The 17 Best Eyeshadow Palettes We Love for Eye-Popping Color

Best Overall

Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette

$45 at Amazon $45 at Sephora $45 at Ulta

Number of Shades: 14 | Finishes: Matte, Shimmer | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This iconic palette is unparalleled for creating soft glam looks—and so much more. It contains various neutral, cool, and warm nude shades as well as some subtle pops of color that you can get creative with. It also has a wide shade range in depth, so it’s a great option regardless of skin tone. 

We were pleasantly surprised by how much range this neutral palette could provide. The shades were richly pigmented and easy to blend, allowing us to create a gorgeous look in a short amount of time. Some reviewers did find the shadow overly powdery in general, so we suggest using it before your complexion makeup to avoid fallout ruining your foundation or concealer.

Read Full Review: The Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette Is Worth the Hype

Best Drugstore

Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

View on Amazon $12 at Target $12 at Walmart

Number of Shades: 12 | Finishes: Matte, Satin | Cruelty-Free: No

The drugstore is a mixed bag when it comes to finding beauty gems, but we highly endorse this versatile palette. It contains an impressive twelve neutral shades that range from light to dark, which allows you to go subtle or build up the intensity of your look. We could diffuse the colors with minimal effort, and while we would have appreciated the inclusion of a mirror, given the price tag, it’s not a deal-breaker. 

If we could change anything about this one, it would be the intensity of the shimmery, satin shades. They perform well but don’t offer much shine or light reflection like some of our favorite shimmers do.

Best for Everyday

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Eye Palette

$75 at Nordstrom View on Charlottetilbury.com View on Revolve

Number of Shades: 12 | Finishes: Matte, Shimmer | Cruelty-Free: Yes

There are no rules for applying eyeshadow, but sometimes a little guidance is appreciated. This palette comes with a plastic overlay offering suggestions on where to place each shade for a flattering look (aka perfect if you’re new to eyeshadow). The shades fall in the rosy and brown families, and when combined, they make for a romantic look that also works for every day. We love that the rose and pink shades make this palette just a bit different from the typical everyday neutral palette. 

Each eyeshadow in the palette offers nice pigmentation and great blendability, although we did find that we had to build up the shimmers to create a real impact on the eyes. If you like a more metallic finish, wet your brush and apply the shades to give them more shine.

Best for Soft Glam

Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette

$43 at Amazon $50 at Ulta View on Urbandecay.com

Number of Shades: 12 | Finishes: Matte, Metallic | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This is the re-release of the nude eyeshadow palette that arguably started the palette craze, so we were excited to give it a try. It comes with 12 shades in various cool and neutral-leaning tones that vary in depth to provide a bit of everything. We love that the shades are not lacking in the pigmentation department—but a little goes a long way, so be careful when applying. If you struggle to find neutrals that deliver on color payoff, this is a great option for you. 

Naked Urban Decay loyalists, beware that some people find the shadows in this palette more powdery than those in previous palettes. However, it doesn’t seem to affect the blendability or color payoff of the palette, so it’s not a major concern for us.

Best for Special Occasions

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IX Eyeshadow Palette

$128 at Sephora View on Bergdorfgoodman.com $128 at Revolve

Number of Shades: 10 | Finishes: Matte, Shimmer, Glitter | Cruelty-Free: No

Pat McGrath eyeshadow palettes are expensive—but the quality, artistry, and uniqueness of each palette make them a special treat. This one is the ninth iteration in the Mothership lineup, and it’s the glitter eyeshadows and nuanced rose and violet tones that make it stand out. Aside from revering the undeniable quality, we loved how the shades blended seamlessly across the eyelids as well as with each other to make a cohesive look. We also appreciated its versatility—you can achieve a somewhat subtle look or something bold for a special occasion.

The glittery eyeshadows in the palette—which Pat McGrath refers to as Blitz Astral shades—are incredibly vibrant and impactful. However, it's worth noting that they can take some building up to appear fully opaque.

Best Vivids

Juvia's Place Warrior III Palette

$20 at Ulta View on Juviasplace.com

Number of Shades: 9 | Finishes: Matte, Shimmer | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’ve played with a variety of eyeshadows, then you might know how difficult it is to find a high-quality, colorful palette. Many colorful eyeshadow palettes lack pigmentation and blendability—but not this one. This affordable option contains nine vivid eyeshadows that deliver the perfect combination of richness and buildability. They’re not overly pigmented and hard to work with, but you won’t need to spend too long packing on the color, either. 

