Bargain vs Bougie: A Makeup Artist Rates 4 Multi-Use Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes
Dalal Mansour is a professional makeup artist with decades of industry experience. She's also a member of Adore's Customer Experience team! You can follow Dalal's work on Instagram @dalal.m.makeup.
There is nothing more satisfying than finding 'the one'.
I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about... the perfect eyeshadow palette.
There are soooooo many eyeshadow palettes on the market. Some good (and some not so good).
Forget reaching for 367 different palettes to create one eyeshadow look, or only finishing a select few shades in big, bulky palettes.
For me, the best eyeshadow palette will have all my favourite shades with the right mix of textures and finishes, in one handy place.
Yet to find an eyeshadow palette you can settle down with? Then read on, because I've gone and done all the hard work for you.
Below, you'll find the best neutral/nude eyeshadow palettes for every budget, along with my top tips for how to use your eyeshadow palette like a makeup artist
How to Choose a Neutral Eyeshadow Palette.
When searching for a neutral eyeshadow palette or nude eyeshadow palette, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Look for a palette that will work for you, not necessarily what looks good on TikTok.
- Think about your eye makeup needs? And when/where do you wear eyeshadow? Every day? Going out? School? Work? There's no wrong answer.
- Next, keep in mind that having a good variation of shades, textures and finishes in one palette will give you more range to create different looks.
- Bonus points if of the some shades can double up as a blush colour or a cheek highlight!
- Keep an eye out for light shimmer shades to use as a cheek highlight, and even peachy or pink shades that can double up as blush colours.
- Darker shades can be applied as an eyeliner using a wet angled brush.
- This won't work for everyone, but some palettes may have an eyebrow shade for you, too!
Watch this YouTube video below for more tips on how to get the most out of your eyeshadow palettes.
Bargain vs Bougie: Best Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes.
As a freelance make-up artist, I am all about the palettes.
I love me an eye palette, lip palette, blush palette, concealer palette… the list goes on.
Palettes are the most efficient way for me to carry around a wide range of colours and textures for all skin tones.
There's a good chance you don't need as many eyeshadow palettes as I do, but I am always on the hunt for 'the one'.
A quick note on price, too, because I'm often asked if a cheap eyeshadow palette will be as good as a more expensive one.
Professional-grade palettes can be of a higher quality than an affordable eyeshadow palette, but not always.
There's no need to spend outside of your budget, OK?
Let's take a closer look at some great neutral eyeshadow palette options across different price points.
1. Barry M: Bare It All Eye Palette, $19.95.
- A neutral cool-toned eye palette with nine shades.
- Has a nice mix of finishes and tones; matte and shimmer, light to dark.
- Soft and blendable pressed powders.
- Recyclable cardboard packaging, so no breaking and cracking.
Standout shades:
For this look, I used 'restore' to fill in my brows, 'au naturel' as the eyeshadow base, 'shroom' in the crease and 'concealed' in the inner corner of the eye as a highlight.
My Barry M eyeshadow palette review:
This cute and compact palette really caught my attention.
It has the best of the best in terms of cool neutral shades, and the perfect balance of shimmer and matte finishes.
I found the shadow colour payoff was a little less than I like - the best way to work around this is to use a firm, flat eyeshadow brush like A07 Stubby Shader Brush in the Spectrum Pink 8 Piece Set to really press the shadows onto the lid.
The packaging, while compact and recyclable, doesn't come with a mirror. Very small detail.
This affordable eyeshadow palette would be ideal for someone who wants a fuss-free, cool-toned neutral eyeshadow palette without too many confusing shades.
2. Maybelline: Nudes of New York Eyeshadow Palette, $34.95.
- 16 fabulous neutral shades in both warm and cool tones.
- A balanced mix of shimmer and matte finishes.
- The perfect range of colours from light to dark, catering to all skin tones.
- Silky and smooth shadow textures with minimal fallout.
Standout shades:
I created a halo eye look with this palette using 'creator' in the eyelid crease and 'self-starter' on the inner and outer corners of the eye.
I then added 'artist' in the centre of the lid, with 'inspirer' on top applied with a wet brush to make the colour pop.
My Maybelline Nudes of New York eyeshadow palette review:
This affordable eyeshadow palette took me by surprise.
To be honest, I’m disappointed in myself that I had not tried it until now.
What I love most about this neutral eyeshadow palette is the range of colour depths within the 16 shades.
This makes it suitable for light, medium and deeper skin tones, which is rare to find in one palette.
You are able to create multiple looks, from quick and easy day eyeshadow, to more dramatic night time smoky eyes.
Again, no mirror, but this palette will definitely be finding its way into my makeup kit!
Pro tip: Press the shimmers onto your lid with a slightly damp and firm eyeshadow brush to get more intensity.
3. Anastasia Beverly Hills: Soft Glam Palette, $76.
- An eyeshadow palette with 14 beautifully-curated neutral shadow shades.
- Shadows are highly pigmented and easy to blend.
- Very versatile palette due to the wide range of shades and textures.
- Comes with a double-ended eyeshadow brush, and good-sized mirror in the lid.
Standout shades:
I kept the shadow soft for this eye look, using 'rose pink' on the lid with 'fairy' on the inner corner.
I loved using 'noir' as my eyeliner, too.
My Soft Glam Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow palette review:
I’m a little lost for words when it comes to this palette.
What I love most about this Anastasia Beverly Hills soft glam palette is the convenience of the whole product.
Double ended brush, tick. Blush suitable colours like 'rose pink', tick.
Built-in mirror, a great true matte black shade I can use as a liner, and a neutral range of warm and cool shadows. Tick, tick, tick.
With shadows that are easy to press on and no fall out under the eyes, dare I say, this may be 'the one' for me.
*Adds to cart.
4. M.A.C Cosmetics: M·A·C Art Library: Nude Model, $90.
- A makeup artist-quality palette with 12 extremely pigmented neutral shades.
- 1 satin, 4 frost and and 7 mattes finishes.
- Super silky and easy to blend shadows.
- Can be applied wet (for more intensity) or dry.
Standout shades:
I created a blown-out smokey eye look here with just two shades.
Apply 'outre' all over the lid and under the eye, and blend it out in the creases with 'tete-a-tint'.
My MAC eyeshadow palette review:
Everything about this palette is smooth and silky, including the packaging.
These shadows really are a dream to work with, and the minimal fallout helps create a seamlessly-blended eye makeup look.
I really love the mix of both cool and warm-toned neutrals. Nothing is too ‘purple-y’ or too ‘orange-y’.
Having shades like 'shroom' and 'drop the robe' can be used as cheek highlights, which is a bonus!
Plus, the super big mirror is great for doing makeup on the go, too.
Final Verdict...
Which of these eyeshadow palettes is right for you?
Whichever one fits in your budget and contains shades you will actually use.
It's easy to get caught up with what looks bright and sparkly, but let’s be realistic.
Are you going to use that bright yellow eyeshadow on the daily? Probably not.
Will you get epic cost-per-wear from an eyeshadow palette you can use for brows, eyeliner, blush and highlighter, too?
Most likely, heck yes!
Want more Bargain vs Bougie product recommendations? Check out these articles below!
