10 Best Drugstore Eyeshadow in 2022 – Reviews

This exquisite and aesthetically pleasing eyeshadow from CoverGirl can be used to create a colorful smoky eye in just a couple of seconds. This is owed to its maneuverable design and to the potent composition of its formula. Furthermore, it comes available in six expertly coordinated duos with cleverly shaped ends to make its application easier. This way, it is almost as if you had the shadow applied by a makeup artist without actually having to employ one.

Straight from the box, you can use it to apply a sparkly top layer that both looks and feels absolutely great. You will immediately notice that after using it just one, the uber sparkle disappears, leaving you with a great glimmer that you can blend with any shade. It is also one of the best highlighting shadows out there, one that blends well with every skin tone, especially on the inner corners and brow bones.

This 8-pan sunbaked neutrals eyeshadow from Maybelline stands out as one of the most exquisite in this range. Not only can it be used to apply no less than eight coordinating shades in every compact but it is also guaranteed to provide you with all-day wear that many women look for. Interestingly enough, the kit is also fade proof and crease proof despite involving some fairly bright and sharp colors.

If you’re looking to achieve a smoky lavender or soft metallic violet look, then this might be the thing for you. With a broad selection of shades to choose from, this particular eyeshadow can be used to provide a sheer, natural hint of color. Made with transparent pigments to avoid heaviness, this eyeshadow is bound to give you the freedom to further any light shade you might prefer without the risk of going overboard.

You want an eyeshadow that will not only meet your cosmetic expectations but one that will also be easy to use and easy to store. Such is the case with the Luxurious Color Diamond Luste from Revlon, an exquisite eyeshadow that boasts a very rich color. Diamond Lust can more or less boost your natural pigment without leaving any nasty stripes behind and without fading away until at least a few hours after its application. This is owed to the muted metallics in its composition, a formula that recommends it for anyone looking to achieve a close to natural look.

This long-wearing, crease-proof, blendable eyeshadow stands out as one of the very best out there. It is one that you can easily blend with pretty much any makeup base or face cream you might own without the risk of causing any dark spots or discoloration. You can use it for all-over color or as a base and blend with other shades if you are looking for a more dramatically contoured look. Furthermore, it comes in three unique textures to choose from – Matte, Rich, and Perle for a more illuminating effect.

You can expect Maybelline to deliver time and time again, which is precisely the case with this marbelized eyeshadow. In essence, it is a marbelized baked eyeshadow but you wouldn’t be able to dell given its versatility. For instance, it boasts two shades in each duo compact, a blend that will allow you to achieve any light shade as long as your pigmentation can take it. Not just that but it also benefits from a dimensional color refined luminosity that helps it provide that natural light shade many women look for.

The word perfect gets easily thrown around these days but not when it comes to L’Oreal Paris HiP Studio Secrets Metallic Eyeshadow. This expertly crafted eyeshadow can be used to create a sublime, edgy look in bold, metallic colors with a luminous finish. Formulated with rich, super-saturated, metallic colors for a high impact shade, it is guaranteed to provide you with a luminous finish through the use of a crease-resistant and long-lasting composition.

Thanks to its intense colors and exquisite texture, this ingenious eyeshadow from L’Oreal stands out as one of the very best. It employs a deeply saturated powder-cream texture that helps it blend well with pretty much any makeup without causing any unwanted spots. What’s more, you can rely on this eyeshadow to last for 24 hours after applying it, a feature not many eyeshadow palettes can provide. Also worth mentioning is the fact that it is waterproof, crease, and fade resistant, all the markings of a great eyeshadow.

No other eyeshadow palette even comes close to the ‘Nudes’ eyeshadow from Maybelline when it comes to versatility and diversity of choice. Boasting no less than 12 shades to choose from, this palette offers a virtually complete set of shades for you to employ depending on your pigment, mood, or occasion. As such, it allows you to form duo, trio, and quad color combinations, which means that you can use it to create bold eye makeup patterns that are guaranteed to last for a very long time after applying them. Overall, it is perhaps one of the best eyeshadow palettes money can buy.

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Drugstore Eyeshadow Buying Guide

If you’re looking into the possibility of getting some drugstore eyeshadow, you might want to take some time and figure out what exactly makes a good one to begin with. In that regard, you must first ask yourself what exactly you will be using it for and how often. Needless to say, some shades work a lot better with some situations than others. Mood aside, you also want to consider what other cosmetics you’re going to be blending it with because not all eyeshadow palettes enjoy the same easygoing formula. That said, here is what you need to consider when choosing an eyeshadow palette for yourself:

Theme

Whether you know it or not, eyeshadow palettes usually come in a specific, well-defined theme. For instance, some eyeshadow palettes are glittery and metallic, which makes them perfect for social gatherings like parties and the like. With a neutral look, however, you must rely on bland shades of low spectrum colors. Not to say that you couldn’t achieve the same effect with a high-end palette, but why waste it? If, for instance, you are just starting a collection, then a wide spectrum palette should do the trick just fine. What you want is a palette that contains colors you feel comfortable with.

