Eye Palettes for Beginners

With Tax Return Season upon us, I've had a couple of friends and relatives asking me about luxury make-up, what they should purchase if they're starting out, and how to use some of these items. It's not uncommon for us gals to be drawn to the sparkly and beautiful, eye shadow palettes being one of them. Walking into a store like Sephora or Ulta can be overwhelming, looking at options and trying to decide what you'd like. If you've watched beauty gurus online, you might have some idea what you're looking for, or you're even more confused than before.

Below, I'll attempt to share four of my favorite eyeshadow palettes for beginners. I believe eye shadow palettes should have a great mix of matte, glitter, and frosty shades with neutrals and pops of color. I judge them on price, texture, range of colors, and pigmentation. Each category will get a star (★) depending on my experience with them. I'll also include some honorable mentions at the bottom that I've heard beauty bloggers and youtubers mention frequently.

1. Naked 2 Palette by Urban Decay, $54

When I first started getting into make-up, Urban Decay was my brand. This is because a friend who introduced me to it all used the Naked Palette, and I was amazed by it. However, the Naked 2 Palette is definitely my favorite out of all the ones they've released. I just like the overall range of colors better and tend to reach for it more. Also, with each palette, you get a free trial size of their eyeshadow primer, which ensures that your shadows won't crease. The price has gone up over the years - when I bought my first one, they were $49 and are now up to $54.

The pigmentation is okay, and the texture is thin and a bit chalky. They're okay to blend out, but do have fallout, so beware when working with them. As well, I'm always a little frustrated when palettes don't give you a decent number of matte shades. I think they're important for transition, and giving the overall eye look depth without all the sparkle. There are only 2 matte shades in this palette. After experiencing other eyeshadows, Urban Decay's palettes aren't my favorite, but they'll hold a special place just because they were my firsts.

Overall rating: ★★

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Self-Made Eye Shadow Palette, $35

Youtubers have been ranting and raving about this palette, from Jaclyn Hill to NikkieTutorials, and the looks used with it alone are wonderful and endless. The overall pigmentation is good, but not great. The texture is very creamy, which means you'll have fallout unless you're using Fix+ by Mac, eye drops, or another kind of spray with glycerin. The range of colors is good, even though there are only 2 matte shades.

I wouldn't necessarily trust just this palette if I were going away on holiday, but it does have a lot of potential. Also, at the price point, you can't beat it.

Overall rating: ★★★

3. Lorac Unzipped Gold, $42

If I could do things over, I would have started with the Lorac Pro palettes. Their eyeshadows are pigmented, creamy, and gorgeous. Their color selections in their basic Pro palettes are wonderful, and the price point is still much cheaper than Urban Decay's ($44 as opposed to $54). I was on a mission to get a Pro palette, but when I saw their colors, they were too close to what I already had to justify buying one. How-ever. When I looked at the Lorac Unzipped Gold palette, I knew it was meant to be. You get 10 shades: 4 mattes, and 6 shimmers, and they are stunning. STUNNING. Having hazel eyes, golds really make them pop, and I've been looking to grow my gold eyeshadow collection for a while. So, this palette was perfect. I could literally throw this in my travel bag and feel like I'm not missing anything.

These shadows are lovely to work with, have a decent color range that can bring depth to the eye, and you get quite a bit of product for what you're paying for. As well, the packaging is slim and easy to travel with. They also give you a trial size of their eyeshadow primer.

Overall rating: ★★★1/2

4. Z-Palette with Make Up Geek eyeshadows, $ varies

I started out with a 9-shadow Z-palette, which costs as low as $13 on Amazon and goes as high as $15. Make Up Geek basic eyeshadows cost $6 a piece, and gets more expensive from there. You can also get bundles and save some money. So, this can get pricey, but at the same time still be pretty cost effective. Pros and cons. It has taken me a while to fill up the Z-palette I have pictured here, but I am head over heels with it. I have plenty of matte shades in neutral colors to blend with, make everyday work looks, or go bold. I have shimmers, pops of colors, you name it. (My blues, black and greens are in my small Z-palette not pictured.) I can take this with me on trips and know I'm covered. It's great.

Would I suggest this for someone starting out? Yeah, why not. Start small -- order colors that you know are practical to your lifestyle. They have great pigmentation, are SO easy to work with, and you can't beat the price point for individual shadows of their quality. As well, you can customize it to your liking. Some palettes you pick up and immediately know the colors in it won't work for you, or maybe you like a few colors but know you won't use them all. This way, you are guaranteed to love every color and use them.

Overall rating: ★★★★