Recommend a matte, cream eyeshadow available from UK?
February 25, 2012 12:39 AM Subscribe
My crazy dream: A good but relatively inexpensive cream/creme eyeshadow, preferably from the UK (or maybe Asia), without glitter, gleam, glimmer, glint, glitz, scintillation, shimmer, twinkle, or other sparklysparklespark. Can you help?
I really want to try a cream-style instead of powder. I'd also love if it were a palette of three or four colors, but that may not be possible. I'm looking for earth tones first (just your standard light to dark/beigey to dark brown range), then if that goes well maybe some green/khaki and plum or violet shades.
I can live with a bit of "pearlized" effect if I must (especially for highlighting shades), but feel ridiculous wearing the super shimmery stuff that seems impossible to avoid these days.
Complications: I hate spending a ton of money on cosmetics (otherwise, I imagine I could find this at M.A.C.), and will probably be buying via eBay, so while I can sometimes find good quality/good price from the U.S., shipping nearly doubles (and sometimes exceeds) the cost, which sort of nullifies the "good price" aspect. Items from Asia seem to normally have lower shipping costs, though, so this is a possibility. Items from the UK are generally more reasonable for shipping, and arrive a lot faster – but if the product is imported from the U.S., obviously the same pricing problem applies, so brands available in the UK/Europe are probably my best bet.
Any recommendations appreciated; if you have personal experience with the product, even better!
I really want to try a cream-style instead of powder. I'd also love if it were a palette of three or four colors, but that may not be possible. I'm looking for earth tones first (just your standard light to dark/beigey to dark brown range), then if that goes well maybe some green/khaki and plum or violet shades.
I can live with a bit of "pearlized" effect if I must (especially for highlighting shades), but feel ridiculous wearing the super shimmery stuff that seems impossible to avoid these days.
Complications: I hate spending a ton of money on cosmetics (otherwise, I imagine I could find this at M.A.C.), and will probably be buying via eBay, so while I can sometimes find good quality/good price from the U.S., shipping nearly doubles (and sometimes exceeds) the cost, which sort of nullifies the "good price" aspect. Items from Asia seem to normally have lower shipping costs, though, so this is a possibility. Items from the UK are generally more reasonable for shipping, and arrive a lot faster – but if the product is imported from the U.S., obviously the same pricing problem applies, so brands available in the UK/Europe are probably my best bet.
Any recommendations appreciated; if you have personal experience with the product, even better!
Any of the Two Faced palettes. They go for $36 USD at Sephora but they come with nine shadows and a brush. I own the Naked Eye collection & there are both matte and shimmers. The mattes are BEAUTIFUL; tones are neutrals - beige and some bangin' greys and a beautiful matte black.
And most importantly - high quality pigments! A little goes a long way (none of that crappy filler that flakes off within twenty minutes) and it blends into skin really well. Great lasting power - I rarely wash my makeup off at night (I know I know) and it still looks good the next day.
Seriously, a freaking steal at that price.
Oh yeah, and it comes with how-to cards, holla!
posted by HolyWood at 2:02 AM on February 25, 2012
And most importantly - high quality pigments! A little goes a long way (none of that crappy filler that flakes off within twenty minutes) and it blends into skin really well. Great lasting power - I rarely wash my makeup off at night (I know I know) and it still looks good the next day.
Seriously, a freaking steal at that price.
Oh yeah, and it comes with how-to cards, holla!
posted by HolyWood at 2:02 AM on February 25, 2012
Oh whoops those are not cream shadows but you can blend them with vaseline or a cream base. Sry - missed that part. :-P
posted by HolyWood at 2:04 AM on February 25, 2012
posted by HolyWood at 2:04 AM on February 25, 2012
You should check out the Mac Paint Pots. They are meant to be worn as an eyeshadow base but are lovely on their own. As a bonus they come in a bunch of beautiful colors and have great staying power, which can be a problem with cream eyeshadows.
