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While expensive eyeshadow palettes may have dipped in popularity in recent years, the priciest palettes remain a topic of interest for BeauTube stans worldwide.
As a whole, high-end makeup has experienced a bit of a sales rut, thanks to the one-two punch of a global pandemic and runaway inflation.
On October 11th, Refinery29 pondered whether the heyday of expensive eyeshadow palettes was "over" – count that among headlines we couldn't have predicted a scant few years ago.
Citing "deinfluencing" videos and their focus on paring down a collection versus augmenting it, Refinery29 took a moment to recap the highest highs of makeup palettes.
After mentioning TikTok videos devoted to discarding the favored palettes of recent seasons, the site reminisced and explained:
But it wasn’t always this way [with deinfluencing videos topping charts]. There was a time when the palette was the beauty industry’s version of the latest It bag.
Just like the Dyson Airwrap today, makeup palettes like Too Faced Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar, Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette, and Anastasia Beverly Hills Master Palette by Mario became status symbols in their own right.
The biggest and most expensive palettes weren't just high-end splurges. Refinery29 added:
It was a serious flex to own a little slice of a viral brand beloved by celebrities and makeup artists alike. To that end, we demanded more and more from beauty brands — and they responded tenfold.
But just as eras of austerity and minimalism come and go, the eyeshadow palette itself remains a key element of any aspiring beauty guru's arsenal.
High-end, expensive eyeshadow palettes may have been on the beauty back burner of late, but we'd argue they will never truly be "over."
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10 Guerlain Ombres G Quad Eyeshadow Palette
Guerlain Ombres G Quad Eyeshadow Palette From the beloved brand Guerlain, the Guerlain Ombres G Quad Eyeshadow Palette kicks off this list, in an adorable mini gold bar style package to boot.
Featuring four harmonious colors – a deep matte, an intense satin, a radiant pearl, and a luminous metallic finish – this prestigious palette allows you to brighten your eyes for the day and add drama by night, by blending and employing different effects and intensities.
On top of that, this Guerlain palette is crafted with winter rose oil resulting in a buttery yet pigmented formula for smooth application and stunning payoff.
The Ombre G Quad Eyeshadow Palette comes standard with two sponge-style application brushes for convenience, as well as a liner, and foam tips for optimal coverage.
Serious beauty gurus may want to invest in a dedicated eyeshadow brush for this quad, to fully experience Guerlain's vibrant shades.
As indicated above, this Guerlain stunner is housed in a fashionable golden case and a black velvet suede pouch.
Expect to part with $85 for this gorgeous golden piece.
| Brand | Guerlain |
| Price | $85 |
| Favorite Features | Quad Color, Buttery Texture |
9 Chanel Les 4 Rouges Yeux Joues Palette
Chanel Les 4 Rouges Yeux Joues PaletteAt $90, this limited-edition Chanel palette features four powder shades which explore all variations of red, ranging from light to deep.
Red and pink eyeshadow shades are more recently popular in terms of cosmetic trends . Makeup artists used to avoid red-based shades, due to their propensity for mimicking eye abrasions.
Urban Decay's blockbuster Heat palette, as well as Jeffree Star's Blood Sugar, helped popularize these once-unpopular colors.
Boasting both satin and matte finishes, these four powder pans can be used both on eyes and cheeks to shape, lighten, and highlight the appearance of the face and enhance and brighten eyes.
Just like other products from Chanel, the Les 4 Rouges Yeux Et Joues Palette comes in exquisite, iconic packaging – and the famed interlocking Chanel C logo makes the palette an accessory itself.
| Brand | Chanel |
| Price | $90 |
| Features | Wearable Reds |
8 Tom Ford Eye Color Quad
Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Another luxe shadow quad is this refined, petite palette by Tom Ford, designed with four deluxe complementing shades.
Variation in this small quad's exquisite shades allows for an extensive range of applications – ranging from a bold smoky eye or a provocative display of color, to work-friendly shaded neutral looks.
With magnificent color precision and amazing grip (for enduring wear), this palette features four opulent finishes – formulated with advanced color processes to provide a range of effects and intensity.
At a moderate to spendy price of $90, this quad eyeshadow palette comes with two custom applicators, in an understated golden and deep brown container.
| Brand | Tom Ford |
| Price | $90 |
| Features | Day To Night Use, Color Payoff |
7 Valentino Beauty Color Flip Eyeshadow Palette
Valentino Color Flip PaletteFrom the esteemed house of Valentino, this compact palette boasts eight alluring shades; the Color Flip eyeshadow palette is a versatile and well crafted addition to any kit, personal or professional.
With this palette, wearers can create endless, creative looks with a small but diverse range of shades. Valentino's eye-catching compact boasts matte to satin and shimmer finishes, catering to nearly every style.
Notably, two compact but real eyeshadow brushes are included in this palette: an eyeliner brush for perfect definition, and a flat brush for flawless application on the go.
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The top quad has a matte shade, a shimmery shade, and two satin shades, while the bottom contains one nude, one black, two base colors, and two reflective gold and silver add-on shades with slightly chunkier glitter particles.
