How many eyeshadow palettes do you have? How many do you use regularly?

Are we counting duos and quads? ? More than my fair share. Fun fact: there are just over 700 posts under “eyeshadow palette” reviews! That number seems low to me (for all time), which really shows you how skewed my perception of “a lot” probably is…

— Christine

44 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.
Francesca Avatar

13 (2 of them arrived jesterday and I haven’,t tried them yet) With a number of pans between 9 and 20… So a lot of shades (and many dupes inside too)! I tried to rotate between the palette and to use them in a cyclic way. Of course some shades are more frequently used than other, but I force myself to use all. Still I have too many shadows for 2 eyes eheh…

Laurel Avatar

I probably have about 15 that are still in their packaging-the rest have been depotted, which is pretty much the only type of palette I’ll by anymore. Colourpop, KKW, and tarte are my mainstays since their pans are easily popped in and out of their packaging (which honestly all palettes should be). How many palettes have I depotted though? Oh probably about 30, which all fit in my 3 adept double sided palettes which is awesome for space.

Mariella Avatar

I was going to ask the same question – do duos, trios and quad count? If so, then a whole lot more than I have the time to count (even now that I’m home and not working, except on sewing masks for front line workers) or even want to count! I have 5 or 6 that I use regularly – of the larger ones, Naked1 and Naked Smokey, ABH “Mario”, Lorac Pro2 and UD Game of Thrones. Of the smaller ones, Chanel Tisse Rivoli and Lumiere et Opulence and Smashbox Minimalist 8 pan and Night Shoot Trio. But next week, I might change it all up and take out some of the lovely (and dc’d, I think) Bare Minerals duos and quads.

Wednesday Avatar

I’ve been on a mission this week. I have 95% of my lipsticks added to my vanity! Yay!

I just did a really quick rough count of eyeshadow palettes and while I have donated plenty, apparently I still need the 75 odd palettes I have stashed in my Ikea Alex ?

I use about half of them. I have a two tier system and the palettes I frequent are in the upper drawer which hold 75% Pat McGrath and Natasha Denona. I have 25% odds and sods from ColourPop, Jouer, Kevyn Aucoin, Huda, Sydney Grace singles & Enduring Love palette.

My second tier palettes are all over the map and generally formulas I don’t have as much love for: ABH palettes and singles, 2nd tier Huda, old MAC singles, Dominique Cosmetics, Melt, etc..

kjh Avatar

Like many (most?) people, the most recent palettes see a lot of use when first received, and also there are the obviously seasonal palettes. But right now, esp since I’ve only bought 1-2 this year, I’m heavy into rotation. Doing a brand or two per month. This month, it’s Bare Minerals. Maybe (gasp!) May will be KVD, as she has been bottom-shelfed for a while. I wore Outlaw ELL today, and forgot how nice some of the KVD can be. Hey, if we can stomach our national leader, we can be excused for using old KVD.

AJ Avatar

The way I see it, KVD already got her money from us buying her makeup. She still has that money whether or not we used what we bought, so we might as well use it. I did throw out all of my lip products from her, but they were all getting older. I still use my Monarch palette all the time though.

Mariella Avatar

I no longer purchase anything from KvD either but I have both the Monarch and Shade+Light palettes and I still use them both. They are lovely palettes and a “retroactive” boycott isn’t possible! Weird – I just looked at Sephora’s Canadian site to see what products she still has out there and saw that they no longer list KvD at all, so no longer carry her stuff (at least in Canada).

Consonanta Avatar

It’s just no longer called Kat Von D now. The brand’s name has been changed to KVD Vegan Beauty now that Kat Von D has left the brand.

Erica Avatar

Far too many to count. I have more than 100 palettes but I also have a ton of eyeshadow singles, duos, trios and quads. And then my palettes with magnetic pans. Insane, I know. And I have decluttered things too. Shameful.

Z Avatar

I’m not going to count, cuz it’ll just bum me out. But probably around 20-30…it’s tough because some years back I went through a depotting phase and put several older (but kept for nostalgic reasons) shadows in to z palettes.

Regularly I cycle through almost all the palettes I keep out (basically everything that wasn’t depotted) so they get fairly even use. I made the decision last year to buy less and ONLY buy what I truly want and can use 90% of (so no pink, purple, reddish brown, or pastel eyeshadow palettes were allowed in). And as far as that goes I’ve been really successful. I’m not a beauty blogger, there’s no reason to have 100 palettes sitting unused in my collection.

Lauren Avatar

They fit in a large pull out drawer… stacked deep. Probably 30+? I’ve been working really hard to depot and put into large palettes and get rid of those shades I never use and make my collection more accessible. I give away palettes that just aren’t what I like but know friends (or their kids) will. I have about 10 I rotate through regularly and the others just get picked at random if I want a pop of this or that (or for things like Halloween or sports events).

Seraphine Avatar

I just did a count and I’m a little shocked to say I have 44 eye palettes (4+ shades). Of those, the ones I was using on a regular basis (pre-pandemic) are Dior Backstage Cool, Smashbox Covershot Punked, and four by ColourPop (Fame, FlutterBy, Night Owl, and Going Coconuts). I guess it’s obvious that I’m a big fan of neutrals.

Wow, 44 palettes and only two little hooded eyes.

Mags Avatar

Right now I have two plus one quad. I’m thinking about adding another in the form of one of those new mini Nabla palettes. We’ll see! I’ve spent a ton of time decluttering to a relatively minimal collection, so I’m afraid to ruin my progress!

