Today’s post is a round-up of 2020’s best eyeshadow palettes under $10. I’ve tried a ton of palettes over the last several months, and these 5 brands are the clear winners in this price range. Whether you’re looking to get a gift for a friend or family member that won’t break the bank, or are just treating yourself to something new, read on for the best eyeshadow palettes under $10 for 2020.
Just a note: I purchased all of these myself, during the middle of fall (hence the fall decor!), but you can certainly wear these colors any time during the year!
Best Eyeshadow Palettes Under $10
5. Milani: Must Have Metallics
Say hello to the most gorgeous shimmers! Even though I’m ranking this as Number 5, the Milani Must Have Metallics palette features my favorite shimmer formula of all of these. There are no mattes in this palette, but Milani makes up for that with a finely milled eyeshadow formula. These colors blend out beautifully, and there is no fallout. I appreciate the range of colors, too. You can do a soft shimmer look with the lightest shades, or amp up the volume with the deeper magenta and black shimmers.
I like to use this palette when I’m going for an effortless, high-shine eye look. I use a blending brush to blend color on my crease, and then use my fingers to place color on my lid for a stronger color payoff. The palette also comes with a double-sided brush, which works very nicely for inner corner highlights or blending color under the lower lash line.
Pro tip: Colors 2, 3, and 4 in this palette are very similar to Makeup by Mario’s Master Metallics palette (Metallic 7, 10, and 9, respectively). So, if you like the shades in that palette but want a less expensive option, this Milani palette is an amazing alternative.
4. Rimmel: Magnif’eyes Spice Edition
For under $8, this Rimmel Magnif’eyes Spice palette really impressed me! The shimmers are lovely, and you can use them right out of the pan for a subdued look, or use them wet for a more foiled effect. For this more intense color payoff, just wet your brush—I prefer using Mac Fix+, but water does the trick, too—and dip into the shadow before applying to the eye.
I love how easily Rimmel’s matte formula blends out, particularly in the crease. When using a blending brush (the brushes in this Nabla set are my current favorites), the mattes create a beautifully blended haze. There is no skipping of product or patchiness.
I also appreciate the multiple color options in this Rimmel palette. While the color story is warm overall, there are some more neutral browns, alongside deep warm browns, and one lovely plum color. Finally, I love the lightest shade in the palette for a brow bone highlight on my fair skin. For under $8, this Rimmel palette is well worth the money!
3. Elf Cosmetics: 90’s Mood Palette
For my third best eyeshadow palette under $10, I present this gorgeous Elf 90’s Mood palette. I audibly gasped when I swatched this the first time. If you want pigmentation, this palette is for you! Every single shade is buttery smooth and vivid in color. While the palette is a throwback to 90s grunge, I also think it’s the perfect color story for fall. Though, I’ll be wearing these colors year-round!
Just like the Milani palette above, this Elf palette contains only shimmers. So, if you prefer mattes in your crease, you could mix this palette with other colors in your collection. However, if you’re anything like me and don’t mind shimmer everywhere, you could also use this palette all by itself. The colors blend beautifully.
Speaking of Elf, I also want to mention their $3 Bite-Size Eyeshadow quads. I love Cream and Sugar and Pumpkin Spice, though they have 6 other color stories you can try. You can’t beat the price for these!
2. Essence: Earth Eyeshadow Palette
Honestly, the theme of this post should be the best shimmer eyeshadow palettes under $10, because this Essence Earth palette is . . . another all-shimmer palette. However, this one is my favorite for its bendability. While the shimmers can be strong on the lid, if you blend the colors out on the crease using a buffing motion, they lose their shimmer quality and almost look matte. I love when an eyeshadow can look like two different colors on the eye. In this case, you get a stunning shimmer on the lid, and a blown-out effect on the crease after blending. Total win!
The colors look quite subdued in the palette, but they apply with great pigmentation on the eyes. And just like the Rimmel palette above, you can always use the shades wet for more intensity. As a bonus, the packaging on this Essence palette features a photo of Antelope Canyon, an awesome place to visit here in AZ!
And the absolute best eyeshadow palettes under $10 are . . .
1. L.A. Girl: Keep it Playful Palettes
The L.A. Girl Keep it Playful palettes are hands down my favorite ones under $10! These launched just a few months ago in four color stories: a warm orange, a berry, a cool toned, and a purple palette. I purchased the first three, though I would love to try the purple color story, too. (You can purchase that one on the L.A. Girl site.)
These palettes feature matte, shimmer, and metallic finishes. I really appreciate these different finishes, because you can create so many different eye looks with one palette. You could do all matte one day, all shimmers the next, and then a mix of finishes another day. These are super versatile palettes.
The mattes in the L.A. Girl palettes blend beautifully, and I like mixing the mattes from all three palettes I own to get a blown-out effect on my crease. The shimmers are stunning, and the metallics rival every one of my high-end metallic formulas. (Look at these compared to swatches of the Natasha Denona bronze palette—both palettes are equally stunning!) The metallics not only have intense shine, but they are also incredibly pigmented. Plus, there is NO fallout. If you don’t own these, you need at least one!
Which one is your pick for best eyeshadow palette?
Do you own any of these or will you be buying any? I think these are well worth the money, and perform just as well as more expensive products. I highly recommended each of these!
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