When I was taking inventory of the top gifts of 2024, combining through a sea of beauty collectibles and gift-worthy cosmetic staples, I was reminded of the Hourglass Ambient Lightning Edit. Though it’s well regarded as one of the best cheek palettes of all time, I hadn’t actually tried it before. As luck would have it, one had just arrived in the mail as part of Hourglass’s collab with Barneys New York.
Vogue’s Favorite Cheek Palettes
Gold allover and featuring motifs by illustrator Na Kim, the limited-edition palette offered six shades to play with. Once my concealer blended, I used a rich pink as blush, followed by a more chocolatey hue for bronzer, plus a gold sparkle as highlight to the cheekbones, bridge of my nose, and inner corners of the eye. The last two shades were finishing powder, which I dusted across oily areas for a subtle airbrushing. Its versatility was impressive: With just one palette I was able to add some color and dimension to my look without reaching for numerous other tubes, sticks, and pigments.
Then I remembered how Make Up for Ever’s HD Skin Face Essentials improved my routine last year. I dropped it into my makeup bag ahead of a girls’ trip to Mexico. One friend, whose bag was lost, was in desperate need of a foundation, but none of our group had a shade match for her. As luck would have it, again, the rich bronzer pigment I was using to chisel my jawline could be mixed with another medium, neutral tone in the palette for her perfect foundation shade. It was like some sort of miracle!
Turns out the pros are also big fans. “Not only is a cheek palette a great way to consolidate and have everything in one place, but you can also really customize your contour, bronzer, blush, and highlighter shades!” celebrity makeup artist Nick Lennon tells Vogue. But don’t ever feel intimated by the number of pigments in the palette. “You can use the colors separately or mix them to create your own custom shade,” pro makeup artist Andrea Ventura says. “When purchasing a cheek palette, you should think about the tones you’re realistically going to use and which products in the palette are most important to you.” Someone more partial to blush should buy a palette featuring more rose or coral hues, whereas someone interested in a bronzed look might want something offering richer coppers and caramels. Celebrity makeup artist Colby Smith says it’s a bonus if your cheek palette features highlighters too. Ahead, all the best cheek palettes to shop through the holiday season and into 2025.
Best Powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palette
- Why We Love It: “For a powder cheek palette, the Hourglass [option] is hard to beat!” Ventura says. “Hourglass does an amazing job at creating powders that do not feel heavy on the skin. They feel like velvet and help keep the skin looking radiant.” I couldn’t agree more. These manage to deliver generous pigment with just a little bit of product, without weighing skin down in the process. It’s one of those products that will last you a while and serve as useful in numerous makeup looks, making it an excellent beauty gift. Plus, annual limited-edition casing, like this lotus-flower design, makes it a festive collectible sure to delight.
- Shades Per Palette: 6
- Palette Variations: 3
- Type: Powder
- Best for: Blush, bronzer, highlighter
Best Cream: Make Up for Ever HD Skin Face Essentials
- Why We Love It: Calling the Make Up for Ever HD Skin a cheek palette would be a massive understatement. It’s truly a full-face palette if my anecdote above is any indication. The case features an incredible 12 creamy pigments—six fair to deep-neutral and warm-tone complexion pigments (similar to that of a foundation or concealer), four blushes, and two highlighters to create a full makeup look. “It includes shades for every skin tone,” says Ventura. “That, to me, is rare.” Not to mention there are two different palettes—Harmony 1 and Harmony 2—to choose the one best suited to your skin. Smith says this is a staple in his kit, while Lennon calls it the “mecca” of cheek palettes: “Longer formula, great color payoff, gorgeous finish!”
- Shades Per Palette: 12
- Palette Variations: 2
- Type: Cream
- Best for: Complexion, concealing, blush, bronzer, highlighter
Best Cheek-and-Eye Palette: Chanel Enchanted Night Eyeshadow and Blush Palette
- Why We Love It: It wasn’t until I selected products for this story that I remembered the joys of the cheek-and-eye palette. There is something so special and harmonious in using the same hues to warm up the face and accentuate the eyes—especially when the shades are as jovial as Chanel’s Enchanted Night palette, inspired by the northern lights and snowfall. I stumbled upon this quad on a Sephora trip a few days ago and can confirm its vibrancy IRL. These shades are gorgeous and shimmering—a limited-edition palette worth scooping up before it sells out.
