The Best Eye Shadow Palettes Allure Editors Can't Live Without

Mothership colorways (starting from the most recent release): Sunlit Seduction (shown above), Moonlit Seduction, Huetopian Dream, Divine Rose II, Divine Rose, Midnight Sun, Bronze Seduction, Subversive, Sublime, Subliminal

More eye shadow palettes we love from Pat McGrath Labs:
- For bronzey looks: Divine Bronze Luxe Quad: Venusian Sunrise, $62
- For rose-tinted eyes: Divine Rose Luxe Quad: Eternal Eden, $62

Best Eye and Face Palette: Danessa Myricks Beauty Groundwork: Defining Neutrals Palette

Why it's worth it: Danessa Myricks Beauty's Groundwork: Defining Neutrals Palette is a versatile, brown-toned palette that covers all of our beauty bases. This palette features 10 cream-based shades that you can use just about anywhere on your face, including your contours, lips, and even eyebrows. Because the brand really knows how to spoil its fans, each cream shade also comes with a mini pan of its powder counterpart.

Tester feedback: "No matter what makeup look I'm going for, this palette is the first thing I reach for," says commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. “It's hands-down one of my fave beauty products for its versatility, but the long-lasting quality of each creamy, putty-like shade also deserves a round of applause."

Notable ingredients: upsalite (mattifying agent) | Colorways: Defining Neutrals (shown above), Blooming Romance

More eye shadow palettes we love from Danessa Myricks Beauty:
- For Studio 51 vibes: Love is Love All Over Face Palette, $65

Best Glitter Eye Shadow Palette: Isamaya Beauty Industrial Colour Pigments Eyeshadow Palette

Why it's worth it: If glitz and glamour are your forté, allow us to introduce you to Isamaya Beauty's Industrial Colour Pigments Eyeshadow Palette. Though technically grunge-inspired, its vibe certainly leans more disco with its 14 shimmery metallics. In terms of makeup looks, this palette isn't for nude lovers and has a bit of a learning curve (beginners shouldn't be intimidated, though—it's practically made for experimentation!). Still, this beautiful palette's blendable, richly pigmented shades fit in any beauty babe's cosmetics bag, regardless of whether you're a beginner or a makeup maestro.

Tester feedback: "If I could only save one thing from my makeup collection in a fire, it would be this palette," says commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann. "The sculpted component is a work of art so it sets your expectations extremely high for the shadows inside, and they do not disappoint. It's the palette avant-garde, editorial makeup dreams are made of—pigmented shimmers and glitters in a sexy, muted color palette, plus a creamy matte black shade that grounds the whole thing."

More eye shadow palettes we love from Isamaya Beauty:
- For technicolor glam: Wild Star Pressed Pigment Palette, $105

Best Matte Eye Shadow Palette: Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eye Shadow Palette: The Neutrals

Why it's worth it: "This palette basically covers any neutral tone you could ever need for an eye look," Tobi Henney, a bicoastal makeup artist, says regarding the Makeup by Mario Master Mattes: The Neutrals Eye Shadow Palette, making it a no-brainer choice for beginners and experts alike. Inspired by the wide range of skin tones the brand has tested on, all 12 matte eye shadow shades are highly pigmented, easily buildable, and oh-so blendable.

As for the texture, these luxe powders are super light, creamy, and matte. "I love to do a wash of color with one of the lighter shades and then build the crease and undereye area with a darker tone for a super simple everyday or night look," Henney says.

Tester feedback: "This cool-toned neutral palette is the easiest way to create a sultry eyeshadow look that can be done using any single shadow on its own or blended with a handful of the 12 shades to choose from," says associate manager of special projects Talia Gutierrez. "I tend to reach for this palette on nights out with my girlfriends paired with a sharp, black winged liner. I swipe my favorite grayish-blue shade MN11 on my entire eyelid and shade MN7, a pale mauve, on my inner corners for an easy-to-create, NYC cool-girl aesthetic that took less than a minute to create."

