Make Your Eyes Pop With 26 of the Best Colorful Eyeshadow Palettes
With summer quickly approaching, it’s time to level up your merry-go-round of easygoing nudes and neutral eyeshadows to bold, brighter, and edgier eye looks. Nope, we’re not just talking about your typical go-to smoky browns and rusty mauves. We’re talking pigmented color play with neon blues, shimmery greens, ultraviolet purples, juicy oranges, lemonade yellows, and more. Now if you’re a colorful eyeshadow newbie, don’t sweat it. You can absolutely pull off colorful lids (and totally kill it). That's because the latest colorful eyeshadow palettes make getting creative with your look pretty much foolproof. Besides, when it comes to creating epic eyeshadow looks, there is really no better investment than a great eyeshadow palette. The complementary shadows in palettes can all be blended together to create makeup artist-level masterpieces or worn solo if you're after something more pared down. Even better, eyeshadow palettes are major space savers that hold endless options all in one place making them the perfect travel buddies. To get you going, we’ve rounded the 26 best eyeshadow palettes to add to your makeup collection—a few of which have already been reviewed by members who received them in past Glam Bags.
Ready to play? Check out this easy technique to brush up on your shadow skills:
1. Best Summer Palette:
DOMINIQUE COSMETICS Rustic Glam Palette
One look at this palette had us immediately searching for blue eyeshadow inspo that we could wear at a festival, at the pool, or on a tropical vacay. It strikes the perfect balance between colorful and wearable with pops of blue, creamy neutrals, and reflective hits of shimmer—and they even apply well using just your fingers.
2. Best Cult-Classic Palette:
ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette
ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS has some of our favorite eyeshadow palettes on the market. The color stories? Impeccable. The formulation? Proven. The pigment? Irresistible. Over 12,000 (!) IPSY members agree, giving the 14 shades in this palette over four stars and thousands of rave reviews. One member says, “Beautiful colors, highly pigmented shades, you really do feel like a work of art.” Enough said.
3. Best Purple Palette:
ĀTHR BEAUTY Manifest Crystal Palette
Calling all brown-eyed beauties: This purple-toned palette was made for you. It’s filled with 12 ethereal shades perfect for flattering your eyes, from a shimmery violet to a deep plum to a bright magenta. Plus, this palette is even infused with amethyst crystal powder to give that lit-from-within glow while you manifest wisdom and calm.
4. Best Sky-Inspired Palette:
VIOLET VOSS Violet Sunset Palette
From cotton candy swirls to fiery orange streaks, sunsets are packed with intense colors that make the perfect color palette for a bold eyeshadow look. This VIOLET VOSS palette is inspired by those shades, featuring pinks, champagnes, ambers, and more to help you recreate that gorgeous sunset your iPhone photos just couldn’t do justice to.
5. Best Quad Palette:
IL MAKIAGE Color Boss Squad Multidimensional Eye Color Quad in Workaholic
Featuring four richly pigmented shades and a sleek mirror, this palette proves that—sometimes—less is more. The eyeshadows in this quad are made with a hybrid formula that enables them to glide like a cream, blend like a liquid, and finish like a powder. Plus, you can use them wet or dry to switch up the pigment’s intensity. Translation: You’re getting way more than just four shades when you use this palette.
6. Best Pink-Toned Palette:
VIOLET VOSS Sakura Blossom Palette
Even if you’ve yet to visit Japan during cherry blossom season, the 18 shades in this palette will transport you straight to a scenic sakura garden with flowers in bloom. With adorable cherry blossom-inspired names like Season, Tokyo, and Petals, these eyeshadows make every occasion feel like a delicate spring afternoon.
7. Best Intro to Color Palette:
NATASHA DENONA Jubilee Eyeshadow Palette
This special edition collection is the perfect introduction to colorful eyeshadow for those who may be timid to try bold hues right out of the gate. The muted pastels (in pink, shimmering mint, and pale yellow) and classic neutrals are super wearable and ultra flattering. Plus, just like all of NATASHA DENONA’s iconic formulas, they’re buttery smooth and blendable. What’s not to love?
8. Best Rosy Palette:
CIATÉ LONDON Trend Edit Eyeshadow Palette in Cranberry
Cranberry, chocolate, caramel—the shades in this eyeshadow palette sound good enough to eat. This curated color story of nine shadows is the perfect medium for lovers of romantic hues thanks to the inclusion of burgundy, rose, and shimmering pink tones. Add a pop of gold or depth with the warm browns and you’ll be able to create looks for any occasion.
