The Cream Eyeshadow That Finally Got Me To Wear Colour On My Lids (& It Lasts)

What we’re getting into: Beautycounter Lid Glow Cream Shadow, $30

Why we’re getting into it: When it comes to eyeshadow, I’m not usually one to experiment. I'm the type of person who uses up the neutral tones in a palette until those brown little pans are empty while the other shadows remain untouched. (I can hear my beloved Fenty Beauty Snap Shadows screaming from my vanity as I write this.) It’s also not part of my day-to-day routine (more so for a night out). But lately, I’ve been drawn to the glowy eye look where the lids are lightly washed with a hued shimmer. Enter one of Beautycounter’s latest drops: the Lid Glow Cream Shadow. 

For those who don’t know the California-based clean beauty brand, Beautycounter has sworn off using 1,800 ingredients, which it call The Never List, in its products. Many eyeshadows, for example, contain talc, which helps to hold and give the shadow a silky texture. But Beautycounter's is talc-free. Although talc itself is not dangerous, it can be contaminated with asbestos which is a known carcinogen and can irritate the eyes. While Health Canada has set purity standards for cosmetics-grade talc, things can fall through the cracks. Heavy metals tag along with natural colourants or minerals like talc, and they’re hard to avoid especially in a powder formula, which is why Beautycounter opted for a cream.

“Heavy metals [in high amounts which can make you sick] are never going to appear on an ingredient label because they’re not intentionally added to the formula,” Lindsay Dahl, Beautycounter’s senior vice-president of social mission tells me. That’s why it took years for them develop a formula without compromising on wear or pigment. 

When the time came to experiment with the shade range, you guessed it, I immediately gravitated towards the neutrals. My choice? Flash, a bright copper, and Aura, a soft beige, which I wore to a girls coffee date. I did my go-to makeup routine, which consists of Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Self-Setting Concealer in Honey, Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Paaarty Nude, Merit Beauty Clean Lash Mascara, and Sephora Collection Rouge Lacquer Lipstick in Not Your Baby. Mixing the shades resulted in a glowy (not glittery) barely-there colour that brightened up my lids. It’s formulated with cucumber and chamomile extracts to hydrate the delicate skin on eyelids and has a buttery texture for foolproof application.

Later that week, I took the Lid Glow Cream Shadow out on the ultimate test drive. I wore the shade Prism, a satin golden olive colour to a boat party. I used the flat side of the doe-foot applicator to swipe the product over my lids and blended with my fingertips (pro tip: you can use the pointed side around the lash line to mimic an eyeliner look.)

But there’s really no rule when it comes to application. “It’s dealer's choice,” says Toronto-based makeup artist Jasmine Merinsky, who’s worked with Naomi Osaka and Jordan Alexander, when I ask for her expert tips. She recommends that those with less experience try a synthetic brush because they’re inexpensive, soft, and fluffy. Her faves include Real Techniques Eye Shade + Blend and the Flat Detailer Brush for more-structured looks.

To prep the eye, she suggests using Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner to remove excess oil and using a translucent powder like Laura Mercier’s Invisible Loose Setting Powder to reduce potential creasing. The first swipe was quite sheer so I built layers for a bolder finish by waiting a few seconds between each application. Safe to say, the shadow survived a humid night full of dancing and throwing it back until midnight in 30°C degree weather.

With fall around the corner, I’m looking forward to experimenting more with coloured lids and it seems like bold statement eyes aren’t going anywhere — especially with continued mask-wearing. “I think we’re going to see more frosty eye looks with the late '90s and early 2000s coming back with a vengeance,” Merinsky tells me.

She says that brands have come a long way since the teenage days of white silver eyeshadow and that it’s easier for melanated people to find talc-free formulas that won’t make us look ashy. TikTok is huge when it comes to discovering the next trend and she’s really into the reverse cat-eye look and army green hues for autumn.

Bottom Line: For someone who’s not big on eyeshadow or great at applying it, Beautycounter Lid Glow Cream Shadow is the perfect gateway to popping some colour on the lids. It’s also a considerable plus knowing there aren’t any questionable ingredients in the formula. For $30, it gives a nice sheer wash of colour or can be built to a more smoky pigmented look that’s versatile enough to use everyday or a night out. Got oily lids and worried about it lasting? Take it from someone who danced all night and came home to zero creasing. I think it’s definitely worth adding to your cart. 

For more cream eyeshadows, check out these picks from Jasmine and the R29 Canada team: