10 Best Korean Eyeshadow Palettes To Add To Your Makeup Stash
If you’re looking for new makeup to add to your collection, you should seriously consider these 10 best Korean eyeshadow palettes that give you the perfect natural eye makeup every time.
It’s hard to deny the impact of Korean beauty products. From BB creams, sheet masks and best-selling Korean lipsticks, it seems like everyone is trying out a new K-beauty product these days. So what gives? Why are Korean eyeshadow palettes so popular, even outside Korea? There are a few reasons why people from around the world are adding some Korean eye shadow palettes to their makeup bag!
Why Is Korean Makeup So Popular?
The popularity of Korean makeup comes down to more than just pretty shades and lightweight formulas. It’s a known fact that Korean makeup products are packed with natural and skin-friendly ingredients, which can improve the overall condition of your skin, acting half as makeup, half as skincare.
Koreans value their skin very much, and their standards for skincare are way higher than most people. If they’re dedicated enough to do their 10-step skincare routines on a regular basis, then it’s only right that their cosmetics are made up of nourishing ingredients too.
Dissecting The “Natural” Korean Makeup Look
Tons of new K-beauty products are produced and introduced to the world at an astounding rate, and the beauty market is constantly driven by the consumers’ high standards of beauty. Koreans prefer the natural look over the Western bold eyeshadows, which makes these looks easy to compare.
While celebrity makeup artists and enthusiasts in the Western world prefer heavy eye makeup and thick foundation that makes their skin look matte or semi-matte (as well as contouring and baking, a term for setting the powder on the skin), Koreans go the other way: they like to put on minimal foundation that gives them a dewy, glass-skin look.
Koreans already have very nice skin, so some of them skip the foundation altogether and just go for a light BB cream that will last the entire day.
For eye makeup, Korean women like to put on shimmery eyeshadows in neutral colors such as brown, beige, and even orange or pink when it comes to everyday wear. They also prefer dark brown eyeliner over black, and when they apply eyeliner, they do it in feathery strokes using pencil eyeliners as opposed to sharp, precise, cat-eye wings done with liquid and gel liners.
Sometimes, Koreans also like to add glittery trinkets to their eye areas with glitter liners, or dainty rhinestones on the corner of their eyelids.
With this said, it’s easy to understand if Korean eyeshadow palettes are for you or not: if you want a bold look with creative colors, you should look at Western brands like MAC or Morphe. However, if you prefer a natural look that enhances your best features, Korean makeup is the way to go.
Below, you’ll find 10 of the best Korean eyeshadows on the market right now, as ranked by Koreans. This list was made with the help of Glowpick, which is a website where Korean consumers can rank beauty products and give honest reviews. It’s one of the best places to find out if a product is actually worth getting, or if it’s just over-hyped or over-advertised.
The Best Korean Eyeshadow Palettes To Grab
1. Etude House Play Color Eyes in Peach Farm
This stunning peach palette comes with seven shimmery shades and three matte shades, making it the perfect palette for every skin tone there is. This makeup palette contains pigmented peach shades that have a silky smooth texture, so you can definitely play around with colors for your everyday makeup look.
If you’re looking for a portable eyeshadow palette for your daily makeup stash, you’ll never go wrong with Etude House makeup products. This palette, in particular, has left 100% of customers satisfied, according to YesStyle and is also highly ranked on Glowpick, making this our #1 choice for the best Korean eyeshadow palette.
Get this palette at Style Korean | YesStyle
2. Peripera Take All Mood Technique Palette
If you want a palette with gorgeous brown shades in it or some natural colors, this Peripera Take All Mood Technique eyeshadow palette will serve you for a long time. It comes with seven different matte shades and five smaller shimmery shades, so you can create daily looks AND nighttime looks.
Plus, the gorgeous brown shades can be used for contouring and shaping, as well as for filling in eyebrows and even blush. Its versatility makes it one of the K-beauty must-haves for your makeup stash.
The only con it has is that this palette does not contain a brush or a mirror, so you should buy them additionally or use your existing ones.
Get this palette at YesStyle | Style Korean
3. Etude House Play Color Eyes in Muhly Romance
This stunning rosy eyeshadow palette called the Play Color Eyes in Muhly Romance from Etude House borders on the line between playful and romantic. It comes with nine vibrant colors that are perfect for any occasion, whether it’s for a day out of shopping, or a date night with the beau. It’s also a gorgeous fall palette that you can wear for the season.
The makeup palette is inspired by Muhly, which is a type of grass that goes from being green to yellow, then orange, and sometimes, purple.
Get this palette at Style Korean | Ebay
4. 3CE Mood Recipe Multi Eye Color Palette
This 3CE Multi Eye Color Palette focuses on brown and beige shades that are the perfect choice if you want to go for a youthful look. Simply dab some glittery eyeshadow along your lower lash line and you are basically all set.
This 3×3 eyeshadow set-up makes it simple and easy to use, and it’s small enough that you can carry it with you virtually anywhere, so yes, this can be your next travel palette!
It has a good mix of matte, semi-matte, shimmer, and glitter shades, and all nine shades blend effortlessly with one another. Take note that the matte shares are soft and buttery, which makes them perfect for building up!
Get this palette at YesStyle| Style Korean
5. TonyMoly Just Fit Must Blending Eye Palette
The TonyMoly Just Fit Must Blending Eye Palette only comes in four shades but it packs a punch. It has two matte colors and two shimmery ones, which can save you a lot of time if you are indecisive when it comes to choosing an eyeshadow look. Since this palette is tiny, you can easily slip this into your favorite clutch or your favorite purse.