9. Best Vibrant Palette:
BEAUTY CREATIONS COSMETICS Eyeshadow Palettes in Brittany and Brianna
Color lovers, these are for you. BEAUTY CREATIONS COSMETICS went all out with these two palettes. Go for Brittany for disco silver and deep aqua or Brianna to get glam in fiery prinks and luxe nudes. Each palette features 12 highly pigmented shades with a combo of mattes, metallics, and pressed glitters.
10. Best Warm-Toned Palette:
BEAUTY FOR REAL Golden Hour Mango Butter Eyeshadow Palette
When this eyeshadow palette says golden hour, they mean it. Inspired by the rays at sunset, this set of eight versatile shades will have you illuminating every room you walk into. The shimmering oceanic blue (Infinite) and pure gold chrome (Golden Ray) are the perfect pops for the warm neutrals that make up the remainder of the palette. Bonus: The formula contains nourishing mango butter to ensure a smooth, blendable application every time.
11. Best Crystal-Inspired Palette:
ĀTHR BEAUTY Moonlight Crystal Palette
This palette is more than meets the eye. Each shade is infused with organic coconut oil and actual crystals (rose quartz and sapphire) to promote well-being and, obviously, sparkle. The result? Twelve gorgeous, cool-toned eyeshadows with major payoff and moisturizing properties. Plus, the unique packaging is fully sustainable, so you can feel good about swiping these bbs on.
“I am now a huuuge fan of ATHR beauty! I thought the card that came with it was so cute and just an awesome reminder to not question ones abilities...And then the product itself is not only beautiful, but very pigmented also. I had very little to no fall out, and it was easily bendable. I really enjoy using this palette. Not to mention how cute it looks with my other goodies,” writes IPSY member mccattyfamily3.
12. Best Day-to-Night Palette:
ESTATE COSMETICS X Bailey Sarian Venice Fling Eyeshadow Palette
All nine shadow shades in this super versatile palette remind us of the burning bright colors of an early morning sunrise. The mixture of easily buildable and blendable matte and shimmer shades features everything from blazing orange to glimmering gold, romantic purple, and smoky sparkles.
“I love this eye shadow palette!”, one user writes. “First, the colors available are really pretty and there’s a great mix of colors to work with! The colors stay bright and actually look like they do on the pallete so you get the exact color.”
13. Best Do-Good Beauty Palette:
MORPHE 25L Volume 2 Live With Love Artistry Palette
Craving kaleidoscope eyes? This groovy palette is all you. With five rows of feel-good vibes (its shades have names like Act With Love and Share Joy), and endless vibrant color options, you’ll never get bored with your look. The colors are crazy-pigmented so they blend in bright on all skin tones. And, even better, 100% of net proceeds from this palette will be donated to The Trevor Project, which helps fund 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis intervention services for LGBTQ+ youth.
14. Best-Textured Palette:
IBY BEAUTY Enlighten Eyeshadow Palette
One word: SMOOTH. This pigment-packed palette features some of the velvetiest shadows we’ve ever laid our fingertips on. All 20 (!) eyeshadows in this baby are pretty unique from pastel mattes to shimmery greens and ultra hot pinks, and they layer on like butter thanks to hydrating rosehip oil. Pro tip: Apply these with an eyeshadow primer for max color payoff and wear.
“I love that this palette has so many diverse colors. This is my go to when I'm traveling and don't want to bring a bunch of things just to get the colors I would like. The amount of pigment is perfect,” one member writes.
15. Best Palette for Newbies:
M·A·C Pro Palette Paintstick x 12
If you’re a total colorful shadow newbie, this rainbow collection of shades is all you need to get your feet wet—and learn to play with pigment like a pro. It’s loaded up with 12 straightforward (and insanely pigmented) shades that are the basic building blocks of any creative eye look. Have fun with your look by layering multiple colors, or up the intensity of just one or two. For a less intense start, sheer your shadow down with a makeup sponge so you can build up your color layer by layer.
16. Best All-Occasion Palette:
NYX Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette in Festival
This petite palette packs a big color punch. We’re talking 16 velvety-smooth mattes, satins, shimmers, and metallics that make layering, blending, and building your eye makeup fun and oh-so easy. The color combos are pretty much endless and easy to play up or pare down for any occasion.
17. Best On-the-Go Eyeshadow Palette:
VIOLET VOSS Berry Burst Fun Sized Shadow Palette
This palette is packed with pink, gold, and berry shades that feature a wide variety of finishes like matte, metallic, foil, and satin. These colors can flatter all skin tones and eye colors like blue, green, brown, and more.
