The 12 Best Eyeshadow Palettes, Tested and Reviewed by Editors

Complete with a mix of cream and powder formulas, Patrick Ta’s lustrous Dimension II palette is a rosy dream. The shadows are flawlessly organized: Pearlescent shimmers fill the top row, buttery mattes pack the bottom, and two cream bases reside on the left hand side, protected with an ingenious cover to ward off any stray glitter flecks. Aesthetics aside, the multifunctional mix is one of the most wearable, user-friendly options currently available, and it has quickly become a part of my daily wardrobe. These shadows diffuse with a featherlight touch, and finished looks maintain integrity through marathon days, officially making creasing and patchiness a thing of the past (even on hooded eyes). 

Price upon publish date of this article: $70

Lauded as one of the best matte eyeshadow palettes ever made, Mario Dedovonic’s Master Mattes is a favorite of makeup enthusiasts and professionals alike. (Myricks even calls it the “gold standard.”) This best nude eyeshadow palette features 12 neutral shades inspired by the beauty of human skin tones and covers a full range of hues from light to deep. The darkest shade — matte 12 — is made with carbon black pigment, making it more intense than traditional black shadows. All the colors provide dynamic color payoff, though, and the silky, featherweight texture can easily be built up or blended out to achieve a variety of makeup looks.

Price upon publish date of this article: $50

On days when I need to keep things soft and natural, I reach for this Anastasia Beverly Hills Palette. But I also lean on it to build dramatic smokey eyes for special events. The luxurious, all-encompassing palette was built to satisfy every eye makeup need with its coalition of nine velour mattes and five illustrious shimmers. The scope of warm browns, terracottas, and golden metallics pop on all skin tones and especially accentuate blue eyes. Taking your look from day to night has never been easier, either: With the included double-edged brush, enhancing definition can be done in seconds.

Price upon publish date of this article: $38.35

Nyx is known for crafting professional-quality makeup at affordable prices. While the brand’s lip products and eyeliners regularly go viral, its eyeshadow palettes lie relatively under the radar. But after playing around with a few iterations of the Ultimate Shadow Palette, I’m convinced it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a TikTok-famous beauty product.

The compact 16-pan arrangement packs a major punch in terms of vibrancy and longevity. Each swatch reveals a true-to-color hue that blends with ease. Velvety mattes can be intensified or diffused with the flick of a brush, while the metallic and shimmery shades feel smooth and consistent rather than having an uncomfortable graininess that is common among inexpensive eyeshadows.

Price upon publish date of this article: $20

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Lo frequently finds herself reaching for Tarte palettes because they “do an incredible job at creating color combinations that make sense together and don’t include those extra hues that you never end up using.” The Tartelette in Bloom palette, in particular, goes even further to take the guesswork out of determining what eyeshadows work best together, making it especially great for beginners.

Twelve neutral mattes and shimmers are organized into three rows, each containing a base, lid, crease, and liner shade. Following the color scheme allows anyone to seamlessly execute an everyday smokey eye. Additionally, the soft, blendable formulas are infused with Amazonian clay, which prevents smudging on oily eyelids and ultimately extends the wear time for any skin type.

Price upon publish date of this article: $45

If you’re on the beauty side of TikTok (aka BeautyTok) chances are you’ve watched someone swatch Colourpop eyeshadow — that term has garnered more than 1 billion views on TikTok, thanks to the high impact shades and well-thought-out color stories.

The brand has no shortage of palettes to choose from, but only one was the number-one top-selling eyeshadow palette at Ulta in 2022: Stone Cold Fox. The icy 30-pan stunner offers a mix of cool-toned satiny mattes and shimmering metallics that look just as bold on the lid as they do in the pan. I find that the tiniest tap of product is enough to build a striking eye look. And although metallics tend to crease on my hooded eyes, this affordable formula looks just as fresh at the end of long days. 

Price upon publish date of this article: $35

Beauty influencers have celebrated Morphe’s inexpensive pro-level eyeshadow palettes since the dawn of YouTube, including the functional 35C Everyday Chic Artistry palette. At $28 for 35 unique shadows, it’s the most cost-effective option on our list from a brand that creates some of the best eyeshadow palettes of all time.

