For many of us, eyeshadow was one of the first makeup essentials we ever tried, alongside lip gloss and mascara. My first eyeshadow was a copper shade by Clinique, which I “borrowed” from my mother’s collection, wore sloppily all over the lids, and debuted smugly to my very excited sixth grade friends.

I’ve amassed significantly more eyeshadow products since then, and the ones listed below are my absolute favorites. Here are my picks for the best eyeshadows ever:

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For a neutral, basic start:

My favorite higher-end neutral palette is the Tartelette in Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette ($39), which features 12 perfectly blendable and pigmented neutral shades to complement any skin tone. My favorite shades are Sweetheart and Rebel — so pretty and rosy!

Another super-dependable brand for eyeshadow is Morphe, which has a plethora of huge palettes full of beautiful shadows in a variety of shade ranges. Some of their most popular palettes include the 35O ($23), pictured above, and the 35OM ($23), an all-matte palette.

This Bold Obsessions palette from Milani ($20) isn’t often talked about in the beauty sphere, but it has 12 buttery, gorgeous colors and comes with a mirror, which is so useful for traveling. I would highly recommend checking this palette out.

For a more colorful eye:

Indie beauty brand Juvia’s Place has stunned eyeshadow enthusiasts for years now with their highly pigmented, super blendable palettes, priding themselves on creating affordable shadows that will show up on all skin tones. I have the Nubian Palette ($20), which is their most neutral, but the bolder palettes are just as – if not even more – beautiful.

If you’re looking to stay within a certain bold color family, I’d recommend the Too Faced Just Peachy Mattes palette ($45), which houses 12 pretty peach shades. Not only are these gorgeous, they smell faintly of ripe peaches!