What eyeshadow finish do you gravitate toward the most?
I really enjoy pearl and smooth metallics; I like shimmer that’s smooth, finer, and looks “melted” when applied to the lid.
— Christine
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My hooded eyes look best in matte or certain pearly finishes for the crease, but I can get away with more shimmery finishes on the lid. I do not like glitter at all.
I love something with a sheen, rather than full on glitter or, at the opposite extreme, something matte. MAC’s Velux Pearl and Inglot’s Pearl are 2 examples of the type of finish I like and which I feel looks and works best for me, as is the “shimmer” finish of Marc Jacobs’s single shadows.
Ooo metallics, duochromes, or shimmers. Def a magpie. Hate an all matte look. Mattes are functional and necessary, maybe, but they will never capture my heart like the above mentioned!
1. Powders:
Mattes. They’re the hardest to find in terms of color, formula and overall quality. Without mattes, the satins and ultra-satins are meaningless unless I go with a one-color lid. So, I’m always on the lookout for a great powder matte. (Satins and ultra-satins are very easy to find — even the cool shades.)
2. Creams:
Mattes. They’re as difficult to find as matte powders. Plus, they tend to crease easily and can look crepey after drying. A good one is a treasure find. I prefer a lid cream that is satin or ultra-satin, but not metallic.
Long-gone for me is the all-over satin eyeshadow look. It’s just too much shine and not a great look on my partially hooded eyes. A metallic lid is fun if it isn’t overwhelming. Many formulas and shades don’t work for me. In particular, very light metallic lid colors make me look clownish! And glitter is the pox! A total nonstarter!
Ive always preferred satins and mattes. I have hooded eyes and shimmers look terrible on me.
I’m a fan of satin/pearl finishes – they’re a good way to still incorporate color while toning it down a bit, easy to blend, and don’t tend to transfer like more silicone heavy metallics do.
Shimmers all day. I feel like they’re more forgiving than mattes. I usually swipe a shimmery nude across my lids and that’s it. Easy peasy.
Christine – what’s that palette in the top left with the sage green color? Have you reviewed it yet?
Tom Ford Soleil et Lune, and yes, I reviewed it a couple of weeks ago! 🙂
Everything but glitter. I have hooded eyes and I absolutely need mattes to ground my look, but I love shimmers and duochromes and metallics to brighten and bring spark to my look.
Same here for my deep-set eyes.
Even though I need to use mattes and matte looking satins in my crease and browbone, I LOVE me a divinely melty metallic or a very sparkly shimmer on my lid!
Mattes are great for my hooded eyes, but I love a satin finish.
Even though I’m nearly 45 and according to many makeup “dos and don’ts” lists I should not be wearing anything shiny or sparkly, I gravitate towards shimmery, chrome finishes. I also love some glitter from time to time. I find mattes to be boring, and rarely will I ever do an all matte look. I wear makeup because it’s something I enjoy, not to impress others, so I don’t care if I’m wearing age appropriate makeup or not!
Yep. Shred those do and don’t lists! ?
Yeah, FTS!
I’m of the opinion that ‘age appropriate’ means ‘what do I like?’ + ‘what looks good on me?’. Everyone is different. At ‘nearly 45’ (as you are), I was wearing things that I don’t think are best for me now. So I do something else. And so it goes — enjoy your age, whatever it is!!!
[I hate to see 13-year olds trying to look 21+. I hate to see 50+ trying to look 20+. But that’s just me.]
I am another magpie here so anything shiny and I am all over it. I wish there had been more really nice shimmers and duochromes when I was younger because I would have rocked an all over shimmery eye look. Of course, like most of us older women I have to use matte’s in the crease and above and since I have hooded eyes, my shine obsession is not very noticeable.
Right! So, I do what I can get away with — ?
Shimmers and duochromes. I love anything that looks pretty and multidimensional in the light.
Definitely mattes for my hooded, deep-set eyes. I’ll put a little bit of satin or shimmer on the lid, but any more and it just makes my eyes look crepey. I despise glitter.
Like you Christine, I do prefer a fine shimmer, a satin and smooth metallics finish for my eyeshadows. Even though I have hooded eyes, matte finishes make me look ‘flat’, so they are not on the menu. Ditto for glitter and overly sparkly numbers.
Absolutely mattes without a doubt. I could live the rest of my life without shimmers, but that’s mainly because I have hooded eyelids and shimmers ALWAYS transfer. Colourpop SSS are pretty much the only thing that doesn’t transfer but they still kind of do.
I’m in my mid-30’s now and find myself with less time for eye Looks. I’ve usually got less than 10 minutes to slap some makeup on. I tend to just use mascara with a swipe of a nude shimmer all over or a matte look with some satin or pearl on the inner corner. I just can’t get on board for that chunky glitter thing that’s gotten so popular lately. If I see that a palette has more than 2 glitters then it’s a no for me.