Best Overall

BLK/OPL High Impact Eyeshadows

$12 at UltaView on Blackopalbeauty.comView on CVS

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes 

Out of all the drugstore eyeshadow palettes we tested, this one checked all of our boxes. The six warm-tone shades allowed for versatile color combinations and looks. The shades were deeply pigmented, allowing for just one swipe of color and holding throughout the day with zero creasing. There was a delicate and lovely balance of mattes and shimmers, each of which could be worn alone or together, and they blended seamlessly. The colors are extremely pigmented and belong to the bronze and burgundy family, so this may not be the best option for someone who prefers a softer or more natural look. 

Kelsey, tester: “I found the range to be a perfect complement for fall and winter clothing aesthetics. The shades themselves fit well with each other and offer a wide selection of pairing options for many different looks in one palette.”

Best Budget

Essence Nothing Compares To Nude Eyeshadow Palette

$4

$2 at Ulta$4 at TargetView on Essencemakeup.com

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The Essence Nothing Compares To Nude Eyeshadow Palette is a great option for anyone wanting a smooth and neutral look. At less than $5, the eyeshadows apply incredibly smoothly, resist creasing, and stay vibrant throughout the day. Its small, compact packaging makes it perfect for on-the-go use, while the range of shimmery browns and nudes makes it ideal for quick, soft glam or detailed, old Hollywood looks. It does have a slight vanilla scent, which could potentially irritate those with sensitive skin in the eye area. 

Kelsey, tester: “The Essence Nothing Compares To Nude Eyeshadow Palette has an incredibly easy application that anyone—novice to professional—could handle with excellent results. The colors build well on each other with smooth transitions and an array of combinations to fit any event.”

Best Earth Tones

Jason Wu Beauty Flora 9 Palette Matte Agave

$15

$15 at AmazonView on TargetView on Jasonwubeauty.com

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 9 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The Flora 9 Matte Agave Kit features a beautiful arrangement of natural Earth tones that complement any skin tone. The formula is buttery and soft, with strong pigment payoff. The shadows blend seamlessly, perfect for creating bold or soft looks without any dust or kickup. An all-matte palette may be ideal for someone with oily eyelids; however, those with dry skin may find it a bit too dry or irritating. 

A bonus: The square-sized case fits in most cosmetic bags without taking up a ton of room for other products.

Ashley, tester: “It was very easy to stack the shades and build the pigmentation. The colors appear slightly lighter on my eyelid compared to how they appear in the palette, though very comparable.”

Best for Everyday Wear

Milani Gilded Mini Eyeshadow Palette

$9

$9 at Amazon

$10

$5 at Ulta$9 at Target

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

You will quickly hit the pan in this palette because of how easy it is for everyday use. The range of shadows is highly pigmented, so one swipe goes a long way. The mix of matte, shimmer, and glitter allows you to create dimensional and stunning looks. The shadows go on buttery smooth; however, the darker mattes do appear a bit chalky and may require some extra layering. However, the non-increasing and non-fading formula makes up for the slight inconvenience, making this one of the top picks.

Wendy, tester: “The eyeshadows—all the shimmer and matte shades—lasted the whole day from morning to night without fading or creasing.”

Best Bold Colors

Juvia’s Place The Coffee Shop Palette

$25 at Amazon

$25

$15 at UltaView on Juviasplace.com

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 16 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Juvia’s Place never fails when it comes to bold color and pigment. The palette features 16 eyeshadow shades, ideal for nude and neutral looks. Deep chocolate browns and metallic golds create a beautiful contrast on the eye, allowing you to glam up or down your look, and with over 18 hours of wear, you won’t have to worry about creasing or fading. Because they are so pigmented, a little goes a long way, so you want to be very light with the brush upon application, so the shades don’t become muddled. 

Samantha, tester: “This product is the Crayola kit of eyeshadows, and the colors are not basic. Even though this is a drugstore eyeshadow palette at a reasonable price point of $25, it ‘feels’ rich.”

Best Day to Night

ColourPop That’s Taupe Pressed Powder Palette

$14

$14 at Amazon

$14

$10 at UltaView on Colourpop.com

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 9 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re looking for a versatile palette that can do it all, look no further than this beauty from Colourpop. The That’s Taupe Pressed Powder Palette features nine neutral taupe shades in reflective metallic and rich matte finishes, allowing you to easily transition from soft glam during the day to bold and stunning hues at night. The shade variety has tons of neutral and blendable options to create a plethora of looks. A buttery soft texture makes blending easy, while metallics can shine through. Some of the matte shades do need a few layers to show on the eye, while some of the shimmers don’t have long staying power. 

