What’s the easiest way to create a sultry and sophisticated eyeshadow look? Gray eyeshadows may seem dull at first, but they can add drama and dimension to all eye shapes. Grays are also available in various hues, tints, and undertones.
They can contour your eyes, define your lash line, or even highlight your brow bone. These hues can offer versatility and transform your eye look to match any occasion, whether it’s during the day or at night.
So what are the best grayscale eyeshadow palettes? The best palettes should feature an array of gray shades. You can opt for a small palette or one that has multiple hues. It’s also important to consider the finishes of each palette.
What else should you know about grayscale eyeshadow palettes before your next purchase?
How To Pick The Best Grayscale Eyeshadow Palette
Undertone
Grays are often cool in tone. However, you can opt for grays with blue, purple, or brown undertones. These undertones allow you to create dimensional eye looks without falling flat. Also, each undertone will reflect in the light differently.
Opt for cool brown undertones if you want a more subdued grayscale palette. For those looking to make a bold statement, choose purple or blue. Don’t forget to experiment and have fun!
Size
A palette can range anywhere from three shades all the way up to 30 or more.
Most palettes will include 3-12 shades in one compact. So, which palette size is right for you? Larger palettes are great for artists or those looking to experiment with gray hues.
Smaller palettes introduce gray palettes for those unsure if they like this statement color.
Finish
Eyeshadows are available in multiple finishes. Some popular ones include shimmer, matte, metallic, and satin. Eyeshadow palettes can be all matte, all shimmer, or offer a variety of finishes. You can decide which finish fits your personal preferences.
Intensity
Finally, how intense do you want your shadows to be? You can opt for lighter and brighter grays or deeper and bolder grays. It’s also important to consider how intense you want the color payoff to look like.
Best Grayscale Eyeshadow Palettes
What if you can’t decide between an intensified matte palette or an electric shimmer gray palette? Listed below are an array of grayscale eyeshadow palettes that fits every need, budget, complexion, and eye shape.
| Rank | Product | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Butter London Teddy Boy Eyeshadow Palette | 9-pan eyeshadow palette, includes mattes and shimmers |
| 2. | Haus Laboratories By Lady Gaga Four-Way Shadow Palette In After Hours | 4-pan palette, gray & lilac tones, matte, metallic, and shimmer finishes |
| 3. | Jane Iredale Pure Pressed EyeShadow Triple In Sundown | Trio eyeshadow, three gray shadows, contains jojoba oil |
| 4. | Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Shadow & Liner | 6-pan grayscale shadow palette, use as eyeshadow or eyeliner, shimmer finish |
| 5. | Covergirl Trunaked Quad Eyeshadow Palette In Jetsetter | Quad eye palette, subdued gray hues, smudge-proof formula |
| 6. | L.A. Colors 5 Color Matte Eyeshadow In Black Lace | 5-pan palette, all matte finishes, silky and buttery texture |
| 7. | Winky Lux Galaxy Kitten Eyeshadow Palette | 9-pan palette, array of gray hues and finishes, cruelty-free |
| 8. | L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Eye Pocket Palette Silver Couture | Quad a palette featuring silvery shimmery hues, crease-proof |
| 9. | Rimmel Magnif’eyes Eye Palette Smoke Edition | 12-pan palette, varying finishes, hues, and undertones, blendable |
| 10. | Mineral Fusion Eye Shadow Trio In Sultry | Trio palette, Skincare-infused shadow, intense pigment |
| 11. | Almay Smokey Eye Trio Lavender Haze | Trio palette, two gray hues, one pop of lavender, all shimmery finishes |
1. Butter London Teddy Boy Eyeshadow Palette
Butter London is an iconic beauty brand that formulates everything from nail care to makeup. While they are mainly known for their nail polish, they’ve released various makeup lines. One product to try is the Teddy Boy Eyeshadow Palette.
This is a beautiful grayscale palette that incorporates other neutrals. You’ll receive a variety of grays and cool-toned browns in one compact. These shadows are buttery to the touch and rich in pigmentation so you can make a statement.
The Teddy Boy Eyeshadow Palette features nine eyeshadows with an array of matte and shimmer finishes. This cool-toned and grayscale palette is suitable for all complexions and can easily take your eyeshadow look from day to night.
