Our Favorite Taupe Eyeshadows + Reader Favorites!
Taupe eyeshadow is truly glorious, and it’s a real chameleon! Taupe is that color that is hard to describe, that looks a little different to each person, but no matter your definition, I think we have a taupe you can fall in love with! You’ll find a list of editor’s top rated taupe eyeshadows (broken out by budget-friendly and luxury price points), plus readers’ favorites by skin tone.
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How to Wear Taupe Eyeshadow
In makeup, “taupe” often leans cool when it’s more of a purplish-gray and warmer when it’s more of a silvery bronze. Per Merriam-Webster, taupe is defined as a “brownish gray.” If you search through Pantone’s colors for taupes, there are 36 color swatches of taupe! They run the spectrum from almost a muted olive-beige to soft gray to greenish-gray to rosy beige to darker, muted mauve and warm grays. What they have in common is that they’re neutral, often a little more muted, and can look warmer/cooler, grayer/browner/purpler depending on what else it is paired with.
To bring out the cooler undertones in your taupe eyeshadow, pair it with other cool-toned hues like icy pink, silvers, sooty grays, lavenders, and violets. Shades of pink, rose, and mauve work well with purple-leaning taupes to enhance the rosiness in them. To bring out the warmer undertones in your taupe eyeshadow, pair with richer coppers, golds, bronzes, and warm beiges. To bring out the olive undertones in your taupe eyeshadow, pair with shades of pewter, patina, yellowy greens, deep golds, and rich, golden bronzes.
You can use taupe eyeshadows to smudge and smoke out eyeliner on the lower or upper lash line by applying it over your eyeliner with a pencil brush (or for a softer look, skip the eyeliner and use a taupe shade as eyeliner–pick one that isn’t quite so metallic in that instance).
Best Taupe Eyeshadows Under $15 – Editor’s Top-Rated
Anastasia Chocolate Crumble Eyeshadow ($12.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a dark, taupe brown with warm, reddish-brown undertones and a sparkling, metallic...
Anastasia Chocolate Crumble Eyeshadow ($12.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a dark, taupe brown with warm, reddish-brown undertones and a sparkling, metallic...
Sydney Grace Tiara Pressed Pigment Shadow ($6.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a medium bronze with a cooler, reddish undertone and warmer, golden shimmer paired...
Sydney Grace Tiara Pressed Pigment Shadow ($6.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a medium bronze with a cooler, reddish undertone and warmer, golden shimmer paired...
Sydney Grace Moon Landing Matte Shadow ($5.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a pale taupe with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. It was richly pigmented...
Sydney Grace Moon Landing Matte Shadow ($5.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a pale taupe with subtle, warm undertones and a matte finish. It was richly pigmented...
Sydney Grace Officer Matte Shadow ($5.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a medium-dark, purplish taupe with cool undertones and a mostly matte finish. It had rich...
Sydney Grace Officer Matte Shadow ($5.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a medium-dark, purplish taupe with cool undertones and a mostly matte finish. It had rich...
Sydney Grace Somber Shimmer Shadow ($5.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a medium taupe-brown with soft, warm undertones and a frosted finish. It had rich color...
Sydney Grace Somber Shimmer Shadow ($5.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a medium taupe-brown with soft, warm undertones and a frosted finish. It had rich color...
Sydney Grace Cliff Jumping Cream Shadow ($8.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a light taupe with subtle, warm undertones and more silvery sparkle over a metallic...
Sydney Grace Cliff Jumping Cream Shadow ($8.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a light taupe with subtle, warm undertones and more silvery sparkle over a metallic...
Fyrinnae Reindeer Fur Pressed Eyeshadow ($7.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a light-medium taupe with neutral-to-cool undertones and a metallic sheen. It was...
Fyrinnae Reindeer Fur Pressed Eyeshadow ($7.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a light-medium taupe with neutral-to-cool undertones and a metallic sheen. It was...
Sydney Grace Troops Pressed Pigment Shadow ($6.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a medium, plummy taupe with subtle, cool undertones and warmer, golden shimmer that...
Sydney Grace Troops Pressed Pigment Shadow ($6.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a medium, plummy taupe with subtle, cool undertones and warmer, golden shimmer that...
