9 best eyeshadow palettes for 2025, tested & reviewed
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The best eyeshadow palettes bring so much fun to makeup application – particularly opening a fresh one. From creamy nudes and neutrals to take you from day to night, to space-like shimmers and chromes that'll catch that golden hour glow, you can rest assured that there's an eyeshadow palette out there for you to play around with.
Do you want a catch-all palette with plenty of shades for serious experimentation, or would you prefer a four-piece capsule collection that'll guide you through the process of creating a few specific looks? Are you after a varied and blendable selection of matte nudes and neutrals for everyday wear, or are you keen to find a palette that also has a few statement tones and shimmery shades? The options are quite literally endless.
Of course, with so many eyeshadow palettes to choose from, it can be an effort to weed out which ones are truly worth it — so we've done the hard work for you. Below, we've swatched our way through cult classics, new releases, and everything in between in order to bring you this edit of only the very best.
With the help of Makeup Artist at Beam, Margherita Lascala, we've pulled together this handy check-list of everything you'll want to think about when picking out the perfect eyeshadow palette for you.
- Shade range: “The best everyday palettes typically consist of mostly neutral tones like creams, beiges, taupes, greys, and browns,” Margherita explains. And don't forget about black! "A super versatile shade, you can use it to do eyeliner if you wet it, or as a base to layer shimmers on top for a dramatic look."
- “Picking a palette with a wide range of light, medium, and dark shades that you'll actually use frequently is also key.” Margherita adds. Regardless off whether you're going for neutrals or bold tones, doing this will allow you to create a variety of different looks with one palette — from simple and smokey, to bold and vibrant. It'll also make it easier to transition from day to night eye looks.
- Your undertones: As well as making sure you choose an eyeshadow palette that's inclusive of your specific skin tone (aka fair or dark), paying attention to your undertones will also help you find a palette that truly complements you. For example, earthy browns, rich terracottas, and glistening golds typically go great with warm undertones, while frosty blues, soft lavenders, and shimmery silvers and greys are well-suited to cooler undertones.
- Formula and finish: In terms of the finish, matte powders are easy to shade and blend together to create a suitably soft and natural look. “Consistency is key," Margherita explains. "I'd recommend looking out for formulas that are creamy — but not too soft, as you don't want excessive fall-out.”
- But if you intend to also use your palette for special occasions and evenings out, you'll also want a range of buildable cream-based formulas, rich and velvety satin shades, and light-reflecting shimmers, metallics, and glitters.
- Size: Margherita's main piece of advice is to always opt for quality over quantity – especially if you're a bit of an eyeshadow beginner. "If you've never really been that adventurous with makeup, you definitely don't need any more than 20 shades in a catch-all eyeshadow palette," she says. Alternatively, quads and smaller pans are perfect if you're trying to create a very specific look.
Regardless of your desired eye makeup look, the first step is to prime your lids with some kind of eyeshadow primer or concealer. There are lots of different ways you can go about using your eyeshadow palette, but a simple guide would be to apply a relatively neutral shade all over the lid, and then use a fluffy blending brush to add a darker matte shade to the crease.
Shimmers and satin shades look lovely tapped onto the lid with a flat brush or finger — and also work well when used to brighten the inner corners of the eye, or accentuate the brow bone.
Meet the expert:
- Margherita Lascala, Makeup Artist at Beam.
How we test eyeshadow palettes & why you can trust us:
With hundreds of different products arriving on our beauty desk every week, we're no strangers to testing out eyeshadow palettes at GLAMOUR HQ. But if a palette has made it into this edit, that means it truly exceeded the expectations of our beauty editor testers. Find out more about how we test beauty products here.
For a palette to make it through the initial stages, our testers had to deem that the formulas were highly pigmented and blendable, and that the shades worked well together, and would also be suitable for a range of different skin tones. After this, the versatility of each palette was assessed by having the tester use it for everything from natural everyday looks to statement evening glam and everything in between. If it could be incorporated into a range of different makeup routines — and also proved to be long-wearing with minimal product fall-out — it was deemed worthy of a spot in this carefully curated edit.
