11 Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Brown Eyes — Tested And Reviewed

Written by Sayantani Deb, Makeup & Beauty Writer
Updated on Apr 03, 2024
Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Brown Eyes
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Women with brown eyes are indeed very lucky when it comes to choosing the most flattering eyeshadow shades without actually compromising on the natural beauty of their eye color. The best eyeshadow palettes for brown eyes usually consist of purple, green, blue, beige, brown, nude, rosy pink, ash, and charcoal hues, allowing you to spruce up your eye makeup game by several notches. The reason behind following an apt color scheme is basically to bring the best out of brown eyes and enhance their appearance instead of washing them out. Whether you want a bold smokey eye look or a low-key neutral look, these shades are always going to complement your brown eyes and will never overpower them. 

We deduced from our observations and experience working with makeup products that an eyeshadow shade can significantly impact one’s final makeup look. The right shade can accentuate the natural beauty of one’s eyes by adding depth, definition, and dimension. While contrasting colors are excellent for attracting attention and making the eyes pop, analogously colored eyeshadows for brown eyes, such as warm neutral, olive green, gold, copper, taupe, bronze, etc. are the key to adding desirable drama to the eyes without actually overpowering them. 

So, to let your eyes do the talking, roll your eyes over and check out some amazing eyeshadow palettes to ace your makeup game like a true professional. From warm and cool tones to matte, shimmery, metallic, and glittery finishes, you will find them all on our list! 

11 Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Brown Eyes

For contouring, highlighting, or creating epic makeup looks, be it subtle, dramatic, or everything glam, you can easily rely on Prism’s Fantasy Magic Makeup Palette. This versatile palette fulfills all of your makeup needs with its hyper-pigmented formula that offers an impressive color payoff. The soft, velvety powder eyeshadows blend to perfection and never let you settle for anything less. You can think of blending the deeper and darker shades to create a classic smoky eye or anything that’s as colorful as a rainbow. 

Seizing its spot on the topmost position in the category of the best eyeshadow palettes for brown eyes, this palette with a whopping 40 gorgeous dark and bright shades is a real deal to create dazzling masterpieces. 

Color: Colorful Palette

Finish Type: Glitters, metallic, matte, shimmer, and natural

Pros
  • Cost-effective
  • Blendable formula
  • Smooth texture
  • Smooth texture
  • Travel-friendly
Cons
  • Contains talc
  • Editor’s Pick

    Covergirl TruNaked Zenning Out

    Covergirl TruNaked Zenning Out
  • The three things that make Covergirl’s eyeshadow palette for brown eyes a must-have are its blendable warm-toned neutrals, crease-proof formula, and impressive longevity. The palette contains 4 complementary shades that are rich in pigmentation, promising intense color payoff. 

    Perfect for acing subtle, minimalistic, and high-glam eye makeup looks, this palette will spruce up your LOTD effortlessly with its buildable formula. What we found worth noting is that the eyeshadows are also smudge-resistant and never look chalky!

    Color: 740 Zenning Out

    Finish Type: Shimmery

    Pros
    • Best for all-day wear
    • Inexpensive
    • Fade-proof formula
    • Perfect travel partner
    • Cruelty-free
    Cons
    • Unsatisfactory packaging
  • Best Pigmented Formula

    Milani Pure Passion Eyeshadow Palette

    Milani Pure Passion Eyeshadow Palette
  • What makes Milani’s Eyeshadow Palette earn the title of the best eyeshadow palette for brown eyes are its rose golds and warm berry shades. That’s because gold and pink tones amplify the warmth and intensity of brown eyes, which enhances your overall look and makes this palette an excellent investment! You can wear each of the shades alone or simply blend them together to create lustrous classic or edgy eye makeup looks. 

    Plus, you get to play with four varied types of finishes depending on the occasion or event. With Milani’s Blending Brush, you can effortlessly layer and blend the highly pigmented shades and accentuate the beauty of your brown eyes.

    Color: Pure Passion 

    Finish Type: Shimmery, metallic, matte, shimmer

    Pros
    • Cruelty-free
    • Mirror included
    • Fine-milled formula
    • Available in 2 more palette options
    • Lasts long
    Cons
    • Fragile packaging

    Quick Tip:

    Begin with the lightest shade that is closest to your skin tone. To make your looks really go the distance, spray some makeup fixer on your eyeshadow brush.

