Save, Spend, Splurge, Skip – Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes

Neutral eyeshadows are the backbone of every beauty lover’s makeup collection. They are just so practical. And I’ve used so many over my time in the beauty space. So I have a pretty good idea on what I like and what I recommend to other people. Which is what we will be chatting about today. I’ll be sharing the eyeshadow palettes that I rate and the one eyeshadow palette that I… do not like very much. Let’s get into it!

SAVE (Budget Up To $25.00)
When it comes to affordable eyeshadow palettes, ELF was the first brand to pop into my head. And the ELF COSMETICS BITE-SIZE EYESHADOW – $7.00 (shade featured – Pumpkin Pie) do not disappoint. There are eight different colour combos to choose from. And they are so easy to work with. These are some of my favourite palettes for under $10.

Another option that I really love are the MECCA MAX MINI MIX EYESHADOW PALETTES – $20.00 (shade featured – Total Breeze). Again, a great range of colour stories to choose from. From true neutrals to rosy tones, and even a really fun colour palette. To me, the quality of these shadows easily go toe to toe with some of my high end faves.

SPEND (Budget $25.00 – $49.99)
Who would I be if I didn’t immediately suggest Huda Beauty for this category? The HUDA BEAUTY NUDE OBSESSIONS EYESHADOW PALETTE – $40.00 (shade featured – Medium) has been one that I’ve been reaching for for years. And I know that some people aren’t wild about Huda’s Obsessions Palette formula. Trust me when I say that the Nude Obsessions is easily her best one. There is a reason why they are still available to this day (watch them get discontinued this week).

If you prefer something a bit smaller and curated, may I suggest the NATASHA DENONA MINI BIBA EYESHADOW PALETTE – $41.00. Natasha Denona has mini versions of quite a few of her big 15 pan palettes. And they are a great way of sampling a colour story before committing to the full size. The Biba has been a go to palette for me. Especially for when I travel.

SPLURGE (Budget $50.00 Or More)
All righty, folks. Sing along if you know the words. The MAKEUP BY MARIO MASTER MATTES EYESHADOW PALETTE – $83.00 is probably my favourite eyeshadow palette of all time. If I were to lose all of my palettes, this is the one I would buy first. It has truly every neutral shade you could ever want. And it wears so beautifully. This is the palette that I recommend to everyone.

Staying in the bougie lane, Charlotte Tilbury. Now, I will agree that when it comes to her palettes, yes, they are very expensive for what they are. But, I do legitimately believe that they are good quality. And if you can find a colour story that you like, they can become a staple of your collection. Especially when it comes to the quads. But the palette that I’m shouting out today is the CHARLOTTE TILBURY CHARLOTTE DARLING EASY EYE PALETTE – $92.00. It’s all in the name. The shadows blend so well. And the colour story can be used for any occasion.

SKIP (No Budget)
Full disclosure, I did consider leaving this section blank. As over the last few years, I have quite heavily curated my eyeshadow palette collection to my absolute favourite ones. If it doesn’t spark joy, I don’t keep it anymore. It was only when I did a little stroll through Instagram earlier today that I was reminded of the TARTE TARTELETTE IN BLOOM EYESHADOW PALETTE – $74.00. I remember a time when this palette reigned supreme on YouTube. This and the Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow palettes. I also remember being the only person who didn’t like this palette. And nearly four years later, I still don’t. I remember being really underwhelmed by these shadows. They weren’t that pigmented and they were tough to blend. The shimmers also had nothing to them. Just a really boring palette that I’m genuinely surprised is still being sold.

Well, that was fun! I really could talk about eyeshadows all day long. Let me know in the comments what your go to neutral eyeshadow palettes are.

Cheers and love
Emily xo