This red lacquered palette comes fitted with a mirror (and matches Louboutins), making it a perfect travel makeup companion, at a price of $98.
| Brand | Valentino Beauty |
| Price | $98 |
| Features | Real Makeup Brushes, Mirror |
6 Byredo Remembrance Eyeshadow Palette
Byredo Remembrance Palette Available at a not insignificant price of $105, the Byredo Remembrance Eyeshadow Palette epitomizes versatility.
This limited-edition palette features 18 shades with an extensive range, from warm nudes to roses and browns, paired with silver and gold.
This palette covers all makeup bases, and would be perfect on a trip, covering day and night applications. Moreover, this formulation allows for an effortless, gliding application, a long-lasting feel, and intense pigmentation in a single swipe.
Further, this eye makeup piece comes housed in a mirrored-steel casing with the Greek goddess of memory and mother of muses inscribed on it.
Mnemosyne is the Greek goddess of memory, daughter of Uranus and Gaea.
| Brand | Byredo |
| Price | $105 |
| Features | Sleek Case, Buttery Pans |
5 Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VIII Divine Rose Eyeshadow Palette
Pat McGrath Labs Mothership Viii Divine Rose Eyeshadow PaletteIt would be extraordinarily difficult to cover the most expensive shadow palettes in 2023 or any year without an entry from Pat McGrath Labs, which is known for their virally popular, high-end offerings.
This seductive set of ten high-impact shades blend brilliantly ... and this inclusive palette is designed to work on every skin tone.
Combining soft and creamy textures with stunning metallic pigments led to blendable, velvety, and highly sophisticated shades. This palette oozes nothing but pure luxury and true artistry.
With meticulously curated hues ranging from petal soft pink, peach rose, and burgundy, to gold, bronze, and champagne, Pat McGrath's Mothership Divine Rose eyeshadow palette creates an array of mesmerizing looks.
Matte, satin, shimmer, and glitter finishes (in addition to a trichrome eyeshadow) are priced $128, or just under $13 per highly-pigmented pan.
| Brand | Pat McGrath Labs |
| Price | $128 |
| Features | Chromatic Shades, Inclusive Shade Range |
4 Natasha Denona Biba Palette
Natasha Denona BibaNeutral shade lovers, Natasha Denona's Biba Palette is the answer to your prayers.
Priced at $129, this 15 pan palette features four cream to powder eyeshadows, three metallics, and eight mattes.
Although the palette is priced at just under $130, its 15 pans work out to about $8.60 per shadow, on par with many drugstore single pans.
Designed with neutral, warm, and cool tones, this luxe palette can be used to achieve any desired look, whether subtle for daytime, or over-the-top glam for the evening (and the club).
The palette features three rows of shades, with rich brown shades in the top row, burgundy and wine shades in the second, and cooler blue-gray shades at the bottom.
| Brand | Natasha Denona |
| Price | $129 |
| Features | Cream To Powder Finishes, Metallics, Mattes |
3 Diorshow 10 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette
Diorshow 10 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette (Mitzah, Limited Edition) Presented in a special and limited edition couture leopard print case, Dior's high-end 10 Coleurs palette features ten highly-pigmented, buttery soft, and long-wearing pans in both matte and satin finishes.
Courtesy of its creamy and fine milled texture, these shades blend flawlessly without settling into fine lines around the eyelids.
Shades in this palette include a radiant red pink, a luminous light pink, a warm nude, an intense dark brown, a golden fuchsia, a dazzling pearl, a dark burgundy, a velvety brown, and a radiant coral.
Inspired by Mitzah Bricard, Christian Dior’s muse, this luxe palette retails for $151.
| Brand | Dior |
| Price | $151 |
| Features | Limited Edition, Couture Packaging |
2 Gucci Beaute Des Yeux Gorgeous Flora Eyeshadow Palette
Gucci Beaute Des Yeux Gorgeous Flora Eyeshadow PaletteDesigned for full saturation in a single stroke, Gucci's Beaute Des Yeux Gorgeous Flora palette boasts twelve luxurious shades.
The palette has seven matte shades, three metallic shades, and two satin shades, a powerhouse of versatility.
On top of the Gucci branding, this palette comes stunningly packaged in a feminine, gold-trimmed black case which features a vintage-inspired floral pattern, all of which is reflected in the name of the palette.
Each shade in Gucci's palette is unbelievably lightweight and soft to the touch, for easy application and minimal fallout.
Priced at $152 (or just under $13 per pan), all shades in this palette do double duty, also functioning as eyeliner.
| Brand | Gucci |
| Price | $152 |
| Features | Stunning Design, Eyeliner Function |
1 Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 28
Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette 28At the top of the list and at a cost of $239, Natasha Denona's 28 Brown-Green Eyeshadow Palette features 28 pans of pigmented shadow heaven.
This sleek and sophisticated eyeshadow palette is formulated with actual crushed crystals and pearls to create a radiant glow, and each is enriched with intensely moisturizing ingredients.
Denona's exquisite formula is silky-soft to the touch, gliding on to deliver a long-lasting feel without fading, fallout, or creasing.
Boasting nearly 30 shades ($8.50 per pan), this palette covers day, night, and everything in between.
| Brand | Natasha Denona |
| Price | $239 |
| Features | Wide Range Of Shades |
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