Health & Beauty
Eye Shadows
- Posted By: Anna & Kristina
The right eye shadow can add definition and drama to your look. We set our eyes on finding a shadow that not only looks good, but also stands up to the daily, and not so daily, rigors of life.
BUYING TIPS
The Basics
A good eye shadow feels soft and silky to the touch, though still keeps plenty of colour.
If you’re not sure where to start, choose colours that have natural tones in neutral shades of taupe, brown, gray, beige, and tan.
Eye shadow palettes with two or more different shades are tempting, but you’ll likely only use one of the colours so you’re better off buying colours you really like separately.
Eye shadows come in different formats:
Powders, either pressed or loose, come in matte and pearl/iridescent/frosted finishes and work for all skin types. Pressed are the most popular. Loose can be messy. The dry format helps it last longer.
Cream-to-powders come in small tubes or pots and go on with a creamy texture and dry to a powder finish. Can be applied with fingertip, though may take some practice to avoid smudging and smearing.
Liquid eye shadows come in tubes with a sponge applicator similar to lip gloss.
Be Aware
Blue eye shadow actually dulls blue eyes rather than highlighting them.
Matching your eye shadow to your clothes is a dated look.
Wearing red tones makes your eyes look tired and irritated.
Shimmering eye shadows can look pretty, but they can also highlight wrinkles.
TEST CRITERIA
We took the stage with some professional ballet dancers to test these selected eye shadows over a few weeks of daily and dance routines.
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(Note: prices listed above are approximate and in Canadian dollars) | |||
Application Test
Stila and Cover Girl (powders) went on well, though we did use a better brush than provided with the Cover Girl.
Almay (cream) was easy to get the hang of to apply
The liquid shadows took a lot more practice, but one of our dancers was sold after she mastered it.
Longevity Test
Most of the shadows stayed on about the same amount of time. None stood out as the best or worst.
Colour Test
Stila maintained the same colour on our eyes as in the pot for an overall sheer and natural look.
The Maybelline liquid dried nicely and fast, with the perfect amount of shimmer.
The Almay had a nice moisturizing feel to it.
OUR TOP PICK
We really liked the Stila powder eye shadow, even though it was one of the more expensive choices. For a more economical shadow, and with a little bit of practice, we liked the Almay cream shadow.
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