Cream Eye Shadow

The invention of cream eye shadows has had a time-saving impact on my life. Not only are they easy to apply (you don't even need to use a brush), but depending on the color, they can also double as a highlighter. They're a cinch to travel with since they can't spill, and they typically dry to a nice, powdery finish. You used to have to tend to the creases every few hours, but now they've evolved into long-wearing, crease-free, stay-put-all-day formulas that hardly require any maintenance at all! Below are my top choices for cream eye shadows; what are yours?

• Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow ($19) has a light and creamy consistency that dries to a silky texture within 30 seconds. My favorite color is RSVP, a versatile, pale shimmery pinky-champagne that looks great alone for daytime and as a highlighter in the evening.
• Lola Cosmetics SocialEyes Gel Eye Colour ($20) are creamy, waterproof shadows that can be worn as eyeliners too. They have medium pigmentation so they can be layered together or worn alone. My color of choice is a pale green patina called Tahiti.
• Just for Redheads Dream Eye Shadow Flavors (on sale for $18) are some of the best blending cream shadows I've ever used. A little bit goes a long way to create shimmery, and rich velvety soft color. The must-have color to seek out is Souffle, a taupey, purplish-brown that looks amazing on all skin tones.
• Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour ($22) is a waterproof, sheer and non-creasing cream shadow. My favorite color of the bunch is Rose Gold, a shimmery pinky brown that looks great alone, or blended with a deep brown or purple in the crease.
• Nars Cream Eye Shadow ($21) has a soft cream-to-powder texture that dries quickly and blends easily. My favorite shade is Swing, a deep dark purple that looks great as a lid and crease shadow or as a liner.

Usually eye shadows come in palettes that have either a powder or cream consistency, so it's rare when you find a few dynamite duos that contain one of each. Here are three amazing cream and powder eye shadow pairs that I think you'll love as much as I do.

A few days ago I promised you more info on the Laura Mercier Eye Colour Pot ($32) from the Gold Digger collection (which totally looks like the Senna Cosmetics Mineral Mix Blush & Tint). The top of the container houses a cream eye shadow and the bottom holds the loose powder shadow. The colors can be blended together (cream color is typically applied first) for an intensified eye, or worn separately. It comes in bronzed gold, solid gold, and white gold.

DuWop Smoke ($28) is a dual cream and powder eye shadow palette that makes creating smoky eyes a cinch. I have olive branch and plum wine and I use them all the time, day or night. All you have to do is swipe the cream shadow over your lid in the area between your top lashes and your crease and then add the powder shadow on top to set it. The compact comes with two mini-brushes and is available in four shades.

For one other cream and powder eye shadow pair, read more

Just for Redheads is celebrating its 15-year anniversary with the launch of three creamy Dream Eye Shadow Flavors ($30). The formula is a smooth, blendable, and layerable so that you can wear them alone, together, or over a powder shadow for more depth (my personal favorite way to wear cream shadows)

I've been playing around with different looks using the Souffle color, and wow, am I impressed. It is a shimmery, taupey neutral-brown that works like a chameleon depending on what clothing and eyeliner I am wearing. In one light it looks like wet brown sand and in another I see shades of purples and pinks.

These must-have metallic shadows are a great way to create a beautiful and easy Spring look. Did I also mention that the shadows are waterproof and crease-less? If only there were a few more shades to choose from.

For details about the other two colors, read more

Cool beans! This inventive Tarte Cosmetics Lock and Roll Eye Shadow Duo ($28) claims to be be crease-proof and smudge-proof. It houses both a cream side and a loose powder side and is part of Tarte's new Stain or Shine Summer 2007 Collection.

Here's how it works. Begin by applying the liquefied, vitamin E enhanced cream shadow to your lids. Wait about ten seconds for it to dry and then use the roller side to apply the shimmery loose powder shadow. This combination of ingredients ensure that the color binds to your eyes and stays put for hours on end.

So far there are two shades available: Patina (light green) and Bronze. The concept sounds really neat, and since I feel like we've been hearing a lot about smudge proof this and crease proof that lately, I am eager to test the waters. I only wish there were a couple more colors out to choose from. Have you tried this product? Any tricks I should know about?

DuWop, one of my fave brands, has just come out with a new sheer and liquid eyeshadow called Shadowlift ($29). It comes in an innovative pump form in four fabulously neutral and velvety metallic shades that blend easily with the touch of your fingertip.

The only qualm I found is that it's a little bit messy to use, especially if you're not very savvy with cream makeup. My fingers were filthy when I was finished applying it, and unfortunately, a lot of extra product comes out in each pump. Only a teensy amount is necessary since it spreads like wildfire!

That said, what's great about this shadow is that it contains anti-aging properties to help firm your eyelids. And on a practical level, it lasts throughout the day and the colors are very pretty and subtle.

For a description of each of the colors (which are named after things that rise), read more

The new Lola Cosmetics SocialEyes Gel Eye Colour ($20) is Summertime fun for your fingers — and it's waterproof, too! Part of Lola's 2007 Color Play collection, these creamy eye shadow/liners have a smooth texture and medium pigmentation, so they can be layered for just the amount of color you desire.

To use SocialEyes as a shadow, swipe your finger across the pot and onto your lid. If you are wearing the colors as a liner, dip a thin-tipped eyeliner brush in the gel for more precise application.

The pots are available in four colors: Tahiti (golden olive), Bora Bora (bronze), Fiji (aqua blue), and Sand (golden pink). Better yet, I've gotten a sneak peek at Lola's Fall collection, which will include four deeper colors of SocialEyes: Lagoon (electric blue) Tiki (chestnut), Lava (jet black), and Sumatra (dark brown).

Don't you hate it when the Summer heat makes your eye makeup get all gunked up? Benefit Cosmetics is coming to the rescue with its new Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner ($18). Part of the Love Your Look collection and packaged in a cute little pot, these shadows have the consistency of cream and an unbelievably silky texture, so they're smoother and longer lasting than powders.

Available in 12 beautiful shades, this product can be used as an eye liner or an eye shadow, depending on the brush and application. The colors can be easily blended, mixed, and matched for a sexy smoky eye or worn alone for a sheer, subdued look. Plus, the hefty jar is filled to the brim with cream, so you really get your money's worth. I plan to try some out soon, so I'll be sure to let you know what I think.