Picking out eyeshadow palettes is like walking through a candy store. With a wide array of color combinations and finishes to match every mood, season, and outfit, the choices can seem overwhelming. It’s easy to make the mistake of purchasing countless palettes you might only use once or twice. We’re here to make sure you get the best mileage out of your first palette. Keep these helpful tips in mind as you explore our collection.
How to Find Your Perfect Palette
1. Start with the basics
Before you start exploring bold palettes with a vibrant range of colors, go with the classics: smoky and neutral eyeshadow palettes. These are the best eyeshadow palettes for beginners because they offer some of the most versatile color combinations. For example, smoky palettes should include a black, a few grays, and a shimmery silver or two for nighttime hangouts with friends, while a good neutral palette will have a range of browns, beiges, pinks, and other warm shades for everyday wear.
2. Consider your eye color
According to color theory, some shades are simply made for your eyes. When you’re just starting to use eyeshadow palettes, these colors can provide inspiration—but don’t be afraid to get creative and step outside your comfort zone.
If you have green or hazel eyes, the pinks, purples, and light browns in the Venus 3 Pretty Grunge Eye & Face Palette are ideal. Orange, gray, and rich brown tones suit blue eyes well. Consider the warm, rich tones of the Venus XL 2 Ultimate Earthly Grunge Eye & Face Palette. A cool-toned eyeshadow palette, such as the Venus Immortalis Grayscale Grunge Eye & Face Palette or Prelude Chroma Majestic Waves of Supreme Shades, is perfect for gray eyes, with options like gunmetal silver and icy blue. Brown eyes are uniquely versatile, blending well with just about any eyeshadow color.
3. Complement your skin tone
Eyeshadow colors can look totally different depending on your skin tone, so it isn’t always helpful to pick shades based on the models in photos. Even if you can’t test an eyeshadow palette, knowing which colors complement your skin is a reliable approach.
Deep burgundy, metallic gold, and vibrant purple look fantastic on darker skin tones. With a medium skin tone, warm browns, reds, and golds flatter warm undertones, while lavender and gray enhance cooler undertones. Fair skin tones are well-suited to earthy bronze and copper tones. Choose soft blues and purples for cooler undertones and rusty reds and red-violet for warmer undertones.
4. Keep it balanced
Ready to go all-out with a glittery gold or bright fuchsia? Be sure to pick a palette with neutral shades to give your look balance. Intense shades can make a bold, powerful statement, but blending and softening the shape of your eyeshadow application with a light beige nude or matte mauve creates a smoother, more harmonious transition. Pick up a handy brush kit that has all the tools you’ll need to pack on intense colors, blend out those soft shades, and sweep on precise lines.
5. Match your makeup habits
Consider where and when you wear makeup. If you love getting dressed up on the daily, fun, glittery, and colorful eyeshadow palettes can get a lot of use. If a standard 8-color palette isn’t enough to feed your color cravings, pick up one of our Venus XL palettes—each one has 18 gorgeous shades!
When your makeup is only for special occasions or formal events, a more neutral eyeshadow palette may be more fitting. You’ll still have some shimmer shades to use as highlights and darker shades to smudge on as eyeliner.
Eyeshadow palettes are made to be as fun and unique—and beautiful—as you are. Choose your favorite color story and get creating! Remember to tag us so we can see those stunning results.
Nothing makes you feel more unsure about which eyeshadow look to choose than being presented with a palette of shades.
We understand that. This is why we've gathered some of the best advice from our team of makeup artists and beauty experts to help you out. This article will show you how to determine which makeup eyeshadow colors are right for you based on your complexion type.
But before we move on to the main topic, let's talk about the different undertones of the skin.
No matter how light, medium, or dark it may be, the complexion of your skin has a certain yellow, ashen, or pink hue to it. These hues are known as undertones.
You have a 'cool' undertone if your skin appears blue or pink. Alternatively, if your skin has yellow, peach, or golden tones, its undertone is considered warm. The term neutral undertone describes individuals whose undertones are neither cool nor warm.
