TL;DR
Indie Brand Recommendations
Indie brands are frequently praised for their innovative and high-quality glitter eyeshadows. Clionadh Cosmetics is noted for its stunning multichrome and glitter shadows [1:1]. Terra Moons offers iridescent eyeshadows with varying textures, from smooth metallics to sparkly toppers
[4:2]. JD Glow's Galaxy Shadows are highlighted for their sheer bases and sparkling dimension, making them excellent toppers
[4:2]. These brands are often recommended by beauty influencers and enthusiasts for their unique formulations and vibrant colors
[3:2].
Popular Mainstream Options
ColourPop is a favorite among many for its Super Shock Shadows, which provide intense glitter and shimmer at an affordable price [2:1]
[5:3]. The Frog shade is particularly mentioned as a dupe for Urban Decay's Space Cowboy
[4:5]. Stila's Glitter & Go liquid eyeshadows are also recommended for their ease of use and daily wearability
[2:4].
Drugstore Alternatives
For those seeking budget-friendly options, ELF Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow is highly praised for its performance and sparkle [5:1]. Flower Beauty's Jungle Lights and Desert Lights palettes offer creamy shimmer formulas that rival high-end products
[5:2]. Essence's Melted Chrome shadows are another accessible choice in the UK
[5:6].
Unique Formulations and Textures
Some brands offer distinctive formulations that stand out in the market. Copacetic Cosmetics is known for its pressed flakies, providing a chunky glitter look [4:1]. Devinah's collections feature sparkly shadows ranging from sheer to opaque, although they tend to sell out quickly
[4:4]. Lemonhead LA was mentioned for its cool glitter options, though users should be aware of the brand's controversies
[3:3]
[3:7].
These recommendations cover a range of preferences and budgets, ensuring that you can find the perfect glitter eyeshadow to suit your style.
Hey everyone! I was wondering if I could get advice on where I can buy some very in-your-face sparkly, metallic, and/or foiled looking eyeshadows? (Not pressed glitters, I’m scared they’ll get in my eyes). I’m wanting to branch out and try indie brands but don’t know which ones I should look into. Thank you!
Glam Shop in Poland. Check out Martes Makeup and Angelika Nyquiest for swatches.
I own several palettes from them but they also sell singles. I didn’t buy their “holo” shades as those contain glitter. However, most of the other sparkly shades do not have any glitter.
My favorite is the citrine palette. Holy sparkle balls!
These look phenomenal, so pretty 😭 I live in the US so the shipping is $20+, would you say that it’s worth it?
For myself yes. Just make sure to use glitter or primer glue. But only you will know if it’s worth it for you- if you’re not sure watch more videos of swatches or looks with the shadows before ordering.
Lauren Mae Beauty on YouTube has a lot of good sparkly shadow recs! Personally I like a lot of the Terra Moons shadows
Danessa Myricks colorfix foils are insane. They’re long wear too so they don’t budge once on.
I usually just dump UD’s heavy metal gel on top of anything I want to glitter up.
Clionadh cosmetics!
They make gorgeous eyeshadows, including glitters and multichromes.
What do y'all think is the best glitter eyeshadow?
I recently got the frog and Ritz super shock shadows from ColourPop, they're currently my favorite glittery shadows.
I love ColourPop's colors! I have a couple of their palettes and they are really pretty but I feel like the glitter wears off faster even with a primer. But they are just so pretty 😍
I don't use their palettes, just the super shock shadows, but for the super shock shadows the glitter stays all day :)
Question: have you tried a glitter primer like NYX's? That has made a difference to me.
Clio Pearlfection G10
Mac Last Dance
Peripera Come Glosser Palette
UNLEASHIA also has a all glitter palette
Stila - Glitter and Go. I use various shades pretty much daily.
Runner up: Lime Crime - Lid Lites, though it’s discontinued.
Hourglass - Scattered Light is pretty fair as well, though in my experience it works best as an all over shadow than something you would use with a cut/crease.
liquid eyeshadows- stila, mac, elf
UD moon dust shadows!
This is my vote! (I haven't bought these in a number of years tho)
Thank you!! I wish they had more colors. Those look so nice
This has probably been asked a crapton but the search function both on google and reddit sucks for finding answers!
