I'm a Beauty Editor, and These Are the Best Eye Shadow Palettes I've Ever Used
If you were to open up my makeup bag(s) and pull out every single eye shadow palette that I own, you’d probably be able to fill a banquet table. In all honesty, the level of my obsession is quite disgusting. The minute a new eye palette comes out, I feel like I’ve got to have it. And the worst part is, that I very rarely actually wear eye shadow. Most days I leave my lids bare and occasionally I’ll dab on my go-to MAC Paint Point in Groundwork, but it is very, very rare that I actually find the time to dust off a palette and make some kind of eye masterpiece.
And, on that note, it’s probably also worth mentioning that I’m no Picasso when it comes to using powder shadows. In fact, I find the whole ordeal a bit (read: a lot) overwhelming. When I’m presented with 12 pans of pigment, I don’t really know where to start, meaning that, more often than not, I only end up using two or three shades in each palette anyway.
However, none of this is to say that I don’t love every single palette in my collection as though I birthed each one myself. I'm ashamed to admit that, once every month, I sit down and clean each one so that they look good as new, even though they haven’t been touched since the last time. It’s a problem, and I need help. Recently though, as I have become increasingly more aware of just how severely my beauty obsession is negatively impacting the planet, I made a resolution to re-home all of the products that I just don’t use. Naturally, my palettes took the brunt of the cull.
The good news that came from this is that I really took the opportunity to sit back and reflect on what makes a palette really great. As I divvied up the ones that were staying and the ones that were going, I took note of a few common denominators amongst the keepers. For me, it’s not enough for a palette to simply offer a pretty shade selection, it also needs to house buttery, easy-to-blend pigments that don’t require an expert hand. Plus, above all else, the shades have to be truly wearable. And I mean every single one. In fact, throughout my clear out, if I picked out a compact with even one untouched shade, it went in the ‘donate’ pile.
So, without further ado, I’ve compiled a list of the very best eye shadow palettes of all time, so that you don’t have to endure any messy palette breakups like I did. Keep scrolling for the 16 palettes I just can’t do without.
When I first set sights on this palette, I was a little bit put off by some of the bold, louder shades. However, this is the first palette that encouraged me to experiment with different colours, and I'm so grateful for that. Plus, the Huda shadow formula is the crème de la crème.
Granted, this palette is a lot bulkier than it needs to be which makes it almost impossible to travel with. However, I'm more than happy to keep it out on my dressing table day in, day out. With a mix of creamy mattes and buttery shimmers, this palette makes eye shadow application a total breeze.
This is the newest addition to my collection and it's fast becoming one of my favourites. Instead of my usual golds and coppers, this palette champions pretty pinks and blush-toned nudes. It's one of the most luxurious-feeling items of makeup I own.
Next up, these hardworking hand creams are guaranteed to nourish dry, cracked hands.
Shannon Lawlor is the beauty director atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK. With over a decade of experience working for some of the beauty industry’s most esteemed titles, including Marie Claire, Glamour UK, Stylist and Refinery29, Shannon’s aim is to make the conversation around beauty as open, relatable and honest as possible. As a self-confessed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for hard-working perfumes, fool-proof makeup products and does-it-all skincare.
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