Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic started to take its toll, eyeshadow palette sales have risen. Because of this, more brands have shifted their attention towards designing and selling more of them. Now that there are so many on the market, how to choose an eyeshadow palette is somewhat tricky. Here there are a few easy tips on how to choose one that you will always want to reach for.
Consider your undertone
Do you veer more towards warmer colours or towards cooler colours? Do you veer for both? Depending on the answer, you have warm or cool or neutral undertone. If you know that you are olive skinned, you can consider yourself more in the neutral category, since most colours tend to flatter you as well. Just be careful with pure yellow, as that can be a bit overwhelming and might make you look sick as well (though gold looks amazing on you).
If you are warm, choose a more earth-toned colour story; if you are cool, choose a more pink or mauve colour story. If you are a neutral, you will want to check your wardrobe: if you have more warm-coloured clothes, go warm and if you have more cool-coloured clothes choose a cool toned colour story.
Consider this especially when you are choosing a palette for everyday use, because you want the colours to be versatile no matter what outfit you’re wearing.
Consider what kind of eyeshadow texture and formulation you prefer
There are quite a few eyeshadow textures: matte, shimmer, glitter. They come in powder, cream or liquid formulations, but it’s powder most of the time. Pressed pigments aren’t really eyeshadow, but you can use them as eyeshadows. They’re often in powder too. Powder eyeshadow is ideal for those who have oily skin. Liquid eyeshadows can be quite messy to use, which is why avoid them if you have a shaky hand. Cream formulations are better for those who have dry skin. Mineral eyeshadows are made in a very strict and regulated manner, so people with sensitive skin should opt for these first.
Consider what and how many colours you will use
You don’t want to buy a 12-pan to only use 4! You want to use at least 80% of all the eyeshadows in the palette. Start small with 3-pan or a quad, and then you can work your way up. If you are someone who during the day has a simple look but at night needs something more dramatic, you will want to use that same eyeshadow palette to switch up your look without having to start over. Consider your undertone when it comes to colours, but then also look for those colour combinations that you know work for you.
Swatch the palette before buying it
In most stores, you can swatch a palette before buying one. This will let you check if the eyeshadows are pigmented, and if the colours clash against your skin tone. This is really important if your skin has a rich colour to it: you need to be able to see the eyeshadow on it.
Try to have your makeup done with it
In some stores (like Sephora) you can have ask to have your makeup done with a certain eyeshadow palette. In this way, you can actually see how it looks on you without having spend lots of money. See if your local stores offer this service. Also ask if they give you a refund or an exchange if you have bought your palette and you don’t like it.
Consider your budget
A deciding factor in how to choose a new eyeshadow palette is the cost. If you are on a tight budget, you can always buy a drugstore palette at less than 10 euros (it could be pounds or dollars in your case). These days even these low cost palettes actually turn out to be very high-quality for the price, which is why give them a go.
And that’s it. These are the tips on how to choose a new eyeshadow palette. Always remember to put your makeup on after your sunscreen. Here are the tips to choose one, if you need to buy yourself one.
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