I’m looking for Glitter, not just Shimmer. Mostly a palette but if I have to buy individuals I will. Ive been searching online for literally an hour and can’t really find anything that matches what I want that is in an affordable range for me. Give a girl some help?
Personally, I would stay away from actual glitter as it's bad for the environment and can harm your eyes. There are tons of options that give a glittery appearance.
Lauren Mae Beauty features a ton on her channel. JD Glow galaxy shadows, Clionadh glitter multichromes , Adept cosmetics has several palettes, Glam shop turbo shadows, shine by SD, copacetic cosmetics, looxi, prettiesforyourface etc. I have bought multiple recommendations from her and have yet to be let down.
Lately I've been looking at the glitters on lemonhead la they look really cool
Megan Dugan CEO of Lemonhead LA is unfortunately racist and a MAGA supporter. Has done very questionable things that has yet to be owned up to... seeing as she treats her brand like her baby, it's hard to separate creator from creation in this case. It's up to you to decide how you want to spend your money, but I thought I'd let you know in case you weren't aware of the controversies. :)
slayfire has amazing glitters and one that dupes houdini. def check them out
I will definitely be going for dupes in this case then! Thank you so much for informing me about it!
Yes they totally do! I’ve had my eye on them for a while not gonna lie
Houdini is beautiful
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Les couleurs sont vraiment canon ,tu gères!quelle est le nom de ta palette?
Colour Pop has some really glittery options, I particularly like their super shock eyeshadows.
I would love any of your recommendations for pressed sparkly singles that almost have a glittery but not quite metallic finish. Preferably, the shadows have a light base (because I don’t have enough lid space for those beautiful grungy looks) and can be used almost as a topper. Something like the Urban Decay eyeshadow in space cowboy if any of you guys have that shade. I’ve been looking into Clionadh and Terra Moons, but if you guys have any specific shades or other brands that you recommend, please let me know.
I personally love Terra Moons iridescent eyeshadows (these vary in texture with some shades like Space Baby, Zero Gravity, and Red Giant being more smooth and metallic while shades like Light Year and Timeshift are more sparkly). However, if you want something with a more textured, glittery look I’d recommend JD Glow’s galaxy shadows (these have sheer bases and a lot of sparkle and dimension, making them good toppers—my favorite is Anomaly) or Glamshop turbo glow eyeshadows (these are SUPER textured and flaky, which unfortunately means they can feel a little gritty on the eyes, but I’ve yet to find a more sparkly topper formula—these vary in opacity so some might not work as toppers but a really cool translucent shade is Tiul).
These all sound right up my alley. Thank you so much.
If you want a really chunky glitter look, I'd suggest Copacetic Cosmetics pressed flakies. I have their Unicorn Policy palette, & it's good.
I haven't heard of this brand before. How do you find their shadows compare to other more mainstream brands?
I'm going to second with this brand. I got the Companion Palette and the Realm of Magic collection this past year. Both are basically all toppers. They are a handmade brand so some of their shadows are soft, I'm gentle with them and sometimes I find it's best to apply with your finger with some glitter glue primer on top of your eyeshadow look. Some shades are flaky, others are sheer shimmers. Def check out swatches. I really haven't seen shades like these in mainstream brands. Maybe just like highlighter/inner corner shades.
I'm slowly collecting some via their $12/month sub. So far, I have 2 duochromes from them, as well as another single flakie shadow. They perform the way I expect them to for those types of formulas. I have some single shadows from indie brands that are underfilled or overfilled slightly (overfilled is actually worse, bc they'll be softer & prone to breakage), but Copacetic Cosmetics have been very consistent.
I think Devinah has some really pretty sparkly shadows! The Sugar Drops, Galaxy Dust, Exploders, Star Chasers, Candy Cakes, and Moonscapes collections all have very sparkly shadows that range from sheer to opaque with a variety of colors. They are also on the lower end for "special" shadows in the indie world. Only problem is they sell out super quickly when they're restocked.
My fav one that’s a dupe for Space Cowboy is actually Colourpop super shock in Frog. However my favorite indie formula for toppers is definitely Kakeidos. Their Sashimi City and of course the larger Escape Pod palette contains a couple champagne topper shades I really love. I also love everything I’ve tried from JDGlow even though I own more traditional multichrome toppers from them
I am a SUCKER for some glittery eyeshadows, or at the least extremely shimmery, what are some good drugstore eyeshadows that really sparkle?
