Trish McEvoy Ready-to-Wear Petite Page In Subtle Glamour

Trish McEvoy's makeup planner system sometimes makes me wish I was the kind of person who could stick with a fairly minimalist collection that can be all carried in one chic case. Then I remember who I am and how I operate, and just resign to the idea that I'm a mega user of makeup, albeit a very organized one. It doesn't change the fact that my list of covetables is topped right now by the Trish McEvoy Purse Organizer & Makeup Planner collection. Partly because if something has  "organizer" in its name I usually must have it, and also because the Petite Page I was sent would fit there. Makes perfect sense, I know.

For those unfamiliar with Trish McEvoy's makeup planner system, they're basically free-form palettes that fit into her planners. You can buy them fully assembled like the Subtle Glamour one, or get single pans and empty pages to make your own. Each petite planner fits up to three petite pages (there are also larger ones), as well as four brushes and other items that can be placed in the various pockets and pouches. I know people who were fully obsessed with this system, and I've always understood why. I could spend hours making pages for every occasion (or day of the week).

The newest  Ready-to-Wear Petite Page is Subtle Glamour. I don't know about glamour, but this is a classic everyday palette with a wide appeal. The colors and the combination aren't innovative, but the palette is a serious workhorse: the core are taupe eye shadows and a pink coral blush. How many days a week do you wear something similar? Which is both the main strength and the major weakness of the palette. It's such a tried-and-true color composition that those with larger makeup collections probably have other palettes that hit this very spot, either pre-made or self-assembled.

With that said, Trish McEvoy does have an edge here with her portable elegant system, and the quality of the products is very very good. Everything in the Subtle Glamour palette has above-average pigment saturation and beautiful textures that are easy to apply and blend. I'm not too crazy about the shared pan of the blush/bronzer, because each color is allotted a narrow stripe that requires some brush maneuvering if you don't want to mix them together (I really don't). You can only use a paddle-shaped (or flat angled) blush brush positioned parallel to the stripe or the smallest yachiyo brush. These are good options, but I'm still annoyed by having to be careful when picking up my blush.

Here's what's included in the Subtle Glamour petite page:

Both face products are Trish McEvoy classics that have been part of the permanent collection in one way or another for years. The one pan arrangement is new and can be purchased separately.

Weekend (bronzer)- Wonderfully finely-milled into a very soft texture. The color is medium golden tan with a slight hint of glow. Very fair-skinned people would probably need the lightest hand, since it's very pigmented, and all of us need a very soft brush that won't kick up too much of this fluffy bunny.

Natural (blush)- The blush is pressed much harder than the bronzer, making it appear rougher at first go, but it's actually very pigmented and equally blendable. The color is a pink coral that will suit most, depending on how much you apply. I prefer, again, a light hand for a truly natural flush.

Eye shadows:

All four are new shades.

Light Shell- a matte cream with maybe the faintest hint of pink. I'm not sure how it relates to the original Shell, but it's definitely lighter than Peach Shell. Wonderful creamy texture.

Pebble- a matte stony gray/taupe that is pretty much a dream color. It has the same texture (all Trish matte shadows I've across were this silky)

Granite (an Eye Glaze)- not to be confused with Blackberry Granite that had a rougher texture, or with the Granite Eye Definer. This is an almost metallic taupe that competes with the best of this color/texture/finish category. I think it's comparable to classic LMdB shades.

Blackstone (an Eye Definer). Trish's Eye Definers are pressed harder than the Glazes and Shadows (all are eye shadows, just different textures and finishes) and meant to be used as eyeliners. Blackstone is a cool dark brown that benefits from a damp angled brush. I find it too patchy for dry blending in the outer V, but that's not what it's for anyway.
I get close to zero fallout from all four colors (it depends on the brush, mostly), and all stay put over a primer without losing intensity or smudging.

Bottom Line: Way better than it appears, and it looks pretty good to begin with.

Trish McEvoy Ready-to-Wear Petite Page in Subtle Glamour ($65, I'm waiting to verify where the actual products are made, plastic page is made in China) is available from most department stores and on trishmcevoy.com. The product for this review was sent by PR.