Archived Post
12 Pastel Eyeshadows for Spring (Cool-Toned Edition)
Unsurprisingly, finding higher quality, cool-toned pastels proved even more difficult than finding warm-toned ones!
Explore Temptalia
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Compare Any Two
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
42 Comments
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
Comments on this post are closed.
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
Oooh, I love MUG Mood Ring!!! The duochrome nature makes it more wearable for me!
As for cool-tone pastels I already own AND love: MAC Aquadisiac and the sadly DC’d Crystal, UD Tonic, Roadstripe, Nyx Prismatic Mermaid, MUFE I-916, Nyx Daffodil (old square style pan).
Mood Ring is such a cool shade!
That’s such a pretty selection ! Thanks for all those cruelty-free eyeshadows !
No problem, Lucie!
ugh they look soo pretty! sadly I’m too olive and find it hard to make pastels work for me. I do want to try MAC’s beautiful iris as it looks like a more subdued lavender. This is a great inspiration post Christine! Although I am working really hard trying not to buy too many of these colours!
I bet Beautiful Iris could work – there is a little more depth/color to it!
Tarvos, Daydreamer, Can Can and Mochi are really pretty! I do wonder how Can Can would work on my skin tone though. Thanks for some more pastel options Christine! 🙂
My pleasure, Aj! Good ones exist… they are just hard to find, LOL!
I think the warm-toned pastels are more flattering on me, but I love the looks of Tavros, and will be pouncing on it as soon as it launches at retailers.
*Tarvos*
I feel like Tarvos is right on the edge – it could look warmer/cooler depending on what you pair it with!
You managed well despite the difficulty, imo! Inglit’s #345 is my favorite color out of these.
Thanks, Chris!
All of those are pretty! Christine, can you please clarify what the distinctions for a pastel eyeshadow are? I’m getting lost in light brights, pastels, formula finish, stereotypical spring colors. Because of that I am not sure what all is included in these posts. Thank you! 🙂
I feel any formula and color of eyeshadow can be lightened by blending sheering out or mixing with lighter colors or transparent powder. Made warmer or collier same way. ColourPop shadows are good toppers for changing colors. Everything can be pastel more I think about it. MUFE I918 is so pretty. Hard to create in a hurry. I’d like to see MUFE do a collab with Pantone! Armani Eyes to Kill Intense have beautiful cool colors like 03, June Beatle, Blue Beatle, Scarab Violette, Airy Jade, Moonlight, Silver Night, Rose Titanium, and 23 Madre Perla, 21 and 22 too. Obsidian Grey and Escailles. Many are LE but I still find them sold when I’m looking around so I included them. MAC pigments have a wide variety imho. TF Cream colors too. I like having a variety of formulas to mix for what I was hoping to have in a color and finish. L’oreal infallible in Always Pearly Pink and Infinite Sky and Liquid Diamond are great. CP Bites, Tassel, Swan, Flux, Beauty Call, Taco, Flipper, Tea Party, Acorn, Cowboy, Cheeky, Gecko, Hope, Kindness, Dare, Glowstix, Glitterati, Bubbly, Eye Candy, I Heart This, warmer dessert, truth, smash, then cooler Bill, Girl Crush, Sugar, Krinkle, Liberty, and my favorite Puppy Love! MAC Crystal Avalanche, Seedy Pearl, Idol Eyes, sweetie, White Frost, Tilt, Venus, Silver Sun, Last Dance, ABH has beautiful ones! Utopia, touch of lilac, Macaroon, Pose, Chiffon! Channel IDO have Epatant, Fantasme, Utopia, Melody, Emerville, Rose de Vents, Impulsion, and Diapson works. Just some ideas for any looking for colors they might want or want to dupe other than the two great lists by Christine. MUFE wins. Sky Blue, Pearly, Crystalline “any of them” ?
You can google “what is a pastel,” which will give you a plethora of definitions (text) or images. You can also refer to Pantone’s pastel shades: http://rgb.to/pantone/pastels_neons_coated/page/1
MUFE 1918 is one of my favorites! I also really like MAC Pink Freeze. The Sugarpill picks are good ones, too!
Pink Freeze is a fun one! Old school 🙂
These really aren’t my cup of tea. A cool pastel is just something I won’t spontaneously reach for.
Bummer!
I918 Lavender is one of my favorites, and Tarvos is on my wish list. I should have waited until today to mention MUFE ME202 Iceberg Blue, since it’s cool-toned. I120 Snow Gray is a great pale blue-gray. And if there is such a think as an icy yellow, I414 Yellow Ivory might qualify; sunny and golden yellows are not flattering on me, but I414 is great with yellow-greens. Bobbi Brown long-wear shadow stick in Iced Blue is good. Pinks and cool greens aren’t usually flattering eyeshadow colors for me personally, but I think I should try Daydreamer, since it’s such a lovely purple, even though I usually do better with blue-violets — they’re just so darned hard to find, at least high-quality ones.