(Preferably brands accessible in the UK)
Flower beauty jungle lights and desert lights are so sparkly and the best creamy shimmer formula (they really rival high end)
Colour pop. Literally no one else can compete. I promise
Those super shock shadows are worth every penny!!!! They are amazing if you’re looking for an intense pop of color and glitter!
I just watched a video in this sub about the profusion starlet palette and it was amazeballs.
Essence melted chrome
Elf liquid glitter eyeshadow!! I cannot hype them up enough! They are SO good!
What's the best glitter Eyeliner? I tested a couple of different ones at sephora yesterday (tarte peel eyeliner & urban decay glitter eyeliner), but didn't seem to like either.
Are there any good drugs store ones? I'm looking for rose gold or plain gold ones.
I personally do like the Urban Decay ones, but I’ve heard the NYX ones are good too!
Thank you! I'll check it out :)
The NYX ones are amazing
Awesome! Thanks! I'll have to go look for them later today :)
The drugstore brand W7 has some great glitter liners
Where could I find it? Like walmart?
I'm not from the US so I don't know
I remember when Mac was the brand for singles, and their magnetic palettes made it really easy to build your perfect set. I still have mine but I find that the Mac formula, specifically the matte one, is just not holding up to modern eyeshadows. It is very dry and takes a lot of effort to get any pigmentation.
What is your go-to brand for eyeshadow singles?
Right now from the Stained Glass shadows I have Mural (Electric), Hilt (Electric), and Bronze Fountain (Earth Vibrant). Mural and Hilt I use constantly but I’ve noticed that Bronze Fountain and the rest of the Earth Vibrant shades lean more glittery. Which is a shame because the colors a beautiful but just not my formula. However from their circle shadows I have quite a few since that’s a smoother formula. Toadstool is my favorite since it is the same flip as Bronze Fountain but not glittery. I also have Fog, Shroom, Elixir, Prophecy, Rune, and Sol. All are so pretty but slightly neglected because of my love for Mural, Hilt, and Toadstool.
On the wishlist right now (based on analyzing swatches online) I have Vermiel, Sceptre, Niello, Halo, and Burnt Sienna at the very top.
Uhhh I didn't know about this one! EU-based brand that makes single shadows?! I'm hooked already.
How's their formula?
I have a few of their shimmery shades and really like them. They are very soft though so might have a bit of fallout.
They have many formulas, I really like the turbo glows, the velvets, and the crystals. The holos are fun as well!
Here's some swatches
Really nice and they love to experiment with textures. Many of the shimmers are low-key multichromes and they have holos too. You can probably find swatches on IG :D
Just in case you don't know-
Lethal cosmetics is based in Germany and I looove their eyeshadows and blushes
Sydney Grace for mattes and smooth shimmers. They have some of the best muted undertones to their shades and o love it. My favorite type of shimmers are the smooth almost bordering on satin and they do those so well in my opinion
Clionadh for duochromes and multichromes. I am not a huge fan of their more glittery sparkly multichrome shades despite my best efforts to be a glitter person I am just not. But their circle shadows and some of the more iridescent and smooth multichromes are my absolutely favorite eyeshadows. The electric multichrome line has some of the most beautiful eyeshadows I have ever seen. I don’t have a ton from them but what I do have I LOVE and my wishlist is a mile long.
I feel like such a shill but I LOVE Clionadh. I feel so great when I wear them. It's like a glittery mood boost. Also yes the duochrome round shadows! They get overlooked but the formula is really nice on those as well.
I don’t know if this counts but colourpop super shock shadows
a bunch of it is discontinued but i want to shed some light
Quarry, Soba and Patina, i hope they bring these back, ill buy it in a heartbeat
the ones that are availiable that i use daily are Brule(all over beige color to blend out other shades and use as a base and Nylon(light warm yellow highlighter i use for my face)
some other shades that are super popular(and availiable) would be
Shroom, Naked Lunch, All That Glitters, Satin Taupe, Sable, Woodwinked, Omega, Soft Brown, Wedge, Cork, Swiss Chocolate, Haux, Saddle, and Embark
these are always in everyones must haves list on youtube when I used to watch Mac must have videos in 2014 lol
All shades are not created equal, but they definitely have some great singles. Sketch, Haux, satin taupe, woodwinked, antiqued, nude model and Les artiste are some that I reach for regularly.
