A good eyeshadow palette can be invaluable for your day-to-day life, allowing the opportunity to create multiple eye looks while saving major space in your favorite makeup bag or bathroom drawer. And for brides, an eyeshadow palette can be even more beneficial.
Pick up just one and you can easily create a unique eye makeup look for every wedding-related occasion, from the engagement party to the bridal shower to the big day itself. The location and theme of your wedding can dictate the type of palette you go with, too. “For a more casual wedding venue or theme, you may want a more neutral palette, whereas a formal or more dramatic wedding calls for smokey eyes or subtle shimmers,” says StyleSeat makeup artist Manuel Espinoza.
There’s certainly no shortage of options to choose from. From palettes that have a small, curated selection of shades to ones that have a dizzying amount, there's something for everyone. And don't forget to consider the seemingly endless variety of finishes and textures available.
To help narrow down your search, we've researched and selected trending wedding day makeup options with these features in mind. From matte to metallic, we looked at the finish type, formula, and shade range to give you the most selection for your wedding day look.
Read on for the best wedding eyeshadow palettes.
Most Universal
Persona Identity Eyeshadow Palette
Espinoza recommends this palette as a universal, fail-safe choice that houses a dozen colors. “I love it because it contains both matte and shimmer shades in both warm and cool tones,” he says. “The formula is amazing and the colors look great on just about anyone,” he adds. Long story short, you really can’t go wrong, especially if you love natural wedding makeup looks.
Who It's For
Those who want a versatile eyeshadow palette that has both matte and shimmer options in a wide variety of colors.
Finish Type: Matte, shimmer | Form: Powder | Colors: 12
Best Shade Range
Morphe Natural Flirt Artistry Palette
Another one of Espinoza’s picks, he says the colors in this palette are great for brides who are after a fun, more playful look. There are both mattes and shimmers in a nice range of shades. Plus, you get 35 shadows for a budget price, making this an excellent choice for the value-conscious bride, too.
Who It's For
Those who want an eyeshadow palette with a wide range of shade options, from neutral to bold.
Finish Type: Matte, shimmer | Form: Powder | Colors: 35
Best Budget
e.l.f. Cosmetics The New Classics Eyeshadow Palette
Don’t want to shell out the big bucks for an eyeshadow palette? This is the one for you. You get 15 neutral, wearable colors for a wallet-friendly price that can't be beaten. They come in matte, satin, and shimmer textures, all of which pack a punch of pigment. Bonus points for the fact that the formulas are vegan and cruelty-free, too.
Who It's For
Those who want an affordable eyeshadow palette that comes in a variety of finishes for both a natural and glam look.
Finish Type: Matte, satin, shimmer | Form: Powder | Colors: 15
Best Warm Shades
Natasha Denona Bronze Eyeshadow Palette
Love any and every type of warm-hued shadow? Espinoza suggests checking out this palette. “The warm, neutral tones are perfect for creating any type of day-to-night look,” he says, adding that all of the 15 shades are highly pigmented. Plus, the colors come in a mix of matte, chrome, metallic, and shimmer finishes.
Who It's For
Those who want a highly pigmented eyeshadow palette with warm shades, including coppers, bronzes, and champagne, for a day or evening look.
Finish Type: Matte, chrome, metallic, shimmer | Form: Powder | Colors: 15
Most Blendable
Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette
This brand may be best known for its eyebrow products (which, yes, are amazing), but don’t sleep on its great selection of eyeshadow palettes. “This is one of my go-tos because it has a beautiful range of shades and the shadows are very blendable,” says Espinoza. This comes in handy when you are doing your own wedding makeup. To that point, while the 15 colors are mostly warm tones, they can easily be mixed and matched to create even more options.
Who It's For
Those who want a fail-proof eyeshadow palette that blends easily and features shades that all work well together.
Finish Type: Matte, metallic | Form: Powder | Colors: 14
Best Cool Shades
Smashbox Cover Shot Eyeshadow Palette: Punked
If cooler hues are more flattering for your eye and skin color, check out this palette. It has eight shades, all with cooler undertones, such as purples and mauves. All of them are highly pigmented (so a little goes a long way) and extremely blendable. We also appreciate that the palette itself is compact and purse-sized.
Who It's For
Those who want a highly pigmented eyeshadow palette with cool undertones, including purple and mauve.
