How we pick our products
They say one look is worth a thousand words. With our gaze, we are able to express much more than we think. Our eyes reflect emotion, feelings, concern and they can even reveal certain aspects of who we are. When our eyes shine, so does our personality. For this reason, and because our eyes are one of the most distinctive traits we have, adorning and enhancing their glow will ultimately be very beneficial in many ways.
The world of cosmetics today, offers everyone a magic tool: eyeshadow. This product can provide a source of colour, light and brightness that will give life and character to your gaze. If you want to know more about all the different varieties of eyeshadow out there and how you can put them to good use, keep reading!
Contents
Key Facts
- Eyeshadow is a cosmetic intended for the eyelids and the skin underneath the eyebrows.
- There are multiple applications and uses for eyeshadow; they can be found in everything between everyday makeup routines, to cinematographic characterisations.
- Eyeshadow enhances our overall look and facial features, working especially through the eyes. In Canada you can find eyeshadows that come in many different formats. Because brands offer a plethora of varying finishes and effects, you have virtually a nearly endless array of options to choose from.
The best eye shadows on the Canadian market
In this section you will find a compilation of the 5 best eyeshadows available to you on the Canadian market. In addition, we have included a small description for each of them so that you can compare, contrast and analyse them more efficiently. This should help you decide which eyeshadow is right for you.
- Beauty Glazed — Glitter Makeup Eyeshadow Palette
- Elizabeth Arden — Beautiful Color Eyeshadow
- Maybelline New York — Colour Tattoo Eyeshadow
- Revlon — Color Stay Cream Eyeshadow
- Urban Decay — Naked Smokey Palette
Beauty Glazed — Glitter Makeup Eyeshadow Palette
The Glitter Eyeshadow Palette by Beauty Glazed is an ultra pigmented, pressed glitter eyeshadow that contains absolutely no traces of clumpy glitter glue or primer. The pressed powder technique makes the soft dust easy to apply and blend in. Because the formula doesn’t include any sort of glue agent, for long-last results its recommended to apply a separate primer beforehand.
This palette includes a range of 15 different colours. Each colour is unique, fully pigmented, and adds a beautiful shine to the eyes. This product is the perfect format for professionals, with it you can create smokey eyes, elegant wedding looks, high-end party get ups or just a simple, casual look for a night on the town. It is advertised as being great for use on sensitive skins and it can be used on all parts of the face and body to add a shimmering glow.
Elizabeth Arden — Beautiful Color Eyeshadow
Available in multiple colours, this top-of-the-line, high quality eyeshadow by Elizabeth Arden comes in a convenient compact form. This eyeshadow provides luminous and long-lasting results. In turn, its exclusive formula promotes the health of your skin and helps protect the eyes against harmful external agents. It has a fat-free composition that helps reduce signs of ageing almost instantly.
It is enriched with antioxidant compounds that work to give your skin and face a youthful look and feel. This eyeshadow is very easy to apply and stands out for its practical and easy to carry design. It incorporates a small mirror and a brush, making it the perfect on-the-go eyeshadow kit. Carry it with you in your purse or in your car and you can apply it with ease whenever you need it.
Maybelline New York — Colour Tattoo Eyeshadow
This gel-cream eyeshadow by Maybelline comes in 8 different colours. Its creamy and fluid consistency facilitates the dispersion of colour throughout the eyelid. It creates a delicate, long-lasting water-resistant film that is enriched with pearl extracts and various colouring compounds. While most eyeshadow wears off after a handful of hours, this product delivers high-intensity results that last up to 24 hours.
The range of the Tattoo Colour Shadow is quite large, offering multiple shades of each vibrant and full-bodied colour. They’re ideal for highlighting the natural sparkle in the eyes. This type of eyeshadow is extremely easy to apply and it can even be done without the use of a brush, if necessary. All you have to do, simply coat your finger and gently slide it over the upper eyelid or gently tap it on between the lashes and the eye crease.
Revlon — Color Stay Cream Eyeshadow
Revlon’s long-lasting eyeshadow cream is a high quality cosmetic that boasts waterproof and stain-resistant technology. Its formula is rich in pearly pigments, which provide a soft and velvety feel and look. These pigments also contribute to the absorption of fats, rejuvenating the skin to provide a more natural and healthy looking finish.
