Best Eyeshadow Palettes For Every Occasion

The first eyeshadow commandment is to get the perfect match for your eyes and skin tone. And the second? Get the best eyeshadow palettes in terms of quality.

While a good prep and precise application are paramount for crease-free wear, only a good quality eyeshadow will offer you a smooth blend of color that lasts the distance. And contrary to most people’s belief, the best eye shadows don’t always cost the earth. Well, you might need to pay a little more if you are buying a palette, but it will also pay for itself credit to its durability.

Do you ever look at all the available colors and brands both in beauty stores and online and wonder where to start and which model to go with? Worry no more! These 10 best eyeshadow palettes reviews bring brands that most people can’t stop raving about today.

Let’s narrow down your options.

Top 10 Eyeshadow Palettes Of 2020 Reviewed

1. The Jaclyn Hill Eyeshadow Palette

Best Eyeshadow Palette To Buy

One of the best eyeshadow palettes of 2019, this palette by Morphe was made with conjunction with Youtuber Jaclyn Hill– just as the title suggests. If you are a fan and a keen follower of Morphe cosmetics, you must know that it took 2 years for this manufacturer to formulate, test, re-test, and perfect this palette- no wonder it’s currently the best-seller among other Morphe eyeshadow palettes.

The Jaclyn Hill is loved mainly for one thing; versatility. This palette brings a total of 35 colors consisting of 16 shimmer, 17 mattes, and 2 slightly metallic.

These colors feature all shades that you could ever think of from cool to warm and from neutral shades to a few pop-offs. That’s to mean that there are perfect eyeshadows for everyone out there regardless of their skin tone.

This palette’s size allows you to get creative with the colors to create a perfect day or evening look and anything from every day look to an extravagant look.The Jaclyn Hill Eyeshadow Palette

Pros:

  • Compacted size
  • Lots of color options
  • Nicely pigmented, no fall outs

Cons:

  • No colors on names
  • No mirror
  • Cardboard palette with white finish gets dirty fast

2. UCANBE Twilight Dust and Aromas Eyeshadows

Best Eyeshadow All Seasons

For beauty enthusiasts who want more than the basic eyeshadow colors without breaking the bank, we give you the Ucanbe Twilight dust and Aromas.

This manufacturer aimed at bringing the most popular colors to meet the modern woman’s eye makeup needs.

Each palette of the Ucanbe has a total of 18 colors. The Twilight Dust consists of 10 smooth mattes, 7 pressed shimmers, and 1 pure metallic glitter shades.

The Aromas, on the other hand, consists of 10 mattes, 4 reflective shades, 2 glitters, 1 pearl, and 1 concealer base shade.

All these shades are highly-pigmented and allow butter-like application, to say the least. They also blend well to allow a multitude of options.

UCANBE Twilight Dust and Aromas Eyeshadows

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Impressive quality
  • Buttery-application

Cons:

  • Glitter has minimal fallouts

3. UCANBE Professional 18 Pigmented Eye shadow

Best Eyeshadows For Every Skin Tone

Ucanbe Cosmetics Company is highly regarded for creating dupes that look and apply just like the original eyeshadows. In that case, if you are a fan of the Huda Beauty Rose or you really wish to add it to your cosmetics but aren’t ready to spend tons of money on it, here is your opportunity to get it at slightly over 10 bucks.

This palette has 18 great shades consisting of 8 buttery mates and 6 pressed pearls. You’ll also find 3 duo-chrome toppers and 1 glitter.

One thing that gets most buyers raving about these eyeshadows is how easy they are to apply. All the colors are vibrant and very well pigmented and they also wash off with ease.

UCANBE Professional 18 Pigmented Eye shadow

Pros:

  • Very well pigmented
  • Goes on smooth
  • Cheap

Cons:

  • Some shades spill over lightly

4. Lime Crime Venus XL Eyeshadow Palette

Best Rated Eyeshadow Palette

The Lime Crime is half the size of the Jaclyn Hill and, therefore, amazingly compacted to slide in most handbags.

This palette brings 18 color variations and boasts quite a wide range of shades from golden roses and rustic reds to pinks and bronzed neutrals that go very well from the desk to parties.

As you’d expect for powder shades this expensive, they all spread very well and also blend out with ease. These are long-wear shades too and won’t crease or suffer color fade.

Compared to the Jaclyn Hill above, we really appreciate that each color has a name below it. And if you consider a mirror as a must-have accessory for the perfect palette, the Lime Crime has it.Lime Crime Venus XL Eyeshadow Palette

Pros:

  • Long-wearing shades
  • Colors spread evenly
  • Intense pigmentation

Cons:

  • Pricey

5. Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam

Best Eyeshadow For Brown Eyes

The Soft Glam debuted a few days to Valentine’s Day last year and it’s Anastasia Beverly’s homage to all the special occasions from cocktail parties to weddings.