Great to hear that I414 works so well for someone that doesn’t find yellows to work most often!
Thank you so much! These are beautiful. <3
Sure thing, Dia!
omg, these are so pretty! These two pastel posts have got me psyched for spring!! Pastels never look great on me, but I still try to work them! 😉
A fav cool-toned pastel is Buxom’s eyeshadow La-La-Lavish, it is so gorgeous.
I struggle to get them to look good on me, too!
Sooo pretty! I only have the MUFE lavender from these, but it’s a good one.
I’m not the biggest pastel lover, but I do like lavenders, and some pinks. Blues…usually not so much. Some of my cool-toned pastels are: MUFE Lavender and Frosted Mauve. Darling Girl Ghoul School in Scarisian Artist, Nerd Glasses, Mermaid Beach Babe, Sugar Skulls, and Snowboarding Cutie. BHCosmetics Galaxy Chic palette. Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette, Cotton Candy from the Bon Bons palette, and Pink Pearl from the Vegas Nay Palette. Urban Decay’s lavenders such as Asphyxia, Tonic, and Grifter; also UD Shattered, Aura, and Magic.
Shattered! I didn’t think of that one as a pastel, but I could see it!
Well, for me it’s pastel, compared to what I normally wear.
MAC: Digit, Swish, Beautiful Iris, Aqua, Nylon, Creme de Violet, Moon’s Reflection, Parfait Amour, Vex, Patina.. I forgot ABH Pink Champagne! Urban Decay: Tonic, Exhaust, Kush, Haight, Freelove, SWF, Asphyxia, Vapour, Kiddie pool, Midnight Cowboy, Sin, Maui Wowi, Roadstripe, Aura, Vanilla, Bordello, Hotpants Polyester Bride, Cherry, Elodorado, Cosmic and Ether.. YDK, Chase, …. Fyrinnae pressed shadow in Unicorn! Femme Fatale in Faerie Fire, Beware The Snowman, Ancient Traitor, Divinity, Archangel, Cosmic Power, Star Caller, Moonglow, Arcane Storm, Spearmint Candy, and Secret Shiny is my favorite. NARS: Callisto, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Phoebe, lightly, Lysithea, St Paul de Vence duo, Underworld duo, Kauai duo.. Stila: Kitten, Cloud, Amethyst, Rose, Mystic, Heather, Bouquet, Viola, metallic lavender…
Thanks for sharing, Kam!
Chanel Illusion D’Ombre: Fantasme, Epatant, Utopia, Mysterio, Rouge George, Rose de Vents, Diapson, Emerveille, Melody, Illusoire. Tom Ford Cream Color: Platinum, Siren Blue, Opale, Sphinx, Midnight Violet, Burnished Copper (sheers out really pretty) MAC: Digit, Swish, Beautiful Iris, Aqua, Nylon, Creme de Violet, Moon’s Reflection, Parfait Amour, Vex, Patina.. I forgot ABH Pink Champagne! Urban Decay: Tonic, Exhaust, Kush, Haight, Freelove, SWF, Asphyxia, Vapour, Kiddie pool, Midnight Cowboy, Sin, Maui Wowi, Roadstripe, Aura, Vanilla, Bordello, Hotpants Polyester Bride, Cherry, Elodorado, Cosmic and Ether.. YDK, Chase, …. Fyrinnae pressed shadow in Unicorn! Femme Fatale: Faerie Fire, Beware The Snowman, Ancient Traitor, Divinity, Archangel, Cosmic Power, Star Caller, Moonglow, Arcane Storm, Spearmint Candy, and Secret Shiny is my favorite. NARS: Callisto, Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Phoebe, lightly, Lysithea, St Paul de Vence duo, Underworld duo, Kauai duo.. Stila: Kitten, Cloud, Amethyst, Rose, Mystic, Heather, Bouquet, Viola, metallic lavender. L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Always Peraly Pink, Liquid Diamond, Infinite Sky. Armani Eyes To Kill Intense in 03, 09, 10, 11, 12, 16, 19, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 ColourPop Bites, Swan, Tassel, Glitterati, Acorn, Cheeky, Desert, Truth, Smash, Glowstix, Flux, Flipper, Beauty Call, Taco, Cowboy, Bill,Girl Crush, Bubbly, Tea Party, I Heart This, Eye Candy, Dare, Too Shy, Krinkle, Sugar, Liberty I included whatever pastel like colors I enjoy using. It takes awhile to type these. Please don’t delete it. Others are looking for pastels too.
I forgot my favorite ColourPop eyeshadow! Puppy Love is perfect for this category!
Thanks for sharing your list, Joy!
Still love the Nars Tarvos the best – just a glorious colour.
Yay!
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in mint green.
I will have to look for that!
I love Tarvos! I’ll be wearing it a lot this spring.
What do you like to pair it with?
I definitely second the MUG shades, especially Mood Ring! It’s such a cool duochrome.
It is!