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Hit List: Best Loose Eyeshadow
What’s the Best Loose Eyeshadow that you’ve tried?
Share your pick! And don’t forget to share why 🙂
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Bare minerals are the only ones I’ve tried. I have a few MAC pigments, but they are the glitter ones that I just use as a finishing touch for a night out. I like the bare minerals ones, especially nude beach. It is the most gorgeous shimmery champagne. There is some minor fall down, but I’ve found if I look DOWN into a mirror I can avoid that whole fiasco.
Rouge Bunny Rouge Loose Glitter Pigment and Guerlain Loose Eyeshadow! It’s major cheating since none of those is packaged like typical loose eyeshadows.
bareminerals has really great loose shadows. they were the very first ones i ever tried!
If loreal infallibles count, then those!
Ditto! I probably like them the most because they’re the least LOOSE loose shadows!
e.l.f.’s mineral eyeshadow is AH-MAZING! Especially if you consider the price.
I agree. They are wonderful for the price. Plus lots of variety.
I must say that BareMinerals has THE best loose eyeshadows, you don’t need glue or need to wet the brush in order for them to stay. They last all day and don’t crease or fall out.
i love bare escentuals shadows! celestine, night owl, queen tiffany are all AMAZING
I love the pigments from indie brand The Body Needs. So good and their blackened series is very unique. Also sugarpill and glamour doll eyes.
fyrinnae, sugarpill
These two plus Inglot pigments.
MAC and Sugarpill.
Shiro Cosmetics – I have the discontinued Science! as well as Kokori Emerald and a few others. All of them are fantastic. They last all day with primer, the color is consistent and I’ve never had fall out.
Meow Cosmetics – I have every one of the Egyptian Treasures collection and they continually knock my socks off. Deep rich, varied complex neutral metallics. Yum. A few of them crease though.
I have almost all of the Egyptian Treasures. They are beautiful beyond words!!!
Definitely BareMinerals! I like the MAC pigments as well, but BareMinerals are still my favorite.
I haven’t tried many brands but as a brand, I love the Bare Minerals loose shadows. I have 4 of them and they aren’t messy to use compared to some of MAC’s pigments. As for MAC pigments, I really love Jardin Aires and wish they’d repromote that one and I also really like Naked because, unlike so many other MAC pigments, it is so easy to use with absolutely no fallout.
I have used bare minerals for years and love them, but I recently discovered Makeup Geek pigments and they are AMAZING! Pick up a little on a flat, stiff brush, spray it with water or makeup setting spray, apply, magic!
Fyrinnae have the most beautiful and complex loose shadows I have ever tried. They are amazing quality at budget price. What I love the most is that they do samples at $2.25 to try out, (and these last ages too) and shipping here to UK is very reasonable.Ooh plus they always add a free sample so you get to try a colour you may not have picked. These often end up being my favourites!They also do pixie epoxy which helps them adhere to the lid (especially good for glittery ones) but also make the colours really intense. I have around 40 sample size so hard to pick a favourite shade but if pushed it would be Rapunzel Had Extensions.
I hope you review some more of these in future Christine to spread the love?!
Most of the ones I bought were before they reformulated, and though I inquired to get clarity on their reformulation (e.g. just how big of a difference and what shades were most impacted so that I could review properly), but I did not hear back from Fyrinnae, so I’m not really sure what I will do going forward.
Thanks for reply! I have ordered some with the new formulation and I see little difference, but I am not an expert like you :0)
I hope you decide to review some more in future though as IMO they are sooo worth it.
That’s why I asked for clarity – because I already spent so much previously, and I definitely am not prepared to just buy everything again, so I was trying to get more information from Fyrinnae so I could still give fair reviews and maybe repurchase shades that were particularly affected by the reformulation 🙂 Have you purchased the same shades in old and new or just other shades since the reformulation?
Interestingly, I have just swatched the one shade I did repurchase with new formula – Picture It Sicily – and the two are quite different both in colour and application. Both colours are lovely, the older version being more a of a pinky coral whereas the new version is more orange. The new one applies more smoothly and is therefore preferable on that score but I think the older colour is prettier and more unique.
Definitely worth getting your hands on some sample sizes
Interesting to hear! Too bad that the color changed 🙁 That’s kind of why I’m very hesitant to bother with anything I bought – I’m thinking of just donating everything next time I donate.
Shame you don’t donate to UK would love to be part of your competitions! x
Hi Kate,
Not sure what you’re referring to, but the majority of giveaways are open to international readers. When I speak of donating, I am donating to a local organization that supports victims of domestic violence!
Wow, that is so lovely. I will keep my eyes peeled for some international competitions then! Thanks Christine x
That’s a shame as I have over 80 of their shades and I wanted to review them but they where bought over 2+ years ago. 🙁
My story, haha. Although I think I have more 🙁
You probably do. 😉
Fyrinnae.
Even though MAC is overrated, I still think MAC pigments are the best loose eyeshadows. They are super pigmented, lots of different colors and finishes. Use them wet or dry, in so many ways. They are so versatile! And you get lots of pigment for your buck.
BareMinerals is still my favorite. So many drop dead gorgeous colors to choose from.
I will always answer MAC pigments to this question. Yes, they are messy but the pigmentation, and color range is too die for. The options in the finish-Matte, Glitter, Metallic, Frost, Satin etc. is amazing and there are very few ‘duds’. My first non-drugstore make-up purchase was MAC Pigments and they are what started my whole make-up junkie journey, so, ya, I will always say MAC Pigments to this question.
Bare Minerals!
Sugarpill, hands down! NYX’s glitters (if they count) were also great for the price, but they’ve been discountinued.
