What is your most used eyeshadow palette (of all-time)?

It’s probably a tie between Tom Ford Nude Dip and Pat McGrath Decadence! Least used for is… you know, everything else, since I don’t return to a lot of products more than a handful of times — but I’m super curious to see readers’ answers!

— Christine

54 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.
Lucie Avatar

I’m primarily a singles kind of person. But most used are Colourpop’s Going Coconuts and Brown Sugar, depending on if I’m going slightly warmer or slightly cooler. They are always in arms reach because they are small enough to fit in my makeup bag of frequently used daily products and are easy to pull together neutral looks that go with everything with zero thought for when I haven’t had coffee yet.

My go-to palette for when I’m not on autopilot and putting a little more color into my look is Natasha Denona Sunrise.

Hollie Avatar

Boring but probably my UD Ultimate Basics or Tarte Tartelette. I keep one or both handy because they have all the transition, crease, and browbone shades I need to pair with my “fun” color palettes and singles.

Seraphine Avatar

My answer is not very exciting, but here it is…
I’ve never completely used up a palette, but I came pretty close with Urban Decay Naked Basics 2, which I bought 5 or 6 years ago. It was my first non-drugstore palette and I used it every day for a long time until i hit pan on my most-used shades. I think I still have it in a drawer somewhere.

Beth Avatar

This is a great question! I don’t think I have a most used palette as I tend to rotate through many of them. If pressed, I think I would have to say it was the first palette I purchased when I was first starting to really wear makeup. That was the original Lorac pro palette and it remains the only palette I have ever actually used up multiple shades. It is also the only palette that I ever effectively finished prior to purchasing more. I can’t wait to see what everyone else says!!

Mariella Avatar

Hands down, no question about it – it’s the original Naked palette. First runner up (it’s not really a palette but a quad) which will assume the duties of the winner if the winner is unable to fulfill its obligations – ABH “Mario” palette. And following just behind are a quad – Chanel’s Tisse Rivoli – and the Smashbox Minimalist palette. I have some larger palettes which offer so much in the way of choice and variety but in all honesty, neutrals are “my look” and as much as I love some larger palettes, it really is the Naked palette that I use the most.

Erica Avatar

My most used is ABH Modern Renaissance.

I don’t know what is my least used. I’ve decluttered a lot. But of what I still have, it’s probably my Violet Voss Rainbow palette. It’s not bad, quite the opposite but when do I get the chance to wear bright shimmery bold colors? Could now I’m in quarantine but then I don’t feel like putting in the effort!

Lauren Avatar

Too Faced White Peach. It was the first palette I think I bought for myself. I realize now it’s not top shelf quality but I’m very fond of it and it has some of my favorite colors of all time, especially Peach Smoothie and Peach Passion. I use every color in the palette.

Z Avatar

Off all time? Probably an older palette like the Naked, or this Lorac quad from over ten years ago, that I had back when I only had three (or fewer) palettes. Nowadays I have so many that even though I reach for certain ones over and over – my custom Melt stack for instance (rott, assimilate, and dark matter) and Tarte’s matte palette – I have so many to choose from that I end up rotating through them fairly evenly.

Swoozy Avatar

I used the original Tarte Rainforest of the Sea palette until I hit pan in 6 of the 8 shades. I need office-friendly makeup for a conservative environment! Now that that’s gone, I most use the mini Pat McGrath Eye Ecstasy in Sublime (the browns and golds), but in quarantine, have been liberal in my use of it’s mate in Subversive.

Rachel R. Avatar

ABH Modern Renaissance, UD Electric, Too Faced Chocolate Bar, MUFE Nudes You Need, and MUFE Holiday 2014 Studio Case (I depotted the shadows into a small Zpalette for ease of use).

Runners up: MUFE Colors You Crave, ABH Artist Palette, ABH Self-Made Palette, Tarte ROTS, Too Faced Semi-Sweet, and UD Gwen x Stefani.

Of all time: That honor probably still goes to a CoverGirl quad with chocolate browns that was my go-to in the late 80s-early 90s. I went through so many of them, I couldn’t tell you. It was great quality, inexpensive, and easy to throw on before class in the morning.

Eileen Avatar

Hmmm . . . I pick the palette based on what I’ve got planned for the day, but two that I keep going back to–especially when I don’t have much time or I don’t want to think about it very much–are Cahnel Les Beiges Naturelle and for a bit more glam, Tom Ford Virgin Orchid.

P Jill Avatar

Yes, I like the PMG Decadence palette, but I use her Mothership V most often. When Im feeling super lazy, I prefer the TF cream and powder eye duos (Reflection, Fleur Neige and of course Golden Peach) which are not palettes, of course.

Minnie Avatar

I bought the Pat McGrath Subliminal palette during a Sephora sale last year, not really knowing what I’d do with it, and it turns out it’s one of my most used palettes for everyday looks. I can pair it with a number of other palettes I own, it’s very versatile and plays well with others.

