Eyeshadow

Eyeshadow for every look, from palette to stick

What types of eyeshadow are there?

The difference is in the form the colour comes in, and that decides how you apply it. These are the seven you choose from:

• Eyeshadow palettes with several colours in one case, from a mini of six shades to an eyeshadow palette with thirty-five.
• Single eyeshadow when you only need one colour and don't want to buy a whole palette.
• Cream eyeshadow with a creamy texture you blend out with your finger and that will not crease.
• Eyeshadow sticks that you draw straight onto your lid like a crayon and blend afterwards.
• Liquid eyeshadow that you apply with an applicator and that dries down glossy.
• Multichrome eyeshadow that shifts colour the moment the light hits it differently.
• Eyeshadow primer as a base underneath, so your colour is brighter and stays put all day.

Matte, shimmer and glitter eyeshadow

Next to the form you pick a finish, and that is what decides your look. Matte eyeshadow has no shine, which makes it the safest choice for daytime and for your crease. Shimmer gives a fine satin sheen that opens your lid, ideal in the inner corner or in the centre of your lid. Glitter eyeshadow is made of chunkier particles that really bounce the light back, and that is what you reach for when you want to stand out. After glitter only? Head to our glitter and glitter pigments, where the loose pigments, glitter gel and glitter toppers live.

Buying eyeshadow by colour

If you're after a specific colour, the shade matters more than the format. Nude and taupe eyeshadow are the workhorses: you reach for them daily and they suit every eye colour. Brown eyeshadow adds warmth and is the easiest colour to build depth with. Black eyeshadow is an accent colour for your outer corner or for smudging an eyeliner. White eyeshadow goes the other way, into your inner corner and under your brow bone, where it opens up your eyes. For a bright colour such as blue, green or purple, a single eyeshadow is smarter than a whole palette: you buy exactly that one shade.

What colour eyeshadow suits your eyes?

No colour is off limits, but some combinations simply stand out. On blue eyes warm shades like copper, bronze and peach work, because they pull the blue forward. On brown eyes you can wear almost anything, and purple, green and deep blue give the nicest contrast. On green eyes russet and aubergine tones are your best pick. Not sure? A neutral taupe or a warm brown suits every eye colour, and black eyeshadow is better used as an accent in your outer corner than across your whole lid.

Which eyeshadow is the most pigmented?

Pigmentation is what you notice on the first swipe: how much colour lands in a single layer. As a rule of thumb pressed and loose pigments are the strongest, then cream and liquid eyeshadow, while ordinary powder eyeshadow in a palette needs the most layering. Brands such as Lethal Cosmetics, Moira and Naba Cosmetics are known for exactly that payoff; palettes from Essence and Catrice are softer and therefore more forgiving while you're still practising. To get more colour out of a palette you already own, use an eyeshadow primer or dampen your brush slightly — that doubles the intensity without buying anything new.

How to apply eyeshadow

A few fixed steps take you a long way:

• Start with an eyeshadow primer or a thin layer of concealer with powder over it, so the colour grips.
• Set a light base shade over your whole lid up to your brow bone.
• Work a mid tone into your crease and blend the edge softly with a clean eyeshadow brush.
• Add the darkest shade in your outer corner only and build it up in layers.
• Finish with a shimmer or glitter in the centre of your lid and in your inner corner.

Working with loose pigments or glitter? Do your eyeshadow first and your foundation after. That way you sweep the fallout away without taking the rest of your make-up with it.

Eyeshadow for a smokey eye

A smokey eye is less a colour than a technique: you work from light to dark and leave no hard edge anywhere. You need three shades from the same family for it — taupe, chocolate brown and black, say, or grey-blue, navy and charcoal. Put the mid tone across the whole lid, the darkest in a V in your outer corner, and blend the transition out with a clean, empty brush. An eyeshadow palette with a matte range in one colour family makes this far easier than gathering separate shades.

Vegan and cruelty free eyeshadow

Nearly the whole eyeshadow range at Boozyshop is cruelty free, and a large part is vegan too: no animal-derived ingredients, such as carmine for red shades or beeswax in a cream formula. To see only those products, head to vegan eyeshadow. Note that the two aren't the same thing: cruelty free is about animal testing, vegan is about the ingredients.

Shop eyeshadow at Boozyshop

Ready to shop? Order before 8 PM and your parcel ships today. With every order you pick your own free gift. Not sure which eyeshadow suits your look? Ask us in the chat and get personal advice from our make-up artist.