Tips For Beginners...EYESHADOW FINISHES & TEXTURES

Tips For Beginners...EYESHADOW FINISHES & TEXTURES

One key thing to fully understand when beginning to work with eyeshadows are the finishes that are associated with them. Each eyeshadow finish will produce a different effect on the eyes and the overall look.

When I just started out with eyeshadows my head went spinning with the different finishes. I wasn't quite sure what the finish descriptions really meant until after working with eyeshadows for a while. The end result and techniques can really differ depending on the eyeshadow finish.

Hopefully this quick guide can help shine some light for beginners and even for novices (such as myself) out there.

What do I mean by eyeshadow finish?
The eyeshadow finish basically describes the texture and appearance of an eyeshadow. The eyeshadow finish will affect the color payoff, ease of use and overall result of the final look. This can apply to all forms of eyeshadow be it pressed, liquid, cream or loose. See previous post here - LINK.

EYE SHADOW FINISHES

The easiest way to tackle eyeshadow finishes is to start with one of the most popular makeup companies in the world - MAC. MAC can be anointed the king of eyeshadow finishes so let's use their descriptions as our guideline. Definitions can be found here: M.A.C.

MATTE (M) - Hi-colour pay-off in a no-shine matte finish.

Matte eyeshadows are just as described - no shine, no glitter, no frost. These produce a flat, almost air-brushed finish. They do not reflect light and are very true to color. You will get the most intense color from a matte finish. Matte eyeshadows are notorious for being chalky (dry, powdery and patchy) but tend to work well with a good base and brush. A Matte finish is great for contouring and shading since it does not reflect light and can be used to produce a shadow effect. This is my favorite eyeshadow finish because of the intense color and airbrush effect. There are many great brands out there that offer fantastic matte eyeshadows but they can be tricky so it's best to test them out before you commit. Some mattes are extremely creamy and apply smoothly while others may have a drier texture and produce a patchy result. It all depends on the brand and how finely milled the powders are.

Mattes - MAC True Chartreuse Pigment, Inglot #388 e/s

Mattes - MUFE #9 e/s, MAC Wedge e/s

Mattes - MAC True Chartreuse Pigment, Inglot #388 e/s, MUFE #9 e/s, MAC Wedge e/s

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MATTE2 - Intense, opaque matte finish with exceptionally rich colour payoff.

Matte2 eyeshadows are similar to the Matte finish and are really just an improvement on the MAC Matte finish. The powders are more finely milled and so apply more smoothly. These have the same qualities of a Matte eyeshadow but will feel a bit creamier. This finish name (not necessarily the texture) is unique to MAC and is not one you will see from other brands.

 MATTE2 - MAC Newly Minted e/s, MAC Tete-a-Tint e/s, MAC Pen 'n' Pink e/s, MAC Copperplate e/s

 MATTE2 - MAC Newly Minted e/s, MAC Copperplate e/s

 MATTE2 - MAC Newly Minted e/s, MAC Tete-a-Tint e/s, MAC Pen 'n' Pink e/s, MAC Copperplate e/s

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FROST (F) - An iridescent shine that adds a highlight to any colour.

This is the most popular eyeshadow finish and is widely available from just about any makeup brand. The Frost finish has reflecting particles throughout that produce a pearly (shiny) effect. Since this finish reflects light it can draw attention to or highlight certain different areas of the eye - inner tear duct area or arch of the brow. But with that being said it can also accentuate flaws in the skin such as wrinkles or creases. Some Frosts can be extremely shiny and metallic while others may give a subtle sheen. Again it all depends on the brand and the formula.

 Frosts - MAC Goldmine e/s, MAC Bronze e/s,  MAC Crest The Wave e/s

 Frosts - MAC Crest The Wave e/s

 Frosts - MAC Goldmine e/s, MAC Bronze e/s,  MAC Crest The Wave e/s

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SATIN (S) - Pure colour in a satin-style finish. Provides a soft subtle non-frost, light-refractive sheen.

The Satin finish is true to its name and mimics the look of satin fabric. It produces a very soft subtle sheen rather than an intense frosty effect. This finish is becoming more and more popular across brands and is ideal because it's a happy medium between matte and frost. It can be used to highlight because of the sheen but is not overpowering like a Frost. It can also pack on great color but is not likely to be chalky like a Matte.

Satins - MAC Silly Goose e/s, MAC Girlie e/s, MAC Haunting e/s, MAC Mylar e/s

 Satins - MAC Girlie e/s, MAC Haunting e/s

 

 Satins - MAC Silly Goose e/s, MAC Girlie e/s, MAC Haunting e/s, MAC Mylar e/s

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LUSTRE (L) - Smoothly pearlized; intensely frosted with deluxe ultra-fine "conditioned" finish.

