10 of the best eyeshadow palettes for brown skin
With masks looking like the new way of life, many are looking to the beauty of eye makeup to express themselves and eyeshadow in particular, is a wonderful way to do that and create art! However- unfortunately, on the market a lot of palettes just weren’t created and formulated with brown skin tones in mind. This leads to chalky finishes, colours not showing up and the shades looking completely different when worn compared to when in the palette.
In fact, one of the biggest factors that has deterred me from wearing eyeshadow in the past is that it just doesn’t show up on my skin. Although I am pretty fair, the undertones in my skin colour never complimented the colours in eyeshadow palettes, so they would never pop as much as they would on women with less melanin.
Now though, beauty brands are becoming more and more inclusive and creating brown girl friendly products, including gorgeous eyeshadow palettes. To help you on your journey to finding the best ones for you, we have collated 10 of the best eyeshadow palettes, both high end and drugstore, for our melanin-rich skin! Check it out below!
Morphe 3502 Second Nature
First up we have the Morphe 3502 Second Nature palette. This screams brown girl appropriate with 35 different shades of brown that, all sit beautifully on the eyelid. Tried and tested by yours truly, I would definitely recommend this palette for everyday neutral looks as well as smoky eye looks. The golds, browns and rusty colours suit brown skin so well and will make your eye colour pop, with the darker shades making your eyes seem lighter. They are also very pigmented, so a little goes a long way. It is £17 on the Morphe website but is unfortunately sold out at the moment. However, they have a ‘35F Fall into the Frost’ and ‘35OM Nature Glow Matte Artistry Palette’, both of which include very similar shades and are also great on brown skin.
Fenty Beauty Snap Shadows Mix & Match Eyeshadow Palette in ‘3 Deep Neutrals’
Staying in the high-end margin, Fenty beauty is well-known for its dedication to producing a wide range of makeup products for women of colour. As a brand, they aim to make women feel beautiful, empowered, and comfortable in their own skin and we support this. If anyone knows how to produce beauty products for brown skin, it’s Rihanna! Her Snap Shadows Mix & Match Eyeshadow Palettes are great for brown skin, and in particular, ‘3 Deep Neutrals’ and ‘4 Rose’ are great. The different variations of shades mean you can sport emeralds, browns, pinks, golds and even oranges. Moreover, Fenty Beauty is also cruelty free and has some vegan products.
Makeup Revolution London’s Reloaded Iconic Fever
I am sure you have all seen Makeup Revolution at your local Superdrug before and perhaps even bought something from them before, as their eyeshadow palettes are always on display and they have a huge selection of shades ranging from bright neon colours to nudes. The one that I personally have and love (so much that I have hit pan on at least half of the shades), is the ‘Reloaded Iconic Fever’ palette. This palette is so versatile and is a great all year-round palette. The bronzy, warm tones look great on brown skin and brown eyes, but the pop of orange really is the colour that stands out. It is pigmented and allows you to build and blend seamlessly, all for only £5 - now that is a bargain!
Primark PS Pro Orange Tones Colour Grid Eyeshadow Palette
Primark is a great high street shop for all your needs. You can find anything and everything in this shop and this includes 12 grid eyeshadow palettes. For only £3.50, this ‘Orange Tones Colour Grid’ is pigmented and easy to apply. The orange, peachy shades compliment the yellow undertones in some brown skin beautifully and the palette gives you different finishes to use on your lids, such as matte, demi (matte with a hint of sheen) and metallic. I also own some of Primark’s eyeshadow creams which are also great. I have shades ‘Champagne’ and ‘321’.
Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eye Shadow Palette
Tap into your sweet side, with the Two-Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. The gorgeous shades of violet blue, dark green and baby pink look amazing on all types of brown skin, and the matte and shimmer shades will help you create versatile looks for both daytime and evening events. As if that was not enough, the shadows are formulated with cocoa powder, so each time you open the palette you'll be welcomed with the delicious scent of chocolate!
Huda Beauty’s Naughty Nude Eyeshadow Palette
This is possibly the most aesthetically pleasing palette I have personally seen. The ‘Naughty Nude’ palette takes nudes to different levels with 18 different shades in versatile textures. It features eight mattes, metallics, multi-reflective marble creams, one hypnotic marble cream and a never-before-seen gloss with encapsulated bronze and berry pearls. Being Iraqi-American herself, Huda Kattan uses her makeup brand to promote products especially created for all types of brown skin. This palette is pigmented so shades don’t get lost on brown skin. Surprisingly, with some of the shades being quite light, it still does show up.
NYX Ultimate Edit Petite Shadow Palette in Brights
This cute mini palette is a great option for anyone interested in bright colours. The ‘Brights’ palette is packed with six handpicked hues in a mix of velvety-rich textures and mesmerizing finishes. Ranging from burnt orange to deep green, the colours show up great and you can create some exotic looks and have fun with this palette. For only £7 from boots, it is a great cheap alternative for a bright colour palette.
Mac Art Library: Flame-Boyant
Everything about the ‘Flame-Boyant’ palette says autumn. From the burgundies to oranges and shimmery golds, this is a perfect palette for a warm evening look. Mac is known for their eyeshadows being highly pigmented and this palette in particular will enhance dark features such as brown eyes. The deep red, burgundy and browns will bring out the richness of dark brown eyes without overpowering them. It is a great palette to add to your collection and can be used all year-round to pull together a huge range of eyeshadow looks. On top of this, the shade ‘What’s the Pointilism’ in the top left of the palette is a white gold pearl shade, which can work as a great highlighter for your cheekbones - we love two-in-one products!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance
A much-loved favourite, the ‘Modern Renaissance’ Palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills is a great option for brown skin. The palette is made up of a collection of metallic and matte shades to suit any time of day and any style. Not only are the shades gorgeous and varied, but the packaging is also beautiful to look at. The pink velvet casing will make you feel like it’s more than just an eyeshadow palette! The shades really bring out the deep, amber colours in brown eyes and make light eyes pop with the deep pinks. They look great against all different tones and with a small buffing brush included, you have everything you need to create great eyeshadow looks even when you are on the go!
Coloured Reine Vivid Pigment Palette
Get ready for spring and summer with this gorgeous bright palette! If you thought bright colours couldn’t show up on you, think again. The ‘Coloured Reine Vivid Pigment’ palette is a 16-colour eyeshadow palette which has everything you need and more, from deep purples to ruby reds and of course a bright yellow because why not! All the shades are matte and are so intensely pigmented that you don’t even need a primer. It is definitely brown skin friendly and will not leave that ashy look on your eyelid. You can create bold, fierce looks and the handy mirror is always a bonus! Our favourites are ‘Yacht Life’ a deep teal and ‘Purp Smurf’ a deep purple (the names are the best part!)
We hope that we have given you some options of palettes from brands who are celebrating and enhancing brown skin tones. All of these palettes have different shades which complement the different tones of brown skin, are highly pigmented and look very flattering on. Whether you are just experimenting with eyeshadow looks or have been at it for a while now, these palettes are sure to help and will definitely look amazing on your brown skin!