Maggie Avatar

Urban Decay Naked 1 Basics–I really wish I bought a backup. A great workhorse and my favorite travel palette. In a pinch, it’s also great for sculpting my face. And like another mentioned, it’s great for “before coffee” bc I’m super familiar with working that particular shadow formula. I guess this is why I have difficulty branching out into other brands of shadow; I’ve been happy sticking with my UD and colourpop selection lately. I have hardly touched the two mini Pat Mcgrath palettes I own (shameful I know) and can’t justify buying from other brands I’m curious about if I keep on like that (natasha denona, sydney grace, and viseart 12-pans).

Runner-ups would probably be Urban Decay Naked Original and Viseart Cashmere Theory.

Mary Avatar

Funny , I was just thinking about this today,.
I have so many pallets , mostly mini ones and some quite high end however those are not my “workhorse” .
My number one pick and most used is Flower Beauty “Austin Downtown Dusk”
I’ve actually hit pan and then some .

Genevieve Avatar

Mary I have the Flower Beauty Gimme Gold palette, which I purchased on sale at our local chemist, and I was really surprised as to how good it is. I love, love and love the gold and bronze metallic shades. I looked up the Flower Beauty Austin palette and was blown away by that beautiful bronze metallic shade. No wonder you have hit pan on some of the colours there.

Miki Carr Avatar

TF Nude Dip, TF Honeymoon, ABH Soft Glam, Pat McGrath Mothership VI Midnight Sun, Pat McGrath Golden Opulence, ND Sunrise, Viseart Milieu!!

Blue Avatar

Probably my old UD palettes from like 10 years ago when I only had (and loved!) the three. They were Naked 1, the deluxe shadow palette, and Book of Shadows 4. They were so good, especially BoS 4! I hit pan on probably half the shades from Naked and BoS, and honestly might repurchase BoS 4 if it were ever re-released.

Since then my most successful palettes have been self-made. My tastes have become very specific, so brands like Sydney Grace REALLY suit my shopping style. I love that MAC is offering competitively priced pans now too, high school me would have DIED.

For pre-made palettes, Sugarpill Fun Size and Shroud Arcana are my recent standouts, but I have too much makeup to focus on them the way I did those old UD palettes.

Pearl Avatar

MAC Naturals or whatever the first 15 pan they had – not the warm neutrals but the first one. I never bought it but recreated it with all the shades I already had and I’ve hit pan and replaced over the years.

Smita Avatar

Most used eyeshadow product for me are the Charlotte tilbury eyes to mesmerize cream pots. I always get ready for work in a hurry and I love that I can just apply them with a fingertip but they have depth and dimension and look like I put more effort in. My favorite color is Mona Lisa!

Korinne Avatar

Overall, Melt Gemini. The brown tones are amazing and I always get compliments on them; greens are my happy place and they blend easily for me. Why I was so tempted by their newest 4/20 release, but I’m hanging on to see if I want Rust or wait for a theoretical restock.

Genevieve Avatar

My most used palette of all time would have to be Lorac’s Pro Metal as I have hit pan on more than half of the shades. It has that beautiful Rose Gold and Amber shades as a backdrop to Clover (green), Graphite (grey) and Cobalt (blue). It is the only palette that I have bought a back up for.
Honourable Mention goes to UD Nakeds 1 & 2 as I love the many and varied combinations I can get with these and they so suit my colouring.

Linatha Avatar

I’m always on the hunt for those moody smoldering taupey shimmery mauves. That being said, Wander Beauty’s Wanderess Chill palette is amazing. I use every single color in this 6 pan palette.

Ursula Avatar

For a long time Sigma Warm Neutrals and Nabla Soulblooming made my day. Now I use the balm alternative rock vol. 2 and Zoeva Melody very often. The formula is very well for sensitive, midaged eyes.

Tammy Avatar

The eyeshadow palette I’ve used the most would probably be either the Tarte Double Duty Beauty Courage Palette or Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons. I love those palettes.

CAROLYN Avatar

My most used palettes right now are Viseart’s Tryst and ABH’s Sultry since I am actively trying to pan them. The shimmers are so lovely in both to do a quick shimmer all over the lid kind of look and the mattes are never fail. I have also used and repurchased the ABH’s Soft Glam. When I was first starting out I used Too Faced’s Natural Eyes palette in the tin packaging to death, but I never hit pan on any of the shades. That thing lasted FOREVER.

Taylor Avatar

I consistently return to the Kylie Cosmetics Blue Honey palette – I think those neutral shades are just perfect for everyday looks! As I want to get a little more wild with my looks, I turn to the Morphe 35H palette which has a nice selection of everyday pinks and browns all the way to a selection of blues and teal shades!

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!