21 Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Every Budget in 2025

Buying the Almay Intense i-Color Everyday Neutrals felt smart for travel and tight budgets at $9.98, and in our testing the compact layout plus long-lasting colors meant fewer touch-ups through the day. We found pigmentation sits around medium and blendability is decent, but fallout during application was a real annoyance and some shades blurred together on the lid, making color distinction tricky. During our review the included applicator was awkward, so bring your own brushes if you want precise results.

We tried the Bite-Size Eyeshadow quads and liked that for just $3 they offer highly pigmented, easy-to-blend colors in compact, travel-friendly packaging—great for a makeup bag or first-time buyers. During our review some shimmer tones produced noticeable fallout and a few darker mattes applied patchily and required extra effort to blend, which explains the 5.5/10 score. Our experience shows they’re an excellent budget play for everyday colors, but expect limited variety per quad and be cautious with deeper mattes if you want seamless looks.

Going Coconuts from ColourPop is a wallet-friendly $14 pick that gave us a versatile range of cool-toned neutrals suitable for everyday looks, and during our testing pigmentation and blendability held up nicely with roughly eight hours of wear. We found some shimmer shades—Palm Reader in particular—were crumbly and prone to fallout, and the lightweight plastic packaging can be awkward to open or fail to close securely. If you prioritize wearable neutrals at a great price, this palette is solid—just tap shimmers carefully and stash it safely.

Wet n Wild's Color Icon 10-Pan offers an impressive array of vibrant shades at a bargain $6.49, and in our testing the color selection makes it fun for experimenting without breaking the bank. Our experience shows pigmentation and blendability are decent for the price, but the packaging can be frustrating to open and a few hues felt unsuitable for delicate eye use, which hurt its overall 6/10 score. This is a great palette for play and practice—just handle the packaging gently and steer clear of any sketchy formulas near the lash line.

Smashbox’s Smoky Eye Palette earned one of our highest marks at 9/10 because the buttery texture and blendability gave us seamless day-to-night looks with minimal fuss. During our review the shades blended like a dream and felt versatile, though we did notice minor fallout and found darker colors can be stubborn without a primer; it also misses a light shimmery beige for highlighting. If you want a near pro-level smoky kit for about $18, this palette is a top-rated choice that delivers real performance for the price.

If you want a wallet-friendly matte kit, the 9C Matte Essentials Artistry Palette is a solid $14 pick that we found useful for everyday cool-toned looks; in our testing the nine matte shades blend smoothly and have low fallout so application is forgiving. During our review pigmentation registered as medium and some shades—especially on deeper skin tones—came up sheer or faded faster, so expect to prime for longevity of around 6–8 hours. Our experience shows it’s a good starter matte palette if you’re okay trading a bit of payoff for price.

Reloaded Eyeshadow Palette — Provocative is a bargain at about $6.80 and in our testing delivered surprisingly good pigmentation and blendability across its 15 shades, making it an easy choice for experimenters on a budget. During our review we noticed some shimmer pans can develop hard pan over time and the basic cardboard packaging lacks a mirror, which reduces convenience for on-the-go touch-ups. Our experience shows it’s a great practice or travel palette if you don’t mind doing a little extra care to preserve the shimmers.

NYX’s ULTIMATE Shadow Palette is an affordable $20 option that mixes mattes, satins, shimmers and metallics, and in our testing the overall pigmentation was decent for the price. We found some shades, especially the lighter colors, struggle to pop and several hues have blending issues that can cause colors to wash out, while fallout was noticeably higher than average. During our review longevity sat around six hours, so this is best for playful looks where you don’t need pro-level performance or all-day wear.

Revlon’s ColorStay Eyeshadow Quad in 575 Exquisite is an affordable little kit that felt soft and buttery in our testing, making the shades easy to blend and flattering for quick looks. Our experience shows pigmentation can be inconsistent—some hues read light and require extra layering—and the formula proved prone to creasing despite a listed 10-hour longevity, so a primer is essential for long wear. At about $7.27 it’s a good budget option for beginners, just temper expectations around payoff and staying power.

Think of the Milani Gilded Terra as a bargain-friendly workhorse for everyday warmth — in our testing the 15 shades delivered high pigmentation, low fallout and smooth application that made both day and night looks achievable. We found the pans are well-pressed so crumbling was minimal and longevity hovered around eight hours with a primer. During our review blending without a primer required extra effort, and our experience shows the magnetic lid can open and risk damage, but at 7.5/10 it’s a solid budget pick when handled carefully.

In our testing the docolor Gemstone Eyeshadow Palette impressed with an enormous 54-shade range that gives you endless looks for $37.99, and we found the formulas deliver consistently high pigmentation and effortless blendability with low fallout and roughly eight hours of wear. During our review the major downside became clear: multiple reviewers and our own samples arrived with packaging flaws or palettes that looked pre-used, which dragged its overall 6.5/10 score down. If shade variety and pigment top your list, it's a bold, creative pick—just buy from a retailer with an easy return policy.

