I know it’s only August, but no other beauty editor is quite as excited for fall as I am. I won’t lie to you—I save entire Pinterest boards full of hair color, nail design, and most importantly, makeup inspo for the season. (Come on, I know I’m not the only one.) It truly is a magical season filled with warm, rich hues that translate beautifully into stunning eye shadow looks. And who better to get some inspo from than celebrity makeup artists? After all, they play around with fall-centric eye looks the most on every skin tone.
“One of my favorite fall looks is a rich burgundy eye shadow,” says celebrity makeup artist Shadi Malek. “That deep reddish, purple eye shadow is really wearable and in my opinion, it’s the epitome of chic with a fall turtleneck.” Even if pinker tones aren’t your thing, trust me, there’s still a fall look out there that suits you. Malek also loves a copper and bronze shimmer on the lid paired with a darker brown winged eyeliner. “I love this look because you can easily wear it from day to night.”
For a few items to pick up along with a little more look inspo, keep scrolling—the best fall eye shadow palettes are yet to come.
“One of my go-to palettes for warm, smoldering goodness would have to be the Dose of Colors Baked Brown Palette. The ruddy brown tones in both palettes work on all skin tones and instantly warm up and smoke out the eye.”—Judi Gabbay, celebrity makeup artist
Another favorite of Gabbay’s is this smoky brown palette from Patrick Ta because it works so well for all skin tones. It contains two shimmery cream bases, a few velvet mattes, metallic shadows, and a few pearlescent toppers. Each shade blends to perfection and can be worn for fall days or nights.
“Another falltime favorite would have to be Dior’s Backstage Eye Palette in Amber Neutrals. The coppery, cranberry, and bronze tones scream fall and can be worn alone or blended for dimension. Take your favorite bronze or cranberry shade and apply close to the lash line and under the waterline for an instant smoke. Use your preferred brown liner under the upper waterline for a more intense eye and a bronze on the waterline for a pop that makes any eye color smolder.”—Gabbay
“The Natasha Denona Bronze Palette has so many diverse browns and deeper shades for fall that you don’t find in other palettes. It also has really beautiful glitter and shimmer shades. Natasha Denona also uses very high-end pigments, so you know the price point always matches the quality.”—Malek
“I love how every matte shade in this palette has a corresponding shimmer shade so it’s perfect for a beginner. I love using the dark brown in it, especially for fall!”—Malek
Urban Decay’s Naked Honey palette is a fall favorite of makeup artist Dakota Alexandra’s because it contains luxurious-looking golds, warm ambers, rich browns, and a few copper and bronze shades to top it off. You can use just the matte shades for a toned-done everyday look or turn up the heat with a few of the shimmers. The best part? These shades are universally flattering so they look stunning on all skin tones.
Another fall favorite of Alexandra’s is the Bare Necessities palette from Colourpop. Loaded with a whopping 30 shades, these buttery smooth mattes and metallics come in a wide shade range. “Some of my favorite fall looks are a classic smoky eye, especially with browns and orange tones, or graphic liner with orange inner corners. There are so many looks I love it’s so hard to choose!”—Alexandra
These highly pigmented shadows are perfect for dramatic fall looks. The varying shades of burgundy, fuchsia, and brown, compliment each other so well. Although I know not everyone is into pink eye shadow, these shades are buildable, really elegant, and aren’t too over the top (unless you want to build them up to be).
Juvia’s Place makes some of my favorite eye shadow palettes for Black and Brown skin tones. Inspired by the vibrant Fulani culture, these highly pigmented shades amp up the intensity of any look and can be paired with darker mattes for a smokier fall look.
Uoma Beauty’s Black Magic palette is versatile, highly pigmented, and downright hypnotic. The shades are incredibly rich so you know they’ll show up on any and all skin tones. Each shade is also long-lasting and water resistant—perfect to take from day to night with ease.
Every single Pat McGrath palette has something special to offer, but the Bronze Seduction palette, in particular, is a sight to behold. The soft shades of peach and rose add dimension to the more pigmented shades of deep bronze and champagne gold. And let me tell you, nobody does shimmer shadows quite like Pat McGrath. The pigment payoff is completely next level.
Tarte’s Toasted palette contains 12 versatile shades that just melt into the skin. With shade names like Simmer, Flame, Warmth, and Fireside, there’s no way I’m not purchasing this palette for fall.
This is one of my personal favorite fall palettes because it contains an array of gorgeous brown, peach, and gold shades to work with. I’ve created some of my favorite fall looks with it including a fuchsia shimmer look and a smoky brown and gold look. The shadows are just so creamy and blend so seamlessly into one another. You also can’t beat Morphe’s price point, either.
