Tester feedback: “The ultra-creamy texture glides onto lids and allows several seconds to blend the pigment on lids before it dries down to a powdery finish,” says senior beauty editor Paige Stables, whose favorite shade was Mythic, a metallic rose gold.
Key ingredients: glycerin, horse chestnut flower | Shades: 8
Best Pearlescent Finish: Glossier Lidstar
Why we love it: Makeup artists Avandaño and Ingeborg love the lightweight Glossier Lidstar shadows for their foolproof formula and versatile shade range. They’re infused with finely ground reflective pearls, which catch the light for luminosity without veering into shiny territory. These buttery formulas also contain polymers that create a flexible feel, giving the formula more staying power; they glide onto lids with ease and stay there for up to 12 hours without creasing, fading, or smudging. Go ahead, be impressed.
Tester feedback: All eight shades (Slip, a sheer baby pink, is shown above) are “sheer, blendable, and very flattering on all eye colors,” says Ingeborg.
Key ingredients: mica, aluminum starch | Shades: 8
Best Shimmer Finish: MAC Dazzleshadow Liquid
Why we love it: If you’re on the hunt for a really glitzy, look-at-me option, MAC’s Dazzleshadows are an excellent option: They’re incredibly shiny, easy to blend, and capable of lasting all night long. Makeup artist Elisa Flowers likes to apply them two different ways: layered on top of regular powder eye shadows for a glittery accent (as with Not Afraid To Sparkle, a sheer silver/multipearl glitter, above) or applied in multiple layers for an extra bold look.
Tester feedback: “They almost look like they could be sparkly lip glosses but are, in fact, long-wearing eye shadows that come in several colors and finishes ranging from glitter to chrome,” explains Flowers.
Key ingredients: glycerin, tin oxide, silica | Shades: 7
Best Long-Wearing Liquid Eye Shadow: Armani Beauty Eye Tint Liquid Eyeshadow
Why it’s worth it: While most liquid shadows come in either matte or shimmer finishes, the Armani Beauty Eye Tint Liquid Eyeshadow is the rare exception that adds metallics to the mix, adding yet another means of experimentation to your beauty toolbox. The water-based formula feels surprisingly creamy and dense, but what really takes this to the next level is the unique applicator. Instead of a doe-foot shape, it looks like a hollow droplet. The point allows for extra precision (ideal if you want to brighten the inner corners of the eye, for instance), while the rounded edges deposit more formula where you want it.