EnJanae’, tester: “I’ve created all kinds of looks with the palette because there’s so much variety. There are shimmer and matte shades, and together they work well to complement each other and make cohesive looks.”

Best Monochromatic

e.l.f. Cosmetics Bite Size Eyeshadow Palette

$4 at Ulta$3 at TargetView on Elfcosmetics.com

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 4 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

E.l.f has been killing the makeup game recently, and their tiny but mighty bite-sized eyeshadow palette is no exception to their line of affordable and high-quality products. Available in nine colors, the palette features three matte shades and one shimmer for an easy yet beautiful look on the eyes without overwhelming you with too many options. The formula allows shades to blend and transition seamlessly, while the shimmers last mainly throughout the day, and comes with a mini applicator to make on-the-go application even smoother. This palette is fragile, however—one drop and you will shed tears from the broken pans. 

Wendy, tester: “Sometimes, when there are too many options in a palette, it can be overwhelming to decide which to use. But this one is just the right amount of variety for a cohesive look to wear during the day or night.”

Best Smoky

e.l.f. Cosmetics Perfect 10 Eyeshadow Palette

$11

$11 at Amazon$11 at Ulta$11 at Target

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 10 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Finding the right palette for a smoky eye can be tricky and overwhelming. However, this 10-shade palette from e.l.f. has everything you need to create multiple smoky eye looks. With cool-toned shades, this palette is ideal for those with neutral or cool skin tones, yet still offers plenty of versatility. While the formula is mostly easy to blend, the matte shades require a bit more elbow grease for a seamless transition. E.l.f. wins our hearts once again with a crease-proof formula and one-swipe pigment payoff. 

Ashley, tester: “I was extremely impressed by the wear of these eyeshadows. I even tested them on my lids without using an eyeshadow base, and they stayed all day without creasing or smudging, which is rare. The finishes did not change as the day progressed, and the formula never broke apart on my lids.”

Best Nude

Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette

View on Amazon$13 at Target

$27

$13 at Walmart

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 12 | Cruelty-Free: No

Maybelline has been a staple in the makeup industry for years, and their Nudes Eyeshadow palette does not fall short of their high-quality standards. With a versatile shade range, from beautiful bronze to muted matte beiges, users can create dimensional or soft glam eye makeup looks with ease. While the shades are buildable, they do need a bit more work to blend out, and may not give the most seamless transition. A strong color payoff means customizable and fun looks, but keep the palette handy throughout the day because the colors are known to fade throughout wear.

Brittany, tester: “There are several things I like about this product, including how many color options it comes with, how sleek and flat its case is, and how well the shades match each other. I also find the see-through cover to be helpful in figuring out quickly how much of each shade I have left.”

Best Pigment

Revlon Colorstay Looks Book Eyeshadow Palette

$7 at Target

Finish: Multi | Number of Shades: 8 | Cruelty-Free: No

The Revlon ColorStay Looks Book Eye Shadow Palette is ideal for anyone seeking intense color payoff at an affordable price. One of our testers wore the bright blue shades outside and says it lasted the night, which is some pretty impressive staying power of such a bold color. Users will experience some fallout, but the shadows are fade- and crease-resistant, allowing you to put together fun, bold, and quirky looks. 

Jessica, tester: “The eyeshadows were very pigmented with one swipe, which is what I look for in a palette.”

Best With Glitter

CoverGirl Clean Fresh Clean Color Eyeshadow

$14

$10 at Amazon$14 at UltaView on Target

Finish: Glitter | Number of Shades: 4 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Finding glitter eyeshadows that aren’t chunky or sticky can be tough, but CoverGirl makes it easy with this Clean Color Fresh palette. This eyeshadow quad has minimal fallout, buildable shades, and a buttery texture that feels smooth, not gritty, on the lids. The vibrant sparkle lasts all day, thanks to its high-quality formula. Since it only includes glitter finishes, you’ll need matte shades for more dimensional looks. While the pigment may break up slightly on oily lids, a good eyeshadow primer will easily solve that.

Katie, tester: “The powders were just perfect, especially the glitters. I expected a bit of fallout when applying the glitters, but was pleasantly surprised with no fallout.”