The shades showed up beautifully on dark skin tones and blended effortlessly. But, just like many colorful palettes, the shadows do produce a bit of fallout, so it’s wise to do your complexion makeup after using this palette.

Best Glittery

ColourPop Eyeshadow Palette

$24 at Ulta View on Colourpop.com

Number of Shades: 16 | Finishes: Matte, Metallic, Pressed Glitter | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Glitter is a fun medium for experimenting with creative looks, but the inevitable mess can be a major deterrent. With this eyeshadow palette, you get glitter eyeshadows in a mess-free, pressed formula that’s incredibly easy to use. The combination of glittery, matte, and metallic shades makes it a great palette to reach for whether you’re creating an everyday makeup look or something more vibrant. 

As is true with most ColourPop palettes, this one delivers on pigmentation and blendability. While the glittery shades didn’t apply well with a brush, when using our fingers, they went on smoothly and didn’t make a mess.

Best Pigment

Alamar Cosmetics Pressed Pigment Palette

View on Alamarcosmetics.com View on Nordstromrack.com

Number of Shades: 8 | Finishes: Matte, Metallic | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This flirty palette delivers on pigment and blendability—you get vivid color with a single swipe of your brush. We enjoyed the even split between matte and metallic shades and found that both formulas applied smoothly and showed up well. We also loved how iridescent the metallic shades were without needing to add several layers. This palette does create a bit of fallout, so beware of that before reaching for it.

Best Nude Tones

Too Faced Natural Nudes Eye Shadow Palette

$54 at Amazon $54 at Sephora $54 at Ulta

Number of Shades: 16 | Finishes: Matte, Shimmer, Metallic | Cruelty-Free: Yes

A go-to neutral palette is a makeup collection staple, and this one is an excellent choice. It contains a versatile range of nude tones that vary in depth, allowing you to create natural and smoky eyeshadow looks. It also has a nice balance between finishes, making it even more versatile. We could create a subtle look and take it from day to night by adding some of the deeper shades to give it more dimension. The deeper shades didn’t produce fallout which was seriously impressive.

While the formulas in the palette are super blendable, the pigmentation didn’t wow us. However, the shades can be built up to a nice intensity with a bit of effort, so the lack of bold pigment right off the bat wasn’t a deal-breaker.

Best Mattes

Dose of Colors Baked Browns Palette

$32 at Amazon $32 at Doseofcolors.com $34 at Revolve

Number of Shades: 5 | Finishes: Matte | Cruelty-Free: Yes

A matte, neutral palette is practical for everyday use, but can also be great for taking looks from day to night if it includes shades with depth. Although this option only comes with five shades of neutral browns, they range from light to dark so you can add dimension to your eyes. 

Matte eyeshadow formulas tend to lean dry and powdery, making them tricky to work with. This palette is surprisingly smooth, creamy, and easy to blend out. The shades look the same when applied as they do in the pan, and they are easy to work with. Aside from the bit of fallout you might experience, it has everything we could ask for in a mini matte palette—including a mirror and a blending brush.

Best Mini Palette

Dior Backstage Eye Shadow Palette

$52 at Sephora $48 at Selfridges.com View on Dior.com

Number of Shades: 9 | Finishes: Matte, Shimmer, Primer | Cruelty-Free: No

With this Dior palette, you get a well-rounded color story, great quality shadows, and a bit of luxury all wrapped up in a small, travel-friendly package. The warm palette boasts eight gorgeous shadows with matte and shimmery finishes, as well as a creamy shade that doubles as a primer. The primer is a unique touch, but given that it’s a very light shade, it might not be ideal for all skin tones. 

We thought it delivered on pigmentation and blendability and did not produce noticeable fallout or kickback. We could create a cohesive look—all of the shades worked together beautifully, but we had a particular affection for the deep shades which added a rich pop of color that looked gorgeous on blue eyes. 

