US Patent No. 9,498,041 B2; ELC Management, LLC, Melville, NY, has patented a combination cosmetic palette and selection mechanism. The palette comprises a flat surface housing cosmetic products in a side-by-side arrangement forming rows, wherein each row defines a group of cosmetic products useable together to create a look. The selection mechanism comprises a card that has an indication of a cosmetic look; at least two cosmetic product indicia arranged side-by-side forming a row, where the indicia are spaced apart such that each index is able to unambiguously align with one product of a selected row of cosmetic products when the card is placed on the flat surface of the palette; and instructions indicating how to apply cosmetic products identified by at least two cosmetic product indicia to achieve the cosmetic look.
The selection mechanism allows for different variations of the same cosmetic look to be achieved by sliding the card along a selected row of cosmetic products or by sliding the card up or down in a vertical direction so long as each index is aligned with a cosmetic product of a single row of cosmetic products.