I have only used loose shadows from Bare Minerals and Fyrinnae.
Fyrinnae wins hands down. They have the most gorgeous and unique colors and their prices cant be beat!
I love INIKA mineral eyeshadows! Awesome quality, easy to use and blend, non toxic and cruelty free.
Fyrinnae, Sugarpill and Meow Cosmetics.
For something affordable, I actually LOVE the ELF mineral loose shadow. The pigmentation is AMAZING, there’s quite a bit of product, and it’s only $3.
Darling Girl Cosmetics! They are incredible! The payoff is phenomenal wet or dry, the colors are unique and a lot of them have an incredible duochrome effect! I’ve hauled from the brand three times already this year!
Well, I like most of my MAC pigments that I have pressed. Honestly, though, I can’t stand loose eyeshadows, they are way too messy for me. I’m so afraid of spilling it everywhere (even though I do my makeup over my bathroom sink, lol).
Do you know if it’s just as easy to press loose shadows from other brands as it is with MAC pigments? I’m interested in trying some other brands, but I know the only way I’ll ever reach for them is if they are pressed and not loose.
MUFE Star Powder.
I’ve been trying out a few Indie brands lately, and the colour selection is endless, but for staying power MAC Pigments win hands down. I can apply these with a damp brush over bare lids and they make it through a long hot day without creasing.
My favourite in terms of colour is Fyrinnae. I absolutely LOVE complex colours and duochromes, and Fyrinnae definitely delivers.
Meow Cosmetics’ Egyptian Treasures collection is also a fav. These are the richest, most decadent colours I have ever seen.
I’ve tried several and my absolute favorite is Aromaleigh. I’m so happy that they’ve reopened.
E.L.F. has pretty good eyeshadows for the price. My favorite is called innocent and I use it for brow bone and lid when I don’t want to use MAC Blanc Type.
I really love the mineral makeup line Beauty From The Earth. They have an impressive range of loose shadow colors and finishes. I love the color Autumn and Long Way Down. I have been impressed by their matte colors; very pigmented and blend nicely. They also list all ingredients. I appreciate that because I am allergic to some cosmetic ingredients.
I also love MAC pigments (Tan especially) and would love to try the new Makeup Geek Pugments!
BareMinerals are my favorite and have been for years, but I also like Sugarpill and for serious bang for your buck, Ben Nye Luxe Powders.
Sugarpill… the colors are bright and very pigmented.
Sugarpill. I’d say Inglot, but they tend to stain my lids, no matter what. Sugarpill doesn’t. The colors for the Bare Escentuals ones are pretty, but they crease on me within an hour no matter what primer I use. D;
None of the eyeshadows I bought…Fyrinnae, Bare Escentuals, Sugar Pill. Yes, colors are pretty and so are the swatches…Messy Messy Messy. Is all over the place in the bathroom. Wish you also asked what brush do your readers used to apply them…because I think it makes a difference.
Pigments/loose shadows aren’t that messy! And I tend to make a huge mess with makeup. The key to using them is to tap off your brush on the edge of the container, so the excess falls back in and then pat (never sweep) the shade in place. You blend after patting, so you don’t have fallout all over. Personally, I use a filbert-style eyeshadow brush that’s a bit fluffier than most filberts/a little longer, its a cheap, no name brush from Walmart. It’s just called an “eyeshadow brush.” Really, I think any fluffy-ish filbert-like brush will work for the lid! But seriously, try the tap-then-pat method. I use it for everything loose.
Have yet to find one whose use outweighs the hassle factor.
bareMinerals, Shiro, OCC 🙂
I am in love with Sugarpill loose eyeshadows. I’d marry them, if I could. They’re super pigmented, come in many colors (mostly unnatural, which is hard to find – who else would carry metallic red?), and they stick like glue to my UD Potion Primer. I get compliments every time I wear one.
Oh, and they’re super expensive, right? Wrong. $12 for 4 grams. If you haven’t tried them before, go buy some (assuming you find a color you like, which you will if you’re a color addict).
Bare Minerals BY FAR!
As far as actual product goes, I don’t find one brand to be particularly superior, which shouldn’t be surprising since “loose eyeshadows” are essentially just unpressed pigments, which are basically all the exact same thing… That said, I would look at packaging, and that would be either N.Y.C. Color & Warpaint Cosmetics, which are packaged in nice little roller-ball tubes, which when dropped, don’t make a mess. They’re also around $5 USD, which is nice. As for color range, I like BE & MAC, but again, I don’t find them to be any “better” than Jesse’s Girl, which has actually broadened it’s range, and are a fraction of the price of BE & MAC.
I have both Mac and nyx pearl and I like nyx much more, for the result n quality
The two I got from Lily Lolo stay on forever, but it’s hard to choose colours without seeing in person.
Aromaleigh for me, but I also have a few from Southern Magnolia Minerals that I adore and reach for over and over again.
Both indie companies do samples.
OCC ! I expected to see their name on this list a little more frequently. They get my vote.
I love Sugarpill, Fyrinnae, BFTE and the new Makeup Geek Pigments. There are lots of good loose shadows out there, but sometimes it’s hard to wade through so many companies! The reason I favor the ones I listed is for their pigmentation, unique colors, and ease of application and blendability.
BareMinerals hands down…nothing else comes close! Only have over 600 colors!
I was going to say – “wow, that’s a lot” and then ask how you keep them all straight. And then I realized I have nearly 500 eye shadows myself. Almost none are loose though. 600 shadows with many loose – that’s quite the inventory!
Meow, Persephone’s, Fyrinnae’s, Detrivore. In no particular order.