The Eyeshadow Palette Olivia Wilde Wore to the Met Gala Is the First One I’ve Cared About in Years

My first eyeshadow palette was Urban Decay’s Naked Palette. It was a time when there were few other options available, and over the course of a few years, I hit pan on many of my favorite shades. Following its success, it seemed like eyeshadow palettes flooded the market and I couldn’t get enough of them. But then they seemed over and irrelevant. I realized that most of the colors were untouched — I was paying a lot of money to ultimately use just a few colors. I began opting for individual eyeshadow in cream and liquid formulas. 

So I have not cared about or repeatedly used an eye shade palette in at least a decade until I met Bakeup’s Micro Palm Palette, which Olivia Wilde has worn a few times — including her 2023 Met Gala look. There are four versions including the neutral Desert Road Trip and the Pastels which is my personal favorite. 

Shop now: $24; bakeupbeauty.com

The Desert Road Trip Palm Palette is made up of eight foolproof neutral shades, as defined by the brand’s founder, Jo Baker. She’s a celebrity makeup artist who has done stellar work on celebrities including Olivia Wilde for the 2023 Met Gala, per the brand, as well as Lucy Boynton, Bella Hadid, and Salma Hayek. 

The compact and pared down palette sold out in 24 hours when it was first launched last month. It’s finally back in stock — but if people know what’s good for them it won’t be for long. The formula is soft, buttery, buildable, long-lasting and actually thrives without the use of primer. 

Sometimes palettes feel like they are full of filler shades. I mean, when’s the last time you saw a 24 shadow palette where you’d use every single color? These eight are actually everything you need — white, gray beige, brown beige, terracotta beige, dusty pink, dark brown, warm brown, and black. Unlike any other palette I own, I’ve actually used, and continue to use, every single shade. 

Shop now: 24; bakeupbeauty.com

While Desert Road Trip has become my one-stop shop for every day looks, I am a maximalist at heart and love to use the Pastels Palette. I love colorful eyeshadow, but pastels have eluded me. In the past, when I’ve wanted to look like Anna Karina in A Woman Is a Woman, I end up looking like Bette Davis in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? 

This is the first time that is not the case. The undertones of the pastels are neutral, so they actually look good on my melanin skin and undertone. They glide on so easily, and they look soft and airbrushed. The pigments are so easy to use and have such a perfect finish that I feel like a makeup artist rather than someone with anvils for hands. 

Wearing the Pastels Micro Palm Palette

These small and tightly curated palettes are the antithesis to the waste and superfluous nature of most eyeshadow palettes. Plus the formulas are so smooth, soft, and buttery. Shop the Pastels Micro Palm Palette and Desert Road Trip Palm Palette while they’re still in stock.