  • Most Seamless Blendablity

    Wet n Wild Color Icon 10-Pan Eyeshadow Makeup Palette

    Wet n Wild Color Icon 10-Pan Eyeshadow Makeup Palette
  • Among the most affordable eyeshadow palettes with neutral colors is Wet n Wild’s Color Icon palette in the shade Brown Nude Awakening. The 10 shades this product offers are apt for adding the missing depth and dimension to your eyes. Thanks to the ultra-soft and super-smooth pigments of the 10 powder-based eyeshadows that make your application and blending job a matter of seconds. 

    Adding to that, the high-impact finishes, be it magnificently matte and metallic to dramatically glittery, make it the go-to makeup palette when there are photoshoots, parties, or parades on your mind for the day!

    Color: Nude Awakening 

    Finish Type: Matte and shimmery

    Pros
    • Long-lasting
    • Cruelty-free
    • Paraben-free
    • Very affordable
    • Soft-glide application
    • Vegan
    Cons
    • Not smudge-proof
  • Best for Beginners

    Ucanbe Almond Peach Makeup Palette

    Ucanbe Almond Peach Makeup Palette
  • By incorporating Ucanbe’s Makeup Palette, you will be able to make the natural color of your eyes flatter in the most elegant way possible. The 15 warm, neutral, and nude tones found in this neutral eyeshadow palette for brown eyes are highly versatile and made to suit every skin tone and complexion. 

    In addition, they are super easy to apply and blend and give a smooth, crease-free finish. Be it beige and rosy, light pink, violet, camel, taupe, or brown, you can experiment with dark and lighter shades to enhance the way your eyes look on camera, without going too overboard with color. 

    Color: Peach

    Finish Type: Shimmery

    Pros
    • Lightweight formula
    • Impressive pigment quality
    • Sophisticated, subtle shades
    • Suits both beginners and professionals
    Cons
    • Doesn’t last very long
  • Best for Light Coverage

    Almay Intense i-Color Shadow Palette

    Almay Intense i-Color Shadow Palette
  • Mindfully crafted for people with brown and grey eyes, Almay’s brown eyeshadow palette is showered with immense love and appreciation from users worldwide. And the reason for this is multi-fold. To begin with, the palette comes with a primer base and expertly curated pigmented shimmer shades enriched with vitamin E and antioxidants. These ingredients protect your skin against environmental stressors and ensure that your eyeshadow lasts for a prolonged period of time. 

    Furthermore, each shade lends you light coverage and enhances your eye color seamlessly. The best part — the creamy formula doesn’t crease on the eyelids! For a more dramatic look, sweep a few strokes of the Almay Lengthening Mascara onto your upper and lower lashes and you are good to go! 

    Color: Brown Eyes

    Finish Type: Shimmery

    Pros
    • Hypoallergenic formula
    • Fragrance-free
    • Glides smoothly
    • Cruelty-free
    • Non-irritating formula
    • Sustainable packaging
    • Free from mineral oil and parabens
    Cons
    • Doesn’t come with an applicator brush
  • Best Travel-friendly Palette

    Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette

    Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette
  • Packed with a punch of natural ingredients like Amazonian clay and tartelette clay, this matte eyeshadow palette features 12 drop-dead gorgeous shades that promise to keep the natural brown color of your eyes in focus. Out of all the eyeshadow palettes for brown eyes, this one stands out for its subtle, nude, rosy, beige, and deep berry shades that possess a smooth and easy-to-blend, texture. Talking about the palette, it is compact, travel-friendly, and a reliable choice for on-the-go applications. 

    Color: Brown 

    Finish Type: Matte and natural

    Pros
    • Powder-based shades
    • Light coverage
    • Rich pigments
    • Blends really well
    • Suits aging and sensitive skin
    • Buildable
    Cons
    • Scented
  • Best Creamy Shades

    Hoomus Nude Brown Eyeshadow Palette

    Hoomus Nude Brown Eyeshadow Palette
  • Truly adored for its 8 creamy shades, this Nude Brown Eyeshadow Palette from Hoomus is what you need to ace soft, medium, and bold eye makeup looks. The rich color payoff, intense pigmentation, and alluring finish types of the shades make it one of the best palettes for brown eyes. Each shade, be it beige, chocolaty, latte, or brown, flawlessly spruces up the natural beauty of your eye color and never overpowers it. To sum up, the eyeshadows are super creamy, velvety soft, and easy to glide and blend to help create a range of subtle and dramatic looks. 

