Nude eyeshadow is one of the most important elements in the never-ending quest for the perfect “no makeup” makeup look. However, there are all kinds of different takes on nude makeup for eyes, including dozens of different nude eyeshadow palettes that even combine saturated colors with neutral eyeshadow shades. With so many different options out there, how can you choose the right nude eyeshadow color for you? As always, we’re here to break it down. Below, we’ve listed our very favorite nude eyeshadow palettes and our reviews about what makes them so great and for who.
To create the most smashing nude makeup looks, here you have 19 cult-favorite nude eyeshadow palettes to grab right now!
1. Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics
As always, I believe in starting with the originals. Urban Decay’s Naked palettes are holy grails for a good reason, since they are filled with totally wearable neutral eyeshadow shades. The second Basics palette is all-matte, with 5 beige, taupe, and brown shades that are either neutral or cool, perfect for sculpting the eye. It won’t take up space in your makeup bag, but it’ll be all you need for that nude makeup look. It is available at Ulta Beauty.
2. Huda Beauty The New Nude Eyeshadow Palette
It’s lovely to find a mixture of soft mattes and intense shimmers in a nude eyeshadow palette – after all, some days you want to go soft, while others you want all the drama. This is a nude eyeshadow palette that leans towards rosy, with a lot of pink, mauve, and peach takes on the typical nude shadows, along with some really gorgeous pressed micro-glitters.
The palette contains 18 shadows so you can really play around. As far as nude makeup goes, it would definitely look most natural on those who have cool pink and orange undertones to their skin. It’s still a super flattering option for all other undertones! Find it at Sephora!
3. Smashbox Cover Shot Eyeshadow Palette in Minimalist
This is a true nude eyeshadow palette, with just a few metallic shades for when you want a hint of glamour. It contains 8 eyeshadows that can give anyone that perfect nude eye. One of my favorite things about this palette is the awareness of how shadows are really used. The matte and shimmer highlight tones come in a bigger size, which is appreciated, since I tend to hit pan on those shades first in any palette. You can buy it at Nordstrom.
4. Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette
If you find it really hard to choose between warm and cool nude makeup colors, consider this exquisite palette from Tarte. It features all kinds of nude eyeshadows, from light highlight shades to dark crease shades, with neutral, yellow, and red undertones. It’s a 12-shade palette that is primarily matte but with three gorgeous metallics. Pick it up from Sephora!
5. Kevyn Aucoin Emphasize Eye Design Palette in Unblinking
All on its own this nude eyeshadow palette might not be enough, but this is certainly a gorgeous addition to your neutral eyeshadow collection. It is one of the more dramatic options in this list, with two intense metallic shades, three wearable nude mattes, and a super shiny liquid shadow that can be used both alone or as a base to the shades in the palette. This is an eyeshadow palette that leans towards golden, and is best for those with warm undertones to their skin. Order it online from Net-a-Porter!
6. Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in The Sophisticate
Eyeshadow quads have become seriously underrated in recent years, so we love seeing superstar makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury bringing them back. This all-matte quad is all you’ll need to craft a sculpted nude eyeshadow look or two. It contains a matte beige highlight shade, a warm taupe, a cool brown, and a deep espresso. It’s a palette best suited for medium and dark skin tones with all kinds of undertones. It is available for purchase at Sephora.
7. Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Medium
This portable nude makeup palette consists of 5 very wearable cool and neutral tones. If your skin leans towards neutral or cool then this nude eyeshadow palette could be an easy go-to, since it contains all the shadows essential for a complete eye makeup look. Most of the shades are matte, but there is one shimmery highlight in case you like a glow. The compact itself is a gorgeous gold embossed with the iconic Chanel logo. You can find it at Nordstrom.
8. Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette in Glambition
The unique blend of warm, neutral, and cool shades in this nude eyeshadow palette is ideal for anyone who doesn’t feel confined to undertones. The mattes in it include a neutral beige, a rose taupe, a gray taupe, and a true chocolate brown. For real drama there is a silver-flecked black, not to mention the metallics: a cool champagne and a warm bronze. Pick it up at Sephora!
9. Colourpop Double Entendre Pressed Powder Shadow Palette
You might be sick of all the cool-toned nude makeup palettes we’ve been showcasing, so finally here’s a very robust 12-shade palette that is decidedly warm and fiery. It features a blend of mattes and metallics with incredible pigmentation and excellent staying power.
