscow and Striking in South Beach (above) were available. I would say the former suits very fair girls. And the latter fair - to light medium.

PROS:
$9, can I say again $9! And a chance to try several of Stila's eye shadows at once. They make the best eye shadows.
Easy to travel with.
Comes with a mirror.
No mess.
Slightly larger than a credit card, size can't be beat.

CONS:
No brushes so it means bringing your own or using your fingers (gross.)
Limited edition so beautiful today, gone tomorrow.

Sephora Stila palettes