Which green eye shadow palette is best?
Green is a versatile, often-overlooked eye shadow color that adds pop and fun to your makeup routine and looks great on a wide range of skin tones. On pale skin, it adds drama and depth. On darker skin, it extends the options in earth tones, or if you opt for the lime range, offers an interesting accent. When you’re looking for an eye shadow palette that offers a range of options for incorporating green into your look, the Huda Beauty Obsessions Eye Shadow Palette in Emerald is the top choice.
What to know before you buy a green eye shadow palette
If you want a knockout, head-turning look, try a glittery emerald eye shadow or a bright lime green. If you want to incorporate a bit of green without making a big statement, a soft, mossy, greenish-brown can add a soft, earthy tone to your usual look.
Matte vs. shimmery
Green can look very different depending on whether the eye shadow palette you choose is predominantly shimmery or matte. A matte palette easily blends with browns and taupes and gives depth to muted looks. A shimmery green is a great statement color and works well for evening looks.
Pigment saturation
Certain brands, such as Nars, are known for the subtle blendability of their eye shadows. Others, including Urban Decay and Smashbox, have a well-deserved reputation for being deeply pigmented. Each has its pros and cons. It’s easy to overdo it with a heavily pigmented eye shadow. It’s harder to get a darker, more dramatic look with a more subtle eye shadow. Know your makeup application style when deciding which to choose.
Cool vs. warm colors
Greens come in a range from the iciest, coolest forest colors to the hottest emeralds, from mint to lime. Know your skin tone to choose warm or cool tones to match.
What to look for in a quality green eye shadow palette
Versatility for day or night
When do you normally wear makeup? Do you usually get made up for work? Do you reserve your makeup-wearing for nighttime? Because a green eye shadow palette is so specific in color, you may want to find one which ranges from day-friendly hues to more dramatic colors for night.
Color closeness to your usual shades
Take inventory of your eye shadow collection. Do you own mostly browns? Do you find that you gravitate toward blues? Branching out into greens can start with you finding shades of green adjacent to your usual look. A mostly-brown and neutral collection can be augmented by a mossy green or one with gold undertones. A collection that leans more to blues and purples could use the addition of mints and cool greens. That said, there’s nothing to stop you from taking a leap in another direction. Makeup is about experimentation and fun.
Blendability
If you’re looking to create a look with just a hint of green, invest in a green eye shadow palette with blendable, not overpowering, colors.
How much you can expect to spend on a green eye shadow palette
Expect to pay in the $20 range for department store brands, and between $50-$75 for premium department-store palettes.
Green eye shadow palette FAQ
Can a green eye shadow palette work for brown eyes?
A. Green eye shadow can be a great look with brown eyes. Green adds a bit of pop, and for brown eyes that hold a hint of green, bring out your natural coloring. But even if your brown eyes are strictly brown, green eye shadow can add warmth and mystery to your look.
How can you tell if you have cool or warm undertones to pick your shades of green?
A. One makeup artist’s trick is this: If you can see your veins on the inside of your wrists, check their color. Bluish-colored veins indicate cool undertones in your skin. If the veins look green, you have warmer undertones and should lean in the direction of a warmer-toned green eye shadow palette.
What’s the best green eye shadow palette to buy?
Top green eye shadow palette
Huda Beauty Obsessions Eye Shadow Palette in Emerald
What you need to know: Huda is an insider’s brand, not quite yet as mainstream as some of the bigger brands, but with plenty of devoted followers.
What you’ll love: Rich colors and plenty of gorgeous sparkly options make this a green lover’s treasure.
What you should consider: With only nine shades to choose from, this palette can feel restrictive if you’re looking for a broad selection of options.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top green eye shadow palette for the money
Essence Dancing Green Eyeshadow Palette
What you need to know: A serviceable, muted selection of shadows, it has several excellent green shades
What you’ll love: The color saturation is remarkable for a palette at this price point.
What you should consider: Since this palette blends a few browns in with the greens, this is more of an all-purpose palette than a strictly green palette.
Where to buy: Sold by Ulta
Worth checking out
ColourPop High Tide Eye Shadow Palette
What you need to know: Leaning to the cooler colors, this full-range green eye shadow palette offers options for day and night.
What you’ll love: A great monochromatic offering of colors makes this a winner.
What you should consider: The mattes on this palette can feel powdery and somewhat insubstantial at times. You may need to layer to get the color you want.
Where to buy: Sold by Ulta
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Maria Andreu writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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