- Shades Per Palette: 4
- Palette Variations: 1
- Type: Powder
- Best for: Blush, eye shadow, highlighter
Best Clean: Ilia The Ethereal Baked Face Palette
- Why We Love It: I was initially intrigued by Ilia’s The Ethereal Baked Face Palette, part of the brand’s holiday collection, as it’s been a while since it debuted a new palette. This offers four pigments for blushing, bronzing, and highlighting. Each finely milled powder is enriched with squalane, edelweiss, and winged-kelp extracts to nourish, soothe, and moisturize skin during wear. Plus, the product pan insert can be removed so you can use the palette as a multipurpose, shell-shaped compact for years to come.
- Shades Per Palette: 4
- Palette Variations: 2
- Type: Powder
- Best for: Blush, bronzer, highlighter
Best Face, Lip, and Eye: Dior Holiday Look Makeup Palette
- Why We Love It: Something special from Dior is always a good gift idea. This year, for the makeup lover in your life, turn to this gilded all-in-one palette designed by Pietro Ruffo. There are four shades of Rouge Dior lipstick for long-wear, satin-finish color; five eye shadows plucked from the Diorshow palettes; and four blush and highlighter pigments for year-round elegant color. What’s more, you can leave your brushes at home as this kit includes two dual-ended, well-sized minis for les lèvres et les yeux.
- Shades per Palette: 13
- Palette Variations: 1
- Type: Creams and powders
- Best for: Blush, highlighter, eye shadow, lip color
Best for Bronzing: Nars Laguna Face Palette
- Why We Love It: From acclaimed bronzers to dazzling eye shadow palettes, Nars clearly knows a thing or two about color cosmetics. Fortunately, it delivers its expertise in the Laguna Face Palette, which offers seven sun-kissed shades perfect for warming up the cheeks and eyes. Just take a big fluffy brush to swipe on any of the latte, caramel, and rose-gold hues to lift and sculpt, then tap some of the shimmers to the high points of the face or along the lids. There are two different palettes to choose from: Palette I is best for light-to-medium skin tones, while Palette II is suited for deeper skin tones.
- Shades per Palette: 7
- Palette Variations: 2
- Type: Powder
- Best for: Bronzer, highlighter, eye shadow
Best for Natural Color: Danessa Myricks Dewy Cheek & Lip Palette
- Why We Love It: Lennon cites this option by Danessa Myricks as one of his top cheek palettes. “The pigmentation in the colors of this palette is incomparable, and the finish is so beautiful with the perfect amount of radiance,” he says. “The shades work well on truly every skin tone.” This level of inclusivity, really enhancing the look of skin, is where Myricks, one of the industry’s most well-respected makeup artists, shines. Jojoba oil, shea butter, and vitamin E are featured in each of the four creams to deliver a natural burst of color that I’d liken to a cheek or lip stain.
- Shades per Palette: 4
- Palette Variations: 2
- Type: Creamy balm
- Best for: Blush, bronzer, lip color
Best Blush: Patrick Ta Major Headlines Creme & Powder Blush Duo
- Why We Love It: “Patrick Ta’s blush duos are a game changer,” says Ventura. “They include a powder and a cream, giving you the best of both worlds.” She’s partial to She’s Wanted for a beautiful plum shade that pairs beautifully with deeper skin tones or She’s Blushing, a dusty rose pink that pairs great with fair skin tones. For medium skin tones, on the other hand, She’s The Moment is a stunning coral. Interested in blonzing, fall 2024’s blush trend to know? Opt for shade She’s So LA.
- Shades per Palette: 2
- Palette Variations: 14
- Type: Cream and powder
- Best for: Blush
Meet the Experts
- Nick Lennon is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Charli XCX and Tove Lo.
- Colby Smith is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Kate Hudson and Julia Fox.
- Andrea Ventura is a celebrity makeup artist who often works with Tems, Kelly Rowland, and Ryan Destiny.