Archived Post

What makes a powder eyeshadow great?

A moderately dense, creamy, buttery texture that adheres well to the skin with minimal loss of intensity when blended. I prefer mostly opaque to totally opaque coverage rather than buildable (I feel like I can always sheer it out or use a wee bit to achieve sheerer coverage when desired).

— Christine

24 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Rachel R. Avatar

Admittedly, not a lot fit all those criteria, and everyone’s skin is different. ColourPop does, but I consider them creams. I have really oily eyelids that are prone to creasing. For me most of MUFE Artist Shadows, Bare Minerals pressed and loose shadows, and Ardency Inn Modsters fit these criteria. Some other brands have certain palettes or shades that fit those criteria, or come close. For example,I think most Urban Decay shadows are pretty great, but they have more fallout than the other brands I mentioned.

Mariella Avatar

I love a rich, almost creamy texture (along the lines of some of the shades in the KvD Monarch palette), good pigmentation and good blendability (especially important if a shadow is really pigmented). Oh, and a formula that inhibits fallout. I love shimmery shadows, but not if they’re going to sprinkle down that glitter all day long, all over my cheeks, under-eye area, etc.

Nancy T Avatar

For me, it depends on what I intend to use the shade for and sometimes it’s finish, as well. I prefer to have buildable, smooth, yet not kicking up a lot of powder type of shadows for my transition or crease shades. Especially if these are matte or satin, as they usually are. For lid shades, highlighting shades, metallic, shimmery or brighter shades; make those buttery, dense, creamy! In all formulas across the board, I do not want ANY patchiness, moderate to heavy fallout, or fading away at all. All need to have great pigmentation!

IRockFaces Avatar

Can’t stand patchiness, heavy fallout where it shouldn’t be, or fading after just a few hours. All of those are deal breakers to me. As long as my shadow can be pigmented enough to show up on my deeper skin tone and be bendable I’m a happy woman. Finishes really don’t matter as long as they are flattering on the skin.

Katherine T. Avatar

#1 requirement is it has to stick well on my oily lids. I don’t care how beautiful the color or finish is, if it creases, fades, smudges, or melts, it’s not pretty!!

Ally Avatar

Yes, I can’t agree more with the answer already given, especially density and butteriness. I find the Metal Crush eye shadows by Kat Von D to fit these qualities quite well. The first one I tried was Thunderstruck and it was pure butter on the finger and eyelids, in addition to being such a fantastic color.

Genevieve Avatar

I love my eye shadows to be highly pigmented with a satin or slightly shimmery finish. It needs to be easy to use and blend, with staying power. Urban Decay Naked and the bareMinerals ready formula comes to mind. It also needs to safe to use around the eye area and cruelty free.

Maggie Avatar

I think Christine nailed it on the head. I would just add hypoallergenic or safe for sensitive eyes: I have a couple Clinique palettes that are harder to work with but I keep around in case I need reddish or purple shadows that don’t irritate my eyelids or make my eyes water.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!