Do you need a quick, but impactful look for the Holidays? I have you covered! Explore some great one-and-done eyeshadows.
So, what makes a good one-and-done eye shadow in my book? Blendability, first and foremost, and also – the greatest one-shadow-looks are made with eye shadows that are somewhat close to your skintone. I’ve rocked silvery one-shadow-looks, but that’s because I’m as white as a wall. If your skintone is deeper, I could imagine that peaches, corals and reds, but also olives, depending on your undertone, could look awesome. So, play around with that. But blendability is key. There’s no sense in choosing a great eyeshadow for a one-and-done look when you then realize you really should also use a transition shade because after blending there’s still a harsh line.
What eyeshadows work best?
Effect eyeshadows (duochromes or multichromes) can work really well as one-and-done shadows, as long as they don’t have a black base if you’re as white as me. If your skintone is darker, a black-based multichrome will work great for you.
My fave one look shadows all create the illusion that I don’t wear only one shadow, which is why all of my faves have a bit of sparkle. In this list, I go from the most natural to the most sparkly. (And yes, my faves are often taupe. Taupe is awesome and suits all eye colours and all skintones. It also covers a lot of colours – from nearly mauve, grey to gold. I love a good taupe. And the following are all good.)
More: one-and-done shadows from the 2020s
The best one-and-done eyeshadows: Satin goodness
Mac’s Extra Dimension eyeshadows still are one of my favourite formulas ever. They’re soft, blendable, pack a punch and are just easy to use. If you have five minutes for a look – these are your best bet. My fave is taupe Stolen Moment, also nice is brown Havana.
Satin, but make it sparkly!
If you need a bit more oomph, let me show you Mac’s Dazzleshadows. They have a traditional satin base with sparkles. If that sounds absolutely obnoxious, yes, the fallout is a bit annoying, but I do apply them with my fingers over a good base or glitter glue, and everything stays in place. Don’t overblend these. For a very soft look I love silvery She Sparkles that comes with pink glitters, a deeper option is brown Dazzle Style with copper glitters.
I want a smooth, but super reflective formula
I promise I’ll feature another brand next, but there’s something to Mac’s pigments. They’re ultra-smooth, and ultra-reflective. Don’t be afraid that they’re a loose powder, they’re actually really easy to apply with a synthetic flat brush over a good primer. Here’s Old Gold and Museum Bronze, and both are gorgeous.
Neutral, but with oomph
Ah, that’s my favourite category! Let me give you some options: Lisa Eldridge’s taupe Moonswirl is the prettiest taupe that shimmers, bh cosmetics taupe from the Iceland quad ups the glitter ante on that, and Lethal Cosmetics Lithium does it similarly, but warmer.
From ColourPop’s Mandalorian palette comes Tatooine Glimmer that’s a tad warmer than Moonswirl.
I want soft, reflective and oh, it should at least be duochrome!
One word: Clionadh. There. I said it. I’m not a biggest fan of their shadows (I do think they’re incredibly overrated), but they often do get their formula right: Grey-green-pink Cathedral is super smooth, and actually really easy to apply.
Eh. I. Want. Sparkle!!!
Let me show you some A-Beauty shadows that’re cheap as chips, VERY impactful and reflective af: Klavuu’s Urban Pearlsation in Glam Brown is a silvery taupe that nearly has a wet look to it.
Judydoll’s Glitter Colour Eyeshadow in Shining Diamond is supposedly a dupe of Urban Decay’s smash hit Space Cowboy and DOES look wet. It has a soft pink base full of silver glitter, and is still smooth and workable.
MORE! More sparkle!
You want more? Sure! Glamshop’s holographic eyeshadow in Zlote Holo (review) is a warm gold holo shadow that’s soft, crumbly and incredibly pigmented. You need a very light hand with this one. And – I mean! HOLO!!!!!!
Glamshop’s Sparkling Opal is part of their Christal Eyeshadow line and maybe one of my fave eyeshadows from them ever. If you imagine your eyelid coated with liquid metal – this would be it. Again, very soft and crumbly: I’d carefully apply over a super strong glitter glue, blend minimally and lean into a messy Rockstar look (add black liner).
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