I wish I had the eyeshadow blending skills of a TOWIE cast member, but I really don't. I can just about manage to buff in a base colour and add a darker tone around the lash line, blending with my finger or (at best) using a small brush to work colour into the socket. Short of booking myself on a professional makeup course (who has the time!) there's little I can do to improve my skill-set, which is why eyeshadow sticks and cream formulas have become a firm favourite. They're essentially a lazy girls approach to the perfect smokey eye, providing a creamy formula and tonnes of pigment in an easy-to-apply format that's practically fool-proof.
From nude tones and delicate golds, to rich metallics and deep charcoal colours, there's so much to choose from when it comes to this new format of choice. Previously only available on counters and commanding a premium price point, the trend is filtering down to the high street and can now be found everywhere from Kiko stores to NYC counters in Superdrug. The pen format means you can literally 'colour in' your lid, blending with either a small brush or the tip of your finger and building-up the result as you go; the creamy texture makes it easy peasy and prevents a lot of the colour 'fall out' that occurs with traditional powder format, meaning it's a lot less messy and takes no time at all. You can even draw a line under the eye and blend the colour out towards the edge, for a super simple take on a smokey eye.
Some of my favourites include the taupe and golden tones available at Kiko, the rich coppers from Charlotte Tilbury and the smokey greys from Bobbi Brown. They all work incredibly well while you're in a rush and are easily blended if you want to use more than one tone at a time. However, everyone from NYC and Rimmel, to Bourjois and Revlon now have their own take on the trend so that creamy eyeshadow sticks are even more affordable. Elizabeth Arden have even launched a trio of summer-appropriate shades, including a beautiful aqua green, to add a touch of colour to eyes that works perfectly with bronzed skin. There's no trick to using these effectively - you just have to have a play around and see what works for you; if the tip is too chunky, you can always use a brush to grab some colour and apply it more precisely around the lash line. Eyeshadow sticks have definitely reignited my love for being creative with my daily makeup, so why not give them a go yourself?
Are you a fan of eyeshadow sticks and creamy formulas, or prefer a traditional powder format?
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Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
From nude tones and delicate golds, to rich metallics and deep charcoal colours, there's so much to choose from when it comes to this new format of choice. Previously only available on counters and commanding a premium price point, the trend is filtering down to the high street and can now be found everywhere from Kiko stores to NYC counters in Superdrug. The pen format means you can literally 'colour in' your lid, blending with either a small brush or the tip of your finger and building-up the result as you go; the creamy texture makes it easy peasy and prevents a lot of the colour 'fall out' that occurs with traditional powder format, meaning it's a lot less messy and takes no time at all. You can even draw a line under the eye and blend the colour out towards the edge, for a super simple take on a smokey eye.
Some of my favourites include the taupe and golden tones available at Kiko, the rich coppers from Charlotte Tilbury and the smokey greys from Bobbi Brown. They all work incredibly well while you're in a rush and are easily blended if you want to use more than one tone at a time. However, everyone from NYC and Rimmel, to Bourjois and Revlon now have their own take on the trend so that creamy eyeshadow sticks are even more affordable. Elizabeth Arden have even launched a trio of summer-appropriate shades, including a beautiful aqua green, to add a touch of colour to eyes that works perfectly with bronzed skin. There's no trick to using these effectively - you just have to have a play around and see what works for you; if the tip is too chunky, you can always use a brush to grab some colour and apply it more precisely around the lash line. Eyeshadow sticks have definitely reignited my love for being creative with my daily makeup, so why not give them a go yourself?
Are you a fan of eyeshadow sticks and creamy formulas, or prefer a traditional powder format?
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