20 Affordable Drugstore Eyeshadow Palettes That Could Pass as High-End, According to Makeup Artists

Best Overall

NYX Professional Makeup Ultimate Shadow Palette

$10 at Amazon View on Nyxcosmetics.com $18 at Ecosmetics.com

This travel-friendly eyeshadow kit by NYX pulls out all the stops. It's got a whopping 16 different colors, including warm and cool tones with both matte and shimmery finishes, and the velvety powder is impressively pigmented yet goes on silky smooth without creasing. Best of all, the Ultimate Shadow Palette comes in nine color families: Warm Neutrals (the most versatile), Brights (for playing with pops of color), Smokey & Highlight (for dramatic eyes), and more. Pro tip: When you use a shadow primer underneath, it increases the staying power of these complementary hues, proving them to have the same finish as higher-end shadows at a fraction of the price.

Who It’s For 

If you’re looking for a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette, you’ve met the perfect match with NYX’s Warm Neutrals palette. At under $20 for 16 shades, it’s not only a steal, but reviewers appreciated how the highly pigmented colors last all day and don't crease after hours of wear. 

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 16 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Budget

e.l.f. Cosmetics Bite Size Eyeshadow Palette

$3 at Ulta $3 at Target View on Elfcosmetics.com

"e.l.f.'s Bite-Size Eyeshadow Palette collection is another fantastic find. The palettes are only $3, and you get four beautiful eyeshadow shades," Gianno tells Byrdie. Plus, they come in seven different color combinations that include a mix of blues, greens, and berry hues, as well as a Pumpkin Pie palette that’s made for trying out the latte makeup trend at home. Another thing we loved about these petit quads is the fact that the shadows stay put—even on one reviewer with self-proclaimed oily eyelids. 

Who It’s For 

Anyone who gets overwhelmed by too many shades should keep this palette in their kit. With only four to mix and match, you can try pre-color-coordinated layered looks or swipe on one at a time.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 4 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Nude

Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

View on Amazon $12 at Target $12 at Walmart

Many view The Nudes as a budget-friendly dupe of Urban Decay's Naked Palette—and if you ask beauty expert and makeup artist Tomy Rivero, Maybelline is giving the latter a run for its money. “I love the Nudes palette by Maybelline for a wash of color that gives you that no-makeup makeup eye look,” he says. 

Rivero also relies on the eyeshadow kit—which has 12 complexion-complementing colors—when he’s going for juicy skin with shiny eyes. To create this vibe, he suggests adding a dab of lip balm over the shadow on the eyelids for a glossy, fresh-out-of-a-facial aesthetic. 

Who It’s For 

If you want to try out Urban Decay’s popular Naked Palette without paying $59, this is the dupe of your dreams.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 12 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Palette Brush

Flower Shimmer & Shade Eye Shadow Palette

View on Flowerbeauty.com

Who doesn’t love a bonus brush in their eyeshadow palette? Most of the compacts we came across during our research were tool-free (or came with a tiny applicator), but reviewers had lots of love for Drew Barrymore’s full-size, high-quality brush in her Flower Beauty Shimmer & Shade Palette. Even though it’s advertised for creating three different looks, you can mix and match any of the 10 shades to create many more, according to Connecticut-based makeup artist Lindsey Trop. “It’s a beautiful mix of matte, shimmer, and metallic shades, which are all super wearable and range from light nudes to smoky plums,” she says, adding that they are also soft and very pigmented.

Although we did see a few reviews questioning the shimmer and metallic shades' transfer abilities from brush to lid, Trop’s tip is to apply those shades with your fingers for maximum pigment payoff.

Who It’s For 

If you were a fan of Charlotte Tilbury’s discounted Instant Eye Palette (RIP), Trop says Flower’s 10-pan palettes are reminiscent of the cult favorite, and the blending brush is perfect for those who are looking for a simple one-stop-shop solution.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 10 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Earth Tones

Jason Wu Beauty Flora 9 Eyeshadow Palette

$15 at Target View on Jasonwubeauty.com $14 at Jcpenney.com

"I've discovered Jason Wu Beauty eyeshadow palettes this year, and I can't get enough," says Gianno. "The quality, pigment, and shade range of his palettes are absolutely amazing!" The Flora 9 kit has nine all-matte hues in earth tones, or you can choose from a mix of shimmery and matte shades that are perfect for creating day or night looks.