The Lustre finish is similar to Frosts but with a sparkly effect rather than a pearlized finish. Lustres are not my fave because they can be flaky with chunky glitter. Lustre eyeshadows are the most shimmery of all the finishes and uses finely milled sparkles for the intense frost effect. This again is a finish name unique to MAC and is not used to describe eyeshadows from other brands.

 Lustres - MAC Greensmoke, MAC Nanogold, MAC Sweet Lust

 Lustre - MAC Sweet Lust

 Lustres - MAC Greensmoke, MAC Nanogold, MAC Sweet Lust

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VELUXE (VX) - Superfine pigment rich and very luxe. Supple to apply. Provides silky smooth matte finish.

Oh Veluxe! This is a super creamy version of a Matte that does not produce as much color intensity. Benefits are the same as Mattes but with less of a color punch and much smoother. Again unique to MAC.

 Veluxe - MAC Samoa Silk e/s, MAC Silly Goose e/s, MAC Kid e/s

  Veluxe - MAC Samoa Silk e/s

 Veluxe - MAC Samoa Silk e/s, MAC Silly Goose e/s, MAC Kid e/s

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VELUXE PEARL (VP) - Vibrantly-toned. Velvety soft. Shimmeringly metallic. Veluxe eye shadow, now overlaid with high-shine pearl.

The Veluxe Pearl finish is somewhat of a refined Frost. It has the benefits of the Veluxe finish since it's super soft and smooth (feels buttery) and produces a great pearlized effect like a Frost. The pearlized effect is more metallic than frosty for Veluxe Pearls and the colors are soft and shimmery. Again unique to MAC.

 Veluxe Pearl - MAC Twinks e/s, MAC Birds & Berries e/s, MAC Star Violet e/s, MAC Shimmermoss e/s

 Veluxe Pearl - MAC Star Violet e/s, MAC Shimmermoss e/s

 Veluxe Pearl - MAC Twinks e/s, MAC Birds & Berries e/s, MAC Star Violet e/s, MAC Shimmermoss e/s

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VELVET (V) - Soft look finish with high-colour intensity. Has a plush velvety look and feel.

The Velvet finish is very tricky. It can range from a matte to satin finish with subtle glitter to full on glitter bomb. The issue with these are the glitter that is infused within the eyeshadow - it may not adhere very well to the skin - and the color payoff which can be very patchy. This finish name (not necessarily the texture) is unique to MAC but other brands use the same concept with many of their eyeshadows - matte finish infused with glitter.

 

 Velvets - MAC Climate Blue e/s, MAC Sketch e/s, MAC Cloudburst e/s

 Velvet - MAC Climate Blue e/s

 Velvets - MAC Climate Blue e/s, MAC Sketch e/s, MAC Cloudburst e/s

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METALLIC - The Metallic finish is true to it's name. It has an intense metallic sheen when applied to the skin and closely resembles actual metal - think foil, silver, gold, copper, bronze. There are quite a few brands that carry a metallic finish including MAC, Illamasqua, DuWop and Make Up For Ever.

Metallics - MAC Silver Pigment, MAC Copper Pigment

 

 Metallics - MAC Silver Pigment, MAC Copper Pigment

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STARFLASH - This finish is also unique to MAC and is produced as a Limited Edition eyeshadow finish. many people love these eyeshadows because they are super soft and silky and give great color intensity.They are a cross between Frosts and Veluxe Pearl and can give a high or even a metallic frost finish.

 Starflash - MAC Strike A Pose e/s, MAC Rated "R" e/s, MAC Smoke & Diamonds e/s, MAC Glamour Check e/s



Starflash -  MAC Glamour Check e/s

 Starflash - MAC Strike A Pose e/s, MAC Rated "R" e/s, MAC Smoke & Diamonds e/s, MAC Glamour Check e/s



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MINERALIZED/BAKED - The mineralized/baked finish can vary from semi-matte to satin to full blast frost. What is unique about the Mineralized finish is that it can be used both wet or dry without ruining the eyeshadow. These eyeshadows are baked and produce a soft effect when used dry but deliver intense color when used wet. There are mineralized/baked eyeshadows popping up across a few brands but not the majority.

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MATTE with GLITTER/SPARKLES - This has become a very popular trend with many makeup companies. It's simply a Matte eyeshadow infused with glitter or sparkles. The glitter can be light to super intense but it is very likely to disappear (well fall off) once it is applied to the skin. I am not sure if the glitter was added to make the matte eyeshadow more attractive or if it was intended to be functional....either way the glitter/sparkle takes work to adhere to the skin.



Inglot #476 Double Sparkle Eyeshadow, Sugarpill Birthday Girl Loose Eyeshadow

 

Inglot #476 Double Sparkle Eyeshadow, Sugarpill Birthday Girl Loose Eyeshadow