Finish Type: Matte, shimmer | Form: Powder | Colors: 8
Best Bright Hues
Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde Eyeshadow Palette
Want to have a little fun and experiment with some more out-of-the-box shadow looks? This palette offers the best of both worlds, with 18 shades in a mix of more wearable neutrals and more dramatic brights (think vibrant turquoise and rich violet). Along with the metallic and mattes, there is also one glitter powder and two unique, reflective shadows that can impart a different type of glow to your lids.
Who It's For
Those who want an eyeshadow palette that contains bright hues, along with metallic and glitter finishes for a bold look.
Finish Type: Matte, metallic, glitter | Form: Powder | Colors: 18
Most Shades
NYX Professional Makeup Utopia Shadow Palette
For those seeking an eyeshadow palette that will let them play and experiment with pretty much every shadow shade under the sun this is an awesome choice. You get 40 colors that run the gamut from neutral to dramatic and matte to metallic. You may never have to buy another eyeshadow palette again.
Who It's For
Those who want to buy just one eyeshadow palette that has a wide variety of shades and finishes for every type of look.
Finish Type: Matte, metallic, velvet | Form: Powder | Colors: 40
Best for Minimalists
Charlotte Tilbury Darling Eyeshadow Palette
If you like to keep your wedding eye makeup simple and streamlined, check out this option from Charlotte Tilbury. Espinoza is a fan, noting that, even though it only comes with six colors, you can easily use it to create either a light, neutral look or build them up to create a bolder, smokier effect.
Who It's For
Those who want a simple, streamlined eyeshadow palette with colors that all work well together.
Finish Type: Matte, shimmer | Form: Powder | Colors: 6
Best Personalized
Hourglass Curator 5-Well Eyeshadow Palette
The easiest way to ensure you’re getting a palette that contains only colors you’re actually going to use? Create your own. Channel your inner makeup artist and pick up this empty five-pan palette, then choose from any of the brand’s 40 eyeshadow shades to pop inside. Bonus points for the fact that this is a super sustainable option since you can just refill the palette (which is made from tin and PCR plastic) with new colors once they run out. And if you want just a few colors, there’s also a three-pan size available.
Who It's For
Those who want an eyeshadow palette that they can customize and pick out their own shades in a refillable palette.
Finish Type: Matte, shimmer, satin, metallic | Form: Powder | Colors: Customize between 1 and 5 options
Most Glamorous
PATRICK TA Eyeshadow Palette
For the glamorous bride who wants a dramatic eye, this Patrick Ta palette should be in your bridal makeup bag. It features a mix of bold rose and more neutral shades with various matte, satin, and pearlescent finishes. What makes this unique is that it also features both shadows and cream bases to add depth and dimension to your look. Layer these blendable shades for the perfect blush-colored smokey eye, and finish with false eyelashes for the ultimate glam wedding day look.
Who It's For
Those who want an eyeshadow palette that has bold shades with dramatic finishes for the glamorous bride.
Finish Type: Matte, satin, pearlescent | Form: Powder, cream | Colors: 12
What to Look for in an Eyeshadow Palette
- Skin Tone: According to Espinoza, this is the first thing to consider when shopping for an eyeshadow palette. “If you have fair skin, go with lighter peaches and nudes or darker browns that have yellow or cream undertones,” he says. “Darker or medium skin tones can make their look pop with bright berry colors,” he adds. If you want to try a wide range of shades, go with a palette like the NYX Ultimate Utopia Shadow Palette or the Morphe Natural Flirt Artistry Palette.
- Wedding Theme and Venue: The wedding location, time of day, and theme can all play a part in your makeup choices. A laid-back beach wedding will call for a very different look than a formal black-tie event. And if you're looking to use your palette for other wedding-related events like the bachelorette or bridal party, go with something that offers a wide range of color and finish options.
- Eyeshadow Finish: You should also consider the finish of the eyeshadow to create the desired effect. For a more minimalist look, pick a palette that has more matte colors or soft shimmers in soft rose or neutral tones, such as the Charlotte Tilbury Darling Eyeshadow Palette. For a more bold or dramatic look, a metallic or glitter shadow will create the ultimate glam look.
Why Trust Brides
Brides contributor Melanie Rud has over a decade of experience in the beauty industry, writing for some of the biggest magazines and websites out there. She’s also a newlywed, who used eyeshadow palettes for almost all of her wedding-related events (and packed several on her honeymoon). For this article, the BRIDES team spoke with a professional makeup artist for their expert insight:
- Manuel Espinoza is a StyleSeat makeup artist with more than 16 years of experience.