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It doesn’t matter whether you prefer a natural, “no makeup” look or a full glam beat, a high-quality neutral eyeshadow palette is a must-have staple in your makeup bag.
Neutral eyeshadow palettes are the LBD of eye makeup: timeless, foolproof, and elevate a look without much effort.
What is a neutral eyeshadow palette?
A neutral eyeshadow palette is not necessarily the same as a nude palette, but a nude palette can definitely be a neutral one. Neutral is oftentimes taken as a synonym for natural-looking makeup. Which it can be, but doesn’t have to be.
Neutral tones include those that are naturally found in skin, like pinks, peaches, beiges, and browns, but also creams, taupes, greys, plums, and black. Neutral palettes can have a range of colors from light to dark, in warm and cool tones, and a variety of finishes from matte to metallic.
What can you use a neutral eyeshadow palette to do?
The best neutral eyeshadow palettes can help you lift, sculpt, shape, highlight for a sophisticated day or dramatic evening look. They are not only versatile in terms of neutral eye looks you can create, but these shadows can also multitask as eyeliner along your lash line or as a brow powder.
I’m sharing a roundup of the best neutral eyeshadow palettes that should be present in everyone’s makeup collection. Whether you’re a beginner or pro, these palettes will become your go-to.
The Must Have Neutral Eyeshadow Palettes of 2023
Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette
From beauty editors to influencers to makeup lovers, I don’t know anyone who isn’t a fan of Anastasia’s The Soft Glam palette. Since its release, it’s been topping best eyeshadow lists and is consistently one of my most-reached-for palettes.
I’ve been a fan of Anastasia’s eyeshadow formulations for years. They perform well and are easy to work with whether you’re a beginner or pro.
The Soft Glam palette has a great mix of highly pigmented and blendable mattes and shimmers that work for both day and night looks. It also comes with a double-ended brush and mirror if you’re taking it on the go.
Huda Beauty The New Nude Eyeshadow Palette
What can I say: Huda Beauty’s The New Nude Eyeshadow Palette is just stunning.
This is one of my favorite nude eyeshadow palettes. Not only is this palette beautiful with its gorgeous color story and huge mirror, but these eyeshadows are everything you’d want in terms of quality, wearability, and performance.
The New Nude Palette contains both warm and cool toned shades in a range of pinks, berries, and taupes. Huda Beauty is always taking makeup innovation to the next level with their textures and finishes, and this palette has 10 matte shadows, 4 duo-chromatic reflective shades, 2 glitter formulas, 1 pressed pearl shade, and 1 concealer base to make sure you get a consistently smooth application and maximum color payoff.
Huda Nude Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette
If you want something more compact that’s easy to throw in your purse and take on the go, Huda Beauty’s Nude Obsessions palettes are perfect for everyday use. It comes in three variations—light, medium, and rich—and each version has a mix of nine neutral shadows that work for every skin tone and eye color.
Viseart Eyeshadow Palette in 01 Neutral Matte
Two words: Holy Grail.
This Viseart Eyeshadow Palette in 01 Neutral Mattes is one of my all-time favorite palettes and the best all-matte palette I’ve ever owned.
The 01 Neutral Mattes is Viseart’s bestselling palette and has earned a cult following in the beauty world. that features core, universally flattering beige and brown tones that are easy to use, extremely blendable, and perfect for both day and night looks.
I use it a lot. I bring this neutral palette with me on all of my trips—it’s compact with very travel friendly packaging AND highly versatile. Hot tip: You can also use these shadows as a brow powder, highlight, contour.
And if you prefer warm or cool tones, you’ll also want to check out Viseart’s Warm Mattes Palette and Cool Mattes Palette.
Pro Tip for Beginners: When you’re learning makeup skills—especially blending shadows—it is much less frustrating working with quality products. While this palette may seem pricey, it is well worth the investment.
Urban Decay Naked3 Eyeshadow Palette
Out of all of Urban Decay’s Naked palettes, the Naked3 is their bestselling palette for a reason—it works for all skin tones and looks great on everyone.
If you’re into rose-golds and dusty pink shades, the Naked3 is a must-have palette. With this range of twelve pigmented and blendable rose-toned neutrals in matte, shimmer, and metallic finishes, you can create an endless variety of eye looks.
The Naked3 is beginner-friendly and very travel-friendly with a full size mirror, brush, and hard outer casing. If you want more compact version you can throw in your purse, check out the Naked3 Mini Palette.
Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay’s Naked2 Basics is easy and effortless. This mini matte palette has six full-size, taupe-hued nude shadows that are flattering on a variety of skin tones and eye colors. This is a natural, everyday palette that travels well and is a great staple to have on hand.
Natasha Denona Biba All Neutral Eyeshadow Palette
Natasha Denona Glam Eyeshadow Palette
This everyday palette couldn’t be more beginner friendly with shade names that tell you the ideal place to apply them. This staple palette has everything you need whether you’re going for a more natural daytime look or dramatic glam—you have everything you need in one palette.