Colorways: Original, The Neutrals (shown above), Master Metallics, Master Metals, Master Eye Prep & Set

Best Eye Shadow Quad: Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in Pillow Talk

Why it's worth it: For a four-shade palette, Charlotte Tilbury's Luxury Eyeshadow Palette truly excels in versatility. Swatches don't do the shadows justice—this makeup bag-worthy quad gets our (and Glazer's) stamp of approval for its rich, blendable, and buildable shades. Inspired by Tilbury's most iconic shade, Pillow Talk, each shimmery or matte hue has something to offer, whether you need a sparkling rosé for your next eye look or crave a touch of gilded champagne to enhance your usual daily makeup routine.

Tester feedback: "The Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eye shadow palette in Pillow Talk will always be at the top of my greatest beauty hits list," says social director Kassidy Silva. "With dark brown eyes, the neutral pink hues are my daily go-to to bring out the amber hues in my eyes and make my complexion really pop."

Notable ingredients: multi-reflecting pearls, glossy ester (caprylic/capric triglyceride) | Colorways: Pillow Talk (shown above) and Pillow Talk Dreams

More eye shadow palettes we love from Charlotte Tilbury:
- For '90s matte: Super Nudes Easy Eye Palette, $60
- For faking a full night's sleep: Bigger Brighter Eyes Palette, $55

More eye shadow palettes we love:

Best Shimmery Eye Shadow Palette: Florasis Floral Engraving Phoenix Makeup Palette in Retro Brown

Why it's worth it: What's not to love about the Florasis Floral Engraving Phoenix Makeup Palette? This 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner is carefully crafted with nine stunning warm hues spanning champagne glitter, peachy brown, and light apricot—making for wearable looks that can be worn for any occasion. Plus, each eye shadow features a three-dimensional phoenix imprinted on it—so pretty you'll never want to hit pan on it.

Editor's tip: The champagne shade also acts as a non-pore-enhancing, mirror-like face highlighter. You're welcome.

Notable ingredients: pearl powder, marigold extract, peony extract | Colorways: Retro Brown (shown above), Gold Brown, Soaring Sunlight

More eye shadow palettes we love from Florasis:
- Brings all the drama: Beijing Opera Makeup Palette, $59

Best Travel-Friendly: Fenty Beauty Snap Shadows Mix & Match Eye Shadow Palette

Why it's worth it: No matter the season, you can count on Fenty Beauty's Snap Shadows Mix & Match Eye Shadow Palette as your go-to essential. These six-pan cases are small, compact, and come in five colorways that can be used solo or snapped together to mix and match as you please.

Editor's tip: Looking for the perfect everyday shades? Henney notes her favorite palette is True Neutrals: "I love to use the warm brown tone in the crease and then use the top right bronze tone all over the eye for the most beautiful bronzed eye look," she notes.

Colorways: True Neutrals (shown above), Cool Neutrals, Deep Neutrals, Rose, Peach

Best Nude Eye Shadow Palette: Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Why it's worth it: Urban Decay's original Naked palette changed neutral palettes forever as we know them, having carved out a veritable category for collectible, wearable palettes with names to make your grandmother blush. One of its numerous evolutions, the soft Naked 3, has reached true icon status, at least to our readers, considering that it won its third Readers' Choice Award in 2024. In case you're unfamiliar, this nude undertone eye shadow palette features 12 extra-large pans filled with matte beiges and glitzy metallics.

Editor's tip: If you've been waiting for the return of the original Naked palette, we've got good news: it's back with silkier, creamier, and completely vegan powders (which were always cruelty-free) and an even better dual-ended brush. Act fast because this palette is only around for a limited time at Ulta Beauty.

Colorways: Naked3 (shown above), Naked3 Mini, Naked2 Basics

More eye shadow palettes we love from Urban Decay:
- For the love of metallics: Naked Metal Mania Metallic Eyeshadow Palette, $59
- Classic with a punch of color: Naked Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette, $50

Best Luxury Eye Shadow Palette: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eye Shadow Palette

Why it's worth it: A whole lot of luxury sits in the pocket-sized Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eye Shadow Palette. In true fashion of the luxury label, this travel-friendly palette delivers a light and creamy eye shadow formula in five neutral matte- and satin-finish shades. And, they're so simple to use: Swipe them on, add a bit of mascara, and you're ready to go. The beauty of this teensy palette—well, besides its sleek aesthetic and signature Chanel logo—is that it's available in five flexible colorways to complement a wide range of skin tones.

