Anything really powdery, dusty, crumbly, and sheer. I see the point in sheer eyeshadow, but for me, I’d rather sheer out a more pigmented eyeshadow than start with something very sheer.
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Fall out and patchy application, looking at you mattes.
When an eyeshadow gives me too much of a battle trying to blend it out without going all patchy on me no matter what I do! Most other issues can *usually* be addressed using a good primer, such as one prone to creasing or it being a wee bit lacking in binders. But patchiness is a PAIN! Although once I’m aware that a shade does this, I will be more careful about laying down a base shade underneath it.
Oh, and I’m not a fan of too sheer, lacking pigment shadows, either!
Powdery, dry, doesn’t adhere/stay put, won’t blend, won’t stay on brush.
The worst is big chunks of glitter that end up everywhere you don’t want them -cheeks, clothes, hair etc.
Anything that can’t hold up to my super oily lids –fades, creases, runs, smudges. Also, if I see a palette with too many shades of brown, as pass –have way too many brown shadows already, and they don’t make my brown eyes pop like other shades
Anything with severe fallout issues. I don’t want to see myself in a mirror hours later and see eyeshadow all over my under eye area and cheeks!
Powder eyeshadows: everything you said plus being stiff and when the shimmer/glitter doesn’t translate onto the lid as brilliantly as it appears in the pan.
Cream eyeshadows: sheer out too much when blended, greasy, patchy and dry out too quickly.
I hate that – when it looks so pretty and sparkly in the pan, and then that’s just the very top layer and it’s gone as soon as you start to use it.
Lack of pigmentation, sparkly shades with excessive fallout, shade range that doesn’t complement my complexion, including large palettes with excessive bright or sparkly colors, brands charging high end prices when the formula cracks or has difficulty wearing/adhering to the eye lid.
anything with glittery fallout, any matte shades with glitter in them (why do companies STILL make shadows like this?!), anything TOO crazy pigmented when it comes to matte shades, and anything too sheer when it comes to shimmery shades. also, if the matte shades don’t blend well, that is def a no-go for me. or when they blend into nothing. Like LORAC’s formula is perfect to me, if only they would come out with some non-neutral shades!
I hate ultra pigment eyeshadows, I like to build them up. That’s why I love MAC shadows, you can’t really mess up with them. I like makeup geek but they’re too much sometimes. I’ve realized that I don’t like LORAC shadows. Only the unzipped palettes and the small matte pro.
Poor pigmentation, patchiness and, worst of all, glitter fall-out that just doesn’t stop – along the lines of UD’s worst offenders like MCRA and Maui Wowie (Too Faced had a shadow called Nude Beach in it’s original Natural Eye palette that was also like this – mostly just loose glitter that defied removal/brushing away and that would rain down glitter all day long).
Fallout, lack of pigmentation, and not able to blend easily
FALL-OUT! Ugh…
In my experience, you can tell the difference between “sheer because it’s formulated that way” and “sheer because it’s poorly formulated,” and the latter irritates me greatly, especially since it seems like it’s almost always paired with patchiness and a lack of blendability (the former is … okay, but I don’t have much use for it). That’s just me chiming in on your comment, Christine. My personal deal-breaker is glitter. I own shadows with glitter, but I’ve never been able to apply one without immediate glitter fallout. I honestly don’t like glitter; I only own glitter shadows because the base shadows are so beautiful, but I really wish they were devoid of the glitter component.
Sheer, dusty, crumbly, and/or super powdery with very little to no color payoff.
It’s what I first had with Revlon eyeshadows when I first got into makeup, and almost turned me off of eyeshadows.
I do keep a few sheer eyeshadows on hand for my younger sisters to use, but they’re nice eyeshadows, not dusty nor stiff.
Anything that doesn’t have good adherence really irritates me. When I have to go into the same color any more than 2-3 times to build it up to my desired intensity, I just throw it away — NQA. I’m kind of a savage when it comes to eyeshadow because my first real makeup investment was Sugarpill, so my standards are set pretty high.
I don’t mind slightly powdery shadows but Chalky (dusty & crumbly) ones are a no-no. Same about Sheer products in general, I like to work with pigmentation levels which are why I avoid most Asian brands as they tend to be one the sheer side for eyeshadows intentionally.
overly sheer, unblendable, and major fall out!
Dry / dusty, poor pigmentation, challenging to blend are my show stoppers.
Eyeshadow must blend well! I can find workarounds for other deal-breakers, but if I cannot blend that eyeshadow well, there is nothing to be done.