    Color: Naked

    Finish Type: Shimmery

    Pros
    • Suits all skin tones
    • Compact design
    • Smudge-proof
    • Fade-proof
    • Buildable pigments
    Cons
    • Overpriced
  • Best for Sensitive Eyes

    La Catrina Rock London 12 Colors All Matte Eyeshadow Palette

    La Catrina Rock London 12 Colors All Matte Eyeshadow Palette
  • La Catrina’s Rock London is an impeccable matte eyeshadow palette for brown eyes featuring 12 stunning shades, apt for creating magnificent smokey eye looks. You get to play with colors like cement ash, smoke purple, ash purple, ash brown, milky white, light nude, nude apricot, and so much more in just one purchase. Each of these eyeshadow colors possesses a creamy texture for ease of application and blendability. We truly love how they go on your eyelids like a breeze, for low or high-key elegance. 

    Color: Nude, smoky, gray, brown

    Finish Type: Matte

    Pros
    • Doesn’t crease
    • Good coverage
    • Gentle formula
    • Mirror includes
    • Safe for sensitive eyes
    • Ideal for all skin tones and types
    Cons
    • Contains talc
  • Best for Full Coverage

    Carslan 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette

    Carslan 10 Color Eyeshadow Palette
  • For anyone who yearns for full-coverage eyeshadow, Carslan’s 10-Color Eyeshadow Palette is your ideal pick. Making its way into the list of some really good eyeshadow palettes for brown eyes, this palette featuring warm and natural colors, helps you create every trend-setting look of your choice. 

    The shades are highly pigmented and glide onto lids effortlessly. A happy customer shares, “This is a very nice eyeshadow palette. I’ve been using it every day for weeks now. The colors are creamy and have very little fallout (even the glitter eyeshadows). They are highly pigmented as well. I’ve been able to create lots of looks with this one palette.”

    Color: 07 Elk

    Finish Type: Matte, satin, and shimmery

    Pros
    • Comes with a dual-end brush and mirror
    • Buildable
    • Travel-friendly
    • Perfect for beginners and experts
    Cons
    • Not very long-lasting

    Quick Tip:

    Use a pointed crease brush or soft shadow-crease brush to apply the eyeshadow into the crease of your eyelids using a back-and-forth motion, like a windshield wiper. This will make your eyeshadow look neat and even.

  • DE'LANCI Soft Pink Brown Eyeshadow Palette

    DE'LANCI Soft Pink Brown Eyeshadow Palette
  • Lastly, we recommend De'Lanci’s Soft Pink Brown Eyeshadow Palette featuring 12 alluring shades. As you begin with the application, you will notice how soft and velvety its texture is. This in return makes the blending and building task easier and quick. Plus, the eyeshadows are suitable for all skin tones and skin types and not only compliment brown eyes but also blue and green. 

    Here is what a satisfied customer has to say about this product, “Super smooth, creamy feeling! Eye shadows were way bigger than expected which is great cause I love all of these colors so much. I’m new to the makeup world and wanted to experiment so super happy with this palette!”

    Color: Pink, brown, and nude

    Finish Type: Matte and shimmery

    Pros
    • Giftable
    • Vegan
    • Perfect for beginners and experts
    • Doesn't crease
    Cons
    • Not very long-lasting

    That was all about some really good eyeshadow palettes for brown eyes. Now, let us run you through a detailed buying guide.

    How to Choose the Best Eyeshadow Palette for Your Eye Color?

    Here are a few aspects that you should consider before splurging on the eyeshadow palette for brown eyes:

    Color: Make sure you understand the color scheme of eyeshadows that compliment your brown eyes and don’t actually overpower them. Drawing from our findings, women possessing naturally brown eyes are lucky as they can wear nearly every color of the eyeshadow. Typically, the shades of purple, green, blue, gold, and charcoal look a lot better and flattering. To create a contrast, you may invest in eyeshadow palettes that come with a mix of warm and cool tones. For instance, the hues of blue are the go-tos to make your brown eyes pop. 

