Eyeshadow Palettes | 2020 Editor's Favorites

Despite 2020 being a year where releases slowed down, whether deliberately or as a consequence of what’s been going on this year, I still managed to review around 200 eyeshadow palettes (which does include duos, trios, and sets) across 30 brands, which isn’t far from the 216 I reviewed in 2019.

ColourPop still topped the list of palette reviews with 37 (vs. 44 last year) eye palette reviews, while Dior (17) and Charlotte Tilbury (16) came in second and third, respectively. Last year, Natasha Denona had 17 eyeshadow palette reviews but only 11 this year.

I’ve continued to reach for and enjoy my Pat McGrath, Natasha Denona, and Sydney Grace eyeshadows/palettes the most in 2020.  I re-reviewed Natasha Denona’s Star palette, which was reformulated, and it’s significantly improved; it has paired well with her other palettes. I’ve found the same to be true with Pat McGrath’s Celestial Divinity holiday palette, which totally works as a standalone palette for me but also goes beautifully with past palette releases.

Melt Cosmetics She’s in Parties was a stunning and more unique offering where the brand actually got the formula right.  ColourPop’s Baroque is deliciously smoky and gray, while The Child palette is a fun green-hued color story.

If you’re unfamiliar with how I like to do my year-end favorites, here’s the low down: I pull from the products I reviewed in 2020, regardless of whether they were new, limited edition, or an established range I’ve only just gotten around to reviewing. These are personal favorites, so they may or may not be the highest rated products reviewed during the year (though they will tend to be better rated, naturally!). (You can check out best of 2019 if you missed last year’s.)

Temptalia’s Favorite Eyeshadow Palettes | 2020

Your Year in Review: Eyeshadow Palette Edition

I thought it would be interesting to read through how readers used products throughout the year, what favorites emerged, what products fell by the wayside… so, if you want to join in, copy and paste the questions below and add your answers via a comment!

• What were your most used eyeshadow palettes this past year?
• Did you use pre-made palettes or singles/custom palettes more this past year?
• Do you anticipate your palette purchasing behavior to change in 2021? How?