One Wash Eyeshadow Wonders For Quick & Easy Makeup Looks

Whilst I'd love to glam up to the max every single day and look like an Instagram queen, that's not realistic. But, even on lazy days, rushed mornings and weekends when I don't want to spend hours on my makeup, I still want to look put together and polished. I never quite feel myself without wearing some sort of shadow, whether it's super subtle and simply evens out the skin-tone, or a bolder shade that packs a punch. Either way, I always have a few individual eyeshadows on stand-by that I can use alone for a quick, yet effective, finish. 

Even though the rest of my skin is as dry as sandpaper, my lids are really oily and always crease if I don't wear some sort of eyeshadow. When I want a fuss-free, 'no makeup' look, I'll choose a shadow that is maybe one shade darker than my skin-tone. Something that evens out the skin and brightens, but isn't at all dark or obvious. Recently, I stumbled across the Bourjois Little Round Pot Nude Edition Eyeshadows in 01 Ingenude and 02 Generose in Boots and they're perfect. They don't look like much when swatched (as you can see below), but they create such a soft, flattering glow that helps the eyes to appear more awake, whilst looking completely natural. Ingenude has more of a champagne beige tone to it, whilst Generose leans more pink.

Turning the shimmer element up a notch, I love Nars Himalia Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow when I want a neutral eye, but more of a metallic wet-look effect. These shadows can be used dry for a sheer wash of colour, or can be dampened to really bring out the shine, build the opacity and ramp up the intensity. Being a soft champagne rose shade, Himalia is such an easy shade to wear and pairs well with so many looks, but it's slightly more cool-toned than what I usually go for. 

For something dramatic and super smokey, I love blending Nars Night Clubbing Eyeshadow all around the eyes, keeping most of the product close to the lash line and softening the edges. A deep charcoal shade saturated with golden shimmers, it really makes a statement. Perfect for spontaneous nights out, it's ideal for when you want to take your makeup from day to night, but have barely any time to get ready. I've had so many people compliment my makeup skills when wearing this look, but little do they know that it only takes a few minutes to achieve!

Moving on to cream formulas, MAC's Rubenesque Paint Pot is one of my absolute favourites during the summer months. A golden peach laced with gold pearl, it's a real stunner and catches the light beautifully. It's quite a bright shade for the eyes, but I love wearing it on holiday with a coral lipstick. The MAC Paint Pots have a nice texture that isn't difficult to work with in a rush, too. They're not too wet that they're messy to use, but not too dry that the colour is impossible to blend. I find it best to simply pat the cream on with my finger and swipe to buff it out, so that the colour stays quite sheer and not too frosty.

A more affordable alternative for the MAC Paint Pots are Maybelline's Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Eyeshadows, which are a great dupe formula-wise. Metallic Pomegranate, a deep plum full of golden flecks, is my favourite shade for something a little different. Despite technically being a purple hue, it's quite muted and isn't a huge step out of my colour comfort zone. The more you blend it out, the more you start to see warmer tones come through, which gives the illusion that you've used a separate shadow around the edges. Another bonus - once the shadow sets, it will not budge!

 It's only since putting this post together, that I discovered that the Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colours have been discontinued (so gutted!). Fortunately, the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Burnished Bronze is very similar shade-wise and is actually easier to apply as it comes in stick form, rather than a squeezy tube. Whatever the season and whatever I'm doing, a bronze eye is always appropriate in my book. Warm coppery shades are universally flattering, suiting all eye colours and skin-tones. This particular shade looks great blended quite messily all around the eyes. During the day, I love wearing it with a nude lip and dewy skin. For evenings, I often pair it with a red/dark lip, kohl liner and lashings of mascara.

Swatches L-R: Bourjois Ingenude, Bourjois Generose, Nars Himalia, MAC Rubenesque, Maybelline Metallic Pomegranate, Laura Mercier Burnished Copper & Nars Night Clubbing

Which are your favourite eyeshadows to use when you're in a rush?

AGB X