Editor's tip: Chanel recommends applying the deeper shade to build intensity on your brows and the lighter shade as a highlighter on your cheekbones, brow bone, tip of the nose, and Cupid's bow.

Colorways: Light (shown above), Medium, Warm, Deep, Tender, Cool

More eye shadow palettes we love from Chanel:
- For the perfect smokey eye: Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow, $68
- For your eyes and cheeks: Les 4 Rouge Yuex Et Joues Eyeshadow and Blush Palette, $90

Best Drugstore Eye Shadow Palette: Maybelline New York Shadow Blocks

Why it's worth it: Conveniently packaged in three stackable, pocket-sized blocks, the Maybelline New York Shadow Blocks give high-end palettes a run for their money. Each block houses a single eyeshadow—two mattes and one shimmer—for a no-fuss eye look that's easy to achieve (and even easier to travel with).

This travel-friendly 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner offers five color stories, each named after (and inspired by) bustling cities in New York like Broadway and Prince Street, 82nd, and Park Avenue.

Editor's tip: Each mini eye shadow palette set will set you back less than $15, so collecting all five colorways will still cost less than most of the palettes on this list—beauty math truly rules.

Colorways: Broadway & Prince St. (shown above), 82nd & Park Ave., West 4th & Perry St., North 3rd & Bedford Ave., 26th & Madison Ave.

More eye shadow palettes we love from Maybelline New York:
- For the love of nudes: The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, $14 $12
- For gold-getters: The 24K Nudes Gold Eyeshadow Palette, $14 $12

Best for Everyday Looks: Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eye Shadow Palette

Why it's worth it: Glazer is a big fan of Anastasia Beverly Hills' Soft Glam Eye Shadow Palette, and we love it just as much. This modern icon features a mix of 14 mauve-, neutral-, and rose-toned shimmers, foils, and mattes with long-wearing formulas that won't budge, smudge, or fade throughout the day. "This palette has a wide variety of fun and sexy colors all encased in a lightweight compact," she says. Don't neglect the included brush—use the flatter end for packing eye shadow onto the lid and the fluffy end for buffing shadow through the crease.

Editor's tip: Each buttery shade is totally buildable, but for a flawless look, we suggest sticking strictly to your makeup brushes when applying their formulas for a more precise blend and seamless finish.

Colorways: Soft Glam (shown above), Soft Glam II Mini Eye Shadow Palette

More eye shadow palettes we love from Anastasia Beverly Hills:
- For warmer, romantic looks: Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette, $45
- For ethereal looks: Cosmos Eyeshadow Palette, $55

Frequently Asked Questions

Any eye shadow palette will usually do the trick, but those with oilier or crepier lids should be more discerning. Jennifer Nam, a New York City-based makeup artist, previously told Allure that, if you have oily lids, to swap powder eye shadows for cream or liquid eye shadows.

As for crease-prone lids or those with mature skin, cream shadows are your best bet. "They have a smoother texture and are less likely to settle into fine lines and wrinkles," New York City-based makeup artist Lisa Aharon previously told Allure. And while cream eye shadows come in multiple finishes, Aharon recommends matte formulas because of the soft and diffused look they provide that helps to smooth over the look of fine lines.

No matter which eye shadow palette you decide to add to cart, Nam suggests prepping your lids with an eye shadow primer (like Urban Decay’s Primer Potion) to keep mid-day oiliness, smearing, and smudging at bay. As for application tools, you have two options: your (clean!) fingers or your eye makeup brushes. If you're creating a single-shade makeup look, feel free to pat on with your fingers, but when creating an eye-catching multi-shade look like a smoky eye, you'll want to whip out your brushes for more precision. Many eye shadow palettes come with their own brushes, but if yours doesn't have one (or if you just want an upgrade), Nam recommends Chanel's retractable double-sided eye shadow brush.

• Ashlee Glazer, a New York City-based makeup artist
• Tobi Henney, a New York City-based makeup artist
• Jennifer Nam, a New York City-based makeup artist
• Lisa Aharon, a New York City-based makeup artist

Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?

For our review of the best eye shadow palettes, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and professional makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product's performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.