Natasha Denona Mini Biba Eyeshadow Palette
This travel-friendly mini palette is inspired by the bestselling Biba palette above, but is not the same! It features five all-new neutral shades in nude, brown, and coral. And if you’re in the mood to feel extra luxe, make sure to wear the center metallic shade that contains sparkling crushed crystals and pearls.
More Top-Rated Natasha Denona Mini Palettes:
Patrick Ta Major Dimension Eyeshadow Palette
Celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta is known for his work with the biggest names on runways and red carpets. Ta’s signature look is soft, neutral, and monochromatic in a way that makes his clients look sculpted and flawless. And now he created an essential eyeshadow palette that will let you do that at home.
The Major Dimension Eyeshadow Palette offers a range of warm and cool tones in velvet mattes, iridescent metallics, and glittering pearl toppers. The palette also has two cream bases that you can use to intensify, contour, and create a multidimensional look. You can wear each element alone or layer them to achieve looks that work for any occasion.
Patrick Ta Major Dimension II Rose Eyeshadow Palette
And if you love rose shades, you’ll also want to check out the Major Dimension II Rose Eyeshadow Palette!
Ilia The Necessary Eyeshadow Palette
Clean beauty brand Ilia already makes one of my holy grail eye products, the Limitless Lash Mascara. And now their Necessary Eyeshadow Palette lives up to its name. This compact palette comes in two options: warm or cool tones, and they each contain six high-performing neutral eyeshadows in matte, satin, and metallic finishes. Added bonus: these shadows are made with jojoba seed oil and vitamin E to moisturize the delicate skin around your eyes.
MAKEUP BY MARIO Master Mattes™ Eyeshadow Palette
The makeup artist responsible for Kim K’s signature looks created this universally-flattering matte palette to be a timeless staple in your collection. Using natural human skin tones as his inspiration, Mario developed a range of nudes from light to deep that work for everyone. These shadows are blendable and buildable, so you can go as natural or dramatic as you like.
Kaja Beauty Bento Bouncy Eyeshadow Trio
From packaging to performance, this Allure Best of Beauty Award Winning eyeshadow trio is as minimalist and on-the-go friendly as eyeshadow gets. With a variety of options to choose from, each of these stacked trios have three curated shadows in shimmers, mattes, or a combination of both.
My neutral recommendations: Neutral Moment, Velvet Dream (pictured above), Spiked Ginger, Mocha Spritz, and Chocolate Dahlia
Lawless Mini The Little One Talc-Free Eyeshadow Palette
This mini palette from clean makeup brand Lawless is talc-free, travel-friendly, and allows you to easily create essential looks on the go.
Artist Couture Supreme Nudes Pressed Pigment Eyeshadow Palette
Founded by celebrity makeup artist and beauty influencer Angel Merino, Artist Couture’s products are thoughtfully created to work on a variety of skin tones and occasions. This versatile palette features a mix of buttery mattes and curated metallic and high-pearl finish shadows to add dimension in a range of neutral, cool, and warm tones.
Smashbox Cover Shot Eye Shadow Palette in Minimalist
This compact neutral palette has a mix of six eyeshadows and two double-sized base shades in the essential colors and finishes you need to create countless eye looks with minimal effort. This pigmented palette has a great mirror, fits in your purse, and comes in very travel-friendly packaging. You can also find an all-matte option here.
Morphe 35O Supernatural Glow Artistry Palette
This neutral palette has been a staple in my collection for years.
The 35O Supernatural Glow Artistry Palette has been Morphe’s signature bestselling palette for a reason: it has a wide range of incredibly blendable, universally flattering, neutral shadows at an affordable price point.
This 35 shade eyeshadow palette works for any and every occasion. It has a wide range of nudes and neutrals from peach to brown tones with a mix of mattes and shimmers. The 35O is both beginner-friendly and travel-friendly with its thin plastic casing.
Morphe 18T Truth or Bare Artistry Palette
If you’re on the light to medium side of the skin tone range and love peaches, browns, and bronzes, Morphe’s 35X Big Primpin’ Artistry Palette is going to be a versatile and affordable favorite.
Morphe 18WT Matte Essentials Artistry Palette
These next two palettes are called the “matte essentials” palettes for a reason: between the two Morphe 18 matte palettes you won’t need more shades.
Morphe does not disappoint when it comes to high quality blendability and pigment payoff (and it’s at an affordable price point!). This 18WT all warm mattes palette is a steal for the countless looks you can create AND it’s also travel friendly.
Morphe 18CT Matte Essentials Artistry Palette
And if you’re a cool tone lover, this Morphe 18CT palette is a must own for its beautiful range of tones (mauves, greys, browns).
Morphe 9T Neutral Territory Artistry Palette
Not only is this one of my favorite palettes to travel with, but I find myself reaching for it a lot in my day to day. Morphe’s 9T is a high pigment palette with easy-to-blend shadows in the essential neutral shades I love at an unbeatable price point. Highly recommended.
Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow
Inspired by threads of CHANEL’s iconic tweed, Les 4 Ombres is a quad eyeshadow palette that comes in a variety of versatile shade combinations and finishes to create universally flattering eye looks.
CHANEL makeup lives up to the hype and hasn’t let me down yet. I find that these quads last a long time before hitting pan, and given the quality and performance of these shadows, you are getting more than your money’s worth.
Each quad comes with two medium tones to color, transition, and contour, plus a deeper shadow for more intensity, and a lighter shade to highlight.
With a range of shades, you are sure to find a favorite that works with your skin tone and depth. If you have a medium skin tone like I do, you’ll love 266 Tissé Essentiel (pictured above), 226 Tissé Rivoli, 308 Clair-Obscur, and 322 Blurry Grey. For darker skin tones, I recommend 268 Candeur et Expérience and 328 Blurry Mauve.
Charlotte Tilbury Super Nudes Easy Eyeshadow Palette
Charlotte Tilbury is an icon in the beauty industry (and the creator of several of my favorite holy grail products!).
True to its name, this nude palette is both easy-to-wear and easy-to-use. With six ultra-blendable satin-matte shadows—three warm and three cool-toned neutrals—you can create the perfect 90’s supermodel makeup. These shadows are formulated with oils and waxes for a buildable look without creasing or patchiness.
Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette
These Charlotte Tilbury four-step eyeshadow quads are foolproof. Each palette has four complementary colors to prime your base, enhance dimension, smoke out your look, and add pop where you want it. My favorites are Pillow Talk (shown above) and The Sophisticate (cream, tan, taupe & chocolate shades).
Jane Iredale PurePressed Eyeshadow Palette in Naturally Matte
Jane Iredale is known for “skincare makeup” and is committed to high-quality products that are also good for your skin. As a clean beauty brand, their makeup and skincare products are free of parabens, talc, phthalates, synthetic fragrance and GMO ingredients.
This Naturally Matte six-pan palette has specifically curated colors to create limitless looks. The finely milled mineral pigments offer a richer color payoff and the long-lasting, creamy formula makes for color that won’t crease or fade. This palette also contains natural ingredients like jojoba seed oil and shea butter to make sure your lids are moisturized for a smooth application.
Juvia’s Place The Nubian Eyeshadow Palette
The viral Nubian Palette helped put the inclusive, black-owned beauty brand Juvia’s Place on the map. These 12 high pigment, versatile nude and neutral shadows are flattering on all skin tones from light to dark.
Sigma Beauty Ambiance Eyeshadow Palette
This Sigma palette will help you achieve the ultimate natural golden glow with this curated mix of blendable, high-performing warm-toned mattes, shimmers, and metallics.
Pacifica Coconut-Infused Mineral Eye Shadow in Pink Nudes
This clean nude matte eyeshadow palette contains 10 wearable mineral shades in a mix of warm neutral pinks and browns without talc, parabens, phthalates or mineral oil.
The palette itself is also eco-conscious—it’s made from paper and designed for easy recycling.
Pacifica Cocoa Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
This talc-free nude eyeshadow palette includes 10 rich earth-toned mineral shades that are infused with cocoa butter.
ColourPop Gone Matte Pressed Powder Palette
This 30-pan neutral eyeshadow palette has everything you need to create an endless amount of looks. With a wide range of warm and cool toned mattes, this palette is great for beginners and anyone who wants to get more bang for their buck.
ColourPop Stone Cold Fox
If you’re looking for a cool-toned neutral palette, you can’t go wrong with this one. The silvers, greys, and mix of metallics really give this palette versatility—you can use it for everything from a natural no-makeup look all the way to the set of Euphoria glam.
ColourPop Bare Necessities
ColourPop Going Coconuts
Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Eyeshadow Palette
This quad is all about quality over quantity. And just because it’s a quad, doesn’t mean you can’t create multiple day and evening looks from these luxe shadows. While this rave-reviewed palette might seem pricey, it’s worth the investment for these pigmented, easy-to-blend, and long-wearing shades.
tarte Tartelette In Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette
This cult-favorite, award-winning, bestselling tarte palette is an everyday makeup dream come true. This 12-shadow palette is arranged in three rows for suggested shades to mix and match. This universally-flattering neutral palette is foolproof for day-to-day use and also great for travel—compact size, luxe packaging, and a large mirror.
tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette
If you love mattes as much I do, this palette has the essential neutral matte shades everyone needs in their collection. Warm to cool and light to deep, this palette is incredibly easy to use and ultra-wearable.
Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
This neutral palette has truly changed how eyeshadow is used. If you’re wondering why the matte pans are larger, Too Faced knows we tend to go through mattes faster and considered it in the design. This nude palette has sixteen creamy shadows—eight matte shades, each with a corresponding shimmer. They’re infused with coconut water, alpine rose, and hyaluronic acid to keep your skin moisturized and hydrated.
Eye Primers
And if you want your eye look to last all day without fading or creasing, I recommend investing in a solid eye primer. These are a few of my favorites:
