Our Byrdie Editors Tested the Most Popular Eyeshadow Palettes for Every Occasion—These Were the Clear Winners

Best Overall

Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette

$48 at Amazon $48 at Sephora $48 at Ulta

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

This iconic palette is unparalleled for creating soft glam looks and much more. It contains a variety of neutral, cool, and warm nude shades in matte, glitter, and satin finishes, as well as some subtle pops of color that you can get creative with. The shades also vary in depth, making it a great option for tons of different complexions.

Our tester adored this palette’s shade range and the shadows’ “powdered sugar” texture. She said it applied super smoothly, delivering rich, even pigment in a single swipe, and blended seamlessly, too. She was equally impressed with its staying power, noting that the shadows stayed vibrant for hours with only some minor creasing.

Gabriela, tester: “This is a palette I could see myself taking on vacation or becoming my go-to at home for both work days and nights out.“

Best Palette for Beginners

Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette

$35 at Amazon $35 at Sephora $35 at Ulta

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

Urban Decay’s Naked2 Basics palette is one virtually everybody should have in their makeup kit. It features a stripped-back collection of cool-toned taupe and nude eyeshadows that can be worn individually for simple, everyday looks or layered and blended for a subtle smoky eye.

The first thing that struck our tester was how harmoniously the colors work together, making it a fantastic choice for eyeshadow beginners who struggle to pair shades. The pigmentation impressed from the first swipe, and the eyeshadows stayed on her lids all day with minimal creasing. The quality is great and the colors are basic in the best way, but if you’re looking for a palette that offers a lot of versatility, we recommend other options on this list.

Naosha, tester: “I would argue that this is one of the best-pigmented palettes for those with deeper skin tones. The colors are true to the pan, and even though neutrals typically look ashy on me, these did not. I was able to create a truly sculpted look and play with the darks and lights for a detailed look.”

Best Neutral Eyeshadow Palette

Makeup By Mario Eyeshadow Palette: The Neutrals

$56 at Sephora $56 at Kohls.com

$56

$42 at Makeupbymario.com

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

Inspired by ‘90s-style neutrals, this matte palette from Makeup By Mario offers 12 smooth and buildable shades. Designed so that people with all complexions can use it to create a variety of neutral looks, it strikes a balance between cool and warm tones, making it one of the best natural eyeshadow palettes you can get.

According to our tester, this is one of the best formulas on our list, and Byrdie editors agree. The shadows have the perfect softness (not too much that they’re a powdery mess), making them a total breeze to apply and blend. The matte pigment packs a punch and can be built up for your desired color payoff, and they wore beautifully throughout the day. Our one minor con with this palette is that many of the shades leaned a bit cool, and we wish there were a few more rich, warm shades to complement deep skin tones.

Naosha, tester: “The palette was extremely pigmented and blendable. I would maybe add just a *touch* of warmth to the color story as the colors just appeared a bit muddled on me.”

Best Palette for Day to Night

Natasha Denona I Need a Nude Eyeshadow Palette

$72 at Sephora $72 at Ulta $69 at Natashadenona.com

Number of Shades: 15 | Finishes: Matte, metallic, sparkling foiled, and wet effect | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The sheer variety of shades and finishes featured in this palette makes it versatile, whether you’re creating a subtle daytime look or a more dramatic evening one. It boasts fifteen cool-toned nudes in matte, metallic, and sparkling—plus a glistening wet-look formula for a glossy finish. Our tester appreciated this diversity—it never felt overwhelming because the shades are so easy to combine and blend. She emphasized that the palette’s mix of textures effortlessly creates dimensional makeup looks on a wide range of skin tones, but as this is a cool-toned option, we would recommend it for those with a cool undertone to their skin.

Alyssa Kaplan, editor: “It’s full of neutrals in mattes and metallic textures, making it great for everyday and more special makeup looks.”

Best Shimmery Palette

Clinique All About Shadow Eyeshadow Palette

$49 at Amazon $49 at Ulta $49 at Target

Number of Shades: 8 | Finishes: Shimmer | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Shimmery palettes, like this one from Clinique, add some pizzazz to your everyday makeup look. The smooth formula applies seamlessly and remains crease- and fade-resistant for up to 12 hours, according to the brand.

Our tester, who used this palette for her Valentine’s Day date look, described all the shades as beautiful and understated—there wasn’t a dud in the bunch. She was impressed by the color payoff, and found each hue super buildable, even on her dry eyelids. The palette comes in three versions—nudes, pinks, and browns—and although they’re versatile, our tester wishes there were more shade ranges available to create a wider range of looks.

Maddie Barber, writer: “The shade range is beautiful and subtle but still offers a pop of color and shimmer that looks super effortless.”

Best Drugstore Eyeshadow Palette

e.l.f. Cosmetics Bite Size Eyeshadow Palette

$4 at Ulta $4 at Target $4 at CVS

Number of Shades: 4 | Finishes: Matte and shimmer | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This budget-friendly palette is one you can easily throw in your cart at the drugstore. Our tester, who is a newbie when it comes to eyeshadow, loved that this option took the guesswork out of application. The palette comes in 14 colorways—each containing four matte and metallic shades that combine to create a specific look. Despite being such good value, the color payoff was unexpectedly good, according to our tester. However, some may find using four shades a little limiting.

Maddie Barber, writer: “The color payoff was so good—truly unexpected for such an inexpensive product from the drugstore.”

Best On-the-Go Palette

Unleashia Glitterpedia

$26

$20 at Amazon

Number of Shades: 9 | Finishes: Matte, shimmer, and glitter | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This eyeshadow palette is the perfect size for stashing in a purse or travel bag, according to our tester. Consisting of nine matte, shimmer, and glitter formulas in complimentary, easy-to-blend shades, it’s versatile enough to create natural and soft glam looks. Our tester noted that the shades are pigmented without being overpowering, and she was able to build the color for a high-impact look if she wanted to. Her one caveat was that applying the glitter shades was easier with a finger than a brush, which isn’t ideal from a hygiene perspective.

Anna Traver, writer: “This palette is such an easy on-the-go palette. It’s easy to create a variety of looks thanks to the range of matte and shimmer shadows.”

Best Warm-Toned Palette

Juvia’s Place The Warrior Eyeshadow Palette

$25 at Amazon $25 at Ulta $25 at Juviasplace.com

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

If you have warm undertones to your skin—or you are simply drawn to eyeshadows in golden shades—this option is for you. Our tester described the palette as moderately pigmented, but noted that the colors were buildable for more drama. The matte, metallic, and shimmer formulas applied smoothly and created a seamless finish that was perfect for everyday wear. She also appreciated that the palette was compact, with nine shades that are easy to mix and match.

Dominique Hobdy, senior editor: “Not only is it a warm, neutral palette, it’s easy for subtle and/or everyday wear. The shimmering golds, taupes and butterscotch shades are my go-to when I use eyeshadow and the other shades pair well with my skin tone.”