What makes a good quality eyeshadow?
“In my experience, Italy and France seem to be the best countries at manufacturing high-quality eyeshadow palettes”,” explains Makeup Artist, Margherita Lascala, who works at Beam — London’s first inclusive and immersive makeup experience, with a flagship store located in Belgravia. “Consistency is key, so I’d recommend searching for shades that are creamy — but not too soft, as you don’t want excessive fall-out.”
And as for Lascala’s top recommendations? “The two brands I always recommend to customers searching for eyeshadows are Viseart and Huda Beauty — as their palettes are really high-quality, and always last a long time,” she answers.
What should you look for and consider when picking an eyeshadow palette?
“Picking a palette with a wide range of light, medium, and dark shades that you’ll actually use frequently is key,” Margherita explains. Doing this will allow you to create a variety of different looks with one palette — from simple and smokey, to bold and vibrant.
Paying attention to your undertones can also really help you find a palette that complements you — for example, earthy browns, rich terracottas, and glistening golds typically go great with warm undertones, while frosty blues, soft lavenders frosty, and shimmery silvers and greys are well-suited to cooler undertones.
But ultimately, Margherita’s main piece of advice is to always opt for quality over quantity – especially if you’re a bit of an eyeshadow beginner. “If you’ve never really been that adventurous with makeup, you definitely don’t need any more than 20 shades in a catch-all eyeshadow palette,” she says.
What makes a good everyday palette versus one for a special occasion?
“The best everyday palettes typically consist of mostly neutral tones,” Margherita explains. Clearly, the exact hues you should choose will largely depend on your skin tone, but you’ll essentially want to look out for creams, beiges, taupes, greys, and browns. In terms of the finish, matte powders are easy to shade and blend together to create a suitably soft and natural look — and you can always layer a little shimmer over your lower lids for a lovely finishing touch.
But for special occasions and evenings out, pigmentation is really important — so you’ll want a palette that’s made up of more buildable cream-based formulas, rich and velvety satin shades, and light-reflecting shimmers, metallics, and glitters. “And don’t forget about black,” Margherita adds. “A super versatile shade, you can use it to do eyeliner if you wet it, or as a base to layer shimmers on top for a dramatic look.”
How long does an eyeshadow palette last?
It turns out that all beauty items have an expiry date — but it’s typically within a few years of purchase, so you don’t have to worry too much. “A good rule of thumb with dry products is if they smell and look fine, you’re probably fine to use them — but throw them away if they change consistency and colour,” Margherita adds.
How do you clean an eyeshadow palette?
Regularly cleaning your eyeshadow brushes is one of the best things you can do to keep your shadow lovely and clean. Shades still looking a little mixed and muddied? Simply dust off the very top layer with a clean brush or disposable mascara wand, spritz a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol on each one, and leave the case open so it’ll evaporate easily.
Are there any tips and tricks for fixing a broken eyeshadow palette or powder compact?
Real heartbreak is when you open your favourite powder blusher compact or eyeshadow palette to discover that there’s been a very unfortunate accident. As well as being practically impossible to use, smashed powders are really messy — so you’ll definitely want to try and put it back together.
“The best thing to do is to take a clean metal spatula and break the product down completely so it becomes a fine power. Then, spray alcohol onto it and let it dry completely.” Margherita explains. “Admittedly, it will be more fragile so you will have to be more careful when you use it and watch for fall out but at least you can continue using it!”