A Guide To 5 Different Types Of Eyeshadows

Quick, think about the feeling you get when you’ve just stepped inside a beauty store, surrounded by rows and rows of makeup. Joy? Excitement? Or maybe your heart’s racing at the possibility of adding these shiny new objects to an actual shopping basket. In any case, a headache shouldn’t be one of them — but that’s how we sometimes feel when faced with the giddying amount of swatches on the eyeshadow aisle. Too! Many! Options!

So, on top of a hypothetical fairy godmother who’ll constantly shower you with money for new makeup, you’ll need a guide.

This one.

Whether it’s a pan, pot or palette, we’re gonna tell you the basics of each eyeshadow type, and how to use them, so you can make an educated, informed choice the next time you’re in front of the polling booth Sephora counter. Ideally, you should reach for something that suits you — something that speaks to your style, daily makeup routine, or a particular eye look you want to achieve.

PRESSED POWDERS

1. Dior Backstage Eye Palette, $83
2. Huda Beauty Rose Gold Remastered Palette, $100
3. NARS Silver Screen Quad Eyeshadow, $80
4. Kylie Cosmetics The Nice Palette, USD44
5. Fenty Beauty Moroccan Spice Eyeshadow Palette, $82
6. Kat Von D Beauty 10 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Palette (Limited Edition), $76

Everyone has one of these, making pressed powders one of the most common eyeshadow types — it’s probably the first thing that popped into your mind when you’re thinking about eyeshadows. In fact, it’s so ubiquitous that there’s every possible shade out there: matte brown, bright blue, gold shimmer, sparkling white with holographic glitter, you name it.

While these can come as singles, duos, quads, chances are, you’ll want to invest in a palette, where complementary shades are already picked out and presented to you in a gorgeous case. You can go for neutrals, something like the Urban Decay 2 or the Dior Backstage Eye Palette; the more rosy, berry shades of Huda Beauty’s palette or you know, UD’s Naked Cherry; something as subdued as NARS’ for a classy smokey eye; or bold like Fenty Beauty’s.

We’d say that powders are a great starting point for beginners too; they’re the easiest to blend, are buildable so all you need to do is to pack on the shade to intensify the colour, while they also give a natural soft finish. Use eyeshadow brushes to sweep the shades over your eyes.

PROS:

• One of the easiest to blend, with buildable coverage
• Available in many finishes — matte, satin, shimmer, metallic, glitter
• More forgiving — even if you make a mistake, they can be smudged out or dabbed away with a cotton bud, and you won’t have to start over
• Suits all skin types, whether you have oily or dry eyelids
• Good for overseas travel — you can carry just one palette and create a whole lot of makeup looks from it
• Will last forever (a really, really long time), until you hit pan that is

CONS:

• May not be the most long-lasting — while many brands promise formulas that last, without an eyeshadow primer or makeup setting spray, they’ll still tend to fade in intensity
• May have some fallout as it’s a powder after all
• Needs tools to spread evenly — not great if you’re doing makeup on-the-go, or get lazy with washing your brushes
• There can be wastage — in a palette, there’s bound to be some eyeshadow shades you hit pan on, while others go totally untouched
• Fragile! Like all powder products, you don’t want to let this fall onto a hard surface, lest it becomes a broken mess

LIQUIDS

1. Pixi Beauty Liquid Fairy Lights in Bare Brilliance, $22
2. THREE Alchemist Twist For Eye in Cosmic Girl, $48
3. Stila Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in Grace, $35
4. M.A.C Cosmetics Dazzleshadow Liquid Eyeshadow in Diamond Crumbles
5. Urban Decay Liquid Moondust Eyeshadow in Magnetic, $38

Chic, sleek, and in a tube, liquid eyeshadows look every bit like a lip gloss, and the formula feels pretty much the same on the skin; similarly, you slick it on and wait for it to set.

It hasn’t been a popular eyeshadow type for years, but we’ve recently seen a resurgence as our makeup tastes’ get wilder and more varied. Sure, everyone loves the versatility of a powder, but it’s usually liquid formulas that go bolder with their colour choices. These are usually very pigmented, which is why most brands roll out their most “extra” shades with a liquid type — you can easily achieve a foiled lid with Stila’s pleasing gold. I mean, check out how well the M.A.C Cosmetics’ glittery Dazzleshadow ones fared!

Then again, there are more subtle velvet matte finishes, such as THREE’s. You can use it on its own; simply apply one swipe of the product with the applicator, and blend using your fingertip.

Some people find them especially useful as a base for powder eyeshadows — they hold on to the pigments, and enhance their staying power — while there are others that are meant to be toppers, that go over your existing eyeshadow for a more dimensional style, especially holographic or glossy shimmers.

PROS: 

• More long-lasting, doesn’t budge much after it has set
• Pigmented — especially great for glitter, metallic or chrome shades, where the pigments appear more intense and tend to stay on longer
• Good for on-the-go — there’s already a built-in applicator, while the slim casing makes it easy to carry around
• Easy for beginners too, especially those that are looking for just one swipe of colour to brighten up the eyes

CONS:

• You’ll have to work fast — liquid formulas usually set pretty quickly, and once it does, you won’t want to pile on another shade above it
• Difficult to mix several shades together
• Creases more easily — not great for those with oily lids
• Formula could dry out or separate if you haven’t used it in a while
• Easy to apply, but difficult to master

CREAMS

1. Colourpop Jelly Much in Once And Floral, USD8
2. NYX Vivid Brights Creme Colour in Love Overdose, USD10
3. 3INA The Cream Eyeshadow in Yellow, $26
4. Moonshot Jelly Pot in French Toast

If you’re looking for intense colour that lasts, yet something that can be easily blended, reach for a long-wearing cream formula! They’re sometimes referred to as ‘jelly’ formulas, for the more youthful brands at least, just because it sounds more appealing when you compare something to an edible dessert. That said, these usually come in pots too, with a soft texture when you press it with your fingertips (which explains why they’re great for blending).

