Ah! How we all love a neutral eyeshadow palette. Of all the trends in makeup, this one seemed the least predictable.

We’ve seen smoky eyes, bold, glossy lips and way out there lashes. Now neutral eyes are the sexy standout.  Urban Decay took this look to a whole new level when they released the first Naked eyeshadow palette. The dozen shadows ranged from a pale shimmery beige to a soft glittery black and gunmetal gray.

The brand, also known simply as UD, inspired by the edginess of hard rock, now has four palettes – from the original staple to the newest summer release, aptly called Heat. Their successful run has inspired fly selfies and lots of copycats from competitors. Here’s how to know what will give you the best looks.

First primer.  The key in choosing a good primer is to find a smooth texture in a neutral or shimmery shade to work well with your shadow. UD makes several shades to compliment the formulas of their shadows. Make Up Forever also makes a great primer.  A pale primer won’t affect the color of your shadow but will help neutral eyeshadow show more of it’s true color and not fade into your skin. You can also use a cream eyeshadow as a base for color. Here, you have to consider the color, as it may change the shadow shade. Aim for a soft neutral like MAC’s Paint Pot in Groundwork, great for brown skin.

If you’re considering higher-end brands UD has the four standard-bearing Naked collection, one of the most popular collections of neutral eyeshadow palettes. MAC has also stepped into the neutral arena with a series of 15-shade palettes called In the Flesh, Warm and Cool, to name a few.  In the drugstore variety, Maybelline has the The Nudes, an Urban Decay inspired set of metallic, bold and rose-tinted palettes. The difference between the more prestigious department store brands and the supermarket and drugstore varieties are in texture and pigment. Lower-priced brands tend to be more powdery – primer is definitely a must simply to get the color onto your lid and give it staying power.  It likely will not last all day or have the same color payoff as the more expensive varieties. If you want to play around before investing in a pricier palette, a $10 palette is a good idea.

More expensive brands have more pigment with deeper, more layered tones. While they are still powder in form, they are velvety and blend well with one another. Primer is still necessary for staying power – but you will get a look that lasts until you take it off.

Ultimately, the choice is yours, but we know the neutral look will be around for a long time to come.