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Best Taupe Eyeshadow | Top 10 & Share Your Recommendations

MAC Satin Taupe Eyeshadow
MAC Satin Taupe Eyeshadow

Today, I’m asking for your go-to taupe eyeshadows (specific shades, please!).  The 10 most recommended taupe eyeshadows are listed below, and the list will automatically update as more recommendations are made!

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10 Most Recommended Taupe Eyeshadows

Recommendations Wanted For…

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Carla Avatar

I truly don’t think I could cope without taupe!
As for recommendations, my favorite taupes are Inglot 349(a greyer, better-pigmented MAC Omega), MAC “French Grey,” long since discontinued and virtually impossible to find, and Makeup Geek “Friend Zone.”
There’s also an ABH one whose name I can’t remember; it’s a matte light warmish grey/taupe.
If I think of the name, I’ll come back and post it.

kjh Avatar

Fortunately, there are so many great ones. Will have to play around before I prob settle on mufe CGB. But it has been looking comparatively gold of late. M/U is so filled with surprises (read wtf moments!). The downside to this post is that it will make me highly acquisitive, as much as revisiting underused stash members. Taupe rules.

Carla Avatar

kjh, I can’t quite decide if it’s fortunate or ominous that the woods are so thick with beautiful taupes, because I want ALL of them, and I’m not a wealthy woman, unless you can name used makeup as “assets.” 🙂

Seraphine Avatar

I love taupe eyeshadow, and MAC’s Satin Taupe is the prettiest taupe I own. But my hooded eyes need a matte to give them the illusion of the depth that they lack. MAC’s Omega is a shade I use more than any other eyeshadow because it isn’t obvious and yet it does so much. So although it’s not the prettiest shade in the world, its a real workhorse of an eyeshadow. Therefore, Omega got my recommendation.

thirteenthirteen Avatar

I actually just got both Omega and Satin Taupe and I like them both, but I was expecting to like ST more and the reverse is true! Omega, while kind of meh in the pan, is just a super useful shade that looks really nice on my skin tone. I find myself reaching for it constantly.

Deborah S. Avatar

I need a matte for transition also as my eyes are super hooded and Omega is my favorite. It checks all the boxes for me. I actually don’t own Satin Taupe which sounds almost sacrilegious so might have to buy it the next time I place a MAC order.

Deborah S. Avatar

I love Omega. It was my first MAC eye shadow and I have repurchased several times. It is the perfect greyish/taupe color and meets my cool, matte preferences for a transition shade. I also use it to contour sometimes. It works well for both jobs. I also find Omega to be a better blending matte than many others.

Carla Avatar

When Mariella mentioned “plummy,” that made me remember another taupe shade I love, Stila “Rain.”
Rain is taupe enough to be neutral, but plum enough to pop my green eyes.
I just can’t get enough taupe!
BTW, the Anastasia one I mentioned earlier in this thread is called “Stone.”

Seraphine Avatar

Carla, your post inspired me to look up “Rain” on Stila’s site, and it looks so pretty, but it’s “unavailable for purchase.” Discontinued, I guess.

I find it extremely annoying that it’s getting more and more difficult to buy individual eyeshadows. There seems to be fewer and fewer singles of Urban Decay eyeshadows every time I go to Ulta or Sephora and they barely restock the ones that sell out. I hope MAC doesn’t ever stop selling their single shadows!

Carla Avatar

Dang!
I hope Rain is just temporarily out of stock!
I COMPLETELY agree about the scarcity of single shadows these days; it’s palettes, palettes, palettes, palettes, and more palettes.
On that note, here are two little-known [single] taupes I love, but had momentarily forgotten:
Absolute New York Eye Artiste in “Fudge:” a smooth matte medium-to-deep brown with strong taupe tendencies, and a hint of plum. I can use it from lashline to just above crease on days when I want to do a simple “Idiot Eyes” design.
Kiko High Pigment Wet ‘n’ Dry eyeshadow in “90-Satin Mocha:” I don’t think I could do my makeup without this buttery smooth, well-pigmented deep matte taupe brown. It makes a great crease color and a perfect soft filler for my dark brown brows.
My apologies for monopolizing this thread; I just love taupe eyeshadow SOO much!

Carla Avatar

Update:
I don’t know if the formula’s been changed, but I just got a new Kiko High Pigment Wet ‘n’ Dry eyeshadow in Satin Mocha, and it’s slightly different – in color.
The quality is at least as wonderful as before, but the color seems more grey; it’s a true taupe now. It reminds me of MAC Copperplate, in fact.
Here’s a photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y9c5xzt6
Also, my message to Stila about “Rain” has not been replied to, so I’m assuming that Rain is no more. 🙁
I’m investigating a couple of possible dupes, though.

kellly Avatar

I agree. I’m not about to buy a $40 pallet in order to get one or two colors. Fewer brands seem to be bothering with single shadows any more.

Carla Avatar

“I’m not about to buy a $40 pallet in order to get one or two colors. ”
PRECISELY!
I just don’t buy palettes, because I never want but one or two of the colors, and it seems silly to buy five or six eyeshadows I know very well will just sit there and develop mold while I hit pan on a couple of the others.
That’s one of the reasons I love Inglot – you can buy 20 eyeshadows from them, or you can buy only one.
And NOOOBODY offers more taupes!

Mel Avatar

It’s so hard to find good taupes lately, it seems all the brands are focusing on reddish eyeshadows. I love Nars Himalia, Wet n’ Wild Nutty, Urban Decay YDK.

Abby Avatar

I like the more grey or silver toned taups. Loved Nars Hardwired shadow in stud. Marc Jacobs Au Revior. Essence She’s got the mauve, even though I think it looks purple toned taupe. Love L’Oréal bronze taupe. But stud is by FAR my favorite. Love a good taupe sparkle shade.

Carla Avatar

Another lesser-known but fantastic matte greyish taupe is Kiko’s High pigment Wet and Dry Eyeshadow in #90 – Satin Mocha.
It’s probably only available online if you live in the U.S. but it is SO worth the trouble.
I can’t praise it enough.
I use it for eyeshadow, liner, and brow filler – so versatile.
It’s < $10, but the quality is off the charts.
I couldn't get along without it!

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