Photo: getty
With thousands of eye shadows to chose from, which are the cult-favorites?
By Elizabeth Blasi — Written on May 25, 2018
What's more fun than putting on your eye makeup before heading out? With so many different colors and looks to choose from, eyeshadow is a sure way to add your own personality or signature look into your makeup routine.
As eyeshadows are the products in our makeup drawer that we most likely have the most of, it's difficult to spend top-dollar on luxury brands. But not to worry, because the best drugstore makeup brands are making headway for fractions of the price.
Here are 30 of the best drugstore eyeshadows and eyeshadow palettes that are beauty award winners.
1. Maybelline's Lemonade Craze Palette
One of the best drugstore eyeshadows is a palette that will instantly take you back to your childhood days sipping lemonade by the pool. This fun and bright pops-of-color palette was tested by both Nikki Tutorials and Allie Glines with positive reviews. Their comments included: buildable shadows to help give you either a bold or soft look, and little to no shadow fall out when applying.
(Amazon)
2. LA Girl's Smokey Beauty Brick Eyeshadow Palette
With raving reviews online commenting on how you can't beat the cost of this Brick Eyeshadow Palette for the quality, these fun smokey colors will blend easily on our eyelids. The palette also offers a good variety of colors, giving you an eye look ready to hit the clubs in the PM.
(Ulta, $7.99)
3. Revlon's Color Stay Palette
Revlon prepared the ultimate color eye look with their Color Stay Palette. Taking the guessing game out of which mono shades to choose from or which colors in a multi-shade palette go together, this palette offers perfectly pre-matched shades to act as your transitional, crease, lid, and highlighting colors (all in one package).
(Ulta, $5.94)
4. BH Cosmetic's Nouveau Neutral Eyeshadow Palette
Made up of beautiful warm toned shadows, these 21 eye shadow colors, along with five additional blush shades, includes a mix of shimmers, mattes, and metallics. For sixteen dollars, users are getting 26 shades in all, which is a total steal! All shades are high quality, highly pigmented and creamy for easy to use blend-ability, making it one of the best drugstore eyeshadows on the market.
(BH Cosmetics, $16)
5. Elf's Mad for Matte Two Eyeshadow Palette
Tried by beauty guru Jeffree Starr, Elf's Mad For Matte Eyeshadow Two, comes in a variety of shades aimed to cover any look. Go bold with pops of colors like purple and coral, or go more neutral with cool and warm toned browns.
As Starr mostly stays close to wearing and sampling luxury brands, he was pleasantly surprised by Elf's shadows and actually loved them, naming them one of the best drugstore eyeshadows! Not too shabby.
(Amazon)
6. Physicians Formula Eyeshadow Quads
According to beauty influencer Tati, "these quad palettes are the most underrated product at the drugstore. Period." They are such a bargain for the price and come in so many different shade offerings.
These shades are known to be creamy mattes with amazing blend ability. For the quality given at the listed price point, the Physicians Formula Eye Shadow Quads are certainly a must-have item.
(Walgreens, $7.99)
7. Almay's Shadow Squad Quad
These Almay Eyeshadow Quads come in 15 different shades, each offering four variations of pigment within their color family. With the large amount of offerings, there's bound to be one or two shades that best fit your skin tone or compliment your eye color.
As these quad's formula are packed with illuminating pigments, Almay promises these shadow's final looks give off bright and beautiful color.
(Target, $4.99)
8. Rimmel's Magnif'eyes Palette
No better way to say how great this product is than by mentioning that the Magnif'eyes Palette won People Magazine's best drugstore eyeshadows for the year in 2017. With 12 different shades varying in matte and shimmer finishes, this palette can deliver several amazing looks that can differ from day wear to night wear.
Noted for contouring the eyes, the Magnif'eyes Palettes also come in a variety of shade offerings from: Nude, Blush, or Smoke.
(Amazon)
9. Milani Cosmetics' Hypnotic Light Eyes Topper
Available in five different shades, these Hypnotic Light Toppers are drug-store dupes for Stila's Shimmer and Glow Liquid Eye Shadow. Coming in at under half the price, Milani's eye toppers are beautifully pigmented with more of a metallic finish versus Stila's liquid shadows that have more of a glitter finish.
(Milani, $11)
10. Flower Beauty's Shimmer & Shade Eyeshadow Palette
Fun fact: Flower Beauty was a brand started by Drew Barrymore, her goal being to bring empowerment and optimism to people everywhere through launching her makeup brand. By spending most of her life in the makeup chair, she's learned a thing or two about beauty, and this shows in her Shimmer & Shade Eyeshadow Palette.
According to Kathleen Lights, the shadows in this palette are super blend-able and finish with a "super soft eyeshadow" look. Along with the shadows, the palette comes with a high quality shadow brush to use to apply your new shadows.
