Eye Shadow & Highlighter Palette Recommendations

[ChristmasLover1]

Hi everyone! 

I’m looking for recommendations for a good eyeshadow palette and highlighter palette from Sephora. I’m open to both affordable and high-end options.If you have any favorite palettes you love, I’d really appreciate your suggestions.

Thank you so much! ✨

[CorgiMommy]

@ChristmasLover1 you can't go wrong with Patrick Ta, Natasha Denona, or Urban Decay. 

[WinglessOne]

Thanks for the tag, @danielledanielle! 

@ChristmasLover1 For eyeshadow palettes, it’s hard for me to recommend things without knowing your preferences. Most of my favorite eyeshadow palettes are not neutral/nude and I love duo/multi-chromes. If you love nude/neutral eyeshadows instead of colorful ones, then my faves won’t be what you want. I mean, I do have nudes in my collection, but I often use them more as base layer workhorses than full eye looks.

• What color stories you do prefer?
• Do you like or dislike certain finishes (matte, satin, shimmer, metallic, glitter, duochrome/multichrome, sparkly sheer toppers, etc.)?
• Are you a fan of soft sheer color washes, or do you prefer full opacity?

I know you wanted something you can get at Sephora, but I’ll still recommend Viseart, especially their all-matte 12-pan palettes. (Sephora doesn’t carry Viseart anymore but Beautylish does, or you can buy direct from brand; they run sales throughout the year.) Viseart is still my gold standard for matte eyeshadow formula: usually buttery smooth, easy to work with, and pretty much foolproof. They have neutral and colorful palettes, mini palettes, quads, and their giant Grande Pro palette(s).

For highlighter, I also need to know your preferences. Do you like a subtle glow from within, or do you wanna be a space beacon? Or somewhere in-between? Normally I’d recommend Danessa Myricks Light Work Palette I or II; those are Danessa’s highlighter palettes, and you can go very bright with ‘em or use a light hand for a softer glow. These two palettes aren’t at Sephora anymore… check Danessa’s own site or Beautylish.

You know, I’m not sure Sephora carries any true highlighter palettes right now. Sure, they have the Hourglass Ambient® Lighting Palette, but those aren’t really highlighters; they’re finishing powders that give a subtle overall lighting effect to your face. Eh, you could use some of the shades as subtle highlights, depending on your skin tone. Or if you look outside Sephora, you can find Hourglass’s Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders: those are true highlighters, but they don’t currently come in a palette.

Combo eyeshadow & highlighter palettes: consider ESUM, particularly their Artistry Palettes. (Available only at the brand’s site, as far as I know.) I have palettes No. 2 and No. 4 which are both full of shimmer shades. No. 2 has shades that can easily work as highlighters on your face. No. 4 is very colorful, but some of the top row shades can work as highlighters. [ EDIT: I also have No. 3 and No. 5; those are all mattes. Geez, I didn’t realize I had almost all the Artistry Palettes. No. 2 and 3 were gifts from friends. ]

If you ever find Danessa Myricks Beauty LIGHTWORK VII The Freedom Makeup Palette: Magnetic, Customizable, Stackable P... (currently OOS but I’m still able to tag it), that’s also a great palette you can use multiple ways. Danessa’s palettes are usually formulated specifically for use anywhere on the face. I’m not sure it’ll ever be restocked, but you may wanna get on Danessa’s mailing list in case she decides to do a special limited re-release or giveaway.

Or maybe even one of NARS’s Quad Eyeshadow Palettes… one that has at least one shimmer or metallic shade. You can always try a shimmer or metallic eyeshadow as a highlighter, though you’ll probably need to use a light hand with a metallic (unless you want a strong highlight). I know I keep recommending things that aren’t at Sephora 😅 including these quads; check the NARS site or any other retailer that carries the brand. 

[SportyGirly125]

@ChristmasLover1 Sephora employee here 

Natasha Denona just came out with her quad palettes but she also offers shades in mini and palette form in different color stories

if you want all matte and neutral MAKEUP BY MARIO Master Mattes® Eyeshadow Palette: The Neutrals PATRICK TA Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette 

Danessa Myricks Beauty Mini Everyday Magic Neutral Freedom Palette 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette 

HUDA BEAUTY Pretty Grunge Eyeshadow Palette 

DIOR Backstage Glow Maximizer Face Palette 001 Universal Glow 

Hourglass Ambient® Lighting Palette 

[danielledanielle]

@ChristmasLover1 

Do you have any preferences, such as color stories or tones (warm vs cool)? I'm going to list palettes I think are fairly neutral.  

PATRICK TA Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette 

NATASHA DENONA Mini Eye Sculpt Eyeshadow Palette (comes in neutral and cool) 

Danessa Myricks Beauty Mini Everyday Magic Neutral Freedom Palette 

MAKEUP BY MARIO Master Mattes® Eyeshadow Palette: The Neutrals 

NATASHA DENONA Eye Sculpt Texture & Tone Eyeshadow Palette (had a soft version and dramatic version) 

Outside of Sephora 

Victoria Beckham Eye Wardrobe

Made by Mitchell 

Juvia's Place (coffee line 🙌🏽)

Plus, there's tons of indie brands

@haleyvvvv , @makeitup305 and @WinglessOne can suggest

Highlighting

ILIA The Ethereal Baked Face Palette - Long-Wear Bronzer, Highlighter & Blush 

Hourglass Ambient® Lighting Palette 

SEPHORA COLLECTION Colorful Face Bronzer, Blush & Highlighter Palette 

[haleyvvvv]

I was just about to come here and suggest any large Danessa Myricks Beauty LIGHTWORK VII The Freedom Makeup Palette: Magnetic, Customizable, Stackable P... palette @danielledanielle @ChristmasLover1 

If you're more into neutrally looks, then the Hourglass Ambient Lighting palettes (assuming the colors work for you) or the Sephora Collection palettes @danielledanielle mentioned.

Outside of Sephora, Lethal Cosmetics has a build your own palette option and the Blend Bunny blush/highlight palettes would also make excellent eye shadows