EYESHADOW - CREAM

We love a cream eye shadow – so easy to apply and blend in with a finger if there’s no applicator around. They can take a ‘barely there’ look a bit too literally and disappear in (oops) almost the blink of an eye but these heroes demo’ed prettiness plus staying power. Our testers were impressed with these three products – giving them all high scores and some rave comments.

GOLD AWARD Mii Cosmetics Forever Eye Colour Crayon Eyeshadow (Rose Gold)

From a range of 11 very pigmented colours, our testers trialled Rose Gold, which was very popular – not least because of the compliments it evoked. Mii is a British brand that has won many Beauty Bible Awards over the years and impressed our testers and readers. The brand suggests applying the creamy twist up stick crayon directly on to eyelids then using a fingertip to blend – or a brush if you wish. Mii promises the colour won’t budge once in place and will go the distance for hours and hours (well, Forever!), and testers agreed. The finish is silky matte and can be blended into a smoky eye or used as a liner. This gained a very high average score, with four testers giving it full marks.

£19 - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. Lovely product: Easy to apply, lovely colour, fits nicely into my packed full make-up bag, lasts a long time. Application is really great and colour really pops. I have enjoyed using this. This is a little bit aubergine and dark to be described as rose gold but I still like the colour; it is more dramatic and I use it for evening more than the day. The stick format makes application super easy. Blends beautifully with fingers and, as I am often reapplying on the move, this is perfect. Didn't crease at all, stayed well blended. Had to touch up later in the afternoon but I do sometimes rub my eyes so I find this with all products. A couple of people have said it is a pretty colour’ • ‘I applied this crayon directly onto my eye then used my usual shadow brush to smooth it over.  Applied evenly and quickly and blended very well. It's a beautiful colour and very versatile; I was complimented on it’ • ‘Update: after many, many uses, I do now use under the eye, I can get just the right amount on.  Also, I have used this every day since July and it is still going strong in October, great product!’ • ‘You just have to twist the crayon and apply it to the eyelids by drawing/filling in. I did use it over an eyeshadow primer base and it was easily blendable with fingers or a cotton bud. It didn't appear to crease in the eye socket.  The colour lasted 12 hours during the day and in the evening it just needed a small amount applied to refresh the colour. I will 100% buy’ • ‘I loved the colour rose gold, as it is the type of shade I use.  The eye colour is easy to apply and it feels smooth and silky on application.  It is easy to blend in using a cotton bud and the colour lasts for ages’ • ‘The colour is divine! It was so nice and simple to get the amount of product required out. The eyeshadow is in a crayon shape, therefore allowing the user complete control over how much product to use. I used an eyeshadow primer under this as I use it with all eyeshadow products; it blended out beautifully and smoothly. For me, there was no creasing, even after wearing it for 3 hours in a hot, cramped crazy golf course! This was a big plus for me, the colour went on as pigmented as I was hoping and stayed the same without touching up until I removed it. This was under many situations, conditions and time of day/night ’ • ‘I was complimented on the colour by two strangers when I was out for a meal and my husband also said the colour was lovely and that it suited me. The perfect eyeshadow crayon! Pigmented, beautiful application, staying power, easy to use and remove. What more could you want? Will I buy? Yes, yes, yes!’ • ‘I loved the colour and the ease of use, and it's great to take away on holiday or for a weekend. Foolproof if you've not got much time or you don't like doing a full face. I'd buy this in several colours’ • ‘The twist up crayon is velvety and soft, which makes application and blending easy, creating an effortless look. Great for beginners.’

£19 - click to buy 

SILVER AWARD Decorté Eye Glow Gem (BR382)

This luxury beauty brand hails from Japan and the formulas reflect Eastern medicine, so make-up products are infused with skin friendly ingredients, including some botanicals. This glossy, dewy textured eyeshadow is hyperpigmented, so you get high colour pay off with a single sweep. Pearlescent particles give shimmer and depth. It’s formulated to be super long lasting, as testers found. There’s no applicator with it because the brand recommends you use your fingertips: sweeping them gently over the surface of product and stroking on eyelids, blending in as you do so. Lots of shades to choose from. Our testers trialled a soft coppery shade BR382: mysteriously, the shades are all referred to in what sounds like code…

