Samantha Holender
Eyeshadow application can sometimes feel like an Olympic sport. There’s a race to buff and blend before your product dries down, and fall-out is enemy number one. Practice makes perfect with cream eyeshadows and powder pigments, but if you’re looking for an easy, efficient, and stunning alternative, the best liquid eyeshadows should be your go-to.
“Generally, the appeal of liquid eyeshadows is very user-friendly,” says celebrity makeup artist Ehlie Luna. “This means you can use it straight from the applicator onto the lid and use your finger to blend out any edges or seams.” Professional makeup artist Jenny Patinkin adds that liquid eyeshadows are typically formulated to be long wear, which adds to their appeal.
With various matte finishes and glitter eyeshadows in every shade possible on the market, it can be hard to choose just one. Some offer more blend time, others deliver multi-use formulas, and many host pigment that packs a punch.
To determine which swipe-and-go shadows are the best, we tapped a handful of professional makeup artists to share their favorites—and did some liquid eyeshadow testing of our own.
The Best Liquid Eyeshadows
- Best Liquid Eyeshadow Overall: Armani Beauty Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow
- Best Liquid Eyeshadow for Beginners: Lancôme Idôle Tint Liquid Eyeshadow & Eyeliner
- Best Drugstore Liquid Eyeshadow: Stila Cosmetics Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow
I promise: You’ll find this liquid eyeshadow in every single makeup artist’s kit. It’s a classic, and for a very good reason. The formula is thin yet pigmented and has 16-hour, crease-free staying power. There are matte, shimmer, and metallic finishes to choose from, but all the formulas play well together, so feel free to mix and match—even on oily eyelids.
Key Ingredients: Beeswax, iron oxides, mica, hydrogenated coconut oil
Shades: 18
What We Love: Long-wear; crease-free; good for oily eyelids
What We Don't: Can be a bit patchy; contains talc
Review for MC: "I'm a huge fan of Armani's makeup products, and their liquid eyeshadow is one of my favorites. I blend in a matte formula with a fluffy brush, and then tap on some of their shimmer over top with my finger. The colors blend seamlessly together and feel super lightweight on the skin. I also love the shades' buildability, making these liquid shadows perfect for everyday wear." — Emma Aerin Becker, Freelance Beauty Writer
Emma Aerin Becker loves the Armani liquid eyeshadow
If you're a liquid eyeshadow beginner, you'll want to opt for an easy-to-use, blendable formula like this one. The formula not only comes in multiple mattes and nudes, but it's smudge-proof, sweat-proof, and said to last for 16 hours of wear. What I love most is that it's extremely multi-use, offering eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush, and highlighter benefits from one small bottle.
Key Ingredients: Mica, silica
Shades: 7
What We Love: Lightweight; buildable; and multi-use
What We Don't: The Applicator sometimes applies too much product at first
Review for MC: "I tested out one of Lancôme's shimmer shades and was blown away. I love how pigmented the product is without being too overbearing, as well as the shimmery look it gives instead of full-blown glitter. The liquid shadow was so easy to apply and blended beautifully in seconds. With just the one product, it looked like I spent five minutes putting together a full, multi-product eye look." — Emma Aerin Becker, Freelance Beauty Writer
Use one shimmer shade or layer a metallic on top of a matte.
As an affordable alternative to other options on this list, Stila's award-winning drugstore eyeshadow formula is actually one of the most high-performing formulas available. With the perfect mixture of pearl and glitter, this product adds the perfect glimmering touch to any eyeshadow look. It glides on effortlessly before drying down to a transfer-proof glitter that won't remain on your skin for the next week. And if glittery shadow isn't for you, Stila makes three other versions of their liquid eyeshadow that might better fit your needs.
