There are two things that make my heart skip a beat when it comes to new makeup: eye products and lip products. I don’t wear foundation every day and am pretty nonplussed about cheek products, but tell me about a new lipstick or eye shadow, and I’m all ears.
Doing your eye makeup has such transformative power, and other than a bold lipstick, it’s definitely the thing that makes the biggest difference when it comes to amplifying an already-glowy makeup look. While a cream eye shadow is good for a quick simple look, there’s no doubt that the choice of multiple shades is the best for creating a variety of looks, from a deep, dark smoky eye to a fun, vibrant hit of colour. So it’s no surprise that I always have my eye out for popular eye shadow palettes.
While it’s hard to pick favourites, I definitely reach for my Huda Naughty Nudes palette the most right now. It’s got so many great shades that can be mixed and blended together and shades, like Passion, that are impactful all on their own. Before I go in with whatever palette I pick, I normally prime with the Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Eye Primer to create a smooth base that’ll help it stick around all day and night.
These are the palettes I continue to reach for all year round.
With the mix of cool and warm shades, this is an easy palette to throw in your bag to liven up any base look. Wet your brush before using the shimmers for an intense shine.
I’m such a fan of the pigment of Sleek shadows, especially for the brighter shades, which are hard to find for deeper skin tones. I especially love the blues and oranges in this palette.
When I was about 17, every month, I would save a portion of my bar job wages to buy a single shadow for my buildable MAC palette. Had this existed back then, I probably would have just saved the effort. It’s the perfect selection of fiery reds and oranges.
It’s so rare to find a palette of just matte shades. This one is easy to use and most of the shades are universally flattering.
It might seem a bit daunting to use these wet, but I promise you it’s worth it for the incredible metallic look. You can use them dry, but the impact isn’t the same. So either wet your brush with a setting spray and apply the Makeup by Mario Master Metal Manipulator to transform the shades into a foil-effect shadow.
We all know the noughties trends are here to stay, so if you want to channel your inner Stephanie Pratt with an icy-blue shadow look, this is the best palette for it.
If you strive for the simplest eye look and find the 12 pan palettes a tad overwhelming for your needs, then this is such a safe pick. The quality is great for the price, and you have a selection of mattes and shimmers.
This palette is all about embracing the disco vibe and having fun. With a range of pinks, purples and deeper mattes you can create a cool smoky look.
I think this just might be my most-used palette ever. I adore most of the shades, but passion is my favourite shadow shade of all time. It gives the look of a really well-constructed eye look of lots of shades blended together, when in reality, I have just applied one shade with my fingers.
This very travel-friendly palette is very no-frills but perfect for a basic eye look with the option of adding depth with the blue hue.
A fun, vibrant palette for when you really want a standout look. I like to use the matte pink as a base and then layer up the shimmer.
The Obsessions palettes from Huda Beauty are all stunning, but Caramel is my favourite. The tawny shade with pearlescent flecks is a great shade to swipe all over your lids for a quick look.
The clue is in the name of this one. If you’re looking for all-out bronze, then look no further. This palette is the ultimate for creating a glossy smoky-eye look.
These fluffy textured shadows are so simple to blend, and the shimmers give a beautiful sheen to the lids.
Not all party palettes need to be deep and smoky. These light pinks are perfect to team with anything sequinned and bright.
A lot of the time, for deeper skintones, there are a few shades in a 12-pan palette that are wasted on us, as they’re too light. This isn’t a problem with this palette from OPV. All 12 colours are flexible and super blendable to create a wealth of eye looks.
A dream palette for being a little experimental, it has all the bold shades you could dream of (like neon pink) but the colour pay-off is far from chalky. Also, the nude shimmers are perfect for a subtle wash of colour.
You can use this palette for brand founder and makeup artist Aimee Connolly’s signature buff, smoke, shimmer process. It has a mix of six mattes, three shimmers and three metallics that are pretty much crowd-pleasing shades. I reach for Baked and Tropic the most. Next up, the best basic makeup tips.
