If you spent the majority of the past two years really enjoying eye makeup, you're not alone. When we sat down for a zoom call with Illamasqua's Global Director of Artistry, Pablo Rodriguez, to chat about all things beauty, the iconic makeup artist confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic really changed the way we shop for beauty products and shifted trends.
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Prior to the pandemic (matte) lips were a huge trend but now it's all about eye makeup, no doubt because we've all been wearing face masks and looking to make our eyes pop instead.
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Pablo told us: "I truly believe that people will be more precise with their application and take time to focus on the details around the eyes and brows. In terms of colour, more drama is most definitely welcome. Eyeshadow shades such as earthy greens, berry purples and satin coppers are big colour trends of the season, so I would recommend to go bold with these shades – whatever you feel comfortable wearing and whatever expresses your individuality best."
Now it's time to shop the best new eyeshadow palettes...
Get ready to swoon...
Lancôme x Emily in Paris Eyeshadow Palette
Lancôme x Emily in Paris Eyeshadow Palette, £38, Lancôme
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Be prepared to live your best Parisian life with the Lancôme x Emily in Paris eyeshadow palette in limited edition. The bold heart shaped palette was inspired by Emily's favourite lucky bag charm as featured in the series and composed of 12 eyeshadow shades that will leave you seeing la vie en rose.
Dior Beauty Backstage Eyeshadow Palette
Dior Beauty Backstage Eyeshadow Palette, £39, Selfridges
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Inspired by the bustling area backstage at fashion week, this eyeshadow palette contains a primer, iridescent highlighter, metallic and shimmer shadows, and five highly pigmented hues to experiment with. After using this, you'll wonder why all eyeshadow palettes don't include a primere - genius!
Glossier Monochromes Eyeshadow Palette
Glossier Monochromes, £19, Glossier
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Monochromes is Glossier’s latest refillable monochromatic eyeshadow trio. The palm-sized compact is your signature shade, three ways: matte is a rich, smooth, and versatile option; metallic has a hint of sparkle for a dreamy, shimmery effect; and satin has a soft, delicate sheen. The finishes offer a range of intensity and can be used alone or together for monochromatic dimension.
All of the shades are vegan and formulated without talc, with minimal fallout and creasing after you apply.
Urban Decay Naked Cyber Eyeshadow Palette
Urban Decay Naked Cyber eyeshadow palette, £45, Urban Decay
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If this isn't a collector's item, we don't know what is! Makeup brand Urban Decay has a new must-have eyeshadow palette - Naked Cyber. The 12-pan palette features icy tones you'll absolutely love, mixed with sunset-inspired peaches and pinks. After the past year we all just want a touch of sparkle and joy, and this eyeshadow palette should do the trick.
NARS Climax Eyeshadow Palette
NARS Climax Eyeshadow Palette, £45, Cult Beauty
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You're about to get hot under the collar with the new Nars Climax Eyeshadow Palette. Choose from nine smoky shades in silky matte, metallic, and multidimensional finishes for extreme payoff. What's more, there are three brand new formula finishes included Unstoppable Matte, Seductive Shinee, and Gratifying Glow, which has a glossy, pearlescent shine for a multidimensional effect.
Ciate London x Christine Quinn Eyeshadow Palette
Christine Quinn Boss B$tch Eyeshadow Palette, £35 / $39 , Ciate London
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Christine Quinn from Selling Sunset has joined forces with Ciate London for an epic collection - and in it you'll find the Boss B*tch palette which features a selection of beautiful pink hues to make your eyes dazzle. And the best hack for making them pop? Christine has the answer.
The Netflix star told HELLO!: "This is a new trick I learned from my makeup artist. I love to put concealer over my brow bone before I do the eyeshadow, and I find that helps lift the brow bone a little bit to create a nice glow so that if you use the lighter colour [afterwards] it really opens your eyes. I also love to use inner liner that's a light colour and it really makes your eyes pop."
Chanel Les Beiges Eyeshadow Palette
Chanel Les Beiges Eyeshadow Palette, £48, Chanel
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A palette of five natural, easy-to-wear colours to match every mood and create endless looks, from the most discreet to the most intense.This palette can be used as a base, highlighter or eyeshadow.
MAC Cosmetics Feast Your Eyes / Tempting Fate Eyshadow Palette
MAC Cosmetics Surprise Eyes Eyshadow Palette, £25, John Lewis
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Feast your eyes on this! MAC's new eyeshadow palette features six rich, highly pigmented pressed-powder shadows with decadent colourful hues and three all-new textures.
