Although drugstore eyeshadows have the advantage of being less expensive than many luxury brands, it doesn’t mean that they should be of lesser quality. The best drugstore eyeshadows should not only be inexpensive, but they should also go on smoothly, blend extremely well and come in a number of different shades—or at least they should be available in at least one shade that the wearer simply can’t do without.
Finding an eyeshadow that has all of these characteristics isn’t always the easiest task, however. Too many drugstore brands either don’t come in the right range of shades or end up creasing by the end of the day. This is why we’ve decided to go ahead and find the best ones currently available. The following are brands that are not only inexpensive but actually rival the quality of many of the luxury eyeshadow products currently available.
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Our Top Picks for the Best Drugstore Eyeshadows
Jacob & Eli Professional Eyeshadow Palette
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This exciting palette of 18 colors provides some of the richest candy-themed colors available. This set includes 5-different matte colors, 4-different duo-chrome colors, and 9-different shimmer colors. And all of them go on quite easily and provide quality crease-free results. Some of the names of the colors in this collection quite easily tell the wearer what to expect from this eyeshadow palette. There’s Bubble Gum, Chocolate, Licorice, and Taffy. There’s also Gummy, Jelly, Mint, and Caramel. When these colors are used alone or blended together, they create a look that’s not only sophisticated but also extremely sweet looking as well.
Best Pro Eyeshadow Palette
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This 16-color eyeshadow palette provides 14 shimmering colors and 2 matte colors that can be used to blend a variety of different looks. Some of the names of the colors in this collection include metal, satin, plum, and espresso. Its glamorous nudes include colors that range all the way from softer beige colors all the way up to deep, rich chocolate colors. It also has metallic, shimmering earth tones and satin blends. When paired with a light base or an eyelid primer, these eyeshadows can create astounding results that are extremely impressive and versatile enough to be worn for a variety of different occasions.
UCanbe Twilight Dusk Palette
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This eyeshadow palette has 18 wonderful colors that are easy to blend, can be worn all day long, and are also waterproof. This collection features 10 great matte colors and 8 shimmer colors that can be mixed and matched to create a variety of different eye colors. Just some of the color styles which can be found in this collection include Desert Sand, Blood Moon, Cashmere, Saffron, and Amethyst. Exciting colors that can be worn for just about any occasion. These eyeshadow products just don’t have a rich color, however. They also are designed to be safely worn by anyone, even people who have sensitive skin.
L’Oreal Paris HiP Studio Secrets Metallic Shadow Duos
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Anyone looking for a bold, edgy look needs to look no further than these Metallic Duos Eyeshadows. Available in a number of different color combinations, including either Charged, Electrified, or Energized, these colors are designed with mic-flecked colors that are crease-resistant and are designed to last all day long. When applied to the eye, they deliver a super-saturated metallic color that will catch the eyes of everyone. These bold luminous eyeshadows really make eyes pop and, when paired with the right primer or eyeliner, deliver professional results that few other eyeshadows can deliver. No one has to settle for boring when one of these color duos is ready to push the boundaries.
Covergirl Intense ShadowBlast Extreme Green
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Although this drugstore eyeshadow comes in a number of different single-color varieties—from Blue Bomb or Beige Blaze to Platinum Pop or Forever Pink—it’s the Extreme Green that really provides rich color that can really make eyes pop. This waterproof formula goes on quickly and easily thanks to the precision applicator tip, and once applied, it dries to a beautiful finish. Since it has the primer blended into it, this eyeshadow provides a rich shadow and crease-free color every single time. When combined with liquid eyeliner, this product provides professional results that can be worn for either casual or professional events.
Maybelline New York Expert Wear Eyeshadow Trios
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This trio of Perfect Pastels is designed to provide crease-proof wear that is suitable for all-day wear. It comes with a velvet-tip applicator and three different shades for the perfect shadow. It has a lighter base color, a lid color that’s somewhat pinkish, and a darker crease color. All of these matte colors come together to create an elegant look that’s suitable for just about any occasion. This product has been tested by ophthalmologists for safety and can be used even by people with sensitive eyes or those who wear contact lenses. And since it’s sold at an affordable price, it’s a worthy addition to just about any makeup bag.
L’Oreal Paris Wear Infinite Eye Shadow Singles
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Infinite Eye Shadow Singles are designed for people who know there’s one perfect eyeshadow color to suit their eye color. Available in Taffeta, Antique Brown, or Brushed Suede, there’s an eyeshadow color that’s just perfect for just about anyone. This eyeshadow can be used as a base, can be blended with other suitable colors, or used as an all-around all-over shade. And this long-lasting eyeshadow is designed to be crease-proof, unlike other lower-quality eyeshadow blends. This product also comes with an applicator that makes it exceptionally easy to apply. All of which allows this product to deliver professional results every single time it’s used.
Maybelline The Nudes Eyeshadow Palette
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When your style demands an eyeshadow palette with more than four colors, then this one is ready to serve your needs. It has 12 eye-popping shades that can be used to create a duo, trio, or even quad color combinations and bold looks. These eyeshadows come in a convenient container that keeps them safe and makes these eyeshadows available for use at any time. These eyeshadows go on smoothly and provide all-day coverage. Beyond those things, however, the best part of these shades is that they can be used to produce dozens of different looks. This allows it to be used for just about any style the wearer wants to adopt.
