Best Eyeshadow Palettes of 2018

As cliche as it sounds, 2018 completely flew by! This past year had tons and tons of new makeup releases and many of them were total hits. Below is a list of my favorite, top 5 eyeshadow palettes all released in 2018. Xo.

Anastasia Beverly Hills • Norvina ::: Upon first glance I knew this dreamy color story was totally up my alley. And, I can honestly say without a doubt that this is my absolute favorite palette ever. EVER. It was a close call between this and the Huda Beauty Rose Gold Remastered, but the longer I’ve had them, I find this is my #1 go-to palette when I want my makeup to look amazing and glam. I love the layout and that the top row is all shimmer/metallic shades with the entire bottom row being all matte. As we’ve come to expect from ABH, these are VERY pigmented and a little goes a long way. Less is more. They do kick up a bit of powder (nothing ridiculous), but there doesn’t seem to be a ton of fallout once applied. Similar to the LORAC formula, I really love softly pressed, intensely pigmented shadows. I think if you know to go in light handed and tap off excess powder, they are so easy to work with and make the whole blending process go so much faster and easier.

Huda Beauty • Rose Gold Remastered ::: Second up, my next favorite. The palette contains four key textures; 8 mattes, 8 melted metals, 1 wet & dry shadow and 1 pressed pearl shadow. What sets this palette apart from all the rest is the unique melted metals foil-like formula. It’s so dense and richly pigmented and really adds such intensity and high shine once applied. It’s a cream-like consistency and is truly unique amongst an oversaturated market of eyeshadow palettes. While this formula does work well with a brush, I find you get the best color payoff and intensity when applied with your fingertips. Which I don’t mind, I’ll use whatever tool needed for the best result. In addition to using as eyeshadow, the shade Moon Dust looks stunning as a cheekbone highlight. Another thing I found really interesting with this palette is that the shade Black Truffle was designed to be used both wet & dry.

Urban Decay • Born to Run ::: I’m pretty sure this has made every “best of beauty” list I’ve seen for this year, and with good reason. This palette combines your favorite neutrals with bold, eye-popping shades to take all of your makeup looks to the next level. With a combination of 21 richly pigmented colors in matte, satin, metallic and shimmer finishes this palette contains everything you need and then some. As expected, the quality is what we’ve come to know and love from Urban Decay, the shadows are all very creamy, pigmented, soft and blendable. The color selection is really unique and fun and like nothing else currently on the market. There are tons of all neutral palettes, and then there are palettes containing all bright shades, this combined both in the most versatile, wearable way. For me, it contains just enough neutral & matte shades to work within my comfort zone. Standout Shades: Wildheart, Guilt Trip, Drift, Smog & Big Sky. As with every shimmer shade in every palette, I prefer to apply them directly with my fingers for the best color payoff.

LORAC • Pro 4 ::: While I’ve used and loved all of the Lorac Pro Palettes, this one is by far the best. I feel like it’s impossible to have a bad makeup day when using a formula this easy to work with and colors that are this pretty and neutral and perfect for anytime, everyday wear. The warm mauve/rosy tones are very “soft glam” esque and are SO stunning and this is my absolute favorite color story they’ve created thus far. With the exact same layout as it’s predecessors, it contains equal amount of matte and shimmers and in my opinion, are all the right ones. I love the amount of options in neutral crease colors this palette has in addition to the prettiest, romantic-toned shimmery lid shades.

Aether Beauty • Rose Quartz ::: Sadly product packaging makes up a large percentage of waste found in landfills, and a big part of that consists of personal care products including remnants of discarded makeup. It’s no wonder that sustainability & recycling are becoming more prevalent within the cosmetic industry. One up and coming brand decided to take this concept to a whole new level by creating the first ever zero-waste eyeshadow palette. It’s formulated with fair trade & organic coconut oil, shea butter, rosehip oil and rose quartz powder giving it a super smooth, buttery texture with unique light-reflective properties. Unlike it’s plastic counterparts, this comes in recycled paper packaging without mirrors or magnets, making it completely biodegradable. After popping out the pans and elastic band this palette is fully recyclable making it a first in the industry. This palette is neutral and pretty but has just enough color and shine to add interest. The mattes are soft and easy to blend while the center shimmery shades offer a sheer wash of color and added dimension. My go-to on simple, easy makeup days.

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Disclaimer ::: As always, my reviews are not paid and are based on my own opinion, personal use and results.