It was tough, but here’s my list of favorites for individual eyeshadows (which means they aren’t only available in duos, quads, or palette — see Best Makeup Palettes of 2014 for those!). As you might expect, it was hard to narrow it down, and I’m a fan of variety and spreading the love around, so I chose favorites across brands and formulas (though some got two picks!). Some of the formulas where I felt like I could have picked another dozen favorites out of, I linked below so you can see the full range and explore options that might better align with your personal tastes, too.

I’m not sure exactly how many individual eyeshadows I reviewed this year and often review three or more in a single post (eyeshadows from palettes are all in the same category), but I have 306 posts categorized under “eyeshadow” and 26 for “cream eyeshadow,” so probably in the neighborhood of 1500 eyeshadows for the year (including palettes). I like to reflect back on what was covered over the year, because it helps me compare year over year how productive I was Numbers like that always fascinate me!

• Ardency Inn Rose Gold — a brilliant rose gold plum with a metallic sheen (the entire line Manuka Honey eyeshadows are amazing)
• NARS Subra — a rich burgundy with a pearly finish
• Giorgio Armani #16 — a cool-toned purple-taupe with a pearly sheen
• MAC Fathoms Deep — a frosted, muted purple
• Tom Ford Platinum — a chameleon of a color that changes from bronze to taupe to purplish-taupe
• Make Up For Ever D716 Crystalline Papaya — a sparkly, golden beige that I find myself reaching for to highlight the inner corner or lower lash line; brightens everything! (I’m basically in love with Artist Shadows, and I could have filled this list twice over, at least, with them!)
• Gucci Sasso — a cool-toned, light-medium taupe with a frosted, metallic finish (that’s hard to dupe)
• Ardency Inn Heaven — a bright, metallic antique gold
• Make Up For Ever ME624 Black Gold — an intense, olive-toned blackened brown with a pearly sheen (one of the more unique shades I reviewed in the range)
• Burberry Storm Grey — a cool-toned taupe with a satin-matte finish

What were your favorite eyeshadows you tried this year? New go-to combinations?