Best Eyeshadow Palettes (2019) | Editor’s Top Picks

There is an endless supply (seemingly, at least) of eyeshadow palettes hitting the market at any given point, and last year, I was excited to see a few new, permanent palettes get released, but I’m even more excited for our guide to Best Eyeshadow Palettes — 2019 Edition because there were so many permanent palettes launched this year alone!

ColourPop’s nine-hued monochromatic palettes released frequently throughout the year, and while a lot of them are quite nice, I’ve selected the best of the best to feature below. Natasha Denona’s Biba has become a real workhorse palette, while Sydney Grace’s Autumn’s Reign is a superb offering that’s different than the typical palette releases but still is cohesive and easy to create looks from.

Every product recommended below has been tested and reviewed by me, and I test thousands of products every year–so they’ve earned their way onto this list. To read more about a specific shade or view swatches, make sure to use the drop downs and buttons below, as we’ve tried to make this guide comprehensive and easy to use!

The way I approach my guides is by focusing permanent formulas that have stood the test of time–they are high quality, consistent, and all formulas that I personally enjoy. You’ll find a formula overview and top-rated shades (that are permanent) for each highlighted range. As always, I’d love to hear about your own personal favorite formulas–don’t forget to tell me why!

If you’re curious about the best limited edition holiday products and sets, check out our Best of Holiday 2019 Palettes & Gifts, which automatically updates the rankings as new reviews go live.

Natasha Denona Sunrise

Sunrise is the perfect size–compact, travel-friendly, but there’s no shortage of actual product in each pan, so it’ll last long enough (maybe a lifetime!). It has a mix of warmer tones across yellow, copper, and plum and is designed to complement the brand’s larger Sunset palette.

Colour Pop Smoke Show

If you love a monchromatic, all-gray and black smoky eye, ColourPop Smoke Show is everything. Not only is it affordable, it’s high-quality, easy to work with, and delivers a beautiful result.

Natasha Denona Biba

Biba’s become a workhorse for me when I want easy, go-to neutrals that aren’t too warm-toned (though it’s a warmer-toned palette, overall!). There’s a fantastic mix of shimmers and mattes, and the mattes are the brand’s much-improved Creamy Matte formula that’s velvety, blendable, and pigmented.

Colour Pop It's My Pleasure

ColourPop’s It’s My Pleasure is another winner from their monochromatic series. For purple lovers, it features a mix of pink and blue-based purples across finishes.

Huda Beauty Neon Orange

The Obsessions Palettes are compact, more affordable, and fairly consistent; this year’s Neon Orange offers a vibrant mix of oranges and pinks with pops of shimmer that complement them.

Kaja Orange Blossom

Kaja’s Orange Blossom is one of my favorites from their trios, which are compact, travel-friendly, and more affordable (all things relative, of course). I love that they’re all sparkling shades because the trio complements the many, many palettes that have released over the years that many of us already have!

Sugarpill Fun Size

Fun Size is a delightful mix of brighter, richer pastel-inspired shades. I love that there’s enough vibrancy in each shade that they don’t look washed out or faded when applied. This is several steps down from neon brights, too, so it is a nice way to introduce yourself to color if you’re new to it. Plus, it’s also a fun size and is infinitely more affordable than Sugarpill’s individual eyeshadows (which are massive in size, too).

Colour Pop Just My Luck

Just My Luck is the green-hued monochromatic palette in the brand’s line-up, and it features a nice mix of cooler and warmer greens across mattes and shimmers.

Sydney Grace Autumn's Reign

If you have been hesitant about indie brands, Sydney Grace’s Autumn’s Reign might be the one product that could make all that hesitancy disappear. Every single eyeshadow was pigmented, blendable, and long-wearing with beautifully done mattes and intense, creamy shimmers. The color scheme was rich–autumn’s reign, indeed!–and cohesive.

Coloured Raine Queen of Hearts

Queen of Hearts has become my updated go-to for rosier tones, almost like a more shimmery, more vibrant Modern Renaissance.

Viseart Cashmere

For those who like softer, more neutral looks, Cashmere is still a winner for me. It includes three mattes and three shimmers that pair together for easy, five-minute looks.

Urban Decay Born to Run

Born to Run remains one of the better, permanent palettes released in a long while. I feel like this palette is what Naked was when it first debuted. It’s incredibly cohesive and versatile with the quality to back it up.

Colour Pop Yes, Please!

If you love your warm, sunset tones, then ColourPop’s Yes, Please! remains one of the best that can be purchased for under $20.

Pat McGrath Bronze Seduction

Bronze Seduction is one of the best, permanent palettes from the brand and is also one of the more cohesive color stories.

Chanel Tisse Rivoli (226)

For soft, rosier neutrals, consider Tisse Rivoli paired with your favorite mattes for quick and easy looks.

Natasha Denona Sunset (2018)

The original Sunset palette got a slight formula updated in 2018 when it was re-released and made permanent, and it still was a fantastic palette. For those who bigger beauty budgets, it’s well worth splashing out for if they’re the kind of colors you’d use often.

Tom Ford Beauty Nude Dip

Nude Dip is an old favorite, and it continues to live in my vanity drawers (which is very, very limited in space) because it’s a reliable, easy-to-apply kind of formula that looks effortless on.

Viseart Paris Nude (06)

Satin and pearl finishes are underrated and not nearly as explored as mattes and metallics, in my experience, and Paris Nude is all about satin and pearl finishes in muted, neutral tones.