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Rant & Rave: Loose Eyeshadow
Tell us why/what you love, hate, or are indifferent about… LOOSE EYESHADOW!
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I love loose eyeshadow because you don’t get the common film that occurs on many pressed shadows after foiling, and I love the sheer shimmer you can get with many loose shadows. However, they do tend to have more fallout than pressed shadows (especially the sparkly ones), and the slightest little spill could lead to a disastrous loss of product! They also have a tendency to leak in a makeup bag if the lid isn’t screwed on properly or tight enough. I guess you could say that I have a love/hate relationship with loose powders, but I couldn’t survive without them!
I think loose eyeshadow can be fun and good for exact placement BUT it’s very messy. At least for me. I use some BE loose shadows and while they can create a gorgeous, blended look, they have serious fall out! Loose shadows are not something I use when I’m in a hurry.
I love loose eye shadows, its basically 100% pigment so the color payoff can be amazing. The only downside is that it can get EVERYWHERE so I put a towel down so my white marble counter tops aren’t stained. I looove purple but not on my counters 🙂
I’m about to get my start with loose shadows. Someone on here pointed to Fyrinnae lip stains the other day, and I checked those out, and then the colors! Oh, the colors! Anyway, Fyrinnae loose shadows caught my attention, so I ordered a bunch of samples and am going to go to town when they get in. The samples will let me be a lot more adventurous in color than I’ve ever been before, cause I don’t have to commit to a whole bunch of stuff to try a new color.
But I have no idea how to apply them properly, so I’m kind of freaking out about that. They say to pat them on…and then people talk about foiling, what is that? Does anyone have good resources for a makeup beginner to start learning how to use loose shadows?
Foiling is applying the shadows with a dampened (by water, usually) brush 🙂 You can use them the same way you use pressed shadows. It goes farther than pressed ones, though, so you should try to pick up less product with your brush than you would with your pressed pans.
Ahh, thank you. Makes sense I guess, most of what I see referring to foiling is about using it as eyeliner. Good times!
Your welcome! I’m happy to help 🙂 The mess factor is a lot higher with loose shadows than with pressed shadows, so I would consider buying Fyrinnae’s Powder Modifier and pressing them into a MAC palette. They have directions on how to press a shadow with it, don’t worry! 🙂
And don’t forget to order Fyrinnae’s Pixi Epoxy to be used as a base…
Fyrinnae’s colors are UNBELIEVABLE! and soo pigmented, those samples will last you forever!
I absolutely ADORE loose shadows. They’re super pigmented and are easier to work with to create intense colors and dramatic effects. They blend easily, and can be used for more than just eyes. I never have problems with fall out or spillage, but I’ve been a MUA for years.
Not a fan. I use some as just highlighters or blending but I stay away from dark and bright colors because it’s just too much of a mess imo.
Hate loose eyeshadow! It’s so messy and gets all over my bathroom counter. And you must make sure the lids are tightly secured when you’re traveling. IMO, pressed eyeshadow is way better!
I’m on the fence about loose shadows. They’re pigmented, very blendable and easier to work with that pressed shadows in terms of application. However, they’re SUPER messy! It would help if more loose shadows came in a user-friendly package that dispensed just a little bit of powder at a time, but the ones I have just come in a little pot with a screw top and nothing to protect spillage. In May, I was applying a silvery white loose shadow I got as a gift, and it spilled ALL OVER the backseat of my mom’s car. To this day, her black car still contains shimmery silver residue!
i really like loose eyeshadows but they do get everywhere, because they are so light!!!! one thing iloce about them is that they do have awsome pigmentations and easy to blend!!!
so in my case i use more of pressed shadows then loose!!!
Not a fan. Like mentioned above they are pretty messy to work with and they do have a lot of fall-out.
I don’t like them most of the time. I am always afraid of losing product since the little jars are so small, such as those by Medusa. I tend to lose a lot of product that way. I also find that they don’t work as well without a base.
I don’t use loose powders any more – way too messy and I can get great looks with pressed anyway, so why bother? ;0)
I absolutely love loose shadows/pigments/dusts/etc. They are far more versatile than pressed, but there are always pros and cons to both.
For Loose Shadows~
Pros:
– Usability is incredible, you can use them as liners without messing up the rest of the shadow, you can easily use them as cheek highlighters/blush or on lips, or nails, or as body paint with the right medium.
– They seem to last longer for me, I find myself using less of loose shadows than with pressed.
– Easier to blend in my opinion, particularly finely milled ones, but the same can be said of pressed ones that are also milled well.
Cons:
-Storage mess if not careful, results in loss of product.
-A lot of companies have not evolved in creating packaging that suits loose shadow/pigment for the customer well.
-Fall out can be an issue if the shadow is not milled well, or if you take too much with your brush.
-Traveling with them is a hassle if not managed well.
I adore their usability, but I stick to pressed shadows if I’m traveling.
i totally agree that they are great as mutli-purpose products. in the case of mac pigments, that are huge, colours that can be used all over the body in different ways are definatly worth buying. love it!
It’s a love hate relationship. I love love love the colour payoff and the pop that you get with loose shadows but I hate the potential mess and fallout! Not for use when I’m in a rush! I went on a tip from a site and got sample jars from GlamourDoll… AMAZING…seriously…
I’ve been getting a better result with these samples than when I use my 88 Coastal Scents pallette for sure… although it runs a tight race, MAC is still my number 1 🙂
I LOVE loose eyeshadows! They’re so fun to play with, and in my opinion, it feels like the colour is more vibrant than pressed shadows. Although the application of loose eyeshadows may be a bit harder than applying pressed shadows, I love the effect of it overall 🙂
I try to avoid them – I really like a lot of the colors and the versatility they offer, but they are really, really bad for travelling. And seeing as I travel on the regular (I split my time between three different countries on two different sides of the Atlantic!), I prefer products that will be spill-proof and compact and easily packed. So I limit myself to a loose finishing powder or two.