Maybelline New York Expert Wear Quads
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When a natural smoke eyeshadow is needed, these Maybelline Charcoal Smokes are ready to deliver. It comes in a quad pack of exciting light to medium colors that are marked for the user’s convenience. There’s a silvery base, a darker lid base, and an even darker crease base. It also comes with two velvet-tip applicators. If these Charcoal Smokes don’t suit the wearer’s eye color or style, then they can also choose to buy one of the other eyeshadow quads in this collection; either the Amethyst Smokes or the Emerald Smokes collections provide excellent results. No matter which style is chosen, however, these eyeshadows are designed to go on smoothly and last all day.
Revlon ColorStay 16-Hour Quad
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Available in a quad-pack of exciting colors, this inexpensive drugstore eyeshadow is ready to be used by just about anyone. Whether the user wants the brown shades of the Addictive line, the lighter tones of the Brazen line, or the more adventurous tones of the Exotic line, the wearer can expect to receive up to 16 hours of long-lasting color. These expertly blended palettes have been tested by ophthalmologists for safety and give the wearer velvety shadows that rival many luxury brands. This makes it an exciting product that can be saved for special occasions are used on a daily basis.
Getting The Best Performance From Drugstore Eyeshadow
Once you’ve found the perfect eyeshadow palette, it’s time to turn your attention to using the product in such a way that you can’t help but get the best results possible. This means following a few standard practices and knowing how to apply the eyeshadow in the most suitable fashion. It doesn’t matter if you have the most expensive luxury eyeshadow or the cheapest drugstore eyeshadow; if you don’t know how to apply it, then you’re not going to get good results from it. Having said that, below are some tips for getting the most out of this cosmetic product.
Learn The Purpose of Each Eye Makeup Brush
Properly applying eyeshadow depends a lot upon the brush that’s used for the job. Unfortunately, far too many people use one makeup brush to handle all of their eyeshadow work. Most of the time, they do this because they really don’t understand what brush they need to handle each particular portion of the job. To solve this problem, we’ve included some of the more common brushes and their uses.
- Precision Shadow Brush: The precision shadow brush is used to pack a lot of eyeshadow on the lid at one time. It’s the perfect brush for anyone who needs to inject a big shot of color into their eyeshadow application.
- Medium Eyeshadow Brush: This brush has somewhat of a fan shape which makes it the perfect tool for applying the correct amount of eyeshadow.
- Eye Contour Brush: This brush has a fan shape to it that is angled on one side. This allows it to be used to contour your eye’s edges along the socket line.
- Blender Brush: The dome-shaped bristles of this product allow the user to blend their eyeshadow properly. Properly using this brush will result in a perfectly blended shadow.
- Flat Brush: This brush is used to diffuse shadows by smudging down any shadow lines that may be too rough.
- Angled Liner Brush: This brush is used for adding wings to the eyeshadow liner. This type of brush works well with both gel and powder eyeshadows to create a striking result.
- Fine-Point Liner Brush: This brush is used to draw on a very thin eyeliner to punctuate the eyeshadow.
Choose The Correct Type Of Eyeshadow
Another thing that greatly affects how well the eyeshadow you use works for a particular application is how the eyeshadow is formulated. The basic types of eyeshadow currently available include Cream Eyeshadows, Pressed Eyeshadows, and Loose Eyeshadows. Let’s examine the characteristics of each type.
- Cream Eyeshadows: These are best used for solid color coverage or as a base layer for powdered eyeshadows.
- Pressed Eyeshadows: This eyeshadow is very common because it’s easy to use, can be used for just about any application, and isn’t too messy.
- Loose Eyeshadows: Although loose eyeshadows usually have the widest palette choices and produce incredible results, they can be messy or hard to use.
Basic Eyeshadow Application
One of the biggest mistakes people make is not applying the eyeshadow according to the best practices. Although your particular eye shape and eyeshadow shade is ultimately going to determine how you apply your eyeshadow, there are a few basic guidelines to keep in mind that will enable you to get a better result.
- The Lightest Shade: This shade usually works best to highlight the brow bone. The brow bone is the uppermost portion of the eye that’s adjacent to the eyebrow.
- The Next Lightest Shade: This shade is usually applied right to the lid.
- The Darkest Shade: This shade usually works best in the “Outer V” or outer corner of the eye.
- The Second Darkest Shade: This shade works well right underneath the lightest shade and right above the lid area.
Consider Your Individual Eye Color
The last thing that needs to be considered before choosing a drugstore eyeshadow shade is the colors of your eyes. Different eyeshadow shades make different eye colors pop, which is important to consider before actually purchasing eyeshadow. However, it should also be noted that the following recommendations are just recommendations. There’s no rule saying that a person with a particular eye color can’t use a particular shade of eyeshadow.
- Light Brown Eyes: Bronze or light brown colors pair well with light brown eyes, as do medium-brown shades. This eye color looks best when it’s also paired with plum or dark brown eyeliner.
- Dark Brown Eyes: Black plum and taupe eyeshadows pair well with dark brown eyes, as do various types of smokey eye colors. These colors should be paired with eyeliner that’s darker than the eye color.
- Dark Blue Eyes: Shades of brown, purple, or dark greys work well with dark blue eyes. This is especially true when paired with midnight blue eyeliner.
- Light Blue or Grey Eyes: Lighter eyeshadow shades and light violet hues work best with these eye colors. Black eyeliners will help the blue or grey in the eyes stand out.
- Hazel Eyes: Soft browns and greens work well with hazel eyes. These colors should be paired with deep brown or brownish-black eyeliner.
- Green Eyes: Brown shades work well with green eyes, as do shades of plum. Using brown-black eyeliner will help to make the green in the eyes pop.