Turboglows and crystals forever. Mattes are also nice, but shimmer is truly where Glamshop shines.
I'm looking for a drugstore palette with very valid foil and glitter eyeshadows that are truly vibrant and long lasting, thank you!!
Hmm. I'm not sure? But I really like Revolution. They have a bright blue sparkly pallette that has some LOVELY glitters on the inside. I'd use them as a starting point!
I've accumulated quite a few palettes recently with a selection of glitter pans in them and I've also bought some individual eye chromes. By far the best palette I keep using is The Urban Decay Moondust palette, they perform even better with eyeshadow glitter glue. Worst for me has to be the Barry M holographic eye foils, I seemed to have a reaction to these as they burnt my eyelids when I applied them and left them red when I took it off again. I ended up having to use quite a bit of expensive eye gel to soothe them. A bit annoyed as I bought 4 of them!
Flower Beauty has a 6 pan palette called Jungle Lights that are all foiled shadows. It’s $19 but I got it when it was on sale. You can look up swatches, it’s really really good. Opaque colors and very foiled.
Only fools (no glitters) but the BH Cosmetics fool eyes palette is really really good. And BH usually has pretty good sales to bring the price even more. I think I got mine for like $12. Their eye brushes are really good too (if you order from their site and need to hit free shipping lol).
Edit: FOILS not fools lol
I just want to add that I absolutely love BH cosmetics brushes
No lie, the studio pro brush #17 is absolutely clutch for blending out my lower lash line. I went back and bought like two more!
Colourpop makes some damn nice pressed glitters (in singles and some are their various pallets) BUT they're not technically eye safe IIRC, so use at your own risk. (I do and my eyes haven't fallen out or anything, but I also acknowledge doing risky dumb shit I wouldn't advise others to do.) Nyx and MUR both make pressed glitters as well, but I'm trying to avoid buying more stuff right now so I haven't given in and tried either (though I've had both in my cart at different points...) ��
I just got into make up recently and I've been playing around with some cheaper pallettes to learn the basics. I'm now looking to invest in some good quality pallettes - good colour payoff, formula etc. But I really don't know where to start, i just assumed that the more expensive ones would be good but there are always so many mixed reviews!
If anyone has any recommendations for a particular pallette or a brand that is consistently good quality I would be so appreciative! TIA x
I personally am a big fan of Natasha Denona’s eyeshadow formulas! Colourpop has some good ones for significantly cheaper but their formula is a little more hit or miss. On the indie side, Sydney Grace has a fantastic formula as well.
I have a relatively large collection of eyeshadow palettes now, including Pat Mcgrath, ABH, Natasha Denona, Charlotte Tilbury, Viseart, Colourpop, BH cosmetics, Elf and Morphe. My favourite formula by a mile is Huda. I have 4 Huda palettes and they are all 10/10 in every category.
100% agree with you on Huda. The New Nudes is my go to palatte. It's super pigmented and doesn't have a ton of fallout, even for the sparkle shades. It's beginner friendly too.
The sparkle shades are absolutely stunning!
I love the beautybay palettes! I think they're some of the most pigmented I've ever owned. Those or BPerfect if you want to splash out a bit more cash.
I second the beautybay palettes! Colours are vibrant and easy to apply. And the price point is amazing, especially because they have regular discounts
I really like all my tarte palettes
Natasha Denona
Reposting to meet guidelines.
I tried swatching all my purples yesterday and these are the issues I found.
If they don’t immediately pull too pink, which I think is the Barney effect someone mentioned before, some of them look ok unless you try to blend them at all.
When I blend them, some turn gray, some disappear, some turn pink. These are all different big brands—Too Faced, Urban Decay, Ofra, Lorac, Smashbox, ABH, Nars, etc, so not random dollar store stuff.
There were a few that behaved but way too many that didn’t. I was working on bare skin on my arm, and the experiment was largely to cull the duds out of my depotted collection but I wanted to understand why the purples were so weird compare to the other colors and if there is a particular brand that does great purples consistently.