This eyeshadow is available in 14 different shades, and it stands out for the intensity and strength of its various tones. These colours give a satin effect to the skin with an added touch of brightness to highlight the shine in the eyes. Its case incorporates a small brush and is known for having an easy to apply design. This eyeshadow presentation is great to use on the go wherever you are.
Urban Decay — Naked Smokey Palette
The new and improved formula by Urban Decay gives this eyeshadow a very light texture and a soft and velvety feel. Although this product is light and smooth, it actually provides dense, resistant and long-lasting coverage. Thanks to its Pigment Infusion System technology, this eyeshadow remains untouched over long periods of time, keeping its smooth finish with no signs of cracking.
This compact smokey palette is available in a variety of shades that can be easily combined and mixed for a wide range of results. This product’s application is effortless and comfortable, since the eyeshadow adhere easily to eyelids without leaving any stains on the face or clothes. It’s smokey hues will give your gaze an unprecedented glow. This is one of the most popular eyeshadows in Canada.
Shopping Guide: Everything you should know about eyeshadow
It is important that before acquiring any eyeshadow products, you know all of its properties, components and potential effects. In the following sections, we’ve compiled the key aspects to consider when it comes to shopping for eyeshadow. We want to make sure you have all the knowledge you need in order to use them like a pro. In addition, we’ve made sure to answer some of the most frequently asked questions among users.
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What is eyeshadow exactly?
Today, eyeshadow is one of the most basic cosmetic products that is within the reach of everyone’s pocket. Its uses range all the way from informal daily use, to intricate makeup art for Broadway shows. These products have evolved remarkably throughout the years and today, you can find them in multiple varieties, different formats with many colours and finishes.
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Why should I use eyeshadow?
The correct use of eyeshadow can make all the difference. If applied properly, it is extremely helpful in correcting wrinkles and reducing other signs of ageing. Apart from everyday use, eyeshadow is also necessary in professional settings. Whether in movies or theatre performances, eyeshadow is used to make it possible to see facial expressions from far away for example.
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In cinematic and artistic settings, eyeshadows are often applied very differently. In these scenarios, the objective is not creating a natural, aesthetically pleasing look, but rather to highlight and attract attention to achieve the look and feel of specific characters. For this reason, brighter, more eye-catching colours will be used in theatre and film. Simply put, eyeshadow has the possibility for many different uses.
What is eyeshadow made out of?
Although there is no exact, strict formula used for all eyeshadows, most of them do follow a general pattern and base. Normally, they contain about 60% mineral oils, 10% fats and waxes, and 6% lanolin, the medium for the other components. The rest of the mixture is composed of various pigments, preservatives and other compounds that vary according to each individual product.
Below, we have included a table with the main components of eyeshadows:
| Component | Functions | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bases | Mineral oil | Petroleum derivative that prevents water loss from the skin. Very safe and non-comedogenic. | |
| Jojoba oil | Liquid wax, biodegradable and non-toxic, with high resistance to heat and oxidation. Provides permanence to the cosmetic. Hydrates the skin, controls acne, fights wrinkles, boosts cell renewal and is an antioxidant. | ||
| Waxes | Beeswax, lanolin, ozokerite or cerise. They protect and soften the skin. | ||
| Pigments | Bismuth Oxychloride | Very safe pigment for all skin types. Obtaining it is very expensive | for this reason it is only used in eyeshadows of the highest quality. |
| Manganese violet | Colorant of purple colour. Toxic if inhaled. Safe for topical application around the eyes. | ||
| Chromium hydroxide | Greenish pigment used only for eye shadows. Not considered suitable for labial application. | ||
| Brass powder | Metallic dye. Widely used for all types of coloration, especially as a tanning powder. | ||
| Titanium dioxide | Natural mineral used to provide brightness. It provides sun protection. | ||
| Other chemical compounds | Talcum | Facilitates the distribution of eye shadows through the skin and promotes adherence. | |
| Palmitate | Palm oil derivative. May cause allergic reactions. | ||
| BHT | Compound with antioxidant properties. | ||
| Parabens | Have antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. They are used as preservatives. |
What types of eyeshadows are there?
