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.