Key Ingredients: Water, glycerin, mica
Shades: 7
What We Love: Non-tacky; adhesive base for minimal fallout; long-wearing
What We Don't: Dries down fast
Review for MC: "Kitten Karma has been by my side through a lot of life. I went heavy on the glitter formula during my middle school dance days. I've toned down my look plenty since then, proving just how versatile the color can be. Now, I like to use a small dot on the inner corner of my eye or the center of my eyelid for a little pop on a smokier eye." — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
A little bit of Kitten Karma on the inner corner opens up the eyes.
Other Liquid Eyeshadows We Love
If you're in the market for intense pigment, want to create a dramatic cut crease, or plan on creating graphic design, Halsey's makeup brand, about-face, is for you. “These are beginner-friendly, have fun, colorful packaging, and bold payoff,” explains Luna. "They pack a punch.” If a full wash of color feels a bit too intimidating, try using the pigment as a bright liner. Just grab a precision brush to apply.
Key Ingredients: Isododecane, microcrystalline wax, isodecyl neopentanoate, mica, silica
Shades: 31
What We Love: Makeup artist-recommended; intense color payoff
What We Don't: Certain shades aren’t as opaque as advertised (read: yellow and orange)
With luxury products comes a luxurious look and feel. The Sisley Paris liquid eyeshadow deposits a luminous wash of color while still feeling fresh and light. The formula is also sheer, ultra-buildable, and doesn't settle into creases. Its soft, precision-tip applicator allows for an easy and smooth application. The six shades, in satin and sparkling finishes, complement one another and can be layered easily for a custom eye combination.
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, silica
Shades: 6
What We Love: Blendable; buildable; light-weight; applicator
What We Don't: High price
Liquid eyeshadow is beginner-friendly to begin with, but this Kosas formula is extra foolproof. Every color in the range falls into neutral territory and has ample playtime, so you can blend and sheer until you’re content with the final look. "These have a lot of dimension because they've got shimmer that's metallic, but also opalescent, and there's a really beautiful multidimensionality to the way that they look on the skin," adds Patinkin. "They're kind of complex colors and they look just very dimensional and beautiful."
Key Ingredients: Galactoarabinan, jojoba oil, orange flower Water:
Shades: 6
What We Love: Easy to work with; buildable; recommended by both an editor and a makeup artist
What We Don't: Not highly pigmented
Pat McGrath knows how to do glitter right. With five, neutral-toned, radiant metallic shades in the range, these longwear pigments don’t skimp out on impact; a little goes a long way. One small dot is enough to have your lid looking reflective and opalescent. The star of this formula comes from a popular skincare ingredient: squalane. Hydrating in nature, it’s able to prevent patchy sections from forming over the course of the day.
Key Ingredients: squalene, water
Shades: 5
What We Love: Gorgeous finish; all shades work across skin tones
What We Don't: A little goes a very long way
This is another product beloved by both makeup artists and Marie Claire editors. E-Commerce Editor Julia Marzovilla says, "This product is perfectly named, right down to the shade name. I have green eyes, and I found that Aster, the slightly purple hue, really makes them pop. It blends perfectly with my finger, so it’s a makeup bag must-have for when I want to make my makeup look feel special."
Key Ingredients: Horse chestnut flower, silica, mica, water
Shades: 11
What We Love: Oil-free; multiple finishes; approved by both editors and makeup artists
What We Dont: Fades throughout the course of the day
This liquid shadow has a unique cream-to-powder formula that goes on smooth before becoming a soft-matte shadow similar to powders. The pigment stays put for 12 hours without transferring, creasing, or fading. The product's blurring effect ensures your eye look is completely streak free.
Key Ingredients: Isododecane, mica
Shades: 5
What We Love: Unique texture; streak-free; easy to blend
What We Don't: Small shade range
Selena Gomez's makeup brand, Rare Beauty, is popular for its subtle, flattering products, like this liquid eyeshadow. It has a satiny finish and comes in three shades of peach and pink, all resulting in a natural yet elevated look. Plus, the formula is completely clean, vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free, making it perfect for those with sensitive skin or sensitive eyes.