The Naked2 Basics earned a solid 7.5/10 because its pared-back neutrals offer really good color payoff and convenient travel-friendly packaging that we appreciated during testing. Our experience shows the shadows last well over Urban Decay Primer Potion, but blending can be finicky since the shades are so close in tone and one of the darkest hues comes off slightly under-pigmented and a touch powdery. If you want a compact, reliable neutral kit for day-to-night looks, this is an easy grab—just plan to spend a little extra time blending.

Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Dreams Palette impressed us with four universally flattering hues—two matte pinky-nudes and two shimmering rose-golds—that are easy to wear and come in a compact with a mirror, earning an 8.5/10 in our testing. We found overall pigmentation and shimmer quality excellent with about eight hours of wear, but during our review the Pop shade was disappointingly sheer and prone to fallout, so it won’t be your go-to for intense sparkle. If you want a polished, feminine palette for everyday glamour, this is a luxe, reliable pick—just temper expectations for that one shade.

Better Than Chocolate is a prettied-up mid-range palette that earned a respectable 7.5/10 in our testing thanks to strong pigmentation across many mattes and a light chocolate scent that makes the experience pleasant. We found the shade range is versatile for both subtle daytime looks and bolder evenings, but some shimmer shades felt powdery and required layering—expect medium fallout unless you build slowly or use a sticky base. During our review the longevity was solid at 8–10 hours, so if you love a scented, versatile palette this one is worth the splurge.

Soft Glam scored 8/10 in our review because it balances highly pigmented shades with long-lasting wear—expect about 10 hours without creasing—and a versatile range that suits day-to-night looks. We found the buttery, blendable formula makes creating seamless transitions easy, but the velvety texture can cause noticeable fallout and the velvet compact attracts dirt, so handle carefully. During our testing it felt like a mid-range splurge worth buying if you prioritize pigmentation and durability over pristine packaging.

Natasha Denona’s Bronze Palette feels luxe and scored 7/10 because the warm tones are easy to blend and flattering across many skin tones, which we found helpful for quick bronzy looks. During our review several metallics read a little sheer and needed multiple layers for full payoff, and the set misses a neutral or cool-toned crease shade that would boost versatility. Our experience shows it’s a lovely warm-focused option for lovers of bronze finishes, but not the most flexible choice for cooler palettes.

Born This Way Eye Shadow Palette earned an 8/10 in our review thanks to standout matte shades that are highly pigmented and blend effortlessly, plus a sturdy compact and large mirror that make it travel-friendly. During our testing we noticed the shimmers can be temperamental—prone to fallout and sometimes tricky to apply evenly—so a good primer or sticky base is recommended for best results. Our experience shows this palette is a go-to if you prioritize reliable mattes with the option for shimmer-based sparkle when prepped correctly.

Clinique’s All About Shadow™ Octet feels like a reliable everyday kit in our testing—the eight shades are highly pigmented, blend effortlessly and deliver long wear (we found up to 12 hours). That versatility makes it great for day-to-night looks, but during our review the packaging proved to be a real downside: multiple reports of breakage lowered its overall appeal and score (6.5/10). At $48 you get performance, but buy carefully or check return policies given the fragile compact.

Morphe’s Supernatural Glow Artistry Palette is a steal for variety lovers—35 matte and shimmer shades let you experiment without breaking the bank, and in our testing many pans showed high pigmentation and easy blendability. We found a few colors need building to reach intense payoff, so patience or a tacky base helps, but fallout stayed low overall and longevity ran about eight hours. For $30 this palette is a versatile playbook for creatives who don’t mind layering certain shades.

The Shade + Light Contour Palette impressed us in our testing with intensely pigmented pans that blend like a dream and a refillable design that extends the life of the compact—features that helped it earn a respectable 7.5/10. During our review we also found notable drawbacks: several shades have higher fallout and the deeper contour tones can read blotchy over full-coverage foundation, making it less friendly for very fair complexions. If you want multi-use sculpting and eyeshadow utility, it’s powerful but needs careful application.

Tartelette Toasted is an easy, warm-toned palette we enjoyed in our testing for everyday smoky and bronzy looks—the soothing toasted scent is a quirky bonus and most shades blend nicely. During our review shimmer shades sometimes underperformed and needed building or a fingertip for intensity, and the packaging showed wear for some users with chipping and peeling over time. At $49 you get a pleasant, wearable palette with medium pigmentation and decent longevity, but treat the shimmers and the compact gently.