L'Oreal Bronzed Taupe Infallible 24-Hour Eyeshadow ($7.99 for 0.12 oz.) is a medium-dark taupe brown with subtle, warm undertones and a sparkling,...
L'Oreal Bronzed Taupe Infallible 24-Hour Eyeshadow ($7.99 for 0.12 oz.) is a medium-dark taupe brown with subtle, warm undertones and a sparkling,...
The Virgo is a medium-dark taupe-brown with neutral-to-cool undertones and a mostly matte finish. It had opaque pigmentation that applied evenly to...
The Virgo is a medium-dark taupe-brown with neutral-to-cool undertones and a mostly matte finish. It had opaque pigmentation that applied evenly to...
Glossover Averages
Best Taupe Eyeshadows Over $15 – Editor’s Top Rated
Make Up For Ever ME554 Gunmetal Artist Color Shadow ($17.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a medium, taupe-brown with subtle, warm undertones and a cooler, silvery...
Make Up For Ever ME554 Gunmetal Artist Color Shadow ($17.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a medium, taupe-brown with subtle, warm undertones and a cooler, silvery...
Giorgio Armani Halo (2) Eyes to Kill Stellar ($36.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a medium, golden taupe with more muted, almost olive undertones, paired with a...
Giorgio Armani Halo (2) Eyes to Kill Stellar ($36.00 for 0.14 oz.) is a medium, golden taupe with more muted, almost olive undertones, paired with a...
Stolen Moment is described as a "mauvey nude." It's a cool-toned, purple-leaning taupe with hints of brown in the undertone and a frosted finish. It...
Stolen Moment is described as a "mauvey nude." It's a cool-toned, purple-leaning taupe with hints of brown in the undertone and a frosted finish. It...
Kaja Tiger's Eye Moon Crystal Sparkling Eye Pigment ($16.00 for 0.29 oz.) is a medium-dark, taupe-brown with subtle, golden olive pearl and faint...
Kaja Tiger's Eye Moon Crystal Sparkling Eye Pigment ($16.00 for 0.29 oz.) is a medium-dark, taupe-brown with subtle, golden olive pearl and faint...
Dose of Colors Slinky Block Party Eyeshadow ($20.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a medium-dark pewter with subtle, warm undertones and a sparkling, metallic...
Dose of Colors Slinky Block Party Eyeshadow ($20.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a medium-dark pewter with subtle, warm undertones and a sparkling, metallic...
Industrial (45M) is a dark, taupe brown with subtle, warm undertones and a sparkling, metallic finish. It had rich color payoff with a soft, smooth,...
Industrial (45M) is a dark, taupe brown with subtle, warm undertones and a sparkling, metallic finish. It had rich color payoff with a soft, smooth,...
Make Up For Ever S622 Black Brown Artist Color Shadow ($17.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a deep brown with subtle, pinkish undertones andd a satin finish. It...
Make Up For Ever S622 Black Brown Artist Color Shadow ($17.00 for 0.08 oz.) is a deep brown with subtle, pinkish undertones andd a satin finish. It...
Deep Slate Gray (32P) is a dark taupe with subtle, warmer undertones but a cooler overtone. If you blend it out a lot, especially if you diffuse the...
Deep Slate Gray (32P) is a dark taupe with subtle, warmer undertones but a cooler overtone. If you blend it out a lot, especially if you diffuse the...
Glossover Averages
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Old MUFE crystalline gray beige. I see lots of faves, and prefer taupes with a gray lean, though CGB has a lot of gold….To my eye, buon fresco and cp bill are more mauve than taupe. Probably laced, too. Great shades picked, everyone. The big plus to Taupe is it’s so easy to wear for everyone.
Taupe is my favorite eyeshadow color range! My favorites are MAC Omega and MAC Satin Taupe. ABH Buon Fresco is at the top of the matte-to-satin list (as of this writing), and while it’s a shade I love and use often, it seems more mauve than taupe to me. I see several other shades here that have piqued my interest. I’ll be keeping my eye on this list.
My favourite taupes remain UD’s Mushroom, YDK and Derailed, plus City Color’s All Eyes on Me.
I love NARS Himalia, but my favorite ever is Wet n Wild single shadow in Nutty.
My favorite taupe is a discontinued shade Pebble, from Il Makiage. Matte & smooth, it’s a cool leaning taupe.