7 Best Eyeshadow Palettes Suitable for Your Makeup Bag

Is it me, or have we all fallen in love with eyeshadow palettes? I started my career in beauty around 2016, where eyeshadow palettes were the MVP of our makeup bags, and the cut-crease eyeshadow look was a must-have no matter where you were going, and the 40-shade Strong Nude Eyeshadow Palette was a must-have in your makeup bag. But over the past decade, the heavy eyeshadow look has fallen out of favor in favor of natural-looking “no-makeup” makeup and lighter-weight eye makeup—perhaps a quick swipe of an eyeshadow stick at a push.

However, as we move away from the “clean girl” aesthetic, it’s hard to ignore the eyeshadow renaissance happening all around us. Blue eyeshadow is all over my feed right now, and bold eye makeup and eyeliner are slowly making their way back into runway shows after a season of open lids and no-mascara lashes. But makeup trends aside, everyone has room in their makeup bag for a great eyeshadow palette. Whether you prefer natural everyday eye makeup or want to embrace a smoldering smoky eye look, these are the best eyeshadow palettes for the job.

This is probably my most used eyeshadow palette, and it’s a great eyeshadow for my hooded eyes that look best with matte, neutral shades. It’s so easy to use, even if you’re an eyeshadow beginner, thanks to a careful edit of wearable shades in versatile matte shades that allow you to create natural eye makeup looks through smoldering evening looks. It comes in both warm and neutral shades, the latter of which is perfect for everyday eye makeup, IMO. It’s packed with 12 natural-looking shades in silky soft powders that blend easily, whether worn alone or combined. They are dyed, but come out easily, and do not cause any damage. If you want an eyeshadow palette that’s a good all-rounder for lots of eyeshadow looks, I highly recommend you pick this up.

If you’re someone who always uses a few favorite shades in a standard eyeshadow palette, then the Eyeshadow Quad might be best for you. These curated palettes mean you won’t be left with a pile of unused shades, just the shades you want to wear. Hourglass eyeshadows are as soft as butter and blend easily into the lids. Depending on the palette you choose, you get a mix of satins, mattes, metallics, and shimmers, but if you want an all-matte palette, the Minimalist (pictured above) is my recommendation. This is perfect to add to my bag if I want to take my daytime makeup into a bold moment for the evening. It’s expensive, but I wear every single shade I own, which I think makes it a more worthwhile investment.

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Victoria Beckham Beauty is best known for her iconic satin mascara liners, but if you want an understated palette that allows you to create the perfect smokey eye, her curated eye wardrobe should be on your radar. These mini palettes make applying eyeshadow so easy. Containing four shades in each palette, these quads span from the most wearable neutrals to trend-forward blues and every shade in between, letting you create a range of eye looks. However, they are especially good for creating evening eye makeup looks and full glam moments. Victoria Beckham’s favorite is Victoria, so I decided to follow her and can confirm that this palette is great for brown eyes, but also as a neutral eyeshadow palette for every eye color. The pigments are luxuriously buttery and blend to perfection every time.

As luxury eyeshadows go, Chanel is unmatched. You’ll find a range of palettes in the permanent collection, as well as seasonal limited-edition drops that feel like collector’s items in their own right. Each palette contains two medium shades and two darker tones, designed to be worn and blended together to create a natural and bold eyeshadow look. The pigments and textures are truly amazing and worth the extra expense, but the compact also feels like a treasure in your makeup bag.

Check out this amazing eyeshadow palette from Byredo. It’s limited edition, so you’ll have to act fast if you want it, but these shadows are unlike anything I’ve tried. They’re powdery, but so buttery soft that they almost feel like a cream shadow to the touch, and they blend into a velvety shadow with incredible colors. This particular palette is inspired by the colors of a library, and consists mostly of metallic and glitter shadows, mastering the gold eye look through ethereal metallics through beautiful burnt coppers. And with 18 shades, there’s plenty to experiment with in this eyeshadow palette.