Butter London recommends using lighter shades to highlight, medium shades across the lids, and darker tones to define or intensify.
2. Haus Laboratories By Lady Gaga Four-Way Shadow Palette
Who said gray eyeshadow has to look dull or fall flat? Grayscale shadows are available in various cool undertones that can elevate your smokey eye. One person that understands the impact of a dramatic eye is Lady Gaga and her brand HAUS.
The Four Way Shadow Palette in the colorway After Hours provides your favorite gray shades with a hint of deep purple undertones. This palette features four shades that combine Lilac, Gray, Silver, and Graphite hues for a stunning smokey eye.
You’ll receive an array of finishes in one tiny compact like matte, metallic, and shimmer. HAUS Labs recommends applying these shades with your fingers or a flat brush to build up their intensity.
These shades are pigmented and won’t leave you patchy. The Four Way Shadow Palette In After Hours is blendable and vegan/cruelty-free.
3. Jane Iredale Pure Pressed EyeShadow Triple In Sundown
Jane Iredale’s mission is to create cosmetics that don’t sacrifice the safety of your skin or the quality of the product. The Pure Pressed Eyeshadow Triple Palette is formulated for sensitive eyes and has a long-lasting finish.
The colorway Sundown offers three stunning gray hues, including light, medium, and dark. These shadows are ultra buttery and soft thanks to their skin-loving ingredients. Jane Iredale formulated this palette with jojoba seed oil and Shea Butter.
These components allow this palette to blend effortlessly across the lid and create a crease-proof formula. This trio will add depth and dimension to all eyes no matter their shape or complexion.
It also has a vegan, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free formula. Jane Iredale recommends using the lighter shade to highlight and the deeper tones to define your eyes.
4. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Shadow & Liner
Physicians Formula is a well-loved drugstore cosmetic brand. They’re most known for their Butter Bronzer and other Butter products. However, they allow sensitive skin types to enjoy makeup without the fear of it causing an adverse reaction.
The Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Extreme Shimmer Shadow & Liner Palette is a grayscale dream. It contains six shadows that Physicians Formula describes as “liquid powder shadow.” All shades are metallic and intense.
You can use this palette as eyeshadow or eyeliner and create endless looks. Also, the formula is blendable, soft, crease-proof, and long-wearing. Physicians Formula claims this palette is safe for contact lens wearers and has a 24-hour wear time.
The Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Extreme Shimmer Shadow & Liner Palette is great for achieving a glamorous look without breaking the bank. You’re a few swipes away from a show-stopping finish.
5. Covergirl Trunaked Quad Eyeshadow Palette In Jetsetter
Covergirl is another familiar household name. They’ve been around for decades, constantly innovating new products that can fit anywhere in your makeup bag. Are you looking to experiment with gray eyeshadows but love a subdued finish?
The Trunaked Quad Eyeshadow Palette In Jetsetter contains four stunning gray hues for your eyes. These shades are brighter and more subdued than other gray palettes. This color story is also a wonderful palette for daytime wear.
You can expect to receive an intense color payoff with each eyeshadow pan in this palette. The shadows feel soft to the touch and will effortlessly glide onto the lids. You can mix and match these four hues to create your own unique eyeshadow look.
Covergirl claims this is a smudge-proof, crease-proof, and fade-proof palette, so you don’t have to worry about touch-ups throughout the day. It’s also cruelty-free.
6. L.A. Colors 5 Color Matte Eyeshadow In Black Lace
L.A. Colors create accessible cosmetics for everyone. In addition, they stay up to date on the latest makeup trends, and their products fit all budgets.
For example, you can create an intense and dramatic smokey eye without making a considerable investment.
The 5 Color Matte Eyeshadow Palette in the shade Black Lace features all the gray tones you need for a dramatic look. This wonderful 5-pan grayscale palette provides intense pigment while remaining within a budget.
All the eyeshadows in this palette have a buttery matte finish which is excellent for those who aren’t fans of shimmer or glitter. These hues are soft and silky and will quickly blend out across the lid.
L.A. Colors ensure these hues offer an intense color payoff.