The only other color I came across while I was swatching that had a similar problem was a very dark navy blue by Nars called China Blue. It looked great when you applied it but the second you tried to blend it all the blue would come off and you’d be left with this icky patchy gray mess.
I can’t stop waxing poetic about the Melt She’s in Parties if you can get your hands on it. A plum dream, great pigmentation and blendability if you like deeper tones.
I just looked up the swatches and realized I have all the colors in She’s in Parties in my depotted collection. I’m going to try rearranging it into the same order and play around with it.
So I have Melt’s Muerte, and I love the dark reds in that palette. I’m eyeballing She’s in Parties for sure but I really want something with cool blue violets and purples.
She’s in Parties pulled very ashy on me. Quite a few of the colors looked almost identical.
What’s your skin tone and undertone? I’ve always wanted this palette, but I’m a warm olive around NC42 and it looking ashy is a concern for me.
I loved that palette so much. The colours were made for me, but after wearing it for a week straight my eyelids blew up like balloons. I had to return it in the end (heatbroken.)
I have noticed that carmine-heavy eyeshadows do this to me. I recently used the purple in Viseart's Soliel(?) mini and my eyelids also blew up. Not sure if purple always carries a lot of carmine, but this has been my experience.
I love hearing the responses regarding the best purples, but what I wanna know is which ones I can safely wear (if at all)?
imo Sugarpill is the brand for purples. I remember reading somebody else saying that years ago and when I actually got my hands on them... yeah. They're perfect. They don't pull any which way at all except pure purple. Poison Plum is hella pigmented and can stain but damn it's perfection on green eyes. I'll use other purples but just pat them on and then blend out with Sugarpill so as not to lose the tone.
They also make the reddest red you could imagine. They are base staple colours in my collection. 100% worth the price and a generous pan size at that. Only downside is they can be hard to get your hands on. Too me ages to find Love+ and PP in stock.
I had Huda’s Ruby Obessions and loathed that palette. I found the formula really inconsistent and just icky overall to work with.
I have to agree. I have the emerald obsessions palette and the mattes are chalky.
her mini nude palettes are great but i haven’t liked any of the other ones
I've heard from multiple posts over the years that purples are actually really difficult to manufacture.
This post has some great info on why Hunter Lab - Spectrophotometric Color Measurement Facilitates Formulation of Purple Eyeshadow
This being said, Viseart does a great job - I highly recommend their purples, whether their singles or the Violette Entendu palette.
I second the viseart entendu and maybe even menagerie.They do great purples..ND lila has great purples too but its all dependent on your skin tone/under tones.You can try putting on a white pencil liner all over the eyelid and then top it with the purple shadows you already have.It makes the colour pop and more vibrant because the pencil is opaque.
top glitter eyeshadow brands
Key Considerations for Glitter Eyeshadow:
Formula: Look for eyeshadows that have a creamy or buttery texture, as these often apply more smoothly and adhere better to the eyelids.
Pigmentation: High pigmentation ensures that the glitter shows up vibrantly on the skin. Check reviews or swatches to gauge color payoff.
Fallout: Some glitter eyeshadows can have significant fallout. Brands that offer a good base or adhesive can help minimize this issue.
Longevity: Choose formulas that are long-wearing and resistant to creasing, especially if you plan to wear them for extended periods.
Variety: Brands that offer a wide range of colors and finishes (e.g., holographic, metallic) can provide more options for different looks.
Top Glitter Eyeshadow Brands:
Urban Decay: Known for their Moondust Eyeshadows, which offer a stunning glitter finish and great pigmentation.
Stila: Their Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows are highly praised for their intense sparkle and easy application.
Too Faced: The Glitter Bomb Eyeshadow Palette features a variety of glittery shades that can be used wet or dry.
Huda Beauty: The Huda Beauty Obsessions Palettes often include glittery shades that are well-loved for their quality and color range.
ColourPop: Offers affordable glitter eyeshadows with a variety of finishes, known for their high pigmentation and fun colors.
Recommendation: If you're looking for a versatile option, Stila's Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadows are a fantastic choice due to their ease of use and stunning finish. For a more budget-friendly option, ColourPop provides excellent quality at a lower price point.
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