I think I've talked enough about how much I love a minimal, no-makeup makeup look. I'm not the type of person who has the patience or the energy to spend hours painstakingly creating an intricate makeup look, so more often than not, I like to keep it pretty simple. that means some concealer (or foundation if I need a bit more cover-up), mascara, and blush. And on the rare occasions I want to take it up a notch, I do all three plus some highlighter, eyeliner, and eye shadow.
And when it comes to eye shadows, you can find me gravitating towards neutrals and nudes instead of bright and bolder hues. These palettes are ones that get a lot of usage because they're so versatile—they work for just about any look and occasion. Trust me, when you buy a nude eye shadow palette, it practically pays for itself.
If you're into the minimal makeup look, you're going to need one of these palettes. Take a look at some options below.
1. Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay's Naked palettes are downright legendary in the beauty world. This version features golden neutrals for a warm look.
2. Ilia The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette
This talc-free eye shadow palette is also infused with jojoba seed oil to moisturize the skin and vitamin E to reduce free radical damage.
3. Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
At under $10, this palette is a total steal. The 12 colors range from beiges to sands to bronzes to taupes. It also has over 20,000 ratings and 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
4. Charlotte Tilbury Super Nudes Easy Eyeshadow Palette
Charlotte Tilbury's nude palette is a curated collection of six easy-to-wear shadows. It features both warm and cool shades that have a lightweight, matte finish.
5. Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette
Tarte's palette is a best seller that combines 12 matte and shimmery shades for mixing and matching.
6. E.l.f. Long Lasting Wear Clay Eyeshadow Palette in Necessary Nudes
Here's another affordable palette. The richly-pigmented powders all work well together so you can create a variety of looks.
7. Juvia's Place The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
Containing some really pretty neutrals, this palette will work well on a variety of skin tones.
8. Covergirl Eye Enhancers Eyeshadow Kit in Sheerly Nudes
This quartet from Covergirl features sheer nude hues that glide on and blend effortlessly. The compact palette is easy to travel with, too.
9. Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette
Each eye shadow here is smudge-proof and long-lasting. There are ones with matte finishes and others with a shimmery finish, so you can mix and match and even use them to highlight or line the eyes.
10. Rimmel Magnif'eyes Eyeshadow Palette in 001 Nude Edition
You can also use the shadows in this palette as liners and highlighters, so consider it a 3-in-1 product. There are a variety of finishes included: matte, satin, and shimmer.
11. Bobbi Brown Real Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
Create everything from a natural look to a smokey eye to something that's sultry and bold with this five-eye shadow palette. These shades all have a slight blush tone to them.
12. L'Oréal Colour Riche La Palette Eyeshadow in Nude
There are 10 highly-pigmented shades to play with here—and they range from satin to matte to shimmery finishes. A dual-sided brush is included with a foam side for application and bristle end for blending.
13. Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Eyeshadow Palette
Sometimes all you need is a streamlined palette, and this one from Tom Ford has all the essentials with four complementary shades. The shadows have gorgeous finishes and leave such rich color.
14. ColourPop Nude Mood Eyeshadow Palette
The warm-toned neutrals in this set range from ivory to beige to bronze to chestnut brown.
15. Makeup Revolution Maxi Reloaded Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
If you're looking for a lot of options, well, this mega palette will do the trick. There are 45 (yes, 45) shades here, from browns to golds, and mattes to shimmers.
Eye Shadow Brushes to Try
This medium-sized brush works well on pressed powders and is really good for layering.
The angled shape of this brush is supposed to mimic your fingertip so you have better control.
Fenty Beauty's brush is extra fluffy and is designed to create a soft-focus effect.
You can use this absorbent brush on both wet and dry products.
Use this highly rated brush to apply and layer. The bristles are made of high-grade synthetic fibers for better application and no potential allergic reactions.
Next: Here's How Makeup Artists Achieve Flawless Eye Shadow Looks Every Damn Time
-
Elle Fanning Has Blush Blindness (and She's Not Afraid to Say It!)—This $13 Product Is Key"More, more, more—there can never be enough!"
-
A Celeb Makeup Artist Broke Down the Best Way to Apply Eye Shadow (Plus What Not to Do)Class is in session.
-
I Never Thought I Could Pull Off This "Tricky" Eye Shadow Color—Then I Learned This French-Girl TipNow it's a staple.
-
Celestial, Frosty, and Angelic—Chanel's Holiday Beauty Collection Is Straight-Up MagicIt's earned me countless compliments.
-
Hailey Bieber and Khloé Kardashian Love This Fall-Appropriate Eyeliner (Hint: It's Iconic)It creates a soft, sultry look.
-
This Classic, French Girl Approved Mascara Is All You Need for Flirty LashesThey're classics.
-
The Eye Shadow Apocalypse Is Officially Over—Maximalist Eyes Are Taking Over in 2025Bye, '90s minimalism.
-
If You Wear Any of These Makeup Trends, I Know You Have French-Girl Fall on the BrainTop makeup artists approve.