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Depending on your skin tone, you can pick your best eyeshadow palette that emphasizes your undertone. If you have a warm skin tone, use golds, oranges, and reds to emphasize the warmth in your skin. Those with cool skin tones should go with blues, greens, and purples to match the undertones of their skin. Neutrals have the opportunity to explore both warm and cool shades.
Obviously, this is not a cardinal list, just as anything related to aesthetics or creativity has no set rules. If you want to wear a certain eyeshadow color, do not let anyone stop you. Nevertheless, every type of complexion is uniquely defined by a specific set of colors.
Listed below are some makeup artist recommendations for eyeshadow.
We know it's tough out there for our fair-toned queens, as pink and red shades make you look like you haven't slept in days, while darker shades give you a bruised look. But trust us, it gets better.
Warm earthy colors like gold, bronze, and taupe, as well as champagne and rose shades, pair well with light skin tones. You can also wear plum and greens in subtle hues with shimmering finishes, as they will still brighten up the area.
Peeps with medium skin tones have many options to choose from. Whether your undertone is cool or warm, most colors are flattering on you, so finding the perfect palette is easy. Don't be afraid to experiment with metallic shadows or deep hues. Aside from this, rose gold and bronze tones also complement both undertones.
Make up your look with a dash of burgundy or pink shimmer if your skin tone is medium-warm. Those with a more medium-neutral tone will find their inner diva shining through in lavender and gray.
Women with olive skin tone are naturally bronzed goddesses, but finding the right eyeshadow shade to bring out their natural beauty can be difficult.
Make the most of your natural sunkissed skin with gold and bronze shades. For a bold color statement, go for deep jewel shades like deep blue or purple. You can even go for an emerald green with dazzling details. It will definitely make you look regal.
You may want to steer clear of brown, mauve, and beige colors, which can make you look washed out.
There's no doubt that dark-skinned women can wear any shade on the color wheel and look great regardless of their undertone. They are naturally striking.
Adding a rich eyeshadow color—such as a vibrant purple, a bright blue, or a glitter eyeshadow shade—to your makeup will create a dramatic effect for your night out look. Daytime eyeshadow for dark skin to consider are rich shades of burgundy or warm metallic gold, which are good neutrals for your skin tone.
It is recommended to stay away from anything ashy or pale, as well as colors such as blue, pink, and green, which can dull the appearance of your eye area.
Choosing an eyeshadow shade tailored JUST for you also depends on your eye color. Here’s how:
Almost any color compliments brown eyes, but neutrals like salmon and bronzy gold really enhance them.
For a touch of intensity, blend your chosen crease color with black shadow to give it a touch of depth.
The warm tones of earth, and rich, deep colors of berry, mocha, and charcoal will make the light brown eyes pop.
Sometimes, like attracts like (thanks, science! ), and light brown eyes are no exception.
Pick metallic and pastel shades from your palette to enhance your hazel eyes. Beware of shades with dark, smoky shadows that tend to mask the subtle green and golden nuances in your multi-tonal eyes.
Alternatively, delicate metallics and dusty pinks would bring out the sparkle in your light brown eye.
A light, neutral palette best complements cool blue eyes. Try to stay away from anything harsh, such as an overly dark, smokey appearance.
Your iris will shine in coral and champagne — these shades will catch the glint, but won't distract from them.
Green-eyed women can make their eyes appear brighter by wearing mustard or peach shades.
To add intensity to your eyes, pair them with a chocolate-colored eye shadow or go for taupe for a contemporary look. Gold can also make your eyes stand out.
While there are many colors in an eye shadow kit, not all of them will complement every skin tone and eye color. Choosing eyeshadow colors that match your skin tone is crucial to creating eye illusions that make your eyes pop and your complexion glow.
The goal of this article is to help you choose the perfect shade that will make you the talk of the party!
Still have questions about how to choose the right eyeshadow color for yourself? Ask away in the comment section below and we’d be happy to help!