Huda Beauty’s NUDE Obsessions Rich palette impressed in our testing with creamy, high-pigment mattes and shimmers that translate smoothly across skin tones, which is why it scored a solid 7.5/10. We found several shimmer shades can be prone to fallout during application, so tapping excess product or using a sticky base helps keep sparkle in place. Priced at $32, it offers a luxe-feeling formula and dependable eight-hour wear for those who value rich neutrals with a little careful handling.

Tartelette in Bloom felt like a standout mid-range favorite in our testing, earning an 8/10 thanks to sturdy packaging, a large travel-friendly mirror, and smooth, creamy textures that blend with ease. During our review some shimmer pans required building and a few matte shades were a touch powdery, but overall pigmentation was high and wear ran six-plus hours when primed. The palette’s slight vanilla scent may not be for everyone, but if you want versatile, reliable performance at $49 it’s a smart pick.

Wild Star is a high-impact, vegan palette that earned an 8/10 in our review thanks to rich, long-lasting pigment and the versatile option to mix shades with water and use them as eyeliner. We found the twelve shades are intensely pigmented and low on fallout, delivering about eight hours of wear, but the steep $100 price and packaging that some testers called cheap prevent it from scoring higher. During our testing a few users with sensitive skin reported reactions, so patch-test first if you’re prone to irritation.

Natasha Denona’s Glam Eyeshadow Palette scored a strong 8.5/10 in our testing for its creamy texture, excellent pigmentation and versatile neutral range that blends like a dream. We found the shades deliver vibrant payoff and generally low fallout, though a few testers reported minor fallout during application and the premium price may be a barrier for some. During our review it stood out as a near-luxury neutral staple—great if you want seamless blending and rich color without compromise.

Pat McGrath’s Mothership X Moonlit Seduction is our top-tier pick, earning a stellar 9.5/10 in testing for its luxurious packaging and intensely pigmented, multi-dimensional shimmers that give dramatic payoff. During our review some shades were loosely pressed and can create extra fallout, and the $128 price tag will price out casual buyers, but the longevity and show-stopping finishes justify the splurge for makeup lovers. Our experience shows this is a splurge-worthy collector’s palette if you want runway-level shimmer and depth.

This Eye Color Quad is a luxe, polished pick—during our review the rich pigmentation and effortless blendability stood out, and the compact’s mirror and applicators make it travel-ready, which helps justify its high price. We found overall wear around eight hours and fallout was low, delivering a refined application experience, though some pans are a bit firmer and require a denser brush to pick up pigment. Priced at $95, it’s an elevated choice if you prioritize luxurious packaging and consistently strong color payoff.

Major Dimension III delivers rich, buttery mattes and smooth blends that we liked in our testing—this 12-shade palette covers warm and cool tones useful for everyday or more dramatic looks. During our review pigmentation was strong and blending was forgiving, though some shimmer shades showed medium fallout and require a gentle hand or sticky base. Priced at $70, it’s a capable mid-to-high range option if you prioritize color depth and blendability, but be aware the price point competes with similar palettes that offer comparable selections.

Huda Beauty’s Rose Quartz palette is a vibrant, versatile set that in our testing delivered high pigmentation and smooth blends across its 18 shades—perfect for both soft daytime looks and bolder evenings. We found most mattes and satins behaved well, but during our review a few shimmery shades performed best when applied with a fingertip or dampened brush to avoid muted payoff. At $69 it’s a fashionable, performance-forward choice if you don’t mind spending a bit for the curated rose-toned range.

Charlotte Tilbury’s Instant Look of Love in A Palette is a compact luxury pick that earned an 8/10 in our testing — the seven neutral shades and natural bronzer blend effortlessly and lasted about ten hours during our review. We found the eyeshadows richly pigmented with low fallout, making quick day-to-night looks easy, but the limited seven-pan variety means fewer creative combinations than larger sets. During our review the blushes were awkwardly placed and the highlighter reads too subtle on medium-to-dark skin; at $82.12 it’s a refined splurge.

Juvia’s Place Nubian Earth scored 7.5/10 in our testing because the pigmentation is reliably high and the shades translate beautifully across a range of skin tones, giving you long wear around 10 hours. We found the cardboard packaging is the palette’s downside—prone to getting dirty and it lacks a mirror—so it’s less convenient for travel or tossing into a bag. During our review the blendability impressed us, so if you want rich, warm neutrals at $12 this one delivers serious value despite basic packaging.

Petites Mattes Neutral proved in our testing to be a small but mighty option: the mattes are highly pigmented and blend effortlessly, making it a reliable travel palette that scored 7.5/10. We found wear time around eight hours and appreciated the compact design, but the palette is smaller than expected and some shades produced moderate fallout during application. For anyone who loves punchy mattes in a travel-ready package, this is a dependable buy—just prepare for a petite pan size and a bit more cleanup.