We appreciate that it contains novice-friendly hues (like taupes and browns) for those looking to build out their makeup collection, while also providing room for vibrant experimentation with soft purples, jades, and sapphires. The bouncy formulas blend with minimal effort no matter what makeup brush set you have on hand, and you’ll experience zero fallout, even when swiping the iridescent shades. Considering the price — which comes out to less than $1 per shadow — the quality truly rivals some palettes that are triple the cost.

Price upon publish date of this article: $28

While larger eyeshadow palettes give you the ability to create a vast assortment of makeup looks, they’re not the most travel-friendly. Mini palettes, on the other hand, typically hold four carefully curated shadows in a small compact, making them easy to store in your weekend bag and allowing you to build a uniform eye look without second guessing yourself. Nars Quad Eyeshadow Palette takes things a step further, fashioning its signature mini in four universally flattering colorways that feature matte, metallic, shimmering, and sparkling finishes. The pure pigment powders provide the same payoff whether you’re using a makeup brush or your fingers, so you can rest assured your final look will appear blended and smooth — whether you’re completing your makeup in transit or have ample time to perfect it at your vanity.

Price upon publish date of this article: $44.20

“Huda Beauty creates beautiful color stories that are a perfect mix of practicality and fun,” says Myricks. The Pretty Grunge palette shines with its fresh rendition on dramatic and neutral shadows. The 18-pan kit includes rich sands, mauves, browns, and burgundy tones, and features a range of finishes — from creamy mattes and subtle shimmers to flashy duo-chrome glitters. The sparkling shades deserve major recognition for producing zero fallout, a notable feat given glitter’s inherent messy nature. Beyond that masterful formulation, TikTokers can’t seem to get enough of the palette’s versatility. Thousands of tutorial videos have been uploaded to TikTok, while Pretty Grunge Palette has amassed 1.8 million views on the app since it launched just a few months ago.

Price upon publish date of this article: $65

As far as pastel eyeshadows are concerned, it’s extremely difficult to create highly pigmented formulas that stay true to color once applied, especially for those with deeper skin tones. Lighter hues have the tendency to turn chalky, but you’ll never have to worry about that with Juvia’s Place palettes. After struggling to find makeup products suited for her dark skin, founder Chichi Eburu set out to fill the gap, and the brand’s palettes quickly rose to fame for delivering on the inclusive promises. 

The Garden of Juvia palette particularly stands out with its dazzling rainbow of shadows that include everything from matte sea green to glittering electric violet. Each color looks just as brilliant in the pan as it does on the lid, and can withstand long hours of wear with minimal to no creasing.

Price upon publish date of this article: $25

According to Myricks, world-renowned makeup artist Natasha Denona is the queen of eyeshadow palettes. “Her formulas are next level, and the way she curates her color stories is a true testament to her artistry,” says Myricks.

Makeup buffs also seem to agree. While a number of her namesake palettes have scored coveted spots on best seller lists, I Need a Nude — one of the newest offerings — shot straight to the top at Ulta and Sephora after its launch in August. Inside you’ll find 15 cool-toned powders that feel weightless on lids yet deliver high-impact color. The multitude of finishes afford plenty of room for experimentation, allowing for anyone to build soft day to day looks or go full glam. On special occasions (like weddings), the foiled shadows offer a brilliant sparkle that pulls all the focus to the wearer’s eyes.

Price upon publish date of this article: $69

In the realm of high-end makeup, Pat McGrath Labs sits on the loftiest pedestal. Its Mothership palettes have become a thing of legend… and cost a pretty penny. (At $128, they’re the priciest items in the line.) Williamson assures that the price is justifiable because the pro-level formulas impart amazing color payoff and versatile textures. “Pat McGrath is one of the only brands still making palettes worth the hype,” she adds.

Out of all the releases, Moonlit Seduction arguably contains the most user-friendly colors, with a selection of creamy contemporary neutrals in matte and gleaming finishes, as well as a few shape-shifting duo-chrome jeweled hues that dance in the light. The shadows pack a pretty punch when applied directly to the eye, but the payoff reaches new dimensions when mixed with water — it’s one of the best pigmented eyeshadow palettes on the market.

Price upon publish date of this article: $128

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