Stila Palette

If ever there was a versatile product destined to please everyone from makeup fanatics to relative newcomers to our colorful world, it's the Stila palette. Offering great variety, quality and affordability in one portable package, the company's palettes bring something new and different to makeup collections with their imaginative hues and striking color schemes.

Create a variety of looks with a versatile palette.

One of my most memorable cosmetic purchases was a Stila palette. It was a brand I'd all but ignored for years, mainly because the colors seemed a bit too bland and not necessarily formulated with my coloring in mind.

I was eventually turned on to the line by a friend who insisted that I must purchase the Legally Blonde palettes, which were coordinated to release in tandem with the movie of the same name. The colors were, of course, also perfectly in tune with the film's general aesthetic – rife with pink, feminine shades, they were practically made for women like me and Elle Woods.

I was essentially sold after that, and became much more interested in Stila's offerings from then on. Paramount to me was the fact that the company almost always had a new color palette on its decadent menu. I've tried many, including these next few, all of which are remarkable in their own ways.

Yes, it talks – it genuinely speaks. In what can only be considered something of a revolutionary change to the world of cosmetic palettes as we know them, the Smoky Eye Talking Palette features a recorded voice that essentially teaches users how to achieve the perfect smoky eye.

In less than a minute, it gave me the rundown on which brushes to use for each shade, wear to apply the respective colors and even how to apply them. Needless to say, the idea is something different and helpful, especially to those who consider themselves inexperienced in the art of eye makeup.

The talking feature is activated by the simple push of a button. The female voice is pleasant, friendly and easy to listen to (which is especially important if you find that you need to listen to her several times to really master that smoky eye). The palette is available in three color schemes:

• The Bronzes: My favorite of the bunch, it's filled with flattering pink, bronze and brown hues.

• The Emeralds: Not exactly universal but still lovely, this palette contains greens, creams and purples.

• The Grays: The perfect neutral set, this creates a dynamic smoky eye with its icy, silvery and dark shades.

Since creating a smoky eye can often present challenges to many women, this palette is genius. I love the idea and am especially fond of the Bronzes palette, which is flattering on all skin tones.

The only small downside is that the recording recommends several different brushes, which may turn off individuals who buy this palette strictly to learn and expecting to apply all colors with one or two brushes. Invest in a decent collection of eye makeup brushes to really make the most of the set.

Next up in my test run was the Face Contouring Trio, a set of three powders formulated to sculpt facial features, diminish the appearance of flaws and create a more polished look. It's a smart concept, though not necessarily unique.

The palette wastes some valuable space by only fitting three color pans into its page. It can easily hold one more and would have certainly been a greater value for the money (especially considering that, at $38, it costs exactly the same as a Stila eye shadow palette containing four colors). On the other hand, there are real working LED lights surrounding the mirror, which is an unexpected element that can come in handy for those working in darker areas.

The light and dark shades act as partners for one another, while the medium-tone highlighter (called "flash") gives a subtle, neutral shimmer to any look. The palette is fantastic for defining the cheekbones – a light dusting of the dark shade all over my cheeks and an even lighter application of the highlighter above that area created new dimension and really made my cheeks glow and stand out.

Despite my concerns about the price, in the end it does prove to be a winner. It's not a vital product for every makeup collection, though. If you happen to own a bronzer, a highlighter and a light powder, you don't need this. If, though, you want the convenience of all three shades in one product and like the idea of having a lighted palette, this is a smart choice.

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