Even the lightest colors in this nude eyeshadow palette are not particularly light, so if you have fair skin this might not be your first choice. If you have medium to dark skin, on the other hand, this might be the only neutral eyeshadow palette you’ll ever need. Buy it from Ulta Beauty!
10. Too Faced Natural Eyes Eyeshadow Palette
We’re back to cool and neutral eyeshadow palettes with this delicate selection from Too Faced. It offers a lovely blend of mauvey and peachy takes on nude earth tones that combines mattes and shimmers, and isn’t afraid of getting really dark or really light. Honey Pot stands out in this palette as a warm gold combo breaker. It is sold at Sephora.
11. Bobbi Brown Haute Nudes Palette
One of our favorite things about this nude eyeshadow palette is that the two largest eyeshadow pans are filled with colors that can work as blush and highlighter, for those of you who really don’t want to deal with too many different nude makeup products. The shades here lean towards pink for the most part, in a way that’ll flatter almost all skin types. The pigmentation is excellent, and the shadows themselves will stay in place all day long. This palette is available at Nordstrom.
12. Hourglass Graphik Eyeshadow Palette in Myth
This little palette of mattes is sure to please. On the lighter end of things, we have a couple of rosy taupes for the lid and as transitional shades, while as we get darker into the browns the shades get warmer as well. It is a surprising blend of shades that would work best for those with warm undertones that are not afraid of a bit of color. It is the best nude eyeshadow palette that can be purchased online via Net-a-Porter.
13. BareMinerals Gen Nude Eyeshadow Palette in Rose
If you haven’t found the cool nude eyeshadow palette for you quite yet, this little compact is quite the contender. It comes with six shades from very light for highlighting the lid to very dark for the crease and liner, not to mention a couple of metallic options for added glam. The colors are blendable and buildable, which is ideal for daily makeup looks, and the massive mirror makes it ideal for makeupping on the go. You can get it at Nordstrom.
14. Edward Bess Natural Enhancing Eyeshadow Palette in Sunlit Sands
We love a two-in-one, and this nude makeup palette definitely fits that definition. The flawlessly gleaming selection of shades here can be used on its own, like six individual eyeshadows, or they can all be swirled together for that perfect sandy bronze. That’s right, you can use this on your eyes or on your cheeks for a gorgeous effect, particularly if you have a warmer skin tone. Order it from Net-a-Porter!
15. NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Portobello
This matte neutral eyeshadow duo provides the perfect eye contouring for those with warm and olive undertones. It is made up of one medium shade perfect for transitioning or blending a crease color (could also work on the lid for someone with dark skin), and a slightly darker brown shade that is a bit more neutral and could work as an all-over crease color for light and medium skin tones. Get the duo from Nordstrom!
16. Lancôme Color Design Eyeshadow Palette in Beige Brulee
Nude makeup doesn’t get any simpler than with this little palette that leaves no room for questions. These shadows all lean towards light, with blendable matte colors that are perfect for crafting a barely-there makeup look. There are 5 colors in the compact, most of which are matte, and one that is a shimmer. The colors lean either towards neutral or warm, but will suit most skin tones. It is available at Ulta Beauty.
17. Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette in 537 Touch
Matte and marvelous! This 5-shadow palette gives a lovely blend of peachy and golden matte tones for nude makeup looks that are never too dark or in your face. The shadows have a long-lasting, buildable formula that is oh-so-user-friendly. This nude eyeshadow palette is definitely ideal for those with lighter skin. The palette can be bought at Nordstrom.
18. Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette
Few things are as fun as a palette that allows indulgence in shimmer, despite also featuring a lot of matte nude eyeshadow shades. The 12 different shades here will allow you to truly experiment, since no two colors are alike. These shades lean mostly towards golden and orange, so they can work for all types of undertones, and the buttery formula is sure to please. You can purchase this palette at Sephora.
19. Maybelline The Nudes Wear Eyeshadow Palette
We’re finishing off with a surprisingly affordable nude eyeshadow palette for lovers of all things golden. The ultra-warm shades in this palette are perfect for those with warm or olive skin, and they pack quite a bit of drama with a gorgeous mix of metal and matte. This is a true all-in-one option that also has black for lining the eyes along with some very dark brown shades for smoky eyes. Buy it from Ulta Beauty!
Photos via @janicejoostemaa, Instagram, Sephora