Wu’s super clean formula is also free of talc and toxins but still long-wearing and pigmented. Plus, the square-sized case fits in most cosmetic bags without you having to make room for a long rectangular palette. 

Who It’s For 

Clean beauty loyalists who are all about pure products minus the junk and nasties—don’t sleep on this pick.

Finish: Matte & Multi | Number of Shades: 9 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Neutral

e.l.f. Cosmetics The New Classics Eyeshadow Palette

$14 at Amazon $24 at Walmart View on Elfcosmetics.com

With 18 pans of ultra-pigmented satin, matte, and shimmery shadows, The New Classics has a hue for every occasion. We're talking shades of nude, earthy colors, browns, grays, golds, subtle greens, blush pink, champagne, and a smoky almost-black. With so many tan, brown, and beige shadows, it’s helpful to mention there are more peach and pink-brown tones and fewer yellow-brown tones in the mix.

Who It’s For 

This palette is for neutral lovers who don’t stray far from their go-to eyeshadow colors but may want a few darker options or metallic shimmer shades for special occasions.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 18 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Dupe

Joah Color Haul Eyeshadow Palette, Smokeshow

$9 at Amazon $12 at CVS

Another non-drugstore eyeshadow palette icon is Urban Decay’s Naked Heat palette, and according to Trop, Joah’s Color Haul kit looks pretty similar—only it costs less than $15 instead of $59. “It includes 12 pigmented shades ranging from soft and pale all the way to deep and smoky, with some warm terracotta shades in between,” she explains. “There’s a great mix of mattes, shimmers, and even a metallic to create several eye looks, and the metallic shade is a great topper for any of the looks that can be created.” 

Trop is also partial to the palette’s dual-ended brush for both application and blending, saying it’s perfect for someone looking for just one eyeshadow palette to keep in their makeup bag. Another pro in our beauty book? The viral Korean beauty brand is known for using skin-friendly ingredients, and they’re cruelty-free.

Who It’s For 

Prestige makeup fans who want reliable dupes for drugstore prices, Joah’s Color Haul kits are some of the best we’ve seen for all of these reasons and more.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 12 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Pigment

Makeup Revolution Forever Flawless Eyeshadow Palette

$28 at Amazon $15 at Ulta View on Beautybay.com

"My favorite drugstore eyeshadow palettes are Makeup Revolution for the pigment," says Arizona-based makeup artist Felicia Gonzalez. With 18 pans of strikingly vibrant powders in matte, shimmery, and glittery finishes, the Forever Flawless kit is all you need to achieve a wow factor with high-impact hues in seven different colorways.

There’s Ice for bold blues; Fire for flaming reds, oranges, and yellows; Unconditional Love for punchy pinks and purples; and Grey, which ironically doesn’t contain a block of gray at all but rather every other color under the rainbow.

Who It’s For 

If highlighter hues with powerful pigments are what you’re after, Makeup Revolution is known for having some of the best palettes around, and their low price tag makes it easy to collect ‘em all.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 18 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Everyday Wear

L'Oréal Paris Colour Riche La Palette Nude 1

$8 at Amazon

When you want to add some shading and definition to your everyday look, you'll be glad to have this stunning range of eyeshadows. La Palette Nude has 10 impressively pigmented and versatile colors with all-day staying power. Plus, it has a built-in mirror and comes with a dual-ended applicator, making it ideal for on-the-go makeup.

Who It’s For 

Anyone who wants a mix of lighter nude hues with no flaking, fading, or transfer—here’s your daily go-to.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 10 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Monochromatic

CoverGirl Clean Fresh Color Eyeshadow

$14 at Ulta $10 at Target $14 at CVS

CoverGirl’s Clean Fresh Color palettes are the ultimate four-pan perfectors for your lids in monochromatic colors. “With four matte, metallic, and shimmery shades of one color (think beiges, coppers, burgundies, and pinks), this palette is a great option for those who want an easy-eye look,” says Trop. “Whether you're just getting into makeup or don’t have a lot of time to spend on eye makeup, these shades are super flattering, wearable, and the pigments are silky soft.” She also likes that there’s no guesswork, and with such a beautifully minimalistic four-color range, no colors in the palette will go untouched. 