Similar to pressed powders, you’ll see a lot of finishes here, with the most common being matte, pearlescent and metallic shades. I’ve also noticed makeup artists using them as a base at photoshoots, by picking, say a matte or light shimmery eyeshadow in a neutral shade. Between the hot studio lights and blazing outdoor sun, the creamy texture helps any eyeshadow look last longer, even if you’re packing powders over it. Oh yes, and you can easily use your fingers to both apply and blend the shades out. They go on moist, but usually dry to more powdery finishes, so the look’s still soft and natural.

PROS:

• It’s a good alternative to powders, but more pigmented, with longer-lasting wear
• Multi-functional — you can pick a pearlescent shade and use it as an emollient highlighter
• Blends easily, perhaps better than a liquid, so you can layer several shades together for your look
• Can layer with other type of eyeshadows
• No need for brushes or applicators

CONS:

• Creases more easily — not great for those with oily lids
• Can get rubbed off if you’re not careful
• Not very precise if you’re just using your fingers
• It may be a little unhygienic for some, as you have to constantly dip your fingers into the pot

STICKS

1. Pony Effect Stay Put Eye Stick in #Be Dazzling, $25.90
2. Bobbi Brown Long Wear Sparkle Stick in Galactic, $43.60
3. Shiseido Kajal InkArtist in Plum Blossom, $38
4. Marc Jacobs Beauty Twinkle Pop Stick Eyeshadow in 208 Frannie, $20

Moving on to eyeshadow sticks! Like the liquid formulas, these have been gaining in popularity this side of the millennium, though really, one of the earliest forms of eyeshadow was kohl, applied with — you guessed it — a stick. Some brands also call these “crayons”, probably because of how the soft, rounded tip looks like something you find in an art studio. Or, maybe, it has to do with how these are so easy to use, they’re practically child’s play.

The good thing is that you don’t need a brush or applicator; you don’t even really need your fingers too! No stained fingers and streaky messes, and no fallout. To use, simply apply it straight to your eyelids. We’ve also realised it’s the most useful tool to have in your makeup pouch when you’re travelling; you can work really fast with these, without messing up, even on a moving vehicle.

As they’re usually made with a blend of wax and cream, the texture’s pretty similar to a cream eyeshadow so you can expect the same benefits: long-lasting pigmentation, that’s easy to blend and layer as well. The only difference is, it’s a tad more versatile in application — the slim packaging allows you to be more precise on where you want to apply the colour, and it can even double up as an eyeliner, or go straight onto your lower lashline. These also come in all kinds of colours, so you’ll always be spoilt for choice.

PROS:

• Highly-pigmented, with longer-lasting wear
• Blends relatively well, similar to a cream eyeshadow, and buildable too
• Gives you more precision and control when applying, especially those with a tapered tip — this also means it can double up as eyeliner, or go straight onto your lower lash line
• No need for brushes or applicators, not even your fingers
• Great for travelling and on-the-go — easy to apply, while the slim casing makes it easy to carry around

CONS:

• Creases more easily — not great for those with oily lids
• Can get rubbed off if you’re not careful
• Colours may not be as easy to blend together as powders or creams
• May not hold glitter pigments as well (though the Bobbi Brown one fared pretty well)
• Some chubby eyeshadow sticks cover more surface area, but lose out when it comes to control, so it may not be as precise we claim
• It may break if you press too hard!
• If you don’t have one with a twist-up design, and instead a pencil-like form, that requires sharpening (might be more environmentally-friendly though!)

PIGMENTS

1. M.A.C Cosmetics Pigment Loose Colour Powder in Old Gold, $42
2. Marc Jacobs Beauty See–quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow in Glitz Blitz, $38
3. Beauty People Fix Pearl Pigment Pact in Glow Light, $14.90
4. Tarte Chrome Paint Shadow Pot in Top Yacht, $32

We won’t call this a popular choice among the general makeup-wearing population, but it’s definitely a backstage favourite! Professional makeup artists seem to always have loose pigments lying around, mainly for one reason — the spectacular results. These pure, finely-milled pigments are like “raw material” that can be used to create the most dramatic eyeshadow looks, great to show off some dreamy makeup artistry. So you can imagine how they’d be great for parties and special occasions as well. Halloween, maybe?

And with some practice, you can totally pull it off at home! Apply them alone, using a flat brush to tap off excess product before applying it onto your eyelids. Sometimes, loose pigments call for a mixing medium, where you have to apply a liquid that holds the product onto the brush first, before dipping it into the pigments. An eye primer comes highly recommended too.

Good news — increasingly, more makeup brands are coming up with “pressed pigments” housed in pots, where you can achieve the same high-intensity finishes more easily, almost like a cream eyeshadow. These include Marc Jacobs’ See-quins Glam Glitter Eyeshadow for a glittery smokey eye, and Tarte’s Chrome Paint Shadow Pot, which delivers a brilliant rose gold in a single touch.

PROS:

• Very, very pigmented, where you can achieve a vibrant intensity with just one swipe
• Colour is vibrant — most of the time, it retains the effect that you see in the bottle or pot, which ranges from metallic, to glittery, to pearly
• Best for glittery pigments, due to the good hold
• Blends easily, buildable, and relatively long-wearing

CONS:

• Intimidating! Looks difficult to master
• You’ll need additional tools — brushes, and possibly a mixing medium
• May leave a mess
• Not good for those with dry skin

All photos taken with the Canon EOS 77D.