My Favorite Eyeshadow Palettes of 2020
It took me awhile to compile this list. And it’s pretty short for me. It’s not because I haven’t tried a lot of palettes this year. I actually have. Despite the Rona and lockdown, I have still been enjoying buying and wearing makeup and trying new products. But not a lot of what was released in 2020 wowed me. I “liked” a lot of palettes. But I only “loved” a handful. On top of that, the majority of the palettes I bought this year were older palettes that had been on my wishlist for awhile. I wanted to keep this to what was released in 2020 and so that narrowed things down considerably for me. But- quality over quantity, right?
After I wrote my list, I realized there was a bit of a theme with the palettes as I’d chose and my favorites. Most of them are neutral. Cool-toned leaning, with pops of color. I still love a good colorful palette, but neutrals seemed to have been what I was drawn to most ion 2020. Which is appropriate because as I look at what brands are continuing to release going into 2021, neutrals will be the trend going forward.
Artist Couture Supreme Nudes
This list is alphabetical order not in order of what I loved most. First up on the list is Artist Couture Supreme Nudes. I almost didn’t purchase this palette. I couldn’t justify purchasing a neutral palette at the time. But I kept finding myself looking at reviews and swatches and looks with it on IG and when Sephora had it’s Spring VIB sale I decided at least I would get it at a discount so why not? I had never tried any Artist Couture products and so I had no expectations going in. I was honestly really pleasantly surprised at the formula. The shadows are creamy, pigmented and blend well. The pop of the olive green metallic shade, Supreme, is a perfect addition. All of the metallics in the palette are beautiful and the gold shade, Opulence, is dimensional and looks almost like a glitter on the eye without actually being one. I think the testament of a good neutral palette is if you can take 1 or 2 shades and create a good eye look. You can definitely do that with this one. You can go all matte or add a pop of metallic or shimmer.
Charlotte Tilbury Super Blue Quad
This was the first Charlotte Tilbury quad I’ve ever purchased. I usually find the color combos a bit boring and repetitive. Charlotte released four quads in the Spring of this year and two of the caught my eye. I talked myself out of the green one (which I somewhat regret) and chose the Super Blue quad. I don’t know why this little quad captured my heart, but it did. It was the first palette I thought of while crafting my list. It’s such an easy quad to work with despite not having any mattes. The dark blue shade is a satin that can be blended onto the eye like a matte. And then adding the metallic blue over top. OR you can just use the neutral metallics and add a pop of blue on the bottom lash line. OR vice versa. It’s a surprisingly versatile little quad. And the formula is nice. I only own one of the Charlotte Tilbury palette. The Icon palette which is decent but Charlotte has definitely improved her formula since that palette’s release.
Colourpop Granduer
Colourpop releases a LOT of collections. So it can be hard for a lot of them to stand out in a sea of releases. CP released their Dark Blooms Collection at the end of fall this year, and I was immediately enamored of the aesthetic. Two of the palettes in the collection caught my eye, Baroque and Grandeur. I thought Baroque, its it’s muddy steely grays and muted blues would be my fave of the two. But nope. Granduer is the one that I wound up loving. It’s not a particularly inventive or unique color story. But something about it makes me excited to use it. The formula is great and you can go deep and moody with the color story or do a simple and everyday look.
Colourpop x Mulan
Colourpop and Disney have had a long collaborative relationship dating back to the 2018 release of the Disney Princess and Disney Villains collections. Since then they have done collabs for Frozen, Hocus Pocus, The Mandalorian and Mulan. The Mulan collection released in the beginning of March. Right before lockdown. And I hemmed and hawed about whether I would purchase it. I waited too long to make my decision and the collection promptly sold out. And then Colourpop’s warehouse had to shut down due to California’s lockdown restrictions and the collection wasn’t restocked until July. By that time I knew I wanted it and it did not disappoint me. I have only used it a few times but I enjoyed it enough that I knew it would be on this list. The formula is good but what really cements it for me is the color story: cool toned neutral and pops of fiery red metallics and gold. It’s such a beautiful and well curated color story. Something that Colourpop doesn’t always get right. This time they did.
Natasha Denona Mini Retro
I knew the moment I saw this palette that I wanted it. The color story hearkens back to a very specific time and color palette. It makes me think of a 1950’s kitchen with its muted green appliances and light pink flooring and walls. Retro is the perfect name for this little palette. And it is TINY. The colors do not allow a lot of versatility of wear. It’s aesthetic is straightforward and set. Which I don’t mind at all. I thought the muted green matte and metallic would be the two shades I would get the most use of but it’s actually the soft pinks. My favorite way to use this palette is to take the soft pink all over my lid and add a pop of one of the light metallics on the corner of my eye. It’s soft and pretty.
Pat McGrath Divine Rose II
Last, but in no way least is the Pat McGrath Divine Rose II palette. The most colorful palette on the list and one of the most fun to use. This release was INSANE. As all PMG releases tend to be. But this palette lived up to it’s hype. The shades are rich, vibrant, colorful, and the formula is the same amazing formula we come to expect from Pat McGrath. The star of the show is the multi chrome shade in the palette, Sextraterrestrial. Yes, that’s its name. What really amazed me about this palette is how versatile it is. Which you wouldn’t think it is on first glance. I’ve used the peachy matte in the palette as blush. A couple of the metallics can be used as highlighters. I’ve used this palette and done a full face (minus my complexion products and lips). Pat McGrath is a luxury brand with a price tag to match and so being able to utilize a palette in multiple capacities is a great value for dollar.
What were some of your favorite eyeshadow palettes this year? Let me know in the comments!