Another perk? It’s vegan and free of talc and parabens. “It’s hard to find a great drugstore eyeshadow palette without talc!” says Trop.

Who It’s For 

We’re plugging this for those who stick to one eyeshadow shade but like to play around with different finishes of said shade. Maybe you do the shimmer in the inner corner of your eye and the matte on the lid or layered mattes and metallics all over—whatever your desired look is, CG’s clean palettes will help you create it.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 4 | Cruelty-Free: Yes 

Best for Smoky Eye

Rimmel London Eye Palette, Smoke Edition

$19 at Amazon $11 at Walmart View on Rimmellondon.com

If you love a smoky eye as much as we do, you'll appreciate the Magnif'Eyes Smoke Edition palette. This award-winning 12-pan kit has a range of deep, cool-toned colors, including satins, mattes, and shimmers. Since the powder works as a shadow, liner, and highlighter, it's all you need to create a sophisticated smoldering effect, and the smear-proof formula goes the distance for up to nine hours without budging. 

Who It’s For 

Smoky eye lovers who want all the cool-toned shades for under $15—check this out. And it’s worth pointing out that reviewers with all different eye colors are equally obsessed over this palette.

Finish: Shimmery | Number of Shades: 12 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Shimmery

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eye Enhancing Shadow

$14 at Amazon $13 at Ulta $9 at Target

When it comes to glittery eyeshadow, Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Palette doesn’t hold back. This palette has six seriously sparkly eye-enhancing colors, ranging from dark to light in long-wearing, creaseless, and blendable formulas. It's ideal for going out, dressing up, celebrating, or any time you want to step up your glam.

This highly-pigmented liquid powder eye shadow palette is also designed for wet and dry applications for two finishes. Wet for intense color with ultra-long-lasting wear or transforming shadow into liner and dry for a softer result.

Who It’s For 

We love this pick for anyone looking for gray, silver, and black metallic shades, specifically. It’s also great for contact wearers, as Physicians Formula’s palettes are recommended by allergists, dermatologists, and ophthalmologists because they’re hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive eyes.

Finish: Shimmery | Number of Shades: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Matte

Maybelline Mini Palette Matte About Town

$8 at Target $8 at Walmart $12 at Walgreens

If you're not into the shimmery, sparkly look, Maybelline's Matte About Town eyeshadow kit is for you. With six pans in neutral colors ranging from deep mocha brown to banana, it looks almost like a contour palette. The creamy powders are perfectly flat, but when you blend them onto your lids, you'll have plenty of dimension, and the super-saturated colors are universally flattering for all eye colors and skin tones.

Who It’s For 

Grab this if you’re a matte shadow wearers who want an everyday palette of creamy nudes, tawnies, and taupes to work with.

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 6 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Jewel Tones

Milani Bold Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette

$30 at Amazon

Milani Bold Obsessions is another one of Gonzalez's go-to drugstore eyeshadow palettes. You'll get 12 velvety-soft shadows in strikingly rich jewel tones, including colors reminiscent of ruby, emerald, citrine, garnet, amber, and onyx.

Reviewers also praised the not-too-shimmery nature of these shadows, acknowledging how super frosty shades can often emphasize wrinkles. “This eyeshadow softens the eyes and makes you look years younger,” one commented.

Who It’s For

Those looking for an assortment of universal neutrals and rich jewel tones to experiment with endless makeup looks will love adding this palette to their kit.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 12 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Warm Tones

BLK/OPL High Impact Eyeshadows

$11 at Ulta $6 at Target $12 at CVS

Red-toned eyeshadow can be totally fierce and can work on all different skin tones if you’re not afraid to experiment in the quest to find the best shades for you. Warm palettes like this one also work well for fall and cooler months in the winter. With this in mind, the statement-making BLK/OPL Iconic palette has six warm colors, including shades of chestnut, copper, rust, and brick in matte, metallic, and shimmer tones, making your natural skin pop without being ashy or gray.

