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Rant & Rave: All Shimmer Eye Palettes

Tell us what you love and hate about...

All Shimmer Eye Palettes

I like them when they’re versatile and not too mega in size — like 5-10 shades with a good variety in color. If they’re too large or have too much overlap within them, they get overwhelming.

— Christine

17 Comments

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Joan Avatar

I do enjoy having a few all shimmer palettes because I have/love all matte palettes. I love to have palettes that pair well together. I don’t mind having a larger shimmer palettes because sometimes it encourages me being creative with the similar shades that I agree show up in larger shimmer palettes. The only thing that bothers me is when the shades don’t perform or seem to have lacking formulas.

Deborah S. Avatar

Rant: Of course the fallout and sometimes they are difficult to apply and adhere. I can deal with a little fall out during application but really hate when there is a steady rain of glitter/shimmer falling down all day.

Rave: I have never seen a shimmer shadow that I didn’t love. I am all about the shimmery life. I almost always apply a shimmer shade to my little tiny mobile lid in an effort to make it look bigger and I like the result. I don’t care for palettes that are all shimmers because of the usual reason, no matte transition shades which I prefer for transition. If the palette is all shimmer then I have to pull a matte palette to take along when travelling so I rarely take all shimmer palettes with me.

Logan Avatar

I’m a fan. I have two palettes of mattes (warm and cool), so I have everything I need to make a complete look. I don’t travel super often, but when I do, I just don’t take a shimmer palette and it isn’t a big deal.

Some people also stick too hard to the rule about only using matte shades in the crease… As long as it’s not straight up glitter, it’ll usually look fine.

Nancy T Avatar

First of all, I only own 2 all shimmer palettes that I can think of: BH Foil Eyes and Fenty Galaxy Palette. I enjoy using them both, but already knew right away that I’d be using them in conjunction with mattes and satins. Because I have very hooded double eyelids, I cannot do an all shimmer eye and have it look remotely decent. Yet, I love using one or two of those metallic or glittery shimmer on my lower lashline and mobile lid, especially as part of a halo look!

Rachel R. Avatar

Rave: I love shimmers, so I’m usually very happy with them. Shimmer is my favorite finish. I find them much more interesting to look at than mattes. I think they’re more flattering on me, too.

Rant: It can depend on the color selection, but sometimes I can’t get a whole look from a particular shimmer palette. If everything is super-shimmery and light, I’ll have to draw in darker shimmers or mattes from other palettes.

xamyx Avatar

If it’s a larger palette, I don’t mind having to pull out another palette/ quad or single/duo of mattes to do a complete look (which is why such “basic” quads like KvD Shade + Light or UD Basics are worth the investment), since I don’t typically travel with larger palettes. However, if it’s a quad/quint, I prefer to be able to create an entire look with it, although if it’s small enough, and the colors are worthwhile, then carrying an extra small matte compact is no big deal. At the end of the day, if the colors and formula are up to par, then it’s not a deal breaker.

Genevieve Avatar

Rave: I like a few shimmery numbers in my favourite shades, particularly in 4-10 pans of mixed hues.

Rant: I don’t like the mega palettes of shimmers, apart from being too big and bulky to store, there is often a considerable overlap of shades and you do have to use shades from other palettes to make the look work well.
I particularly don’t like it when the shimmers become glitters – with massive fall out. Not very practical and it is much better when there are a variety of finishes in the palette – all of good quality though.

Karen J. Avatar

I especially like them when they are released with a complimentary palette of matte shades. (Much like the Lorac Metals and the Lorac Mattes…or was it the Pro Metals & Mattes??) I am also OK with the way Viseart keeps their pro series in separate palettes, once again because there are matte palettes that can be purchased to go with which will make a complete look. (Then again I forgive Viseart anything!)
I’m just not interested in a stand alone shimmer palette if I cannot see what my Mattes are/where they are coming from.

Nicole D Avatar

I prefer shimmers that have a soft finish, more towards the satin side, if that makes sense 🙂 And while I’m writing this, I have to give a shout-out to the only all shimmer ES palette I own, Lise Watier Aurora, from their winter 2014 collection inspired by the Northern Lights (six shades, made in Italy). The formula is beyond anything else I have and consider creamy in terms of shimmery ES (i.e. ABH MR and Mario palettes, Marc Jacobs Glambition, Tarina Tarantino, some MAC and Inglot singles). For me, it’s like applying silk on the eyes. There is no fallout, the pigmentation is gorgeous, the shades can be used dry for a daytime look or wet, for a glamorous look, in which case they take a totally different dimension especially under artificial light. This is also the only palette that I can use for an all shimmer eye during the day (I’m using two or three of the shades), because the finish is very delicate.

Anne Avatar

I’m neutral on them. I really love shimmers and glitters but can’t use them on the brow bone due to age and wrinkles. Lol! I keep a few large palettes that have light colored mattes handy for that purpose. That big neutral palette that Too Faced put out for last summer is one that I grab regularly. Ideally a palette would have a mix but it’s nothing I’ll get my undies in a knot over.

Silvia Avatar

Love them! Already owning so many just mattes i sure wouldn’t mind a small palette of 4-6 shades of beautiful shimmers. They are beautiful and sparkly to mix or use on its own sometimes.

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