    Ingredients to Avoid: Always check the list of ingredients mentioned on the packaging. Pick eyeshadow palettes that are infused with nourishing ingredients such as vitamin E. Avoid eyeshadows that contain harsh and harmful ingredients like parabens, sulfates, phthalates, gluten, mineral oil, and talc as such ingredients might cause irritation.

    Pigmentation And Coverage: Next, understand the pigmentation and coverage. It is wise to invest in the most alluring eyeshadow palette for brown eyes that is highly pigmented and lends an intense color payoff. Secondly, the shades should be buildable offering light to medium coverage to help you ace every subtle and dramatic makeup look.

    Finish: Lastly, check the finish types. Pick a palette that contains matte, shimmery, metallic, and shimmery shades for added versatility. For daytime looks, the matte ones can be extremely helpful whereas for late-night party looks shimmery, glittery, and metallic combinations will look the best.

    Conclusion

    As long as you have the best eyeshadow palettes for brown eyes in your makeup vanity, nothing can stop you from experimenting with an array of eye makeup looks, making your eye color flatter. After considering several factors like texture, blendablity, buildability, formula, finish, longevity, and ratings, we managed to curate this fanciful list of eyeshadow palettes for you. 

    Out of them all, the one that bagged the first position is the Prism Makeup Fantasy Magic Makeup Palette for its impressive color playoff, hyper-pigmented formula, and soft, velvety powder-based texture. If you are someone who loves to play with matte shades, then the La Catrina Rock London 12 Colors All Matte Eyeshadow Palette is the perfect pick for you. With such versatile palettes, you can seamlessly amp up your eye makeup game and set some serious goals without compromising on the beauty of your naturally brown eyes. With the right product, you can successfully rock your LOTD! Happy shopping!

    FAQ's

    Do specific eyeshadow palettes work best for brown eyes?
    Warm browns, golden shades, purples, and blues will work best for brown eyes.
    Are there eyeshadow palettes with specific color schemes recommended for brown eyes?
    Yes, there are palettes with purple, green, blue, gold, and charcoal hues recommended especially for brown eyes.
    Can I use eyeshadow palettes with matte shades for brown eyes?
    Yes, you can wear eyeshadow palettes with matte shades for brown eyes.
    Can I wear colorful eyeshadows with brown eyes?
    Yes, you can wear eyeshadow palettes with matte shades for brown eyes.
    Can I wear colorful eyeshadows with brown eyes?
    Yes, you can wear colorful eyeshadows like green, blue, and purple with brown eyes.
    Do I need to match my eyeshadow to my eye color?
    Your eyeshadow can match either your clothes or your eyes, but whichever you choose, keep it subtle.
    Can I create a natural everyday look with eyeshadow palettes for brown eyes?
    Yes, you can use softer shades and a light hand to create a natural everyday look with eyeshadow palettes for brown eyes.

    Why Trust Pinkvilla

    Our certified makeup and beauty expert, Sayantani, has curated a list of the best eyeshadow palettes for brown eyes to come to life. She believes an eyeshadow has immense powers to let your eyes do the talking. For that, you ought to understand the color scheme that goes well with your eye color. Personally, to make brown eyes look desirable and anything but flattering, she highly recommends the Covergirl TruNaked Zenning Out, which is just perfect for acing subtle, minimalistic, and high-glam eye makeup looks. You can also glance through the rest of her top picks and bring home the one that suits your preferences and needs the most!

    Our product experts study the specifications of every product we suggest and try them out to bring what’s proven to be worthy of your money, time, and energy. We also have subject matter experts from various fields like Fashion, Skincare, Haircare, Home Decor, and Health & Fitness onboard to make sure our suggestions are credible and trustworthy. You can trust Select to be your faithful shopping guide for all the right reasons!

    Author BIO
    reviewer
    Sayantani Deb
    Makeup & Beauty Writer

    Sayantani is a certified hair and makeup professional turned writer with 2+ years of experience in the same genre. Ap More