Considering that after 50+ years I have found the HG of eyeshadows and will look no further, I can think back to just a few months ago and the frustrations of 🙂 :
Patchiness — Looking at you Tarte Pro
Fall out — Looking at you Tarte Pro, ABH, and several Kevin Aucoin shades
Turning to mud — Looking at most things ABH, especially the Mario Palette
Sheering — Nars Underworld for sure
I know, I know….I’m annoying like a reformed smoker about the Viseart experience. 🙂 Can’t help it. I NEVER knew shadows could be this good, versatile, and easy to work with. Ready to encourage anyone who will listen to dump the rest and make yourself endlessly happy with beautiful quality. I swear, my own application now looks professional. Lovely, easy, flattering gradations of color — and that’s new for me.
Linda:Viseart:kjh:cosdna. But, if you’re right, you’re right. Viseart shadows are a dream. I happen to love most mufe as well. But have virtually written off most other shadows. It’s harder, when you’re older. The mufe and Viseart shimmers are just enough to diffract light, rather than enhance aging texture. With my new Waynes and bijoux, quite content. The dark mattes, a few mufe trios, and I can be done with e/S forever. Better stuff…not the latest most hyped stuff…really does make a difference. And I so relate to your blend to mud scenario.
Patchiness or eyeshadows that are so soft and fine that they blend away to nothing.
Not pigmented and chunky shadows are the worst. Patchy application and difficult to blend shadows are also very annoying.
*cracks knuckles* HERE WE GO:
I have extremely oily, one eye is severely hooded, and the other has half of a monolid. so either way, I have a flap that hangs down over my lids, and you add in the extremely oily lids. It’s a mess!!
I can’t stand when eye shadows are super powdery, because like Katherine T. My lids eat that up even with primer.
I can’t stand when they’re like GLUE and will not blend out. I’m already bad enough at blending 😛 I need all the give my shadows can give!
I won’t work with super sheer shadows (Expecially Shiny ones. they just look like oil on my lids) and I can’t work with SUPER intense opaque shadows! I like a nice build able formula!
If the shadow creases on me, even with my usual combo of TFSI, and a matte shade to set the primer. then I just give up on the shadow!
I also do not like when I have to DIG into the pan, or rub and rub my brush into the pan to get any pay off!!!
I think that’s “it” 😛
Well you said it all…
Sparkles. I cannot wear sparkles of any kind due to irritation of the skin around my eyes.
Like everyone else has said I don’t have time for patchy, overly glittery or fall out. Also, anything that accentuates my wrinkles or hooded lids is gone.
Cost, matte, bright colors, not good quality
Eye shadow shades I would not wear: pinks, purples, oranges, reds, burgundy, black
Powdery, chalky, frosty, glittery
Fall out, patchy, hard to apply, too sheer
Which is why I always read reviews first……
1) Makes my sensitive eyes water, burn, or swell. 2) Creases, even with primer. This rules out most creams for me. 3) Bad quality: Poor pigmentation, excessive fallout, patchy application, difficult to blend.
Anything containing Talc
don’t like glitter falling everywhere, fading, I like neutrals with a pop of color and not very bright colors palettes, depending on the occasion I’ll do sheer to more color so I prefer shadows you can build up.
Pretty simple for me. I have to like the color. The product has to function. It can’t be crazy expensive. It can’t give me a rash. I can’t already own it to the best of my knowledge.
To the best of your knowledge…how true for many of us.
If a matte just wants to stick where I first placed my brush and won’t blend out. This is by far the biggest reason behind eyeshadow looks that are fails on me. It usually results in a much darker look than what I was intending. If I have time I will remove it and start from scratch but sometimes there just isn’t time to start over.
Chalky or crumbly
Lack of pigmentation that barely shows up even adding a second hand as I believe Almay eyeshadows are. On the other hand, a creamy small palette from Body Shop has turned out to blend easily and remain beautifully.
WetnWild has great pigmentation. I rather have lots you can always lessen or blend away with a Q-tip than one too light which is useless. Patchy quality is another to avoid.
First and foremost, I can’t be allergic. I have sensitive eyes. After that, it should last at least half a day, and be able to show up. If I want sheer/little color, I’ll use a highlighter. I can wear almost any shade, but it has to go on easy and stay on a reasonable amount of time.
I have given up buying eyeshadows from all but two brands because they do not stay put on my oily hooded lids. Creasing even with primer, fading after a couple of hours – total no-gos.
I just recently discovered my deal breaker with eyeshadows. I prefer eyeshadow palettes. I like the variety in one place. While going through my collection of palettes, I realized that in the majority of palettes, 1/3 to 1/4 of the shadows, I’d never touched. All of these shadows either don’t pop or look ashy on my deep/dark skin. These are highend palettes, or palettes that cost $40 and above.
My deal breaker is I will not purchase palettes that a chunk of the colors will not work for me. It is not that they shouldn’t be in palettes. I just wish there wasn’t so many of these shades and more universal shades.
I agree, I am really not fussed on sheer. Think I have been a bit spoiled with shadows that last all day cause now if I use anything that fades or gets weird creases it’s really off putting!