The Best Drugstore Eyeshadow Palettes

Before I really got into make up, I had tried a few of the tiny eye shadow palettes from the drugstore - like the eye shadow quads (if they even qualify as a palette!) and at most, the Maybelline The Nudes Palette. Since then, I have discovered there are a lot more drugstore / affordable eyeshadow palettes out there that are amazing! So here are some of my favourites. The swatches below are just a few of my favourite shades from each palette to show how pigmented they are.

1. iHeart Make Up Chocolate Eyeshadow Palettes - £7.99
  - Without a doubt, these eyeshadow palettes are my absolute favourite from the drugstore. I have the shades 'Naked', 'Vice' and 'Chocolate' and they are all amazing. I've never tried the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palettes (£39 each) but I have heard that these are just as good, if not better than them. The shimmer shades are super metallic, creamy and pigmented - especially with some Fix + sprayed on the brush. They stay put all day and remind me of the foiled eyeshadows from Make Up Geek. The matte shades are equally pigmented, they are blendable and have barely any fall out. The packaging of these is super sturdy and you get a mirror in the palette as well. The eyeshadows are slightly scented, it's not overpowering but they do smell sweet. My friends have asked me quite a few times what palettes I recommend and I will always say these ones! Including the 3 I own, there are 9 variations of this palette available at Superdrug so you're bound to find one that you like the shade range! You get 14 colours in each palette as well as 2 longer eyeshadows that are highlight shades (pale shimmers usually).


1. Original Chocolate Bar Palette (Brown)

2. Naked Chocolate Bar Palette (White)

3. Vice Chocolate Bar Palette (Black)

2. NYX Ultimate Shadow Palette - £16.00
  - This eyeshadow palette is at the more expensive end of the drugstore, however, it is still affordable. I have the shade 'Warm Neutrals' which has been super popular ever since these launched in the UK! They have 3 other variations, 'Brights', 'Smokey' and 'Cool Neutrals' but the 'Warm Neutrals' version is always the one that is sold out! That's in store and online - it's very difficult to get hold of because it's so popular. These eyeshadows are highly pigmented and true to colour and the mattes are very easily blended. The shimmer shades are nice and pigmented, however, they are not as creamy as the iHeart Make Up shimmer shades - they seem quite dry in comparison, but again, with some Mac Fix+ you can really make the shimmers pop. I love the colour variety in this (because who doesn't love a warm smokey eye!). The packaging on this eyeshadow palette is sturdy, but it is quite bulky and you don't get a mirror with it (you would've thought for £16 they would have stretched to a mirror) but it is quite light weight as well. You get 16 shades, 7 shimmers and 9 matte shades.



3. Sleek iDivine Eyeshadow Palettes - £8.99
 - I have the 'Enchanted Forest' and 'All Night Long' in these palettes and I think they are great, affordable eyeshadow palettes from the drugstore. The mattes are very pigmented and there is not a huge amount of fall out and the shimmers are nice but you do have to build them up. They swatch beautifully as you can see below! Again, they are not as creamy as the likes of Make Up Geek foiled eyeshadows and the iHeart Make Up Chocolate bar palettes, but they are still good shimmer shades. I like experimenting with these palettes, as they tend to have shades that are different from other eyeshadow palettes I own - such as dark burgundy / plum colours in the 'Enchanted Forest' palette. On Boots' website, there are currently 9 variations of this palette, including the 2 that I have mentioned, and on Superdrug's website there are 13 variations. You get 12 shades (a mix of matte and shimmer) in a slim palette (great for travelling) that comes with a mirror inside. These are not my absolute favourite palettes but I do think they're one of the best that you can find in the drugstore!


1. Enchanted Forest Eyeshadow Palette

2. All Night Long Eyeshadow Palette

4. Make Up Revolution Fortune Favours The Brave Palette - £9.99
 - Anyone who knows make up, knows that Make Up Revolution are known for their amazing eyeshadow palettes. This was one of the first palettes that I picked up from Make Up Revolution and I fell in love. I always took it with me travelling because there is so many different looks you can do with one eyeshadow palette. There are 30 shades in this palette, ranging from greens, to blues, to neutrals, and purples - a mix of matte shades and shimmer shades. There are so many shades that there is something for everyone and it might encourage you to experiment with the colours you use. Personally, I find that this palette has quite a lot more fall out compared to the chocolate bar palettes (Make Up Revolution and iHeart Make Up are made by the same company) and the shimmer shades are not quite as creamy, but they are still very good quality. They are very pigmented and give a good metallic look. The packaging is very study but it is quite a large palette - and you get a mirror with it. As you can see from the photo below, this palette has been well-loved! If you haven't already got this palette, I highly suggest picking it up.



5. Freedom Make Up Pro 32 Innocent Collection - £8.00
- This is a new palette for me, which is currently on offer on Tam Beauty's website for £4.00 *at the time of writing this blog post*. £4 for a palette that has 32 shades AND comes with a mirror, is unreal. The packaging is sturdy and the shade range you get in this palette is great. There are quite a few shades in this palette that I haven't got any other eyeshadows the same (and I have a lot of palettes!) such as a lovely cool toned dark lilac shade on the top row. The matte shades are very pigmented and blend well (they are not as easy to blend as certain other eyeshadows I own but they are still good shadows. The shimmer shades are very glittery and pigmented, as you can see from the swatches. These shadows do also have a bit of fallout, but if you apply setting powder under your eyes, the fall out can be swept away easily without smudging. You've got a great range of shadows in this palette - with golds, blues, purples and neutral browns.



I hope you've enjoyed reading this blog, leave a comment and let me know what your favourite drugstore eyeshadow palettes are!


Sarah (aka. Pale Princess) x


Comments