Who It’s For

If you're looking for browns and coppers with a touch of cranberry, give this eyeshadow palette a try.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Cool Tones

L.A. Girl Smoky Beauty Brick Eyeshadow Palette

$9 at Amazon

The L.A. Girl Smoky Beauty Brick has 12 supremely pigmented cool-toned colors. We're talking charcoal, navy, deep plum, chocolate brown, shimmery mauve, dove gray, taupe, and your everyday blue. Some fallout is to be expected when using this palette, however, which is why a few reviewers suggested using a primer underneath for staying power. Another tip: Do your eye makeup before your face to avoid having to touch up the rest of your glam. 

Who It’s For

This palette has it all when it comes to a beginner-friendly, easy-to-use kit with several shades of icy silver, blue, gray, and onyx. Plus, it’s extremely affordable!

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 12 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best K-Beauty

Etude House Play Color Eyes

View on Amazon

Korean beauty brand Etude House had some fun curating the shadows for its Play Color Eyes kits. Whether you go with Bakehouse, Caffeine Holic, In the Café, or any of the other playfully named palettes, you can count on a silky texture that lasts all day.

These soft contouring colors fall in the middle in terms of saturation, but they brush on very subtly, so apply a few times if you’re looking for darker coverage, or use a makeup sponge or your finger to pat on more product. 

Who It’s For

K-Beauty fans looking for a travel-friendly palette with a good combination of base colors and some shimmer will love this pick.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 10 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Cream

Revlon Illuminance Crème Eye Shadow

$7 at Amazon $10 at Walgreens $9 at Ecosmetics.com

For those who prefer cream eyeshadow, we recommend Revlon's Illuminance palette. The four ultra-smooth, crease-resistant colors glide on effortlessly, blend easily, and leave behind an eye-enhancing finish.

Best of all, these slim palettes come in five light-reflective colorways: Not Just Nudes (pictured above), Precious Metals (sand, silver, and mauve), Wild Orchids (dreamy purples), Black Magic (white, black, pink), and a few more covetable combos that radiate from all angles. 

Who It’s For

Calling all cream shadow converts who love the glide-on ease of this texture over less luminous powder. This one's for you.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 4 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Buttery Texture

Milani Gilded Eyeshadow Palette

$15 at Amazon $10 at Ulta $15 at Walmart

Sometimes, shimmery shadows can draw unwanted attention to dry skin and fine lines making them more noticeable, but Rivero is quick to point out Milani’s Gilded Eyeshadow palette has a buttery texture that’s perfect for all types, tones, and ages. “The colors are rich, and very little goes a long way,” he tells Byrdie. “I like using them with a damp brush to get the richness of the colors, starting with the closest color to your skin tone all over the lid and adding a crease color depending on the look desired.”

Gilded is offered in four distinctly different kits: Nude, Gold, Terra, and our personal favorite, Luster Light, which Rivero says is ideal to pull off a cut crease ‘90s smoky eye with mega lashes.

Who It’s For

Reviewers with darker skin tones spoke so highly of the beautiful pigments in this Milani palette, but several also noted you have to pack on the shimmer shadows and mattes for them to pop more. So, consider additional applications or using your fingers or a wet brush for full effect.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 15 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Mini

Juvia's Place Mini Eyeshadow Palette

$20 at Ulta $20 at Target View on Juviasplace.com

Juvia's Place Mini is the perfect purse-sized palette for creating an eye-catching look no matter where you are or where you're headed. It has six best-loved colors from the brand's full-sized eyeshadow kit, including a dark brown matte, a satin clay hue, and a shimmery rose.

Those who know and love the brand’s mini shadow compacts always tout their rich creamy blending ability and true pigmented colors, but we especially love that the mattes are true to their hue and the shimmers are beautifully gentle, as well as long-lasting!

Who It’s For

Anyone in the market for a teeny-tiny eyeshadow palette that packs a big punch color-wise can find what they’re looking for here. This mix of classic nudes and neutrals is highly wearable and the perfect complement to any complexion.

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes