The hunt for a truly special red can be daunting. As a longtime red eyeshadow lover, I can help—I promise.

In fact, in this post, I lay out a big list of reds and where to buy them!

But before we get to that list, here’s the Tl;dr of my overall advice.

The best place to find red eyeshadow is online, buying from indie brands. Ulta and Sephora have a limited selection of reds, which are almost always in palettes and which often lack in formula quality.

That being said, I’m including some reds from Ulta, too, in case that’s the route you’re most comfortable with.

All of these eyeshadows on the list are hand chosen by me, so you won’t find a bad apple here—just the occasional need for a word of caution. Speaking of which…

First, a Small Warning

Alert! Red eyeshadow, especially those labeled as “pressed pigments,” have the tendency to stain skin. So if you don’t want to look like a conjunctivitis case the next day, try a thick primer and use with caution. One good way to know if you’ll have staining is to

1. Swatch the shadow on your arm.
2. Use a wipe or makeup eraser to remove the swatch.
3. See if there’s still red pigment on your arm when you’re done.

Also, a lot of folks have allergic reactions to red pigments. It’s definitely worth a test before you slap that stuff all over your mobile lid. (If you want to read more on the subject, check out my post on eyeshadow vs pressed pigments.)

And with that, let’s get to the list!

Reds You Can Buy at Ulta

Just want the simplicity of dropping into a store? Or have you been sitting on a full cart for a while and this is your inspiration to finally place the order? You could visit an Ulta (or Ulta.com) and pick up one these babies.

1. Izafa—Juvia’s Place’s The Festival Palette

Finish: Matte
Price: $20 for the palette
Where to buy: product page on Ulta.com

Notes: Izafa looks like a standard deep red in the pan, but it has a pink undertone that sheers out to more of a berry. Pack it on with little blending for that true red punch.

2. Venetian Red—Anastasia’s Modern Renaissance

Finish: Satin
Price: $45 for the palette
Where to buy: product page at Ulta.com

Notes: Venetian red is a brick-leaning, soft red that has beautiful color payoff and a slightly powdery formula.

3. Cyberpop—NYX’s Vivid Brights Crème Color

Finish: Cream Matte
Price: $10
Where to buy: product page at Ulta.com

Notes: A tremendously bright pop of orangey-red. You’ll need just the right brush (or short nails!) to get nice coverage from the small pot. It’s also worth mentioning that cream shadows, especially ones that are pigmented like this, can be tricky to work with.

Indie Reds You Can Buy Online

Honestly, in my opinion, indie is the way to go for red shadows.

First, indie brands—especially the ones I’m about to talk about—are famous for standout performance. Second, you’re more likely to be able to get a single instead of needing to buy a whole palette. And third, you’ll find that indie singles are often cheaper than singles you can buy at Ulta and Sephora (looking at you, Urban Decay).

The only problem is that indie brands are often out of stock due to their small staff. But don’t lose heart! If you love something here and it’s out of stock, check back later. Or sign up for their email list. They’ll let you know when they’re restocking.

So here it is: the list of indie reds I’m comfortable vouching for:

4. Love+—Sugarpill

Finish: Matte
Price: $13
Where to buy: Sugarpill’s website

Notes: Sugarpill is famous for being the source for bright color before anyone else was doing it. Love+ is the OG of basic, primary red eyeshadows, and its quality makes it a staple in pro makeup kits.

5. Ruby—JD Glow’s Metallon Line

Finish: Shimmer
Price: $7.50
Where to buy: JD Glow’s website

Notes: Ruby is a jewel toned, deep red, metallic shadow with primer already in the formula. JD Glow’s shadows are always very smooth in texture.

6. Warrior—Midas Cosmetics’ Smokey Glow Palette

Finish: Matte
Price: $36 for the palette, although Amy Loves Makeup has compiled a list of codes that can get that price down.
Where to buy: MIdas’ website

Notes: This is a bright primary red made to empower those who wear it. If you like reds, it’s possible that you’ll like the rest of the palette, which has additional pink-leaning reds and brown-leaning reds.

7. Infrared—Kaleidos Cosmetics’ Cyber Bronze Palette

Finish: Shimmer
Price: $24
Where to buy: Kaleidos’ website

Notes: This is the rich, shimmery bright red of your dreams. The formula is creamy and intensely foiled without being flakey or hard to work with. It looks amazing as liner, too.

8. World Eater—Shroud Cosmetics

Finish: Shimmer
Price: $6
Where to buy: Shroud’s website

Notes: This is what I’d describe as a “Christmas red.” It’s a bit darker than primary red, and it’s the color of a tasteful holiday ribbon. Visit the site just for the swatches—they’re stunning and look good on all kinds of skin tones.

9. Bauxite From Glaminatrix’s Pressed Pigment Line

Finish: Matte
Price: $8.04
Where to buy: Glaminatrix’s website

Notes: Glaminatrix has some serious clout in the beauty community, and this is one of the brightest pure reds I’ve seen swatched. A few things to note though: that “pressed pigment” name tells you there’s a very good chance it will stain your lids. Also it’s an Australian brand, and if you don’t live there, shipping to the rest of the world can get expensive. I checked, and shipping to Michigan in the U.S. would cost $20.

10. Boop—Looxi Beauty

Finish: Matte
Price: $5 (often on sale for $3!)
Where to buy: Looxi’s website

Notes: This is a slightly deep red, similar in tone to Love+ from Sugarpill. Looxi’s quality is amazing. If your delight at the cost weren’t so top of mind, you’d never know this wasn’t a high-end brand.

11. Infrared—Terra Moons Cosmetics

Finish: Matte
Price: $6
Where to buy: Terra Moons’ website

Notes: Terra Moons is another queen of the beauty space, and you know that if they say this shadow is a neon red (cool!), they’ll deliver that brightness without disappointment. This is for the fierce, fearless red lovers among you who don’t mind guarding against a little fallout; this is a powdery one. (P.S. if you want more of a orangey tomato red neon, you can go for their Meet Me on Mars)

Okay, So What’s the Absolute Best Red Eyeshadow?

As far as what I think personally, well, I haven’t tried all of the shadows listed here. (I watch a ton of YouTube and I catch the word on the street that way.) But in my experience, you can’t beat Infrared from the Kaleidos Cyber Bronze palette. It’s the red I always wanted but couldn’t ever find.

Where You Can Learn More

I loved watching Julia Mazzucato’s “Best & Worst Red Eyeshadows” and BeautBean’s “Swatch Party | Best & Worst Red Eyeshadows” in preparation for this post. They each have an entire color series on their channels, so you can dive deep into blues or frolic through some greens.

Happy exploring!