Ahead, the 9 best eyeshadow palettes worth adding to your make-up arsenal.
Charlotte's Palette Of Beautifying Eye Trends - Pink Love
- Number of shades: 9.
- Finishes: Mattes, satins, shimmers, and chromes.
- Cruelty-free? Yes.
- Pros: Blendable and beginner-friendly formulas; Great for romantic soft glam; Gorgeously glowy shimmer.
- Cons: Could be slightly more pigmented.
Why we love it: This limited edition Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palette is one of the brand’s most recent releases — and it's a must for lovers of soft and glowy Hollywood-inspired glam. Boasting a selection of nine harmonious shades in a range of different finishes, it’s a little more substantial than the brand’s iconic eyeshadow quads — but it still makes it surprisingly easy to create a wide range of different looks.
For dreamy daytime glam, build your base and define your crease with the supremely blendable bubblegum pink, soft mauve, and rosy brown mattes — and use the shimmery molten satins to lightly brighten your lids and inner corners. Keen to take your look from day to night? Bring in the hot pink and rose gold glitters, or go for maximum shine and sparkle with an eye-enhancing pop of diamonds.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Fall Romance Eye Shadow Palette
- Number of shades: 12.
- Finishes: Mattes, metallics, and duo chromes.
- Cruelty-free? Yes.
- Pros: Versatile selection of shades; Really pigmented; Works well on darker skin tones.
- Cons: Might be too warm for some.
Why we love it: If one thing’s for certain, it’s that Anastasia Beverly Hills know how to make a killer eyeshadow palette. Inside this decadent compact, you'll find creamy matte formulas, shimmery metallics that look lovely layered on top, and statement duo-chrome toppers for when you're craving a more vibrant and sparkly finish.
Alongside a few staple rich neutral shades, the palette swaps out the ever-popular pastel hues for a range of bold and impactful jewel tones — including deep burgundy and hunter green mattes, and velvety purple and toasted copper metallics. Pair this with the fact that the formulas are richly pigmented, and you've got a palette that'll actually look strong on deeper skin tones.
Natasha Denona I Need A Nude Eyeshadow Palette
- Number of shades: 15.
- Finishes: Mattes, metallics, sparkling foiled, and wet-effect.
- Cruelty-free? Yes.
- Pros: Lovely mix of day and night shades; Large number of different shades; Pigmented and blendable formulas.
- Cons: Some of the shades are quite similar; glittery shades have a fair bit of fall-out.
Why we love it: Boasting a brilliant mix of muted rosy and neutral hues, this palette showcases 15 different highly-pigmented shades — in a range of different formulas. Perfect for anyone who favours more cool and neutral undertones, it's particularly popular amongst those with fair skin.
Expect buttery-soft and creamy matte powders in different shades of taupe and dusty rose, hi-shine metallics and sparkling foils in champagne, fawn, and nude pink tones — and three eyeshadows in the brand's new wet-effect formula. So, it's a great pick for everyday nude looks, shimmery bridal glam, and everything in between.
- Number of shades: 10.
- Finishes: Mattes and metallic shimmers.
- Cruelty-free? Yes.
- Pros: Really large pan sizes; Brilliant range of versatile cool tones; Creamy and blendable shades; Great for smokey eye looks.
- Cons: Might be too cool-toned for some.
Why we love it: ‘90s grunge is truly having a moment right now — and instead of the warm bronzes and caramels that headlined the 2010s, it calls for cool-toned shadows. So, we're delighted that Jamie Genevieve has come to the rescue with this exquisite selection of grunge-meets-glam shades.
In terms of mattes, expect a wide range of moody greige and muted mauves that are perfect for shaping, shading, and smoking out — and they're also beautifully creamy and blendable. Plus, there are also three stunning yet subtle silvery shimmers to play around with if you want to take your look from daytime to disco.
Lisa Eldridge Muse Eyeshadow Palette
- Number of shades: 6.
- Finishes: Velvets, satins, and shimmers.