Best Sustainable

PYT Beauty Upcycle Eyeshadow Palette

$23 at Asos

Number of Shades: 12 | Finishes: Matte, Shimmer | Cruelty-Free: Yes

It’s no secret that the cosmetics industry is a major contributor to waste, so anytime we can be more sustainable with our beauty routines, the better. This palette’s packaging is made from 15% recycled plastic, and it can be recycled once you’re done with it. 

Aside from the sustainability component, the array of cool and neutral shades is beautiful for daytime and evening looks, and we love how easily the shadows blend. The formula is buildable, so you can gradually apply color to achieve your look. However, some online reviewers mention that the eyeshadows feel a bit powdery which can create kickback in the pan as well as some fallout.

Best Splurge

Natasha Denona Sunset Eyeshadow Palette

View on Natashadenona.com

Number of Shades: 15 | Finishes: Matte, Metallic, Duo-Chrome | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Many eyeshadow aficionados say that Natasha Denona has some of the best eyeshadow palettes you can buy, and we agree. Both the mattes and metallics are incredibly pigmented, creamy, and blendable, and the brand even includes gorgeous duo-chrome shades in some of its offerings—including this one. 

Aside from the stellar performance in terms of pigmentation and blendability, we’re in love with the color story. The combination of light, medium, dark neutral, and warm shades work together to create a stunning dimension, and it’s so easy to achieve a cohesive look. While some feel that the color story is dupable, the excellent quality and depth of shades make this palette stand out. If you’re in the mood to splurge on a staple palette, you won’t be disappointed with this one.

Best Smoky Eyes

Victoria Beckham Beauty Smoky Eye Brick

$56 at Violet Grey $36 at Neiman Marcus View on Victoriabeckhambeauty.com

Number of Shades: 4 | Finishes: Matte, satin | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’ve ever coveted Victoria Beckham’s signature smoky eye look, this palette is for you. Drawing inspiration from the designer’s recent runway collections, it pairs four complimentary but contrasting shades, providing everything you need to create a sultry, perfectly blended smoky eye. There are five color stories to choose from, including '90s-style blues, shimmery metallics, and VB’s favorite–a flattering combo of nudes and warm browns. 

Although reviewers found this palette easy to apply and blend, some complained that the hues could be more pigmented and long-lasting. In other words, you may have to take a few passes over your eyelids to reach full pigment potential.

Best Metallic

Anastasia Beverly Hills Rose Metals Eyeshadow Palette

View on Ulta

Number of Shades: 12 | Finishes: Matte, metallic, glitter | Cruelty-Free: Yes

When you want a show-stopping look for the evening, metallic hues are the way to go. This super-shimmery palette from Anastasia Beverly Hills brings together rose gold shades with a spectacular gleam, which can be layered and blended to turn up or down the intensity. 

Thanks to their rich pigment payoff, application, and blending don’t take long at all, but some reviewers warn that the powdery formula is prone to fallout and smudging. We recommend holding a tissue under your eye as you apply, or saving your skin makeup until you’ve finished working on your eyes. 

Best Mix & Match

Fenty Beauty Snap Shadows Mix & Match Eyeshadow Palette

$30 at Sephora $30 at Ulta View on Strawberrynet.com

Number of Shades: 6 | Finishes: Matte, glitter, shimmer | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This pocket-sized palette from Fenty Beauty combines six curated shades to offer versatility on all skin tones. There are six color stories available and not a dud among them. These are eyeshadows you’ll be reaching for daily, think soft matte neutrals for day and ultra shimmery deep hues for the night. 

Fenty also included one very nifty design feature: you can snap two palettes together, making it super easy to bring your favorite shades wherever you go. Although some reviewers were disappointed that the product wasn’t longer-lasting, it’s compact enough to carry with you for strategic reapplication.

Best For Beginners

Glossier Monochromes

$22 at Sephora $22 at Glossier.com

Number of Shades: 3 | Finishes: Matte, satin, metallic | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re a bit of an eyeshadow newbie, a giant palette with tons of potential color combinations can feel intimidating. This pretty option from Glossier keeps things simple with a monochromatic trio in three finishes: matte, satin, and metallic. Start by layering the finishes to add dimension to the eyes. Once you’ve got the hang of that, combine them with Glossier's other shades for a more creative look. Reviewers love how easy this palette is to apply and blend, but some lamented the level of pigment, saying it wasn’t impactful enough without heavy layering.