Olga Avatar

Two “fulll” palettes and 4-5 quads, mostly of singles that I put together. And one z-palette that has a bunch of stuff — not just eyeshadow. I’ve been more thoughtful about eyeshadow than some other products, since it’s my favorite category that I know I have a tendency to overbuy it. I’m able to visualize my collection as a whole and think about how any new purchase would fit into it (e.g., “would I love this more than what I already have?”) in a way that I’m not able to do with cheek or lip products at this point.

thirteenthirteen Avatar

I have five palettes, not counting my collection of singles (I have about 45 of those, in various z-palettes, etc.). When I could go outside, I tried to use them all fairly evenly. Now I don’t bother with makeup.

Taylor Avatar

I have been decluttering my eyeshadow like crazy. I don’t want to hang on to palettes that I never use and that will just sit in my closet collecting dust. My makeup tastes have also changed a lot and I am no longer into colourful or structured looks. I like something simple, I usually just use a Charlotte Tilbury cream shadow all over the lid and blend it out.
I still have about 25-30ish eyeshadow palettes, with more to be decluttered soon.

AJ Avatar

I have as many as will fit into the plastic basket I have dedicated to palettes. They barely all fit. Each palette has to go in its specific spot. I’m afraid to count how many are in there. More than 20 but less than 100.

How many do I use regularly? Uhm…. some? I reach for my KVD Monarch Palette pretty often and my Viseart Color Theory Chroma. I haven’t had it very long but I already really like that ColourPop black and silver 9-pan. Smoke Show? Whatever it’s called, I like it better than Chroma. So those are my neutral mainstays and everything else depends on what color(s) I’m in the mood for.

Stefanie Avatar

I’ve curated my eyeshadows carefully and only have one ready-made ES palette: Urban Decay Naked Basics. The remainder of my shadows are Burberry (foolproof!) and Shu Uemura single shadows. I have nearly the full color spectrum and can mix nearly any color I need. I know that I’m missing out on a lot of new textures and formulas but I like having a simple signature palette.

Genevieve Avatar

I have about 10 – 12 larger palettes (like Nakeds 1 & 2, Sultry, Vice 2 etc) and probably about 20 or so quads and quints. Only about 10 or so singles. I will have to count them all.
As I am doing a ‘palette a day’ theme at the moment, I am giving love to all of them at the moment.

Genevieve Avatar

OK – I decided to do a chart of all the palettes, quints, quads, trios, duos and singles that I have. I wildly underestimated what I have. The breakdown:
Large palettes -more than 10 shades – I have 13
Mid sized palettes -between 6-9 shades – I have 6
Quints – 6
Quads – 7
Trios and Duos – 5
Singles – 14
Total – 51…..

Rachel R. Avatar

OMG, an embarrassing amount! LOL I’ve been decluttering quite a few so I’m not sure what the exact number is. How big are we calling a “palette?” If we’re counting 5-pans and up, probably more than 100. Don’t judge me: I’ve been collecting for years. I rotate through them. I try to use a different one every day. When I’m really busy, there will be 2-4 I use regularly in a given week, but they’ll vary. I also have five brights palettes I regularly bring out to augment whatever else I’m using: UD Electric, Coloured Raine Vivid Pigment, CP My Little Pony, CP She’s in Rainbows, and my custom SugarPill Pro Palette.

Terri Avatar

Yikes! I’m not sure if I have a lot of not. I’m at 51 palettes & like 200 singles. And I’m on a strict no buy this year, unless I’m replacing something that I’m completely out of. I’m also only using 1 palette that I’m trying to completely pan. But mostly: ColourPop, UD, TooFaced, BHCosmetics, Viseart, ND. I’m wondering why I have so many.

Nikki Avatar

Off the top of my head and not worrying about palette sizes, I have: 2 LA Colors, 2 Rimmel, 1 Jeffree Star (well, technically Blood Lust is an Artistry palette and has some non-eye-safe colors, but that’s usually a company’s legal department covering themselves and I don’t tend to have reactions so I use it as an eyeshadow palette), 2 Urban Decay (1 1/2, maybe, since Electric is in a similar boat as JS BL?), 1 NARS, 1 Kat Von D, 1 Tarte, 2 Revlon, 2 Stila, 2 Too Faced, 1 BH Cosmetics, 1 Pur Cosmetics, 1 Melt, 1 Sydney Grace, 1 Ulta Complete Eye, 5 Huda Obsessions-total of 26.

Francine Avatar

I have about 25, but hardly use them. The only ones I use on a regular basis are the quads from Rouge Bunny Rouge. Does anyone know what’s going on with Rouge Bunny Rouge? I’m afraid they’re on their way out.
I have more success and like purchasing single eyeshadows and have far too many of these.

Pearl Avatar

88 palettes (including 8 of which are de-potted singles)
28 quads

I use 1 to 2 per day as I am trying new things lately. Before, I would set up a glam fray for the week and I would only use one for the whole week, and maybe ‘supporting’ quad for mattes and transitions, if need be. I love my stash and that I have so much choice. I did a huge de-clutter and reorganization back in January and selecting a palette or two is as simple as opening a drawer and flipping through my palettes like cd’s (does anybody remember those? ?). I like the daily rotation, the putting things back and taking things out – it gives me another chance to admire my pretties!

Elizabeth Avatar

Far too many for any rational person to own. I do rotate them. When the seasons change or I want a “new” selection, I always just shop my stash to give myself a bit of variety. Palettes are my Kryptonite. I love them. I am on a palette no buy right now, and I want to hit pan on some of them. I won’t buy any new palettes until I use a few up. I can’t let what I have got to waste.

Vanessa Avatar

4 palettes, including a self-made one
(I swear I’m a makeup fanatic, I just have to keep the collection tight for my commute.)

I’m currently using none — seasonal allergies are killing my eyes. But when I do use, I use all four (not equal amounts, though).

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!