EYESHADOW 101

EYESHADOW PALETTES

• Meet your makers! Over the past few years, eyeshadow palettes have come up in the world. From mere pan o’ powders, the eyeshadow palette has risen to collectible, covetable, must-have cult beauty status. A good palette today spawns rival tribes of passionately devoted followers. Nudes vs bright! Mattes vs shimmers! Classics vs trends! Which one is best?!?!

• WHY EYESHADOW PALETTES?

  An eyeshadow palette offers a spectrum of shades, usually within the same color group, or at least in complementary shades. At one end of the spectrum will be lighter shades (to highlight and brighten) then medium shades (for base shades on lids) then dark shades (for lining and defining). Sometimes they'll have a mix of finishes, offering a blend of sheers and shimmers, sometimes an accent color for fun. Every palette is different and you should just go with your gut instinct in picking which one you think you’ll use most.

  
  

  There are a few different types of palettes, but in general there are 3 main ones: 1) nudes/neutrals, which offer up flattering beige, brown and caramel shades 2) trend-driven ones that offer of-the-moment colors and 3) smoky palettes, designed to give you everything you need to create a smoky eye.

• WHAT IS A GOOD STARTER EYESHADOW PALETTE?

  For anyone just starting to build a makeup collection, a nude eyeshadow palette is essential. A selection of everyday colors that are as wearable as possible is worth its weight in gold. You can start small, with something like a City Mini Eyeshadow Palette, which has 5 wearable shades, or go big, with our iconic Nudes of New York 16-Pan Eyeshadow Palette. Both options are perfectly edited collections of colors that you can’t go wrong with.