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Best Drugstore Eyeshadow Palettes
Updated April 2022
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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.Read more 
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Maybelline The Nudes
Maybelline
The Nudes
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Best for Everyday Use
Bottom Line

The nude shades and quality pigmentation will have you reaching for this palette daily.

Pros

A healthy mix of matte and shimmer shades. Highly pigmented color that is easily blendable. Little to no fallout. A few of the shades work well for filling in eyebrows. Perfect palette for creating natural looks.

Cons

Shimmer shades tend to crease without eyeshadow primer.

Best Bang for the Buck
Covergirl Trunaked Nudes
Covergirl
Trunaked Nudes
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Bargain Pick
Bottom Line

A mix of easy to wear matte and shimmer shades at a price your wallet will love.

Pros

Available in 3 color schemes: Nudes, Goldens, and Jewels. 8-pan palette sits at a considerably low price point. Goes on light, but is easily buildable to create a range of subtle to dramatic looks. Shimmer and matte shades have almost no fallout.

Cons

You will need primer and setting spray to help this shadow last all day.

NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette
NYX
Ultimate Shadow Palette
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Best Color Payoff
Bottom Line

Create a range of bright and bold looks with these highly pigmented and unique colors.

Pros

Ultimate palette available in 3 complementary color schemes: The Brights, Cool Neutrals, and Smokey & High. Quality color pay-off. Pigmented shades that still blend easily. Stays in place for hours even without primer.

Cons

You may experience some fallout with this palette.

Wet N' Wild Rose In The Air
Wet N' Wild
Rose In The Air
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Trusted Brand
Bottom Line

All the quality you'd expect from Wet N' Wild in 3 beautiful eyeshadow palettes.

Pros

Available in 3 color schemes: Rose In The Air, Not A Basic Peach, and Comfort Zone. Pigmented colors apply smoothly and blend well. A balance of lighter daytime colors and darker evening ones. Includes helpful tutorials on the back packaging. Cruelty-free formula.

Cons

Lots of fallout in the pan, but little to none when applying on your eyelids.

Product Brand Natural Nude
Product Brand
Natural Nude
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Most Versatile
Bottom Line

The perfect all-in-one palette for traveling or doing your makeup on-the-go.

Pros

Comes in natural nude or warm nude to accommodate different skin tones. All-in-one palette can be used as eyeshadow, highlighter, bronzer, and blush. Comes in aesthetically pleasing packaging. Mirror, eyeshadow brush, and blush brush also included.

Cons

Some find the highlighter is too subtle, and looks chalky when built up.

HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

Click here for testing insights
30
Models
Considered
83
Consumers
Consulted
28
Hours
Researched
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Playing around with different eyeshadow colors and styles is a fun way to express yourself, but forking out $50.00 - $70.00 for a new palette can be a little overwhelming. Luckily, there are a number of drugstore brand eyeshadow palettes that are on-par, or sometimes better than the high-end options, for a fraction of the price. The only real difference between the $50.00 and the $8.00 palettes is packaging. High-end pallets are often heavy-duty with a clasp and a mirror – features you won’t always get with a cheaper option. Drugstore palettes have the quality shadows that expert makeup lovers appreciate, but often include instructions and brushes ideal for beginners to get the looks they want.

Our Top Picks
Maybelline
Best of the Best
Maybelline
The Nudes
Bottom Line
The nude shades and quality pigmentation will have you reaching for this palette daily.
Shop Now
Covergirl
Best Bang for the Buck
Covergirl
Trunaked Nudes
Bottom Line
A mix of easy to wear matte and shimmer shades at a price your wallet will love.
Shop Now
NYX
Top Pick
NYX
Ultimate Shadow Palette
Bottom Line
Create a range of bright and bold looks with these highly pigmented and unique colors.
Shop Now
Wet N' Wild
Top Pick
Wet N' Wild
Rose In The Air
Bottom Line
All the quality you'd expect from Wet N' Wild in 3 beautiful eyeshadow palettes.
Shop Now
Product Brand
Top Pick
Product Brand
Natural Nude
Bottom Line
The perfect all-in-one palette for traveling or doing your makeup on-the-go.
Shop Now