CASE STUDY: EYE SHADOW

Post + Photography by Amy Nadine, Graphic Design by Eunice Chun

Have you ever wondered if there’s truly a difference when you wear matte or shimmer shadows? A lot of us have strong opinions as to which one we prefer, so I decided to do a little case study with these constants:

• Same eye
• Same 4 shades
• Same application

The matte shadows are from my all-time favorite Stila’s In The Know Palette. They are the perfect 8 matte shades and don’t get muddy when you apply them (you don’t need to use an eye primer first). The shimmer shadows are my all-time favorite shimmer shadows, The Body Shop’s Shimmer Cubes #6. I discovered them when I had a long layover at an airport in 2003 and have used them on every single one of my clients on one occasion or another since. The secret to them is wetting the brush first so they’re really intense and last longer.

So now that you can see both finishes in a way that you can really compare them, what do you think? The difference isn’t as dramatic as I thought it would be, I have to say! It’s interesting the way the shimmer shadow highlights any small wrinkles on the lid, but only visible to someone standing really close. But in return, the shimmer really does electrify the eye and bring it to life. The matte eye adds a little more drama and is a little moodier. Anyway, we’d love to know your thoughts too so please take a second to vote below!