- Cruelty-free? Yes.
- Pros: Great for day and night; Long-lasting formulas; Clever refillable design.
- Cons: Shades might not be bold or pigmented enough for some.
Why we love it: The absolute epitome of soft glam, this palette oozes romance with its stunning mix of rose-tinted shades — ranging from delicate soft pinks, to deep plummy browns. The buttery velvets blend together beautifully — while the shimmering metallics make it easy to transition your look from day to night.
With its sleek and compact silhouette and handy built-in mirror, it's also the perfect-sized palette for on-the-go glam. Plus, the clever magnetic design of the individual pans means that you can easily refill your favourite shades when you run out — or even mix and match with other Lisa Eldridge palettes.
Givenchy Le 9 De Givenchy Eyeshadow Palette - Shade 9.01
- Number of shades: 9.
- Finishes: Mattes, satins, metallics, and glitters.
- Cruelty-free? No.
- Pros: Comes with brushes; Really blendable; Smooth and creamy formulas.
- Cons: Pretty pricey; Shades might be too subtle for some.
Why we love it: This luxurious option from Givenchy is proof that a compact doesn't have to just be filled with nudes for it to be really versatile. A truly neutral palette, it'll not only flatter most skin tones and eye colours, but can also be used to create a really wide range of different makeup looks — from subtle and natural, to smoky and dramatic.
This one boasts nudes from beige to brown, and also provides pops of orange and plum. As we'd expect from such a premium brand, the formulas are smooth and creamy — seamlessly covering any texture.
PATRICK TA Major Dimension Eyeshadow Palette
- Number of shades: 12.
- Finishes: Mattes, metallics, and creams.
- Cruelty-free? Yes.
- Pros: Richly pigmented formulas; Really blendable shades ensure maximum variety; Cream shades can also be used as eyeliner.
- Cons: Nothing that we can see…
Why we love it: Famous for his artful layering of creams and powders to create multidimensional eye looks, it's no surprise that this palette from MUA Patrick Ta boasts a range of different formulas. Expect two priming cream bases, four warm velvety mattes, four iridescent shimmers, and two glistening pearl toppers.
Rich and warm tones like soft taupes, toasted tans, and chocolate browns reign supreme — while subtly shimmery nudes, copper-toned metallics, and sparkly glitters are ideal for dialling up the glam. Plus, coming from a celebrity makeup artist, you just know that the pigment passes the test.
MAKEUP BY MARIO Master Mattes Palette
- Number of shades: 12.
- Finishes: Matte.
- Cruelty-free? Yes.
- Pros: Great staple neutrals for most skin tones; Really buildable pigments; Soft and blendable formulas.
- Cons: Would be nice to see a couple of warmer and deeper tones.
Why we love it: Mattes can be a hard one to get right – we've swatched enough patchy, chalky formulas to know – but Mario's Mattes Palette serves up 12 beautifully pigmented shades that work well individually or in tandem, and are inspired by actual skin tones.
Oh-so creamy and effortlessly blendable, we love that you can build each shade up from a pretty, sheer wash over lids, to an opaque smoky eye. And Matte 12 contains carbon black pigment — which is 5x more intense than a traditional black shadow — making it ideal if you're creating a dramatic liner look.
Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IX: Huetopian Dream Palette
- Number of shades: 10.
- Finishes: Mattes, metallics, and shimmers.
- Cruelty-free? No.
- Pros: Formulated specifically to show up on all skin tones; High-impact pigmented formulas; Can be applied wet or dry.
- Cons: Super expensive.
Why we love it: A truly premium palette, this pan boasts a line-up of vibrant and velvety mattes, mesmerising metallics and shimmers, and otherworldly duo- and trio-chrome shifting shades that diffuse together seamlessly to help you create the ultimate galactic-inspired gradient.
With its rich and ultra-pigmented mattes, and stunning shimmers that have been expertly formulated to never look chalky on darker skin tones, it's essentially a high-performance artistry palette that'll work for anybody and everybody. Plus, the formulas are super long-wearing, and can also be applied wet or dry.
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