When I was first on my own, making my own money and buying my own clothes, I was easily hypnotized at the cosmetics counter. I’d see bright colors and shiny cases and hear the come-ons from the sales girls and then arrive home larded down with all manner of products, many of which went into my junk drawer, never to be used again (or else given to friends and sisters), because they weren’t very practical (or else the colors were hilariously wrong for me). One category of item that simply has never proven useful to me is palettes combining different types of cosmetics. Oh, they seem great in theory, but in practice, they can’t work unless you carry them around with you. After all, if they have lipstick or lipgloss in them, what good will they do you sitting home on your vanity table? You’re gonna need to reapply your lipstick or gloss at some point. And unless you’re one of those girls who lugs around one of those ginormous handbags orthopedists warn against (I’m not), then you can’t take it with you. (When you do, you risk banging the palette against something and breaking the powders inside and ruining the whole kit.) And who needs to keep reapplying shadow and blush and day and night anyway? (There is an answer to that question, but those girls most likely don’t read blogs.) (Or anything else. It’s hard to read on your back.)

DuWop’s Pretty Mystic Palette is one of those palettes I certainly would have bought back then before I thought through the ramifications of makeup in a palette. It has some terrific eyeshadows in it that would certainly have hypnotized my younger self (oh, hell; I still love them now. Let’s be honest), a pretty peach-y cheek gel, three lip glosses, and a primer. But looking at it realistically, all it has going for it really is the eye shadows, and you’d be better off buying them separately. Let’s face it (sorry for the pun): Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer is far superior to Duwop’s (whose main active ingredient is corn starch; I’m feeling wrinkly just thinking about it). The cheek “gel” has no staying powder; rest your face on your palm once and your face is toast. (Hmph; so you do hafta carry the palette around with you.) The glosses are a bubble gummy pink, a pale peach, and a deep russet (one of these things is not like the others); this isn’t a good selection for either a teenager nor an adult. It’s kinda schizophrenic. And they’re not very mixable, either, because the first two are very sheer. And finally, the eyeshadows: now those are gorgeous. They are what DuWop calls “amber,” “plum” and “gold,” but I’d call them “peach gold,” “rose gold,” and “gold.” They’re great for mixing with other eyeshadows (like black or purple) to make amazing eyeliners and crease colors, and using these alone on the lid. But these are the only standouts in the whole palette. The rest of the palette contains either subpar items or items that seem to have been thrown together haphazardly. I might recommend it as a present for a niece, but nieces don’t need foundation primer, and they certainly can’t wear cheek gel with their oily complexions! $39.00

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