£25 - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. A brilliant mousse-y cream eyeshadow that is easy to apply and stays put for over ten hours. Easy to blend and you don't need a base. You can also blend different shades together. The lid twists on and off and the Decorté cream eyeshadows I have previously bought do not dry out. It doesn't come with an applicator: you can use fingers but I prefer a brush to get the look I want’ • ‘This is now one of my favourite eyeshadows; it is very fine so blends super easy and a little goes a long way. I loved that, even though it looks quite dark in the pot, if you only use a very small amount and blend it out you just get a lovely shimmery look but you can also build it up for a more dramatic look. I also loved that the shimmer didn't really move once on my eyelid, as I find some shimmery eyeshadows end up moving and going in my eyes after a few hours. I really liked the texture’ • ‘It actually blended incredibly easily, which surprised me a lot as when I first saw it, I thought it might be difficult to blend. I tried it with and without a base; it did last longer with the base but it still lasted very well without one, which impressed me a lot’ • ‘An excellent eyeshadow; you don’t need to use much so it will last a long time and it has great staying power. I had someone compliment me on the colour and that it made my eyes look brighter. I already want it in more colours’ • ‘The finish and colour were lovely, you can layer it up for a more dramatic finish or just apply a light sweep for a more natural daytime look. There was quite a bit of fallout from the glitter particles in the product so I did need to remove this before I could apply the rest of my make-up. A lovely option for eyeshadow if you wanted to try something other than the typical brands’ • ‘A lovely sheeny eyeshadow that can give a wash of colour or a more intense look if built up. I really liked this product and the great neutral colour’ • ‘The texture of this eyeshadow is not like any other I have ever tried. It felt very luxurious, lightweight and creamy and blended very easily. I tried with and without a base, both with good results. The colour and pigment are great with an added bit of sparkle in there too. I have been complimented and told that the shade brought out the colour of my green eyes.’

£25 - click to buy 

BRONZE AWARD delilah Stay the Night Smooth Shadow Stick (Cinnamon Swirl)

Soft and creamy, these subtly sheeny shadow sticks claim to glide on to lid, blend effortlessly and have impressive staying power. All of which testers agreed with. They also liked the built in sharpener, twist up action, and the soft dusty rose/brown shade they were sent, from a range of three; the others are Pink Champagne (lighter/pinker) and Hot Chocolate (much deeper). The brand promises it’s crease-, smudge-, sweat- and waterproof. It’s vegan and PETA certified as cruelty free. Apply directly to the eyelid then smudge and blend with a finger or a brush, this British brand advises.

£23 - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Well, this is a great 10/10 for me. The shadow stick is the perfect size for my make-up bag. I love the stick has a built in sharpener at the bottom so that you can quickly and easily sharpen the end of the stick for those precise applications in the corners of the eyelids. The cream stick glides on so smoothly and the colour is rich and shimmery. It sets fairly quickly so it's easier to apply and blend straight away rather than applying to both eyes at the same time and then going back to blend. The stick is great, with a twist action to push it up further (like a lipstick) and a sturdy lid that won't come off in your bag. I've worn this for a full 14 hours and not had any creases whatsoever, whilst the colour and shimmer have stayed as fresh as it was when I put it on. The shadow is waterproof, which is great, so it does require a good eye makeup remover to take it off. I just love this and I'm now converted for life!!! ’ • ‘Lovely and creamy. Very easy to apply and blend into lids, dried quite quickly and stayed put with no touching up. Impressed with the application and staying power’ • ‘What a wonderful product.  I alternate between glasses and contact lenses and if I am wearing my glasses I often struggle to apply eyeshadow; however, this product was a dream to put on.  It stayed put extremely well and did not lose any of its colour or shimmer. There was absolutely no need to touch it up at all during the evening. I love the fact that it has a sharpener hidden away in the end of the stick. I am definitely going to start wearing eyeshadow more often’ • ‘this is a product that I will be buying again, the application was perfect, and it stayed exactly where it was put, as a mature lady sometime the eyeshadow does stay where it should, this was also easy to apply for someone who maybe didn’t have the best eyesight, as the stick fitted well into the eye socket and produced the right amount of colour. It was quick and effective – just one sweep of the stick’ • ‘A good all rounder eyeshadow stick that’s easy to blend and didn't smudge throughout the day. Loved the fact it could be used as an eyeshadow, a base or as eyeliner. So easy and quick to apply! I'd definitely be interested in seeing other shades available.’

£23 - click to buy