By Terry VIP Expert Eyeshadow Palette
By Terry VIP Expert Palette N3 Paris Mon Amour, £48, ByTerry
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This is giving us major Emily in Paris vibes! The new limited edition VIP Expert Palette N3 Paris Mon Amour is from ByTerry, and it's almost too pretty to use!
Charlotte Tilbury Instant Eye Palette
Charlotte Tilbury Instant Eye Palette in Smokey Eyes Are Forever, £60, Charlotte Tilbury
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For the festive period Charlotte Tilbury launched a new Instant Eye Palette. It's an epic arrival, with plenty of smokey eye styles to keep you entertained right into 2022.
Suqqu Signature Color Eyes Palette
SUQQU Signature Color Eyes, £46, Selfridges
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SUQQU had a makeover in 2021 - and we love it! This brand-new eyeshadow palette is designed to create layered looks with ease. Infused with Rosehip Oil, Hyaluronic Acid and Shea Butter, the formula is luxuriously rich and moisturising.
Illamasqua Movement Artistry Palette
Illamasqua Movement Artistry Palette, £39, Illamasqua
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The Illamasqua Movement Artistry Palette is brimming with the must-have colours. Pablo said: "I would recommend the more subtle copper shimmers for day-to-day and the shimmery purples and greens for a super bold evening glam eye look."
Pat McGrath Labs Divine Rose Luxe Quad Palette
Pat McGrath Labs Divine Rose Luxe Quad, £55, Selfridges
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The Divine Rose Luxe Quad eyeshadow palette was inspired by the tones of a rose, the logo-embossed compact is kitted out with four blendable shades each ready to deliver a bouquet of colour to the lids.
Anastasia Beverley Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette, £46, Selfridges
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Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette brings together an essential collection of warm and cool tone neutral shades. It also has the perfect combination of matte, satin, and metallic finishes that are fully pigmented and easy to blend to create endless looks.
Tom Ford Beauty Quad Eyeshadow Pallette
Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad palette in Disco Dust, £68, John Lewis
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Looking for the ultimate luxurious buy? This Tom Ford Quad eyeshadow should do the trick. The high pigmented shades have a shimmering finish - perfect for date night.
Laura Mercier Parisian Nude Eyeshadow Palette
Laura Mercier Parisian Nude Eyeshadow Palette, £45, Feel Unique
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This Laura Mercier Parisian Nude Eyeshadow Palette has been inspired by the classic allure of Parisian style, this eyeshadow palette of necessary neutrals ranges from pigmented mattes to foiled shimmers.
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Morphe 35C Everyday Chic Artistry Palette
35C Everyday Chic Artistry Palette, £25, Pretty Little Thing
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If you're looking for something a little less brand heavy, Morphe also has a chic 'everyday' palette. With 35 cool-toned neutrals, including velvety matte shadows and eye-catching shimmers, this is ideal for eyeshadow super fans. With rich and creamy pigments for a high impact finish, the 35C Everyday Chic palette adds a quick hit of sophisticated glam into your everyday routine.
Dolce & Gabbana Feline Eyes Eyeshadow Quad Palette
Dolce&Gabbana Feline Eyes Eyeshadow Quad in Romantic Rose, £55, Harrods
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Dolce & Gabbana’s Felineyes Eye Quad eyeshadow palette creates a feline finish with finesse. Powerfully pigmented, apply wet or dry to switch up your style from natural to dramatic. We love this Romantic Rose hue...
E.L.F. Eyeshadow Palette
E.L.F. 18 Ocean and Earth Eyeshadow Palette, £14, Boots
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E.L.F has an 18-pan palette which contains only the best, most swatch-worthy shades, designed to inspire bold, vibrant eyeshadow looks. The luxe formula of this vibrant eyeshadow palette is smooth, creamy, blendable and ultra-pigmented for effortless application.
Pillow Beauty Stars In Her Eyes Palette
Stars in Her Eyes, £24.90, Pillow Beauty
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If you're looking for a streamlined eyeshadow palette, Pillow Beauty is a new British brand born out of a desire to step away from the eyeshadow palettes with hundreds of shades and get back to simple, beautiful selections of wearable shades for everyone. This blue-based one below is called Stars In Her Eyes, and is a deep navy with copper and golden shimmer to enhance any eye colour.
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