"Omg so I fell head over heels in love with this palette," writes one IPSY member. "It's hyperpigmented, compliments my skin tone, and stays on all day. The shades all blend well and can all look gorgeous together."
18. Best Jewel-Toned Palette:
HUDA BEAUTY Obsessions Palette in Amethyst
If you're feeling playful, here's a bold pink and purple palette with nine shades you won't soon forget. These pigmented eyeshadow colors come with a mix of shimmer, matte, and chrome finishes. Apply just a touch for a minimal effect, or blend multiple colors together for a bold, feminine look.
Member fmg713 writes, "These colors are gorgeous. They make my green eyes really pop and the shades are easy to blend and last all day until you take it off."
19. Best Layerable Palette:
COLOURPOP COSMETICS Through My Eyes Shadow Palette
This palette features a whopping 16 eyeshadow colors that can be combined to flaunt all kinds of fun eye looks. Sweep on one of the nude shimmery shades for a barely-there finish, or blend the deeper shades together to create a smoky eye that pops.
"Probably one of my favorite purchases," writes member slchandler2010. "I use this palette for everything, whether it be for a night out or just a daily eyeshadow. This palette has everything I need."
20. Best Pop-of-Color Palette:
VIOLET VOSS Fruit Sorbet Mini Palette
This sorbet-inspired eyeshadow palette features 10 bright colors that slay every season. Pack on these super-saturated shades for a playful going-out look, or dust them on with a fluffy brush for something subtler.
"These shadows are a godsend, especially for someone who likes color, pigment, and shimmer," writes one fan of the palette. "The white even functions as a super sparkly highlight."
21. Best Date-Night Palette:
HUDA BEAUTY Obsessions Palette in Ruby
Another HUDA BEAUTY palette for the win! This nine-color palette features berry shades that come in a mix of matte and glitter-packed finishes with a high color payoff. These colors are super blendable. Try topping the matte shades with a light swipe of one of the shimmer colors to add just a touch of sparkle.
"The pigmentation of this palette is AMAZING," writes member moonstar1906. "It has become my fave go-to for purples."
22. Best Happy-Hour-Ready Palette:
LAURA SANCHEZ Moods Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette
If VIOLET VOSS' sorbet-inspired palette is just a little bit too bright for you, here's something similar but slightly more subdued. These bold but wearable shades can be combined to rock a variety of eyeshadow looks. Pair the bright colors together for a festival style, or tone things down by using the neutral shades.
"This is a great palette," writes member totallyepiceventswa. "I like all the colors and it's something I can take with me when I travel."
23. Best Night-Out Palette:
NOMAD COSMETICS Berlin Underground Intense Eyeshadow Palette
Your eye makeup options are practically endless with this dynamic 15 shade palette. Inspired by grunge, punk, and techno nightlife, these colors can be blended together seamlessly to create something smoky and dramatic. Or, you can also some of the colors solo for easy everyday wear.
After receiving this palette in a Glam Bag, one user wrote, "Yes yes yes! I'm so glad I got out of my comfort zone with this palette! The shimmers are SO buttery. They blend beautifully."
24. Best Shimmery Shadow Palette:
SMASHBOX COSMETICS Cover Shot Eye Palette in Bold Glitter
Ramp up the drama with this shimmer-packed eyeshadow palette featuring a collection of rich jewel tones. Combine golds with one of the other colors for a glitter-packed smoky eye, or simply apply one shade all over for an equally impactful look.
"I was a bit nervous to attempt to wear these shades of shadow," writes one member. "But they are great! They apply well, especially for evening when I would want a bit more shimmer."
25. Best Prismatic Pigment Palette:
PAT McGRATH LABS Huetopian Dream + Intensifeyes™ Duo
It’s no secret that Pat McGrath is the G.O.A.T. of creating high-pigment shadows and out-of-this-world eye looks. So when we came across this shimmering, prismatic palette we were instantly in awe. Swipe a mix of these shimmering and matte hues for look-at-me lids that are sure to stun.
26. Best Good-for-Skin Palette:
NOMAD COSMETIC Cartagena Magica Eyeshadow Palette
This palette of 15 matte and shimmer eyeshadows was inspired by and designed in beautiful Cartagena, Colombia, and it has all the colors you need to create magical eye looks that last from mimosas to midnight cocktails. Bonus: Each shade is infused with rosehip oil to amplify color payoff and keep your lids soft and nourished.
“The bomb.com. Hands down one of the best things I've seen as an add on. Freaking love this brand and love the price even more!”, IPSY member vanessastranahan writes.
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