Favorite Eyeshadow Formulas

Whether you are a pro or a beginner, I think everyone is looking for the same basic qualities from their eyeshadow palettes: pigmentation, blendability, quality, and ability to layer. Some are more important than others for me. I would rather have a shadow that is easy to use than uber-pigmented. Some brands have absolutely nailed it for me and I wanted to rank my favorite formulas.

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills
Although ABH has had some controversy with their recent launch of the Subculture palette, the two palettes that I have tried from Anastasia have been major hits. The Master Palette (review) is still my favorite palette that I own, while the Modern Renaissance is a cult favorite for me and many others. The mattes are buttery soft and pigmented while the shimmers have a beautiful metallic finish. I also feel that their palettes are well developed in terms of packaging and color schemes, whereas some other popular brands introduce pops of color in otherwise all-neutral palettes that don't make any sense. The Subculture palette didn't draw me in because of the colors, but all releases from Anastasia interest me simply because I trust the quality.

Buon Fresco, Red Ochre, Primavera, Lula, Violeta, Marina, Paris

My favorite shades: Buon Fresco, Red Ochre, Primavera (Modern Renaissance), Lula, Violeta, Marina, Paris (Master Palette)

2.  Makeup Geek
I don't have any palettes from Makeup Geek, but I own two palettes of their single shadows in a range of finishes. I think that Makeup Geek as a brand has a lot of integrity and most of their launches are well-received, without any of the product pushing or false selling-out nonsense that other brands try to pull. Their foiled shades are absolutely stunning and their price point is fair in my opinion. The shade variety is pretty incredible and they are constantly expanding!

Cherry Cola, Creme Brulee, Rapunzel, Homecoming, Grandstand

My favorite shades: Cherry Cola, Creme Brulee, Rapunzel, Homecoming, Grandstand

3. Lorac
I have two palettes from Lorac, one limited edition Beauty and the Beast palette (review) and one of their Pro palettes, and both are incredible. Their formula is a little more on the powdery side, so it has a bit of fallout, but they are also more pigmented and still easy to work with. The Pro 3 palette (review) has become one of my favorites, I love both the mattes and shimmers in the palette. The only reason Lorac hasn't surpassed Makeup Geek is because some of their shimmer finishes have a very chunky consistency, such as Medallion and Dk. Mocha in the Pro 3 palette.

Impress, Romance, Tick Tock, Lt. Pewter, Amethyst, Rose Bronze, Medallion

My favorite shades: Impress, Romance, Tick Tock (Beauty and the Beast palette), Lt. Pewter, Amethyst, Rose Bronze (Pro 3)
Misses: Medallion (Pro 3)

4. Urban Decay
Ah, the cult-classic Naked palettes. I personally only have one full-size Naked palette, along with the original Naked Basics. I really admire Urban Decay for pushing the boundaries with their palettes while maintaining a good formula. They have all glitter palettes, rainbow palettes, electric palettes, and more. They have a stiffer formula than Lorac or Anastasia, but their shadows still apply really well.

Naked, Sidecar, Half-Baked, Toasted, Naked 2, Faint

My favorite shades: Naked, Sidecar, Half-Baked, Toasted (Naked palette), Naked 2, Faint (Naked Basics palette)

5. Too Faced
I debated whether or not I wanted to include Too Faced on my list, and finally decided to do it. They are a very inconsistent brand in my opinion, but when they make a good palette they really do it well. The Chocolate Bon Bons (sort of review) is one of my favorites, along with the Natural Eyes palette. I put them in the bottom spot mostly because of the difference I notice between their permanent collection shadows and their limited edition palettes, which have a distinct drop in quality to me. I love their matte and shimmer finishes but their glitter infused ones are much harder to work with, and are often just a wash of glitter with no pigment to back it up.

Almond Truffle, Satin Sheets, Molasses Chip, Bordeaux, Nudie, Honeypot, Eggnog Latte

My Favorite shades: Almond Truffle, Satin Sheets, Molasses Chip, Bordeaux (Chocolate Bon Bons), Nudie, Honeypot (Natural Eyes)
Misses: most of their glitter infused shades (Eggnog Latte from the 2016 holiday palette is my example)

There are, of course, a lot of highly-rated formulas that I haven't tried, but I own palettes from a fair number of brands and these five are my favorite. In the future I would love to try Zoeva, Violet Voss, Natasha Denona, Viseart, and many other brands!

What are your favorites?

Xx Katie

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