The Best Korean Eyeshadow Palettes

If your bathroom cabinet is already stocked with Korean skin care products and you’re looking to expand your K-beauty obsession to your makeup bag, you’ve come to the right place, because this article features a selection of the most stunning Korean eyeshadow palettes that you probably haven’t tried. Narrowing down the best Korean eyeshadow palette for you will mostly come down to a matter of aesthetics, but there are some other more practical things to consider, like the size of the palette, and the price.

Once you’re armed with your new eyeshadow palette, head over to K-beauty YouTube for some serious inspiration. Let Pony show you how to rock a bold but wearable pink look, or turn to Sunny for the perfect autumn-inspired makeup featuring soft oranges and browns. (For a classic smokey eye, iconic beauty influencer Risabae has got you covered.)

Round out your collection with some more of the best Korean makeup — like a pore-blurring primer, a dewy cream blush, and a velvety lip tint — and you’ll soon be on your way to mastering Korean makeup trends like gradient lips, rosy cheeks, and natural-looking brows. Top it all off with the eyeshadow look of your choice, featuring your new favorite palette from the list ahead.

1. The Overall Best Palette

This eyeshadow palette by CLIO isn’t as cheap as some of the other options on this list, but it comes with 10 stunning shades, a built-in mirror, and a dual-sided brush, so it has nearly everything you need (minus mascara) to do your eye makeup when you’re on the go. In each palette — you get to choose from nine themes, like ‘Simply Pink’ (pictured), ‘Coral Talk’, and ‘Rusted Rose’ — you get an assortment of matte, glittery, and shimmery shades, some of which could easily work as blush. The shadows themselves are super smooth and easy to work with, as they start off as a satiny powder and melt into an almost creamy finish once they’ve made contact with your skin.

2. Best Mini Palette

If you prefer a smaller makeup palette that can fit into a toiletry bag without taking up much space, you’ll love these eyeshadow palettes from KAJA Beauty’s Bento Collection. Inspired by Japanese bento boxes, these little compacts come with three complementary shades stacked on top of one another, with a built-in mirror affixed to the top. Choose from 13 themed palettes, from ‘Toasted Caramel’ to ‘Glowing Guava’ to ‘Poppy Champagne.’ Most of the palettes contain at least one shimmery shade, though some feature solely glitters or mattes.

3. Best Palette Under $20

Etude House’s ‘Peach Farm’ palette is one of the most popular Korean eyeshadow palettes on the market, but the brand does make this 10-pan palette in other themes, such as ‘Cherry Blossom,’ a collection of pinks, golds, and reds, and ‘Lavender Land’, a truly stunning array of purples and browns. This is also one of the more affordable Korean eyeshadow palettes out there, ringing up at just about $15 on Amazon. No wonder it’s garnered over 1,000 perfect five-star ratings thus far.

4. Best Neutral Palette

Moonshot’s ‘Reve De Paris’ palette contains a mix of neutral, wearable shades that would look stunning with any skin tone or eye color. You get two beige-ish shades that can be used as a base, an ultra-dark brown that could be used as eyeliner with a skinny brush, and seven matte and glittery shades comprising mostly pinks and browns, with a gorgeous red thrown in for good measure. The palette is compact enough to fit into a pocket or small bag, and comes with a built-in mirror.

5. Honorable Mention

I love this ‘Ice Jelly’ palette from Korean cosmetics brand KEEP IN TOUCH; the pink and brown shades are eminently wearable, but the bright red is so much fun, as is the sheer white glitter, which could be layered on top of any other eyeshadow (or worn alone, even on your cheekbones in lieu of highlighter). I’m also a fan of its small, square size and translucent packaging, which matches the rest of the brand’s minimalist-chic aesthetic.