This palette brings a collection of 14 essential neutral shades of nudes, pastels, and warm peaches. Of these, 9 have an ultra-matte finish while the other 5 all have a metallic finish.

This eyeshadow palette comes in an attractive package featuring a soft, velvety texture on the outside and black laminated cardboard on the interior.

Now, while the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam isn’t as expensive as its peers, the product in each pan is notably less at 0.02 oz/ 0.74g per pan. This means that you might find yourself hitting the pan on some shades quite faster. The good thing, however, is that you can purchase each shade in a single.

Lastly, this palette comes with a decently sized mirror and a dual-sided brush. We can assure you that this brush isn’t among those that you throw away right off the butt. This one is very easy to work with thanks to its soft bristles.Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam

Pros:

  • Super easy to blend
  • Great color collection
  • No creasing

Cons:

  • Little amount of shades

6. Jacob and Eli 18 Eyeshadow Palette

Best Affordable Eyeshadow Palettes

When we told you that the best eyeshadow palettes to buy don’t always cost the earth, this palette is exactly what we had in mind.

It might interest anyone who is not ready to blow fifty bucks to look good but still values a brand that blends well without being patchy.

The Jacob and Eli consists of 18 shades consisting of 5 mattes and 13 shimmers that blend perfectly to offer you everything from basic everyday looks to bold looks for special evening occasions.

These shades have a high reputation for being super smooth and very bendable. While it’s not in any way super pigmented, it is still very rich and buttery soft so it blends very easily and effortlessly.

Jacob and Eli 18 Eyeshadow Palette

Pros:

  • Affordable
  • Blends easily
  • Lots of color options

Cons:

  • No mirror

7. Shany 96-color Eyeshadow Palette

Best Eyeshadow Everyday

For eyeshadow fanatics who want hundreds of options when trying to get a perfect shade for their style every day, you’ll find it really hard to resist the Shany.

This shadow palette brings you 96 hot colors that make it very possible to get a color or a blend that will suit your skin tone and outfit for each day. These multiple color options will also come in handy if you like trying out any type of look be it smokey or cat eyes.

Shany was keen to make this palette suitable for all occasions and has, therefore, included a mix of both shimmer and matte shadows for your daytime and evening needs.

The pigmentation isn’t as intense as that of the Lime Crime XL that costs almost 4 times higher, but it’s still good quality for this price and it holds up well.

Shany 96-color Eyeshadow Palette

Pros:

  • Great quality for the price
  • All shadows go smoothly
  • Lots of usable colors

Cons:

  • Has smaller pans

8. Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Eyeshadow Palette

Best Eyeshadow Under 50

The Subculture was released in the summer of 2017 as a permanent addition to Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow collection and as a sister to the highly praised Modern Renaissance.

Although its overwhelmingly positive reviews were slightly affected by Alisa Ashley’s review, hundreds of ABH fans and several high-profile gurus including Stephanie Nicole hold that the Subculture is one of the best offerings from this beauty brand.

The Subculture features a total of 11 shades of which 11 are ultra-matte, 2 duo chrome, and 1 metallic finishes.

Most of these shadows have a warm tone but there are still a few cool tones to create variety. All the colors apply very easily and they are also very easy to pick from the pan without having to swirl the brush all around.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Subculture Eyeshadow Palette

Pros:

  • Applies smooth
  • Easy blending
  • Zero to minimal fall-out

Cons:

  • Lots of knock-offs from 3rd parties

9. L.A. Girl Beauty Brick Eyeshadow

Best High-Quality Eye Shadow Palette At a Low Price

The LA Girl is yet another affirmation that affordable eyeshadows are not always low in quality. LA Girl has a reputation for offering high-quality shadows that beat most premium alternatives that come at over 5 times its price- and this palette isn’t different.

The naked nude is a set of 12 gorgeous rosy-toned eyeshadows (3 mattes and 9 shimmers) and might impress you if you are looking for an alternative to the Urban Decay 3 palette. These shades offer excellent looks especially for the office, and they’ll also look great for night outs.

All the shades in this palette are super soft and buttery and although some are a little bit more pigmented than others, they all apply easily and don’t crease.

 L.A. Girl Beauty Brick Eyeshadow

Pros:

  • Very affordable
  • Nicely pigmented
  • Mirror and brush included

Cons:

  • Several colors are so close

10. Beauty Glazed Eyeshadows

Best Eyeshadow Palette For Starters

If you are just starting out into the eyeshadow craze and don’t plan to spend so much on your first palette, the Beauty Glazed might be a perfect pick.

