Eyeshadow Palettes were all the rage a few years ago. Who remembers the endless release of mega eyeshadow palettes that was happening every other week? Who remembers how excited we got over these massive eyeshadow palettes that contained dozens and dozens nudes that all looked the same? Who remembers how we quickly tired of them and began to feel overwhelmed that we had one too many of them hanging out in our stash?
The enchantment of having 500 shades in one place wore off fairly fast when a new version was dropping every five to ten minutes. The eyeshadow palette era is over to some extent. Sure, we have newer releases that drop like the recent round of Charlotte Tilbury Beautifying Eye Trends Palettes but these palettes are nearly as big as the ones from a few years ago. This trend died and along with it single eyeshadows died too. Brands rarely release single shades of eyeshadows lately and I miss that so much. I miss seasonal collections with three or four eyeshadows. I miss brands that would have an entire line up of single shades. Sure, some brands still do have a range of singles but palettes are still something that’s very heavily pushed. And I get it. Who wants one color when you can have a four or more shades.
I remember the exact moment I started yearning for the return of single shadows. I ran across a photo of DontCallMeJesse on Instagram and she’s such an Autumn! The subtle peachy beige blush, copper or nude shadows of shadow, nude lips, she’s just the epitome of my favorite season! Well, anyway, she did a look using Diorshow Mono Couleur Eyeshadows and instantly I felt such a sense of nostalgy for the days gone when single eyeshadows were all the rage.
Just a Girl Wearing a Single Shade of Eyeshadow
If you’re still a single eyeshadow kind of makeup love here’s a few worth looking into!
MAC has changed over the years but one thing that we always remains the same is Pro Longwear Paint Pot Cream Eyeshadow. May the odds be forever in my favor and may the makeup gods look down upon me and always ensure I have a pot of Pro Longwear Paint Pot Cream Eyeshadow in Soft Ochre in my stash to prep my eyes with or to just wear on its own for a nude and natural look. And hey, even if you don’t love that shade there are dozens of others you can use under powder eyeshadows to boast shades or just alone for a quick blend and go eye look!
Another tried and true are the Charlotte Tilbury Hypnotising Pop Shots Eyeshadows. Yes, I know I don’t need another shimmery eyeshadow but these are divine! I think I own almost all the shades at this point and each one is a treasured part of my collection! I think the joy in these singles is the sparkle but also, these are very pigmented for a shadow that has such a divine diamond finish. When you get a sparkly shade of shadow you can sometimes forsake pigment for sparkle but this formula is incredibly pigmented. I saw a makeup artist apply a matte taupe eyeshadow on a model and immediately used the Hypnotising Pop Shots Eyeshadow in Smoky Quartz on top. It was such an easy yet show stopping look that had me going from, “I really don’t need another sparkle eyeshadow” to “Ok, take all my money right now!” If sparkle is your thing you’ll adore these!
Single shadows are great especially if they come in a cream-based formula. Swiping, blending, and going makes cream shadows a favorite of mine. Some people say they can never get the method of application with a cream shadow down right but I promise it’s as easy as swiping it cross your lid, blending with your finger tip, and getting your day started. If you want to be technical I guess cream shadows don’t really count as single shades but hey, they do in my book and the ones you really need are Lancome Idôle Tint Long Wear Liquid Eyeshadows, Stila Glisten & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow, and RMS Beauty Eyelights Cream Eyeshadow.
The matte shadows in the Lancome Idole Tint Collection are truly some of the most beautiful I’ve run across. They apply so smooth and look like I airbrushed them on my lids! For the sparkly lovers you can’t go wrong with Stila’s Glitter & Glow or Glisten & Glow shades. I recall a time Stila was dropping a shade every other week and I truly miss those days as it’s one of their best formulas. These are so sparkly, so gorgeous, and work well alone or over your favorite powders. And RMS Beauty Eyelights are the equally amazing for either a soft or dramatic look with a quick to apply formula that blends super easily.
Thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me but I did use affiliate links which earn me a small commission that goes directly back into maintaining this website. If you do use a link to purchase thank you!
Where to buy
Nordstrom