Key Ingredients: Isododecane, Silica, Mica,
Shades: 5
What We Love: Cruelty-free; paraben-free; great for sensitive skin and eyes; vegan
What We Don't: Only comes in shades of pink and peach
How to Choose Liquid Eyeshadow
- Formulation
"There's a bunch of different types of liquid or creamy eyeshadows, and they're all formulated differently," says Patinkin. Glosses, for instance, are shinier with "more of a slick consistency and texture." The downside of this formulation is that you're more likely to end the day with a crease.
Very opaque options on the other hand can wind up looking dry and pucker on the eyelid. "If your skin is starting to thin or getting a bit looser, this texture can accentuate some of those issues," she shares.
- Play Time
By nature, liquid eyeshadows start out with some flexibility. How fast it transforms from a wet liquid to a dry finish, however, varies greatly. “For liquid shadows with a faster drying time, it's best to do one eye at a time,” explains celebrity makeup artist and brand founder Danessa Myricks. “For more opaque coverage with your liquid shadows, choose to build up the color in layers, letting one layer dry before applying the next, or tap on color with your finger or a brush to build coverage.”
- Payoff
Liquid eyeshadows are versatile at their core. On the one hand, they can be used as a quick wash of pale color that primes your lid for additional powder shadows or more intense liquid pigments. However, they can also be a one-and-done product with a pop of color or shimmer lid. A pro tip from Myricks? Use a “flat, more dense brush for more color payoff.” Finger application will inherently give a more sheered-out finish.
- Longevity
Perhaps the trickiest criteria to nail with a liquid eyeshadow is staying power. The product is more prone to creasing and fading, but every item on this list is guaranteed to provide at least 12-hour wear. You may just need to pat out some creasing mid-day.
How to Apply Liquid Eyeshadow
You can apply liquid eyeshadow with the doe-foot applicator it comes with; however, Patinkin recommends using a brush for optimal precision, blending, and product distribution. "I think applying anything with a brush is going to be better than applying with a doe foot," she says. "When you're using a brush, you can get a much more even, smoother distribution of the product. You can sheer it out and get a softer look than you might be able to with a doe foot because the product can cling to the doe foot, and it might not spread as evenly on your lid."
But how do you transfer the product to the brush? Patinkin explains, "I like to either put a dot from the doe foot on the lid and then use a brush to blend, or I put it on the back of my hand and then put the brush into that and then apply."
How We Tested
Our testing process merged long-time editor favorites with new discoveries. We asked the Marie Claire team to share which liquid eyeshadow they use in their daily lives, and tapped professional makeup artists to learn about their favorites. Finally, we called in additional 10 products for testing.
We evaluated each on ease of use, durability, pigment payoff, and how well they wore throughout the day. We also assessed packaging, shade range, and versatility. Our resulting pool comprised the 10 best liquid eyeshadows on the market.
Meet the Experts
Starting out as a self-taught makeup artist, Danessa Myricks learned how to use products in unconventional ways to create stunning looks. Ignoring industry norms, she began to teach other artists about her techniques and product selections, and created a name for herself in the beauty world.
After turning heads at some of the largest brands, Danessa led product development for some of the most successful launches in history at brands like KISS and Benefit Cosmetics. But she knew the world of makeup still felt exclusive, so she launched her own brand, Danessa Myricks Beauty.
Danessa has created looks for celebrities, worked with entertainers in music and film, and collaborates with other brands and artists to push the beauty industry forward. She trains makeup artists and enthusiasts worldwide and continues to create some of the most innovative and inclusive beauty products on the market.
Ehlie Luna is a celebrity makeup artist and creator.
Jenny Patinkin is a professional makeup artist and beauty entrepreneur. Products from her line have been featured on Oprah's Favorite Things, and she is revered for her sustainable approach to beauty. She is currently based in Chicago.