Oooh, and if you check out the online store you can shop by finish to eliminate some of the more glittery options.
posted by pintapicasso at 5:08 AM on February 25, 2012
Oooh, and if you check out the online store you can shop by finish to eliminate some of the more glittery options.
posted by pintapicasso at 5:08 AM on February 25, 2012
Cream shadows usually come in pots, not palettes, so you may have a problem meeting that requirement. MAC Paint Pots and Bobbi Brown have the best matte formulas that I have found, but I can't speak to your shipping costs question. Here in the US, Sephora carries BB, so you could check European Sephora sites. As for Asia, the Shiseido cream shadows are gorgeous, but may have too much shimmer for your needs.
Good luck!
posted by matildaben at 7:09 AM on February 25, 2012
Good luck!
posted by matildaben at 7:09 AM on February 25, 2012
majorly nthing Bobby Brown! I hate sparkly tinkly doodahs too. If you're not adverse to the very existence of sparklysparklespark in your house, BB has four-palette cream eyeshadows: one of them will probably be sparkly, but the others will go on smooth and matte.
posted by starcrust at 7:15 AM on February 25, 2012
posted by starcrust at 7:15 AM on February 25, 2012
Yeah, MAC paint pots are your dream. I wear Bare Study almost every day. That one is shimmery but the line also has matte versions. I have Painterly, which is neutral matte, and don't use it as frequently since I like a little shimmer. They last forever so the investment is worth it. I've had these two for over 2 years and have tons left. Benefit has a similar product.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:00 AM on February 25, 2012
posted by otherwordlyglow at 8:00 AM on February 25, 2012
Best answer: As an inexpensive solution, I highly recommend making your own mixing medium. It turns any powder or loose mineral shadow into a beautiful wash of color, which you can apply as sheer or as opaque as you like, and you can use mattes or shimmers or whatever you prefer on any given day. MAC makes a water-based mixing medium in their Pro line but this is next to free, and the only difference is that this one has no preservatives.
Tutorial is here-- it's one part glycerin (available in any drugstore, usually in the first aid section and very inexpensive) and three parts water. Mix and shake like hell, then dip your brush in it lightly and then into your desired shadow. I recommend mixing it up on the back of your hand a bit, then apply to lid and blend (I blend with my finger).
I found this solution when I was trying to find a dupe for Chanel Ombre D'eau, as they seem to be harder to find and not being released in new shades, which was unfortunate because it was my all-time favorite shadow formula. With this mixing medium, I can get the same effect and same feel, only I can do it with any shadow color I want. Plus it's fun!
posted by mireille at 8:16 AM on February 25, 2012 [2 favorites]
Tutorial is here-- it's one part glycerin (available in any drugstore, usually in the first aid section and very inexpensive) and three parts water. Mix and shake like hell, then dip your brush in it lightly and then into your desired shadow. I recommend mixing it up on the back of your hand a bit, then apply to lid and blend (I blend with my finger).
I found this solution when I was trying to find a dupe for Chanel Ombre D'eau, as they seem to be harder to find and not being released in new shades, which was unfortunate because it was my all-time favorite shadow formula. With this mixing medium, I can get the same effect and same feel, only I can do it with any shadow color I want. Plus it's fun!
posted by mireille at 8:16 AM on February 25, 2012 [2 favorites]
I have no experience with either, but this thread recommends Maybelline's Color Tattoo 24 hour eyeshadow as a good down-market substitute for MAC paint pots.
posted by bluefly at 8:29 AM on February 25, 2012
posted by bluefly at 8:29 AM on February 25, 2012
Just an FYI on the Maybelline Color Tattoo - the colors are beautiful (I have several) but they are very shimmery.
posted by pintapicasso at 8:42 AM on February 25, 2012
posted by pintapicasso at 8:42 AM on February 25, 2012
Best answer: I really like Revlon Illuminance - it a palette of four cream shadows. I've owned two different palettes and both times it included 2 matte and 2 slightly shimmery shadows, but even the shimmery shadows go on looking pretty matte. I've been able to wear all of the shades to work without stressing about things being too shiny. Anyway at this price, it's worth it just for the two matte shadows even if you never wear the other two.