When referring to texture and format, there are eyeshadows that come in powder, cream, pencil, crayon, or liquid forms. As for pigmentation, this aspect allows us to have shades reminiscent of frost, lustre, satin, matte, velvet, veluxe and veluxe pearl. Each type of shadow will have specific characteristics that make it suitable for specific occasions and preferences.
The following table shows the different types of eyeshadows, as well as each of their properties:
| Texture | Properties |
|---|---|
| Powder (compact powder) | The texture is compact and pressed. Doesn’t stain. They are more difficult to fade of and their duration is average. These come in multiple and versatile finishes. |
| Cream | The texture is creamy and long lasting. They tend to crack if not set properly. Easy application but difficult to fade off and blend. |
| Pencil or crayon | Great durability and very easy to use. Difficult to fade off and often cracks if not set properly. |
| Liquids | Fluid texture and average duration. These can crack easily if not set properly but they are very easy to apply. |
| Loose pigment | Non-compacted powder with dust-like texture. Easy to apply and fade off and blend. These don’t degrade over time but they have short wear duration. |
| Stickers | Very easy to apply. Must be applied every day. Has a wide range of different designs. |
Moreover, we can also classify them according to their type of pigmentation:
| Pigmentation | Finish |
|---|---|
| Frost or frosted | Tones with cold and metallic finishes. They have small particles that reflect light and produce a frosted effect. Luminous and metallic result. |
| Lustre | Shades with shiny finish but without being frosted or metalic. |
| Satin | Creamy shadows with a slight touch of light. Bright but not frosted, more saturated than lustres and of greater intensity. |
| Matte | Shadows without any type of brightness and with little pigmentation. |
| Velvet | Derivatives of matte eyeshadows. However, unlike matte products, these contain glitter particles. |
| Veluxe | These are also derived from matte shadows, but with a velvety touch. More dusty and silky to the touch. |
| Veluxe pearl | A variety of matte eyeshadow with the largest amount of metallic components that exists. Velvety and metallic finish |
What is the best way to apply eyeshadow?
Before even starting with the application of the eyeshadow itself, it’s advisable to apply some sort of primer product to the eyes. These products help prep the skin to hold the eyeshadow, creating a cleaner, longer-lasting finish. The duration of the eyeshadow will increase significantly, and its results and effect will be more visible. For more professional results, it is advisable to define and create depth by using 3 shades of the same colour range.
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First, the lightest shade is applied in and around the lining of the eye socket, blending it well with a brush. Then, with a flat brush, apply the main colour over the actual eyelid, blending well. To add depth to the gaze, retouch the outermost part of the eye crease with the darkest shade of your colour of choice. This is the classic, baseline technique to achieving movie star looks. If this seems complicated, there’s no need to worry! Thanks to the internet, it’s become very easy to access makeup tutorials, allowing us to explore all the different techniques and styles out there.
What adverse effects can eyeshadows have?
The most common adverse effect is irritation and itchy eyes. It usually occurs from eyeshadow entering directly into the eye. This is common in volatile, lower quality eyeshadows or expired products. In more extreme cases, eye infections can develop (conjunctivitis, blepharitis). However this is usually linked to the incorrect use and application and not to the product itslef.
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Adverse reactions can be avoided in a number or ways. First and foremost, it is important to ensure that the product you choose is a good quality product. You should always do proper research on the manufacturer and when in doubt, you can seek out advice and consult experts within the field of cosmetics. Remember to always familiarise yourself with the composition of each product and its expiration date. Last but not least, making sure to always use clean brushes will drastically lower your chances of infection.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using eyeshadow?
Purchase Criteria
When acquiring an eyeshadow product, it is important that you evaluate all relevant aspects concerning these types of cosmetics. In the following list, we’ve included the different features you should consider before buying one of them. With these things in mind, you can be confident you’re choosing the right product that will best suit your needs.
Eye characteristics
Before buying eyeshadow, you should consider the specific characteristics of your eyes and what results you are looking to achieve. These characteristics include the shape, colour, size, and positioning of the eyes. Although it may seem trivial, it will largely shape which eyeshadows accent and compliment your eyes the best. For example, large eyes are usually naturally expressive. Therefore, it’s not necessary to excessively enhance them with colour or depth.