(Walmart, $14.98)
11. BH Cosmetics' Solar Flare Palette
Overall the BH Cosmetics' Solar Flare Palette comes with a wide variety of duo-chromed, warm toned shades. Mostly made up of golds, coppers and bronze shades with a few pops of color, these 15 shades are highly pigmented with high color payoff and blend-able.
For an added pop of intense color, try using a mixing medium (like Mac's Super Fix Plus) to combine with the shadow by applying on top of your shadow brush.
(Ulta, $16)
12. Wet N Wild's Color Icon Eyeshadow Quad
A new addition for Wet N Wild eyeshadow palettes, these Color Icon Eyeshadow Quads now include a transitional matte shade to help build your perfected look as these shades are easy to use with their creamy and blend-able formula. For a very low price point, you're surprisingly getting four beautiful and highly pigmented shades with along with exact directions of where to put and place each shade for a final, completed look.
(Amazon)
13. Revlon's Color Stay Creme Eyeshadow
Voted by Allure as one of their Best of Beauty Winners under the best drugstore eyeshadows, the Revlon Color Stay Creme Eyeshadow shadows surprise and delight with their light shimmers and silky textures. While these shadows come in 11 different shades, Allure pin-pointed their favorite as the Creme Brulee, as it adds a pop of lovely champagne color to the lid.
Each shadow also comes with a specialized applicator to use when applying this creamy formula.
(Walmart, $6.97)
14. L'Oreal's Colour Riche Mono Eyeshadow
As we mentioned one Allure Best Beauty Winner, we should mention another. L'Oreal's Colour Riche Mono Eyeshadow also takes home an award from Allure for it's iconic mono shadows that ignite with intensity. Allure named this product in particular because of its black shade, Noir C'est Noir.
While most black-colored shades turn to ranges of gray once they're smudged or blended, Noir C'est Noir does not. Because of its super rich color (almost appearing gel-like), the color stays as dark as night, no matter the wear or the amount of blending done on the lid.
(CVS, $5.99)
15. Maybelline's Total Temptation Eye & Cheek Palette
This brand new palette comes with eight beautiful shadow shades along with two cheek highlighters. According to beauty influencer Stephanie Ledda, the shadows on this palette "blend really nicely," and while although Ledda has a hard time finding drugstore eyeshadows that work, she noted how Maybelline's Total Temptation Palette was a comparable shadow to more Lux brands.
While the two colors in the middle of the palette are meant to be used on the cheeks for highlighting, both can also double as a nice lid shade when doing your eye makeup.
(Walgreens, $11.99)
16. Covergirl's TruNaked Eyeshadow
As said by Total Makeup Junkie 101, the Covergirl's TruNaked Eyeshadow Palette are complete shade dupes for Urban Decay's Nude Palettes and cost a fifth the price. Coming in a variety of three different palettes — nudes, golden, and roses — these Covergirl shadows are made up of a new formula that are more pigmented and blend-able than their previous shadows.
Making this not only one of the best eyeshadows from Covergirl, but overall a great drugstore buy if looking to create the perfect nude look.
(Walmart, $9.98)
17. Wet N Wild's Mega Last Catsuit Liquid Eyeshadow
Coming in eight different shades, Wet N Wild's Megalast Catsuit Liquid Eyeshadow is the perfect foil to hug your eye lid for high impact color. Because of its foil-like nature, the formula is said to be long lasting (nine lives, in fact).
Each of these eight shadows have a multidimensional shimmery effect that dries down to a matte finish. These shadows are meant to be used as a final applied shadow to place on the lid after completing your transitional and crease work on your eye.
(Ulta, $4.99)
18. BH Cosmetics' Eyelights Waterproof Eye Toppers
As raved about by Tati, BH Cosmetic's Eyelights Waterproof Eye Toppers are the perfect product to top off your festival-goer look. Coming in six shades, each offers their own high shine, multi dimensional glitter finish.
While most liquid eyeshadows are hard to blend with other shadows and formulas, these products from BH Cosmetics are easily blend-able and mix with other shadows.
(BH Cosmetics, $8)
19. BH Cosmetics' Take Me Back to Brazil Eyeshadow Palette
While staying on the BH Cosmetic's Train, it's important to mention their iconic palette, Take Me Back To Brazil. Most notably one of the most colorful palettes on the market, this palette comes with thirty two eye popping, high pigmented shades ranging from colors like red, blue, green, and purple (and everything in between).
When creating fun and festive looks, this should be your go-to. In terms of the price, for coming in at fifty cents a shade, you truly can't go wrong.
(Ulta, $16)
20. Flower Beauty's Wanderlust Palette
As told by beauty influencer Shae, the colors in the Wonderlust Palette are some of the "most beautiful shades she's ever seen." Coming in a variety of different palettes, the Wonderlust Palettes are named after some of Drew Barrymore's favorite cities around the world — from NYC Midnight Manhattan to Austin's Downtown Dust Palette.
Each palette comes with six shades, big enough to complete your eye look and small enough to carry in your purse or clutch to take anywhere.
