(Makeup)
Brighten Up Your Eyes With A Cream Eyeshadow
Quick and foolproof.
There are plenty of ways to play up your eyes, but there’s a reason cream eyeshadows are gaining traction now. “Nothing compares or photographs as well as cream shadows,” says Rose-Marie Swift, founder & master makeup artist, RMS Beauty. “I love playing with texture, so when light hits a creamy, luminous finish, the eye looks more magnetic and tantalizingly seductive. No one wants a completely matte face, so light reflective eye products win in my book.”
There are a few key factors that make cream eyeshadows unique. “Creams are made with butters and oils, liquids are usually made with water, and powders are made with mineral powders and apply dry,” Swift shares. “When using good organic ingredients, creams create light reflective dew that both moisturizes and nourishes the lid. They look really youthful on the eyes — especially those with dry or crepey eyelids. They appear like a color veil with a sheer hint of color.”
Their texture gives cream eyeshadows a natural advantage. Swift explains that though easy to apply, powders are dry minerals so they can accentuate dry or crepey lids if the right ingredients are not used. Liquids are more pigmented than creams and they usually do not have that sheer, youthful, light reflective glow like creams do. Meanwhile, cream eyeshadows blend in seconds, they’re forgiving, and you can go from sheer to editorial with the tiniest amount. “They look way more youthful on the eye and the visually sheer look is very captivating,” Swift says. “Luminous creams in particular blend more easily than matte textures — they're basically foolproof for anyone to use. Because creams have slip, they don't skip or drag or dry the lid. Very anti-aging for the eye.”
To apply cream eyeshadow, Swift says you don’t need to prep the lid. “Just start with a clean dry eyelid, no product — ever,” she says. “A rice-grain amount is enough — you can always add, but too much will crease or look heavy. Creams will always move around but applying less is a better approach. Dab the color in the center of the lid to catch the light, then blend outward for more control, all the way up onto the brow bones. I don't like a half-moon; taking the color up to the brow bones opens up the eyes.”
You can use either your fingers or a makeup brush to blend. “I love fingers —makeup should feel like skin care,” Swift says. “But be honest about your lids. On younger or very smooth lids, fingers are fabulous. On mature or dry lids, a rounded brush diffuses more evenly and does the blending for you. Work it into the skin with your fingertip or rounded brush so it looks like part of the lid, not sitting on top.” Blend it over your eye similar to how you would apply sunscreen or moisturizer. If you need to refine it, a cotton swab dipped in water will clean a wing or sharpen an edge in seconds.
Give it a try with these top cream eyeshadows.
Designed for wear during the day, these weightless eyeshadows are formulated with microfine pearls for a subtle shimmer—not glitter. They come in six shades inspired by the ‘90s. Made with jojoba extract to give them blendability, they’ll last all day.
Just when you thought cream eyeshadow couldn’t get any easier, this one comes in a stick format so you can swipe it on straight from the tube — no tools needed. Delivering 24 hours of wear, it comes in three finishes — shimmer, matte, and multichrome — and can be worn solo or layered, all with buildable color.
A single swipe is all it takes to wash your lids in metallic color. The waterproof formula comes in four everyday shades and is infused with Amazonian clay for extended wear.
“These are my pride and joy — [they’re] what I used on the Victoria's Secret models,” Swift says. “They're made with many different colors so they have a contoured effect when the light hits them — it looks like professional contouring. They will crease if you pile them on, so do the tiniest dab in the center and press it in. This is a cream eye polish, therefore it will crease, mostly if you have a naturally oily eyelid. A simple swipe of the finger will retouch any creasing; just tap it out with your finger and it's done.”
As smooth and creamy as it gets, this glides onto lids, making it a cinch to apply, spread, and blend. Coverage is even and lasts all day sans smudging or fading, yet never feels heavy. The shimmery finish on these is subtle in the best way.
Beautiful and blurring, this cream eyeshadow has soft-focus pigments that smooth over lines, leaving lids looking youthful. Infused with vitamin E to hydrate and condition skin, the water-infused formula has a cooling effect. Boasting a metallic finish, it comes in 10 shades.
Impressively versatile, the cream formula can even be used as an eyeliner with a brush. Packed with pigment, a little is all you need, whether you want a wash of color or a smudgy, smoky eye.
Get ready to shimmer and shine, courtesy of light-reflecting pearls and refined glitter. Go subtle with just a tad or layer it on for a pristine prismatic aesthetic. It dries down for an even finish that feels weightless on lids.
With 20 shades to choose from, there’s a hue for everyone, from subtle mattes to neutral shimmer to statement colors. The stick makes it foolproof to apply and the angled applicator means you can get precise. Upcycled grape extract helps hydrate and soften lids.
Remember Beautycounter? Newly launched Counter is the brand’s next evolution and the products are even better. This cream shadow feels as good as it looks thanks to nourishing ingredients — like cucumber and chamomile extracts, coconut oil, and shea butter — that nurture skin while making it comfortable to wear. All six universal shade are buildable, going from a soft wash of color to a stronger luminous look, sans makeup brush.
