The Eye Shadow Palette You Should Buy, According to Your Eye Colour

Eye shadow palettes are both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, they provide you with an array of shades to try, often for less than you'd spend buying shadows individually. On the other hand, it's inevitable that, out of the multitude of shades, you go for the same two or three every time, leaving the rest unused. Le sigh. So instead of buying our next eye shadow palette based on Ooh, look at all the pretty colours, we're trying a new strategy: purchasing based on enhancing our eye colour. That way, we know all the shades will be flattering.

We spoke to Tiila Abbitt, founder of Aether Beauty, to see which eye shadow shades will really make your eyes pop—and then put together this list of the most flattering eye shadow palettes for your eye colour. We'd tell your bank account sorry, but, well, we're really not. Shop eye shadow palettes by eye colour below.

Brown Eyes

"For brown eyes, any shade of blue or purple work well to make your eyes pop," Abbitt says. We chose palettes that contain these shades, plus some neutrals that you'll wear every day.

Becca Volcano Goddess Eyeshadow Palette $30

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First off, the shadows in this palette are formulated with black tourmaline, which is made in volcanoes. In addition to sounding really cool (volcanoes!), this stone is also thought to have grounding properties. The shadows themselves are richly pigmented and come in a mix of shimmer, matte and metallic shades.

It Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Vol 1 Matte Luxe Transforming Eyeshadow Palette $34

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At first glance, this palette may seem like it's all matte—but there's actually a pearl shade on the end that can transform each shade into a shimmer shadow. The shadows are also infused with anti-ageing ingredients like green tea, peptides and antioxidants.

Urban Decay Elements Eyeshadow Palette $45

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Urban Decay's eye shadow palettes never disappoint, so it's no surprise that its latest one is filled with super-pigmented, creamy powder shadows that apply like a dream. Brown-eyed girls will find plenty of shades to enhance their peepers.

Nyx Cosmetics Cosmic Metals Shadow Palette $8

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Rich, shimmery purples and golden metallics are the perfect pairing in this affordable eye shadow palette. We'd use this to create a plum smoky eye.

Blue Eyes

To really make blue eyes stand out, choose eye shadows in golden, pink and red tones, Abbitt says. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to go out and get you a bright red eye shadow; it's more along the lines of choosing something with those warm pinky-red undertones. 

Laura Mercier Night Lights Eye and Cheek Palette $45

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Blue eye-popping shades abound in this set from Laura Mercier. The shadows have a buttery, easy-to-blend consistency and there's a nice combination of matte and shimmers for everyday wear.

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in The Dolce Vita $39

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An eye shadow quad filled with pigmented golds, bronzes and coppers. The colours were each carefully selected to work together to create a defined, beautiful eye makeup look.

Pat McGrath Labs Mthrshp Sublime Bronze Ambition Eyeshadow Palette $50

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These shadows blend for days and deliver the most beautiful colour. The warm copper shades combined with gold work for all eye colours but look especially vibrant against blue eyes.

L'Oréal Paris Cherry My Cheri Eyeshadow Palette $15

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You can go subtle or dramatic with this palette, and therein lies the beauty. It's got rosy-hued nudes, corals and bronzes that really set off blue eyes.

Green Eyes

Abbitt recommends shades of warm golden orange or purple to enhance green eyes. Try blending a touch of purple into your crease for a whisper of colour that will have a big impact.

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Honeymoon $68

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Don't let the purples intimidate you too much—they're quite wearable, especially when paired with the accompanying peachy shades. You can create a soft look or go for something with a little more drama, depending on your mood.

Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette Precious Stones Collection in Amethyst $25

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When you want a bold, Instagram-level eye makeup look, turn to this palette. The colours are incredibly pigmented and apply with ease (and without fallout).

Lime Crime Venus III Pressed Powder Palette $34

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This palette has the brown, neutral shades you'll wear all the time, plus the pops of purples that'll really make your green eyes look like whoa.

Kevyn Aucoin Nudepop Pro Eyeshadow Palette $46

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If the bright purple shades scare you, then you'll love the toned-down neutrals in this palette. A range of shimmer and matte finishes makes it even more versatile.

Next up: 13 primers that are better than FaceTune.