7. Winky Lux Galaxy Kitten Eyeshadow Palette
Winky Lux knows how to bring a whimsical feel to makeup and help you tap into your creative side. The Winky Lux Galaxy Kitten Eyeshadow Palette offers an expansive range of gray hues that are suitable for almost any occasion.
Winky Lux describes this palette as a cosmic cluster with nine cool-toned shadows. You can achieve a mix of neutral grays appropriate for daytime or deep shades to amplify your eye look for the night. It also has multiple finishes.
The Galaxy Kitten Eyeshadow Palette features micro-milled pressed powders, providing intense color payoff. This eyeshadow formula feels velvety and is easy to blend. It’s also a great palette to tap into your cosmic, space-girl aura.
Winky Lux has formulated this product without sulfates, gluten, and other sensitizing components. The Galaxy Kitten palette is also cruelty-free and free of animal testing.
8. L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Eye Pocket Palette Silver Couture
Are you looking to downsize your makeup bag but still create a glamorous eye look?
L’Oreal has a solution that won’t take up too much space but still provides shadows that make a bold statement. In addition, this palette is small enough to fit into a pocket.
The L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Eye Pocket Palette is tiny but packs a punch. The Colour Riche line is known for its bold, vivid, and saturated hues. The colorway Silver Couture will instantly create smoke and drama with one swipe of shadow.
This palette features four silvery, gray, and shimmery shadows. This multi-finish palette will bring depth and dimension to all eye shapes or sizes. L’Oreal claims this product will create a sultry and sophisticated finish with a few simple steps.
In addition, this formula is long-lasting and crease-proof so that you can expect all-day wear. It’s a versatile product that can transform your eyes in seconds.
9. Rimmel Magnif’eyes Eye Palette Smoke Edition
Rimmel ensures you’ll never have to purchase another smokey eye palette. The Magnif’eyes Eye Palette Smoke Edition provides a wide variety of gray shadows and multiple undertones. This drugstore grayscale palette is a bang for your buck.
Rimmel claims this palette combines eyeshadow, eyeliner, and highlighter into one compact. In addition, you’ll receive 12 shades with varying tones and finishes so you can create endless eyeshadow combinations.
The Magnif’eyes Eye Palette Smoke Edition has a mix of satin, matte, and metallic finishes. You can expect to receive a blendable formula, intense color payoff, and a long wear time with this palette. It’s also suitable for all skin tones and types.
This palette is a winner of Elle’s 2018 Beauty Grand Prix, thanks to its versatility and performance.
10. Mineral Fusion Eye Shadow Trio In Sultry
Are you looking for a skin-friendly makeup palette? Mineral Fusion offers high-performing makeup without sacrificing your skin. They’ve created Age-Defying shadows that are gentle on mature or sensitive skin types.
The Mineral Fusion Eye Shadow Trio in Sultry is the ideal mini grayscale compact. It contains three stunning grays that can enhance your eyes. In addition, these shadows are ultra-soft, insanely pigmented, and can last all day long.
Also, this palette features a cool-toned white, shimmery silver, and deep gray to highlight and define your eyes.
Mineral Fusion has formulated this Trio with skin-loving ingredients like vitamin E, meadowfoam, and Chamomile. These components create a delicate experience for sensitive or mature eyes that still want to make a statement.
This product is formulated without potentially sensitizing ingredients like SLS, phthalates, artificial colors, parabens, gluten, and more. Mineral Fusion is a natural cosmetic brand that offers a more innovative alternative to modern-day makeup.
11. Almay Smokey Eye Trio In Lavender Haze
Almay is adding a twist to your regular grayscale eyeshadow palette. The Eyeshadow Palette By Almay Smokey Eye Trio in the colorway Lavender Haze will add a pop of color to your everyday eye look. It’s also an easy-to-use and straightforward product.
The packaging of this product mimics the shape of an eyelid, including the brow bone, crease, and lid. This provides an accurate representation of where to apply your shadows. You can also mix and match the shades however you please.
You’ll receive three shades with a shimmery finish. Two shades are varying tones of gray, and the third is a pinky lavender that can elevate any cool-toned look. Almay claims these shadows have a 16-hour wear time and are crease-proof.
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