Consequently, the best choice would be a more discreet eyeshadow that complements the look without being excessively striking. On the other hand, in the case of small eyes, certain eyeshadows can be used to make them more prominent in the face. In these cases it’s better to opt for colours that shine and stand out to enhance the eyes. Either way you can rest assured that there is something out there for every eye.
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Skin type
As with most cosmetics, each skin type will require different qualities, this in turn will determine which products you buy and how you apply them. The needs of the skin will vary according to its natural features and characteristics. For example, oily skins are often characterised by an excess of sebum. Fat can accumulate on the eyelids, altering the effects and overall quality of certain eyeshadows.
For this reason, the use of liquid and creamy eyeshadows on oily skin is discouraged. Compact or powder eyeshadows would be a better choice. Liquid shadows on the other hand, are an ideal alternative for dry skin, as well as any creamy product. And of course, we always want to choose shades and tones that correspond and complement the colour of our skin instead of washing it out.
Occasion
As we have seen, the applications for eyeshadows are many. When you go to buy this product, you must ask yourself what you need it for. It’s likely you’ll have a variety of different eyeshadows in your collection, utilising different ones depending on the occasion. For example, for a natural and casual look, it is preferable to choose discrete, earthy tones with matte finishes.
For special events on the other hand, like carnival or a formal parties, you would want to go for the exact opposite. You should use eyeshadow that is bright and flashy, with dazzling tones. So, make sure that when you go to the store to make your purchase, you give yourself time to imagine and experiment with all the different possible combinations and looks.
Colour and finish
As you’ve seen, there is a seemingly infinite number of colours to choose from. As if that weren’t enough, the same colour is often available in several different finishes. Shiny shades, matte shades, lustre tones, metallic finishes and many more to consider. For this reason, it is important to think of exactly what colour you are looking for and what kind of finish you want to obtain for the perfect look.
These considerations are heavily dictated by when and where you will be wearing the eyeshadow. Keep in mind that skin-like shades, such as orange or brown, are more appropriate for everyday use. While jarring and loud colours with metallic and glossy finishes are much more common for all night events or celebrations.
Texture or format
Eyeshadows are available in a variety of forms, with different textures and consistencies. To decide on the best one for you, you’ll have to consider everything; your skin type, style, season, location and the specific occasion it’s meant for.
Each type of eyeshadow has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, powder eyeshadow is very easy to apply, but its duration is short and it can stain easily. Creamy eyeshadows are much more resistant, however they can crack easily if not set properly. Make a list of all the pros and cons and choose the one that suits you best.
Quality
Finally, it is essential to evaluate the quality of eyeshadow you choose. This aspect is important to keep in mind when choosing any type of cosmetic, but it especially relevant for eyeshadows, due to the fact that they are meant to be used in a very delicate location. The contours of the eyes are a particularly sensitive region, both for its delicate skin and for the organ it surrounds.
A poor quality eye shadow carries several risks that are completely avoidable. These poor quality products have the capability of causing eye irritation, tearing or in more serious cases, potentially dangerous eye infections. All in all, it’s crucial to guarantee a good quality product from a reputable brand before buying it. Last but not least, remember that natural products are ideal for people with sensitive skin.
Summary
Eye shadows are a key element that shouldn’t be missing from your makeup kit. They give life and light to the face, a detail that makes all the difference. Its application is very simple and, thanks to its convenient format, it is often easy to carry it with you wherever you go. In addition, these products are very easy to remove, making them an extremely practical cosmetic. A key feature of eyeshadow is its versatility.
Say goodbye to the feeling of always wearing makeup in the same exact way. With all the different combinations of eyeshadows available to Canadians, you can easily overcome monotony and your looks can always be fresh and innovative. You can find the perfect shade for every occasion you can possible think off. In short, if you haven’t already, try incorporating a glimmer of eye shadow into your makeup routine. You will be surprised how something so simple can lead to such big results.
And you, do you know which eyeshadow you’re going to choose? If you liked our guide on eyeshadows, share it on social networks or leave us a comment here with your thoughts.
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