Variety

Variety also plays an important role in choosing a good eyeshadow palette, mostly for practical reasons. Why waste time and money looking for different eyeshadow kits when you can buy a single yet diverse version? Say that you have a certain affinity to specific shades, then perhaps going for a low-variety kit isn’t all that bad. On the other hand, if you are prepared to step outside of your comfort zone, then, by all means, go for a high-end kit, one with 8 to 12 different colors and shades to choose from. You will find that you can achieve almost any look with a 12-color palette, just as long as you have the skills for it.

Shadow

Regardless of the color, the reason why women use eyeshadow is for that shadow effect only a decent eyeshadow can provide. For that to happen, you must first experiment with a wide range of shadows from various brands, a road most women journey on at some point in their lives. once you have figured out what look works best, you can proceed with finding palettes within that particular range of shades and colors. Bear in mind, however, that often palettes made by the same brand blend well with other palettes of theirs, even if it might seem at first that the colors wouldn’t blend.

Formula

Another thing to keep in mind is that eyeshadow can come in different packaging and different formulas. This way, you get to choose between cream, loose, or pressed eyeshadow, each with their own particularities. While cream eyeshadow works best as a base color before applying a powder eye shadow, loose eyeshadow is often the one that involves the most color pigment. This makes it rather difficult to work with for practical reasons, yet quite sublime when done right. You then have pressed eyeshadow which is perhaps the most common type. The reason behind its popularity is its ability to blend easily without being too messy or difficult to use.

Color Guide

It is very important to remember that the application of eyeshadow should be done based on eye color. Some of may already know this by now, as many women find out the hard way that whatever shade they enjoy simply doesn’t go well with their eye color, pigmentation, or skin color. While glittery shades work better with lighter skins, you should employ a slightly darker shade for darker tones.

• Blue Eyes – If you have blue eyes, your best bet is to go for a warmer shade, preferably blue-ish. If not, then at least choose a warm copper or earthy bronze tone as they seem to bring out a woman’s natural blue eyes.
• Brown Eyes – Women with brown eyes usually find out in their teens that contrasting shades are the way to go. This way, one should choose a deep espresso or dark steel shade, preferably paired with a neutral color for good measure.
• Green Eyes – Similar to blue eyes, it takes a fair bit of cleverness to create a blending shade for such bright eyes. A good way to do that is to use mauves and burgundy brown, colors that are known for enhancing naturally bright eyes.

Applying Eyeshadow

• The first thing you want to do is to set the base color by sweeping a light shade across the lid from the lash line to the crease.
• Proceed with highlighting your brow bones, preferably with a neutral shimmery shade. You do this from the inner corner of your eye and moving outwards in a smooth yet firm motion.
• You then add contrast to your eyes by blending a deep shade into the creases, but not too deep lest you want a somber outlook.
• With an eyeliner of your choosing, proceed with drawing a thin line along the base of the lashes. You can also smudge the liner ever so slightly for that smokey effect many women want.
• The last step involves the use of mascara, a matter of personal choice more than anything because the effectiveness of the mascara is directly dependent on the quality of the eyeshadow.

Tips & Tricks

• Figure out what each of your brushes is supposed to do. The difference between a large shadow brush or a precision shadow brush can seriously affect the end result.
• Realize that your eye shape determines how effective eyeshadow palettes can be. Women can have monolids, double lids, hooded eyes, almond eyes, downturned eyes, upturned eyes, protruding eyes, deep-set eyes, wide-set, or close-set eyes, each with their own particularities.
• Use plenty of primer if needed as it keeps your eyeshadow from falling off during the day. If, for instance, you employ a translucent primer, then you might want to dust a layer of light eyeshadow over it to help with the coloring.
• Keep in mind that different shades of a palette work best with specific areas around your eyes. In this respect, light colors work well as highlighters, second lightest colors are better on the lid itself, second darkest work best in the crease, and darkest colors are best used for the outer corner of the eye.
• Remember that duoes, trios, quads, and quint palettes have shadows that work best with specific effects. This way, light shades can be used for highlighting, definers can be used for contours, whereas main colors can be used for actual shading.