Do you use eyeshadow quads on their own or paired with larger palettes?
I am an eyeshadow maximalist, so I tend to use a lot of shades per look. When I pull out a quad, it’s usually as a companion to a larger palette.
— Christine
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I use them on their own. I tend to use on palette at a time in general.
I might pull out another palette for a complex look, but usually if I pull a quad it’s because I just want something quick with those specific colors.
The best quads are those I can use on their own but I will often need to bring in another shadow – single, quad or larger palette- for an inner corner/brow bone highlight.
I own only two quads at the moment. I can make a complete look from one but the other is a warm neutral matte and needs help from elsewhere.
Unless the “palette” contains an exquisite shade, I won’t bother to even purchase it if I can’t get a complete look from it (with the exception of pulling in a transition and/or highlight shade). I also tend to depot singles/duos & anything less than 6 shades if I can’t get a complete look from it… While I do have a bit more time to spend on my makeup (I live walking distance from my job, and don’t have to account for the probability of traffic), I still have a limited amount of space, so I’ll only pull in superfluous products I haven’t put away and/or I keep in my “everyday bin”.
Sometimes, but more often than not, I will bring in my MAC Pro Pan singles for my browbone, transition and depending on the quad’s depth, also a shade to deepen up the outer crease.
I tend to use them on their own, but it depends on the quad. Usually if I’m reaching for a quad, I want a quick, easy look.
I always reach elsewehere for a matte base and browbone shade and then go for the quad.
In all honesty, it depends on the quad. If the quad has a light enough shade for my under-brow and inner corner, a deep enough shade for the crease and the other two are not too similar, then yes I will only use the quad. Most times that isn’t the case and then I will pull in another single shadow or palette. It is usually the under-brow shade that I can’t find in most quads and so I will use a single shadow for that.
My answer to this question is mixed: sometimes I use the quad on its own – eg Chanel’s Tisse D’Automne because it has all the shade colours I require for an eye look or Dior’s Bonne Etoile. But at other times I reach for shades from other palettes – for example instead of using the gold shade in CT’s The Rebel 2020, I may reach for one of the creamy or silvery sort of shades from NG’s Glam or Heart Dog from the On the Horizon palette as an overall eye colour.
If I reach for a quad I’m usually doing a simple look and that’s good enough.
I try my best to avoid buying quads as I tend to use other pallet with them.
But I fell in Pat McGrath’s trap and bought her quads and 10 times out of 10 I pull another pallet (ususally Jackie Aina’s ABH) to use with it.