Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Beginners 2025: Expert-Approved Picks

If you want a compact, travel-friendly option, the Soft Glam II Mini from Anastasia Beverly Hills is a solid pick — in our testing the shadows proved buttery soft and truly easy to blend for both daytime and evening looks. We found the matte and shimmer formula gives reliable color payoff, but the palette does have noticeable fallout and the packaging tends to pick up dirt, which lowered its overall value in our review. At a 7/10 score, it’s great for beginners who prioritize blendability and portability, just be prepared to tap off excess and clean the case regularly.

Maybelline’s The Blushed Nudes is a compact, travel-friendly palette with 12 versatile shades that blend easily, and our experience shows it’s convenient for quick day-to-night transitions. During our review we found lighter shades often lack pigmentation and there’s only one true matte option, which limits crease-defining possibilities; some users also reported creasing and fading without primer. With a 5/10 score, it’s an affordable intro palette for beginners, but applying a good primer and layering strategically will be key to lasting results.

ColourPop’s Bare Necessities is a reliable neutral go-to — in our testing the palette offered both warm and cool tones that made everyday and evening looks easy to build, earning it a solid 7.5/10. We found the matte shades can be a bit powdery, which makes the palette messier and requires gentle brush handling to avoid fallout, and some micro shimmers might not suit everyone. For beginners who favor neutrals, this is a versatile option; just keep a tidy workspace and a clean brush to minimize powder transfer.

The Nude Obsessions Palette is a compact, travel-friendly set that impressed us in testing with high pigmentation and long-lasting wear, earning it a respectable 7/10 for beginners who want reliable neutrals. We found the mattes and shimmers blend well together, but during our review some shades tended to read very similarly once diffused and a handful of testers noticed a chemical smell on first opening. For everyday or evening looks, this is a convenient pick—just swatch nearby shades to find distinct tones before you pack it.

The Everyday Faves Palette emerged as our top beginner pick in this round, scoring a standout 9/10 for its buttery blendability and wide range of neutral shades that make both simple day looks and smoky evenings easy. During our review we found the formula smooth and forgiving, though a few lighter and shimmery pans needed building and some users reported packaging that’s less durable. Practically speaking, it’s great value for under $25—use a primer for longer wear and you’ll have a reliable everyday go-to.

Priced at just $10, the Perfect 10 Eyeshadow Palette is an affordable starter with several ultra-pigmented mattes and shimmers that deliver nice color payoff, and during our review we appreciated that range for creating day or evening looks. However, our experience shows the formula can be stubborn to diffuse — blendability is hit-or-miss and a few shades need multiple layers to reach intensity. With a 6.5/10 score, it’s budget-friendly for experimentation but you’ll want a good brush and patience to blend seamlessly.

The Honest Beauty Eyeshadow Palette earned an 8/10 because the formula is smooth, blendable, and surprisingly long-lasting — in our testing the matte, shimmer, and satin finishes layered beautifully without creasing. We found some inconsistency in pigmentation across a few shades and minor fallout during application, so building certain colors may be necessary. Overall, during our review it felt like a versatile everyday-to-special-occasion palette that performs well for beginners who want dependable wear and easy blending, though tone selection may not flatter every skin tone.

For only $3, the Bite-Size Eyeshadow is an absolute delight — our testing showed excellent pigmentation and blendability for its size, making it a great travel-friendly pick that punches above its weight with an 8/10 score. We found the compact format is ideal for quick looks, though shimmer shades can produce some fallout and may fade without a primer. Beginners will appreciate the affordability and performance, but expect limited shade variety per pan and plan to use a primer for longer wear.

The Ultimate Shadow Palette delivers an attractive mix of matte, satin, shimmer and metallic finishes with several shades that really pop, which is why we noticed strong color payoff during our testing. However, our experience shows blending was a struggle—many hues 'blended away'—and there was significant fallout that makes this less beginner-friendly, reflected in its 6/10 score. If you’re drawn to the color variety, use a sticky primer and denser brushes to minimize powder loss and help shadows layer more predictably.

This Highly Pigmented Eyeshadow Palette is a budget-friendly option that delivers bright, long-lasting color — our experience shows the mattes, shimmers, and metallics pack serious payoff and are great for dramatic looks. During our review we did notice removal can be tricky due to the long-wear formula, so beginners should be prepared with a dependable eye makeup remover. Scoring a 6/10, it’s a fun choice for bold experimentation but less ideal if you prioritize easy, quick cleanup after a full day or night out.

Revlon’s ColorStay Eyeshadow Quad in Addictive is a wallet-friendly pick that tested well for longevity and crease resistance, making it a decent everyday-to-evening choice and earning a 7/10 in our review. We found the shades are thoughtfully balanced to suit many complexions and they blend predictably, but pigmentation can be underwhelming—especially in the lighter hues—and the included applicator performed poorly. For beginners, pair this quad with quality brushes and a primer to boost intensity and make the most of its long-wear formula.

Celestial Chic is our top-rated choice in this batch, scoring a standout 9.5/10 for impressive pigmentation and buttery formulas that blend seamlessly across 15 versatile shades for day and night looks. In our testing the colors stayed vibrant without fallout and even handled less expensive brushes well, but during our review we noted the lack of a mirror and slightly flimsy packaging that could affect durability on the go. If you love cool smoky tones, this palette is a beginner-friendly favorite; just keep in mind it may lean cooler on warmer complexions.

The InfraRed Eyeshadow Palette offers a pretty selection of mattes and shimmers, and in our testing the variety felt promising for creating both everyday and special-occasion looks. That said, during our review pigmentation and longevity were inconsistent — several shades faded more quickly than we expected, which is disappointing at this price point and contributes to its 5.5/10 score. If you’re drawn to the color story, it can work with primers and setting spray, but beginners might prefer more reliable wear from similarly priced competitors.

The Warm 88 Eye Shadow Palette gives you a huge array of warm tones to experiment with, and during our review the compact size felt practical for storage and travel. However, our experience shows several shades can be chalky and under-pigmented, with noticeable fallout that lowers its beginner-friendliness and contributed to a 6.5/10 score. If you’re drawn to the extensive shade range, plan on using a good primer and denser brushes to build color and minimize powder loss during application.