This palette doesn’t come with a makeup brush or a mirror, though – but if you already have a compact mirror and a couple of brushes in your beauty bag, then this shouldn’t be an issue!
If you’re someone who uses the same shades (or just one shade) from an eyeshadow palette on a daily basis, and doesn’t need dozens of different colors to choose from, this is possibly the best Korean eyeshadow palette for you.
Get this palette at Style Korean
6. CLIO Pro Eye Palette in Simply Pink
If you want to bring your eyeshadow game to the next level, this Clio eyeshadow palette is packed with beautiful shades of pink and mauve, as well as one very glittery pink shade that you can use for your Korean eye makeup look, or if you want to copy your favorite Kpop idol makeup.
The palette comes in a gorgeous range of baby pinks and mauves, which is perfect if you want to go for a sweet pastel look. Plus, these shades are ultra-adhesive, so you won’t have to worry about scattering powders. This one also comes with a dual-end application brush to make things easier for you!
Get this palette at YesStyle | Style Korean
7. CLIO Prism Air Eye Palette
Isn’t CLIO’s prismatic packaging just gorgeous? And look at the different shades they offer! The CLIO Prism Air Eye Palette comes in three different variants, and it’s hard to get your hands on just one – you have to get all three! CLIO eye products are hyper-pigmented, so expect these eyeshadow palettes to serve you for a long time.
Fun fact: The Prism Air originally came in single eyeshadow pots, and they were so popular that CLIO had to produce a palette version so you can all the popular shades in one palette. Also, CLIO’s sister brand is Peripera (which has an amazing reputation for its gorgeous lip tints), so this makeup palette definitely has the same great quality.
Get these palettes at Style Korean | YesStyle
8. Holika Holika Piece Matching Eyeshadow Palette
This Holika Holika’s eyeshadow palette in mature peach comes in 12 gorgeous peachy and burnt orange shades, which is absolutely perfect for the fall season. According to rave reviews, the shades have a wonderful color payoff and are easily blendable with either fingers or a brush.
The shades are also great for everyday wear and not just for the fall season.
Get this palette at YesStyle | Style Korean
9. Innisfree Jeju Color Picker Cherry Blossom Eyeshadow Palette
We really can’t get enough of Innisfree! This gorgeous Jeju Color Picker Cherry Blossom Eyeshadow Palette is inspired by the blooms and falling petals of Jeju’s cherry blossoms, the palette features nine harmonious shades in matte, shimmer, and glitter finishes that are perfect for the spring season. You can wear this for a day out, and then build it into a dramatic smokey eye look for a night party.
Glowing reviews say that the color payoff is great, as well as its shade range as it is complete with a lighter base as well as medium and deeper tones.
According to Innisfree’s website, their shades can also be used on your cheeks – just make sure it is the right color for it!
Get this palette at eBay
10. Innisfree Airy Eyeshadow Palette
The Innisfree Airy Eyeshadow Palette stays true to its name – it comes with four shades with lightweight formulas that are made with everyday wear in mind. It’s a compact palette that comes with three matte shades and a single shimmery one – but that doesn’t mean that your options are limited.
With this compact palette, you can create gorgeous rosy (or neutral looks) that are worn all day long.
Get this palette at Stylevana
Popular Korean Brands To Keep An Eye On For New Releases
1. Etude House
Etude House is perhaps the most popular South Korean cosmetics house, and they offer a wide range of products from skincare to makeup. It’s hard to pass by their signature baby pink stores without going inside to check out their skincare and makeup section. All of their products come in cute and attention-grabbing packaging as well – it’s nearly impossible to pick just one!
2. 3CE
Also known as 3 Concept Eyes, 3CE is a Korean cosmetics brand that is based on a unique idea of three kinds of attractive eyes. 3CE makeup uses a primary color palette of pink, orange and beige, which are versatile enough to suit different skin tones. The brand also offers an extensive spectrum of shades for its eye makeup, nail polish and lip color lines.
3. Innisfree
Innisfree is a widely popular Korean skincare brand for its affordability and inclusivity, with emphasis on healthy and reasonably priced beauty products with ingredients responsibly sourced from Jeju Island, South Korea. Innisfree was the first Korean cosmetics brand to launch two inclusive cushion foundation lines with 14 shades.
4. Peripera
Peripera is a brand under the CLIO Cosmetics Group and it caters more to young girls with the fun, trendy, and poppy aesthetic that their brand is trying to convey. Fun fact: Peripera is named after Peri, a fairy from Persian mythology. And this fairy is a symbol of youth and feminine energy.
5. TonyMoly
TonyMoly is primarily a skincare brand, but they have also started venturing into the world of cosmetics. The name TonyMoly itself means “putting style into packaging” so the brand’s main goal is to sell their effective skincare and cosmetics products in attractive, cute packaging.
Although their emphasis might be on packaging, their products are still top-quality and on par with other popular South Korean cosmetic brands.
Commonly Asked Questions
Is Korean makeup expensive?
Yes and no. It is quite pricey for a good reason: Korean cosmetic brands use really good quality raw materials when manufacturing their makeup products, so you’re paying a reasonable price for a ton of benefits that come alongside the products. Although some find it pricey, some also find it much more affordable than Western makeup brands like MAC and Benefit.
Are Korean skin products safe?
For the most part, of course, they are! We have mentioned many times throughout this article that Korean beauty products are made with natural ingredients and high-quality raw materials, so they really are very safe to use.
We hope you found this list of the best Korean makeup palettes helpful! If you’re still looking for more K-beauty products, check the posts down below.
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