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Nope, not a wink of shimmer here.

Makeup trends with glitter and shimmer come and go, and listen, I love 'em all. But one staple that you always need in your makeup bag? A good matte eyeshadow palette. While there's a time and place for your balmy liquid highlighter, liquid blush, and cream eyeshadow, matte eyeshadow is the key to the muted, sophisticated smokey eye, diffused winged eyeliner, and the smooth, glitter-free finish that works for both the during the day and for your post-work drinks. “I specifically love using matte shadows for natural, sultry, or bold looks,” says makeup artist Taylour Chanel. “Shimmer shadows are a little more non-committal and playful in nature, while matte shadows feel intentional and decisive in a look.”

But the sheer number of palettes available on Amazon alone is enough to make my eyes glaze over with review-headache (yes, it’s a thing). So to save you the time of parsing through the blotchy, poorly-pigmented, and cheap-smelling palettes (IYKYK) to get to the ones that are smooth, blendable, and long-lasting, I found the 15 best matte eyeshadow palettes, from cult-fav brands like Urban Decay and BH Cosmetics, for both neutrals and bright colors. But first, a quick breakdown of the experts and our top picks:

K, now that you've had a lil taste, keep scrolling for the 15 best matte eyeshadow palettes to add to your cart, like, immediately.

ICYMI, matte eyeshadow is involved in one pretty big 2022 makeup trend right now: using matte eyeshadow as eyeliner. “I love adding a different colored matte shadow on top of liquid eyeliner to create a two-toned, gradient effect,” says Amos. “I also use matte shadow on my lower lash line too, to add depth and definition to my eye.” Try it with the burgundy shade in this palette over a sharp, winged eyeliner, or just create a diffused wing with an angled, flat eyeshadow brush and the black shade shown here.

“I’m always looking for a matte eyeshadow that’s buttery to blend,” says Chanel. One of her favorites? This matte palette by Makeup by Mario, that comes with intensely pigmented shades that will easily melt into each other as you buff them together with a blending brush.

Cool-toned eyeshadow lovers, welcome to your ideal eyeshadow palette. With a wide range of shades with cool undertones and dual-ended makeup brush, you can play around with soft, light eyeshadow for spring, or darker, more dramatic eye makeup. This palette is also ideal for eyeshadow beginners, since, as Amos says, you'll want to start with neutral shades, and build towards the more colorful hues later on.

“The best way as a beginner to play with brightly colored matte shadows is to go bold and don’t look back,” says Chanel. “But an eyeshadow primer is key. It gives a smooth and tacky base to get the most color.” Beloved by makeup artists, this palette has tons of bright matte colors for your monochromatic looks, statement eyeshadow, or cool Halloween makeup (hey, it's never too early).

I love deeper, warmer hues no matter the season (fall makeup 24/7, bb), so a palette like this, equipped with everything from taupes to burgundies to dark browns, is perfect for my earth-toned eyeshadow looks. Pro tip: The brushes you use actually matter. “Pack your more-pigmented matte shadow with a densely-fibered makeup brush,” says Chanel. “Then blend it out with a softer blending brush for a better shape—it’ll give you the most control over the eye look.”

In the drugstore eyeshadow category, this matte palette is a winner. Equipped with several large pans of neutral shades, it's ideal for creating anything from a soft, subtle eye, to a dramatic, ~sophisticated~ look, and will last you the full two years (the max shelf life of eyeshadow, btw).

Looking for cooler hues? This matte palette covers a range of shades with cool undertones, and will also fit snugly in your makeup bag. The formula is buttery-smooth and super buildable, but if you want to make the pigment even more opaque and longer-lasting, "Use a makeup primer—I can't stress it enough," says Chanel. "The color will be more true on the eye to what you see in the pan, and it will blend easier and more evenly."

This matte eyeshadow palette has you covered whether you’re going for a gray smokey eye or just want a light neutral swipe over your lid for a minimalist makeup look. And if you want something that lives somewhere between soft-glam makeup and full-glam makeup, this palette will give you that neutral, diffused finish that you can pair with a shiny, neutral lip.

If you don’t know exactly which eyeshadow shades you lean towards, you’ll need a matte eyeshadow palette with a wide variety of neutrals like this one to give you room to play around with different hues. Ultimately, you’ll be left with a few shades that are barely touched and some that hit the pan within a few months—but hey, that’s how we learn, right?

The mix of warm and cool tones in this palette is ideal for basically any season. Going for a spring makeup look? Opt for those light-cream, coral-pink, and bronze shades. If you're looking for a palette to match your winter makeup inspo, lean towards the dark-brown, burgundy, and black colors for a moodier vibe.

E.l.f. is an affordable cult-favorite brand for a reason: For less than your daily iced coffee budget, you get four warm neutrals that are not only highly pigmented, but will also stay put from your morning Zoom meeting to your EOD deadline.

“The best way for makeup beginners to experiment with brightly colored matte eyeshadow is by wearing a single shade lightly washed across the lid," says Amos. And if you want a simple makeup hack, she recommends swiping the same shade (like the colors Dara or Yodit from this palette) under your bottom lash line for a cool, monochromatic look.

Not only do reviewers tout the blendability of these matte eyeshadow shades, but the palette also comes with a cute lil eyeshadow brush to help you out. And nope, not just a sponge applicator that your palettes usually come with—a real, travel-friendly eyeshadow brush, meaning you can include this on the list of makeup you’re allowing yourself to bring on your next trip.

Let's be real: You don’t always need 14 new shades in your matte palette, but you also don't need a zillion eyeshadow singles rolling around in your bag. Welcome to the goldilocks of matte eyeshadow palettes, with just two light and one brown hue that can work as the foundation for all of your eyeshadow looks.

Okay, yes, I know there are two shimmery shades in this eyeshadow palette, but it's perfect if you lean mostly toward mattes but still want the option of a lil sparkle. And honestly, how perfect is that deep red shade for Valentine's Day makeup?