This is a palette that you’ll hear about quite a lot in most beauty forums and on Youtube not only because of its throwaway price tag but because of the endless looks that its 35 pop colors offer.

Considering the price that these shades come at, we didn’t have high expectations, especially on pigmentation. But believe us, this one will blow you away. While they are not as rich as the Jaclyn Hill Morphe palette that they are intended to be a dupe of, they are still really good quality for the price.

We found all the shades decently pigmented, incredibly soft, and smooth and, therefore, super easy to layer and blend.Beauty Glazed Eyeshadows

Pros:

  • Great for all types of skin
  • Decent pigmentation
  • Affordable

Cons:

  • No mirror or brush

How To Choose Best Eyeshadow Palettes: The Ultimate Buying Guide

Determine the Ideal Type

Eyeshadows come in different forms (listed below). Now, while they seem to differ in the method of application, they all work the same. Again, there isn’t a bad or good type; you only need to get the type that meets your comfort needs.

  • Powder eyeshadows– they are the most common and actually the best for beginners thanks to their ease of application. These eyeshadows come pressed into tins and may be applied using a brush or sponge. The best powder eyeshadows blend easily and are also easy to build coverage
  • Mineral powder eyeshadows– these have loose pigmented formulations and are, therefore, perfect for highlighting or creating a solid coverage.
  • Cream eyeshadows– these eye shadows usually boast thicker textures that result to bolder and notably more solid colors than powder and mineral eye shadows. They are the best eyeshadow palettes to buy if you want something with the best long-lasting coverage. But keep in mind that they also require special remover to wipe them completely after each wear.
  • Pencil eye shadows– these are pretty much similar to your typical eyeliner only that they have thicker tips. These are very easy to apply and they also create a long-lasting coverage.
  • Liquid eyeshadows– these shadows are mainly used to accent the edges of the eyelids with intense colors. They can be very difficult to apply and are, therefore, usually a reserve for professionals.

Consider Your Skin Tone, Eye Color, and Your Wardrobe

After determining the type of eyeshadow to go with, the next big step is to determine eyeshadows that will complement your skin tone.

Importantly, it should not be the color of your eyes, and you need to put your wardrobe into focus too so that it will blend in nicely with your outfits every day.

Here are a few recommendations on different eye colors;

  • Brown eyes- green and pink. If you have brown colored eyes with yellow flecks, consider gold eye shadows
  • Green colored eyes- purple and lavender shadows. Gold-toned shadows might also help if you prefer a bolder look
  • Blue colored eyes- coral, brown, taupe, pink, and light rose
  • Hazel colored eyes- gray, blue, lavender, blue, gold, and brown

Single or Palette

There’s no harm in purchasing single tins of your best eyeshadow. However, if you’ll be purchasing, let’s say, more than 5 types of eyeshadows, a palette is definitely ideal and much easier to deal with especially if you’ll be using it on the go. Another single most advantage of a palette is that it allows you to create unique blends to match your outfits and occasions without being messy.

Consider the Ease of Wiping it Off

Of course, no one wants a shadow that will wipe off or fade away just a few hours after application. The best eyeshadow should wear as long as you have your makeup on. However, if you want a brand that lasts for around 10 hours, there’s no need for eyeshadows that are crafted to stick near-permanently. Usually, these come at a very high price and also need special makeup remover to wipe off completely.

Conclusion

While other cosmetics (eyeliners and mascara) aim at defining the eyes, the best eyeshadow palettes bring out the character in you by consolidating the attention to your eyes.

They also impart your eyes’ depth and dimension thereby making them appear larger and livelier.

Similar to other cosmetics, the best eyeshadow palettes for 2019 can be really expensive, and it’s very easy to spend so much on a palette than you had planned for. In that case, it’s important that you set up a budget first and try to stick to it.

Mind you, you could also consider going for a dupe rather than the original eyeshadow. In most instances, dupes are very similar to the real deal yet they come at a fraction of the price. It’s important, however, to ensure that the shades apply and blend with ease despite being cheap.

Here are a few more tips when choosing the best eyeshadow;

  • Avoid scented eyeshadows if you have sensitive eyes
  • If you are seeking inspiration from vloggers, choose someone with a similar skin tone and eye color so you know how particular eyeshadows will look on you
  • Always check out people’s recent feedback and reviews on a particular eyeshadow especially when venturing on new brands
  • Keep in mind that certain shades look completely different when applied than they appear online. Thus, it would be much better if you can swatch it beforehand, for instance, at your beauty parlor.
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I'm a mom of 2 boys, avid cooker and active lifestyle propagandist spending 8+ hours/week to stay fit and healthy. Took my boys to travel hiking since they were 6 months old. As an contributing editor to a small local newspaper, I occasionally also write for Forbes, USAToday, etc and I care about democratic values of our Nation a lot.