The Best Eyeshadow Palettes
With a top-notch eyeshadow palette, you can blend colors, achieve exciting new looks, and accentuate your bone structure. Whether you're looking for simple and stylish natural tones for everyday wear or something a little more eccentric for a dress-up party, there's bound to be a perfect eyeshadow palette out there for you. We've assembled this list of our favorites to help you choose the right one for you.
What To Look For
People wear eyeshadow for all sorts of purposes. But not all eyeshadow palettes are up to par. In our opinion, any eyeshadow palette worth your money should provide varied tones, high pigmentation, and blendable colors. With this in mind, we feel Urban Decay’s Naked2 Mini palette is the cream of the crop. This neutral-based palette includes highly blendable tones that stay vibrant and textured throughout the day. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more experimental, this palette from Prism Makeup should definitely do the trick. This wide-ranging makeup kit includes an eclectic array of vibrant colors in multiple finishes. Keep reading to find out what we love about the rest of our top picks.
Urban Decay Naked2 Mini
Beautiful basics
As a makeup enthusiast, stocking up on high-quality neutral tones is essential. This outstanding palette from Urban Decay features a stylish selection of skin-toned eyeshadow colors to accentuate the natural beauty of your face. Thanks to their relative closeness in pigmentation, it’s rather easy to blend two or more of these tones to create a more textured look. We also appreciate how long these tones tend to stay full and vibrant throughout the day.
Pros:
- These tend not to clump
- Compact and easy to store in small makeup bags
- High-quality matte finish
Cons:
- Due to its relatively basic set of colors, this palette is probably not the best for left-field experimentation
Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam
California dreamy
When you have an eyeshadow palette with more tones, you can switch up your look to complement your outfits and moods. That, among other reasons we’ll explore, is why we’re so enamored with Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Soft Glam palette. With 14 colors ranging from sleek matte finishes to eye-catching metallics, this palette covers a wider and more expressive range than many of its competitors. What’s more, this unique product not only features top-notch neutral tones for everyday wear but also provides an eclectic array of louder colors to throw on for fun nighttime excursions.
Pros:
- Highly blendable
- Dual-ended brush included
- Comes with a compact mirror attached to the inside of the lid
Cons:
- We love the tones, but we wish the palette’s case were a bit more durable
Jeffree Star Blue Blood Palette
Stunning selection
If you’re the type of makeup enthusiast who likes to step off the beaten path more often than not, Jeffree Star’s Blue Blood eyeshadow palette should definitely pique your interest. With 18 tones to choose from, this blue-heavy palette offers a wide variety of highly blendable and detailed colors. While this palette’s name would indicate that it only features blue tones, it actually contains a handful of stylishly understated neutrals as well. We also appreciate the gorgeous design of the case, not to mention its durable construction.
Pros:
- Compact mirror included
- Exceptionally pigmented tones
- Unique color combinations
Cons:
- A bit pricier than some of its competitors
Covergirl Eye Enhancers Al Fresco Eyeshadow Kit
Keep it simple
Covergirl has been a household name in cosmetics for decades, and this compact eyeshadow palette is an excellent reminder of why that is. This highly portable palette features a select handful of fashionable neutral tones that can help highlight your features. The velvety sheer tones blend easily, in part thanks to this palette’s easy-to-use dual-ended applicator brush. We also love that Covergirl offers this compact eyeshadow palette in matte, pearly, and sparkly finishes.
Pros:
- Certified cruelty-free makeup
- Available in multiple color schemes
- Easily fits into compact makeup bags
Cons:
- It doesn’t have the type of color variety that many of its competitors do
Prism Makeup Eyeshadow Palette
Wear the rainbow
If you’re looking for the perfect eyeshadow palette to complete your costume for your next big dress-up party, this pick from Prism Makeup might be just what the doctor ordered. With a whopping 40 tones to choose from, this palette offers an extensive selection for everyday wear and costumes. What’s more, this palette features tones with three different finishes, ranging from matte, pearl, and glittery metallic. We also appreciate that Prism Makeup offers this expansive eyeshadow palette at a more-than-reasonable price.
Pros:
- Wide color range
- Ideal for costumes and dress-up parties
- Easy to blend
Cons:
- Not the richest pigmentation
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can I keep an eyeshadow palette before it expires?
Ultimately, this will depend on the specific palette you’ve purchased. High-quality eyeshadow palettes can last for years, while cheaper ones may start to lose their potency and pigmentation over time. However, the vast majority of palettes have a lifespan of about two years, give or take.
What are the most common eyeshadow finishes?
Not only do most eyeshadow palettes offer a range of colors, but they also offer a variety of finishes. Most commonly, makeup manufacturers offer matte, metallic, and pearl finishes. Still, finishes such as satin, frost, and marbled are not uncommon to see featured in any given palette.
About the Author
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