(Ulta, $10.99)
21. Milani Cosmetics' Bold Obsession Eyeshadow Palette
Coming in the most beautiful packaging, this Milani eyeshadow palette comes with 12 different shades, all ranging from matte, shimmer, and satin finishes. The mix of colors are similar to those you would find in a Stila palette which is more of a luxury brand costing almost double the price.
Milani's Bold Obsession Palette also comes with a large compact mirror as well as three laid out rows to guide you into three set-perfected looks. But no worries, there's no need to follow the exact rules with this palette, as all these beautiful shades make it easy to color outside the lines!
(Milani, $20)
22. Rimmel's Holographic Mono Eyeshadows
As holographic looks are massively trending this summer, it only makes sense to include a holographic shadow into our list. Rimmel's Hologrpahic Mono Shadows come in four different shades: Lunar Lilac (pictured), Minted Meteor, Blushed Orbit, and Gilded Moon.
These shadows are not only long lasting but can be doubled as both eyeshadows and face/cheek highlighters. As these are bright pops of holographic color, they're great lid shades to combine with your eye look or can be used alone as a mono shadow.
(Target, $2.99)
23. Physicians Formula Extreme Shimmer Eyeshadow
Loved by beauty influencer Tati as some of the best drugstore eyeshadows, these Physicians Formula Extreme Shimmer Eyeshadows were released around Christmastime and come in four different palettes, all packed with six shadows in each.
While Physicians Formula already had a great formula for their eyeshadows, they reformulated and created an even better product (to now be comparable to most LUX shadows out there) with more pops of pigment and ease of use with their blend-ability. Coming in an assortment of fun new colors, these palettes are a must-add to your beauty collection.
(Walmart, $8.69)
24. Elf Cosmetics' Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette
A much loved dupe to many luxury/high-end makeup palettes, Elf Cosmetic's Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette comes with ten different shades all focused around the pink and warm toned brown's family.
Coming in at only a dollar a shade, this palette is worth every penny. Its rich color and blend-able nature make this a must-love and very well sought after product on the market.
(Amazon)
25. Wet N Wild's Color Icon Glittery Single
Mentioned by the beauty icon and guru herself, Laura Lee highly recommends the Color Icon Glittery Single Eyeshadows and places them under her favorite five products for under five dollars. These shadows are usually always sold out online, so if you can get your hands on one, you're in luck!
As these shadows formulas are more like a gel than a shadow, they layer perfectly on top of your completed eye look for a glittery finish.
(Wet N Wild, $0.99)
26. L'Oreal's Crushed Foils Mono Eyeshadows
These Crushed Foil shadows from L'Oreal add a bold metallic finish to your eye look with amazing color and promising wear. They also claim to make your eye look radiate with a luminous finish. In addition to the eyeshadows, the metallic line from L'Oreal also includes Lips and Highlighter to complete the ultimate metallic look.
(Walmart, $9.97)
27. Maybelline's City Mini Eyeshadow Palette
Staying true to their New York City theme, Maybelline has launched the City-Mini Palettes with a variety of shade offerings. Each palette is representative of a New York-themed moment; some examples include: Chill Brunch Neutrals, Rooftop Bronzes, and Urban Jungle.
The palette includes six shades that are all used to makeup one exciting eye look. Each shade is numbered and given a step by step guide for application to help create their intended signature looks.
(Target, $4.39)
28. Almay's Palette Pops Eyeshadow
Many online reviews rank this product as one of their favorite drugstore eyeshadow buys. The Pops Eyeshadow does just that — it pops, with highly pigmented colors that come in sets of nine. Each shade complimenting the other.
In addition, the palettes are buildable and can be worn as a simple day look or be jazzed up for a great nighttime wear.
(Target, $12.99)
29. Revlon's Photo Ready Eye Art
Also known as an Allure best of beauty award winner, this dual system Ready Eye Art gives you the look of perfectly placed loose glitter without the hassle or messy glitter fall out. Coming in ten different shades, there's a color combination for any desired look you may be going for.
While the first shadow needs a little bit of time to dry down, the outcome and payoff is beautiful.
(Amazon)
30. Covergirl's Eye Enhancers 1-Kit Shadow
Coming in twenty stunning shades, there's no shortage of ideas or desired eye looks that can't be completed with Covergirl's Eye Enhancer 1-Kit Shadows. What users love about these particular shadows is that for a drugstore buy, each shade is so unique and personalized that they become fan favorites and ultimate go-to's when creating signature looks.
(Walmart, $2.50)
Elizabeth Blasi is a New Yorker. A lifestyle & travel writer, who is often seen with a suitcase in hand jetsetting to her next location. But as a true Digital Nomad, her love of writing and romance novels means her laptop is always beside her.
SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave
SaveSaveSaveSave
SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave
More for You:
SaveSave
YourTango may earn an affiliate commission if you buy something through links featured in this article.