It's Revlon, so you should be able to buy it at any regular store that sells makeup for a very affordable price (assuming Revlon sells the same products in the UK as in the US).
posted by echo0720 at 8:45 AM on February 25, 2012
It's Revlon, so you should be able to buy it at any regular store that sells makeup for a very affordable price (assuming Revlon sells the same products in the UK as in the US).
posted by echo0720 at 8:45 AM on February 25, 2012
Oh sorry, I didn't realize that you don't actually live in the UK - I'm pretty sure Revlon is available all over Europe, though, so you might still be able to find this where you live.
Also, the shimmery shades I mentioned, this definitely fits into the "pearlized" category that you mention in your post, so you should be fine with all shades.
posted by echo0720 at 8:48 AM on February 25, 2012
Also, the shimmery shades I mentioned, this definitely fits into the "pearlized" category that you mention in your post, so you should be fine with all shades.
posted by echo0720 at 8:48 AM on February 25, 2012
Most of the Maybelline Color Tattoo shadows are shimmery, but Tough as Taupe is matte. I own this and recommend it. Here is a swatch (scroll down, it's the last one one). This is a US product but might be available in the UK, I'm not sure. There's also a matte orange called Fierce & Tangy, but I'm guessing that's not your color.
The MAC Paint pots will definitely work for you, if you don't find cheaper options - some are shimmery, but some are matte. Swatches here.
posted by insectosaurus at 9:28 AM on February 25, 2012
The MAC Paint pots will definitely work for you, if you don't find cheaper options - some are shimmery, but some are matte. Swatches here.
posted by insectosaurus at 9:28 AM on February 25, 2012
Okay, I had a good look at what's on offer in stores and by far the best is Bobbi Brown. But Clinique has just introduced a new range called Lid Smoothie, and although it has a very slight shimmer, in some of the shades it's very, very subtle, in particular the greenish shade, which is lovely. I don't like shimmery eye shadow but this I would wear. It's £17 a tube.
In Boots I found something by UNE cosmetics (a new name to me) which was a cream-to-powder shadow, in a nude shade (which would be a good all-over-the-eye base) and a sort of pinky-minky shade. It was nice and creamy and definitely matte.
These Benefit shadows were also nice, again some had more shimmer than others and there were a couple which I would definitely wear and not think were too shimmery.
I wasn't able to ascertain how shimmery some of the shades were in the Estee Lauder shadows because they only had a few shades in stock, all of which were pearlescent. The saleslady said that they're not all as pearly, and there are a couple of shade which are matte.
One of the cosmetics consultants in Debenhams told me about this stuff (which they don't sell there) and it looks interesting. Next time I'm in SpaceNK I'll have a look at it.
posted by essexjan at 10:28 AM on February 25, 2012
In Boots I found something by UNE cosmetics (a new name to me) which was a cream-to-powder shadow, in a nude shade (which would be a good all-over-the-eye base) and a sort of pinky-minky shade. It was nice and creamy and definitely matte.
These Benefit shadows were also nice, again some had more shimmer than others and there were a couple which I would definitely wear and not think were too shimmery.
I wasn't able to ascertain how shimmery some of the shades were in the Estee Lauder shadows because they only had a few shades in stock, all of which were pearlescent. The saleslady said that they're not all as pearly, and there are a couple of shade which are matte.
One of the cosmetics consultants in Debenhams told me about this stuff (which they don't sell there) and it looks interesting. Next time I'm in SpaceNK I'll have a look at it.
posted by essexjan at 10:28 AM on February 25, 2012
Response by poster: Thank you, guys! I'm trying the Revlon Illuminance first, because it is the least expensive and comes in a four-color palette, and I found "Khaki Suede" available from the UK via eBay. I will also try the do-it-yourself method mireille linked, and will be looking out for some of essexjan's nice finds.
M.A.C.'s paint pots really do seem the thing, but the prices make me crazy!
I'll let you know how it goes with the Illuminance once I get it. Thanks again!
posted by taz at 8:55 AM on February 27, 2012
M.A.C.'s paint pots really do seem the thing, but the prices make me crazy!
I'll let you know how it goes with the Illuminance once I get it. Thanks again!
posted by taz at 8:55 AM on February 27, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by essexjan at 1:27 AM on February 25, 2012