I can’t express how much I hate loose eyeshadow. For me they’re just not practical. I don’t like the mess. I don’t like the pigmentation. I don’t like the way they apply. I have tons of Bare Escentuals eyeshadows that I have no idea what to do with since I won’t use them. The one exception to my hatred of loose eyeshadows is MAC pigments. They’re soft, smooth, and most of them are really pigmented. But I still only buy 1/4 tsp samples of them because there’s no way I’d use up a whole one.
I love loose eye shadow.
I find that they have less fallout than most other eye shadows that I use (hello Urban Decay! I’m looking at you and all your fallout madness!).
I feel like most loose eye shadows have more pigment and color payoff than most pressed shadows. Now that I’m used to working with them, I prefer them to pressed colors.
While it can get messy, I have a cloth on my vanity for just this purpose, to prevent spillage and other mess.
I love loose eyeshadows/pigments! They are my best friend. I can create my own colors and products. You just have to experiment a little. Once you get the hang of it, they’re fun!
i’ve never tried loose eyeshadows before… i’m having trouble with the loose pwders already! i’m way to messy…
i love them because they’re easy to blend and the color payoff is great, but the one thing is FALL OUT! some stain which sucks! lol
I love them because of how easy they are to blend and for the color payoff but I hate the fallout! It really isn’t a problem if I do my eyes before the rest of my MU though. In addition to MAC pigments I love Fyrinnae eyeshadows.
I’ve used loose e/s (BE) for a long time so I’m used to it and of course I love it. It is messy, but I’ve gotten some tips as to how to keep the mess minimal so I’m OK with it. I love the stuff.
i love loose eye shadow because of the great pigmentation but its really messy if your not careful and sometimes when your applying it there is some fall out
I used to love pigments until…….Melon took a tumble and the entire jar poured out onto the carpet (RIP Melon). IMPOSSIBLE to clean…..besides the packaging issues, I like the pigmentation, but hate the fallout.
I really love loose pigments. Super high color pay off, very easy for me to use and they last forever it seems. You barely need any to get a great full color look! I would say the only think that could be a problem, and this is because I have tons of makeup, is that the containers they come in tend to take up alot of room in my train case. But there are small containers for that!
I really like loose shadows, but I never reach for them. Because all of my shadows are in palettes and all together, I reached for my palettes instead of my drawer of loose shadows… I need to use them more!
I have avoided loose eyeshadow because I fear it would be impossible to properly dosage. And of course it would probably be very messy. So with all my prejudice against loose eyeshadow I doubt I’ll ever try it (then again one never knows for sure :p ) But I am quite happy using only pressed eyeshadow.
Love the Bare Minerals ones, but i really just use them as eyeliners. So easy with a thin brush and I know this is gross, but I lick my brush before dipping into the powder to get a nice straight line! lol
I LOVE loose shadows! I do use both pressed and loose, but I really don’t have a preference. All of the loose shadows that I own (Micabella, Lise Watier, Annabelle – Canadian brand for any non Canadian – Make Up for Ever) have great packaging. They all have sifters, so I just tap the product into the lid. The Annabelle ones that I have only have one hole though, larger in the middle, so I just unscrew the lid and dip my brush lightly in the powder. I don’t find it all that messy, since I make sure that I tap off almost all of the shadow into the lid before applying it. I find that I get as much fallout with loose powders as I do with pressed powders. Loose ones tend to last longer (product-wise, not wearing-wise), and seem to be smoother. Only once have I had an accident where I dropped the shadows, and it all fell to the floor 🙁 I actually did cry a little bit. Oh well, they are worth the risk for me 🙂
And I apply a cream shadow to my lids after my primer so that all my shadows (pressed and loose) appear very vibrant on my eyes. Without that, even with my UDPP primer, there is absolutely no colour payoff.
i love some colors, but i hate the fall out.
i just spent an hour or two pressing a few, actually.
I bought a Nyx Ice Princess gloss yesterday at the outlet mall. I love glosses and I wasn’t happy with any of the 18 dollar ones from the Colour Craft collection (disappointed I was) so I tracked down a Nyx display and bought one of those to make me feel better. My whole Colour Craft experience was not a good one. Off topic…I only bought one thing from it and it was the Fashion Patch eyeshadow but whatever. Going to go try to get out of my stink by going outside to run. Bleh!
I adore Mutiny pigment… but I never use it because it fades way more than any of my pressed eyeshadows (even using mixing medium) and it’s just so darn messy. I have a pretty decent sized collection of EDM loose eyeshadows too and I just never use them for the same reasons.
I love how they are easy to blend but i hate that if im not carefull it will end up all over the place.
I really don’t have a problem with loose shadows but must admit I don’t buy them that often. Of the few that I own, I do love the pigmentation but they are messy and going to extra step for fallout has to be taken into consideration. I usually allow a little more time in application when using loose shadows.
Loose shadows are not my faves for a couple of reasons:
Fallout is always a problem
Color payoff is not as good as with pressed shadows
Things I do like about loose shadows:
Versatility in using dry or wet
Using them for cheeks, lips, and other places on the body
that being said, I have a bunch of Fyrinnae samples and do use those occasionally. They work well and have great shades to sample at great prices.