Eyeshadow is the key to bringing a makeup look together. It can be the difference between a subtle, everyday look and a show-stopping face. There are so many palettes out there that it can be hard to know which ones to go for – especially if you’re not an expert at creating looks and aren’t aware of which palettes are going to serve your interests best.

Here’s a rundown of my favourite palettes to use. All of these are versatile and you can create tonnes of looks using just one palette. The prices vary for these, but I’ve included drugstore and high-end brands, so it’s up to you to decide on your budget and choose the best palette for you!

Kylie Jenner Burgundy Palette

Kylie made waves when she announced her lip kits many years ago and her eyeshadow announcement did much of the same. Although she started with The Bronze Palette, The Burgundy Palette is the one that really caught my eye. Deep reds and rust browns paired with warm golds make the perfect base to create day-to-night looks easily. The formula is a powder but still has a creamy and soft consistency which is perfect for blending out. I tend to use the brightest red in my crease and then add to the inner and outer corners with the true burgundy before lashing on the brightest gold in the centre for a halo highlight.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance

Modern Renaissance is a cult beauty buy amongst beauty bloggers and makeup artists and once you get a glimpse of it, you’ll see why! The palette did what most other brands at the time weren’t doing: innovating. While other brands were going for calm nudes and copycat products, ABH paved the way for breaking out of the box. Don’t get me wrong, there are nudes on there, but they’re a different breed of nudes, soft but spunky with a pop of colour and sparkle. There’s also harsh pinks (harsh not being bad that is!), which are perfect for creating soft, smokey looks.

Urban Decay Naked 2

The Naked Palettes from Urban Decay are highly coveted and well-loved for good reason. The Naked 2 is my favourite as it contains very wearable colours in cool browns but with some warm tones thrown in for good measure. The pans are pretty small but there’s a lot of product in each one for the size. Plus if they were any bigger, you wouldn’t get as many colours.

NYX Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette in Brights

This is not one for the faint-hearted! Bright and neon colours are the name of the game with this set and NYX certainly deliver with this! The brand is cheap enough, with the palette starting at £16 in most stores, so it’s perfect if you’re wanting to experiment with bold colours without feeling bad if you decide these looks are not for you. Of course, they can be layered with more muted tones to create a more wearable eye look.