If you feel too grown-up for sparkle and glitter (you’re not), the eye gloss trend is something you can rock at any age. It can be as subtle or dramatic as your application demands; a light shine or full oil-slick. The best part is, there’s almost no makeup-skill or brushes required to wear this look – just the swipe of a fingertip.
It used to be that your only glossy lid options were traditional lip glosses, as sticky and gloopy as they were. Slowly but surely brands have gotten on the eye gloss bandwagon and there’s now a myriad of choices. For the easiest, most effortless beginner slope, I pull out Glossier’s Haloscope in Quartz. It’s not strictly a gloss, but balmy highlighting sticks of it’s kind offer a cream-gloss hybrid that is a great introduction to wearing slippery lids. For the luxe alternative, try Chanel’s Baume Essentiel. You can apply straight from the stick, or swirl on your fingertips and then press on, as I do, for a gleaming bare lid.
Stepping it up a notch, I like Chanel’s Ombre Premiere Gloss which was released in two shades as part of their Cruise 2019 collection. These are fairly solid in texture – think slippery rather than sticky. Lunaire is a cool-toned, silvery pearl and Solaire – my pick – is a warm, golden glitter. I like them used alone on bare lids but they glide over eyeshadow just as well.
My final favourite of the moment is Surratt’s Lid Lacquers – especially Kira Kira. The miniature compact packaging is unsurprisingly faultless and perfect for travel but the texture of these glosses is where the magic lies. Surratt have managed to turn a gloopy gloss into solid form – more wet-look payoff than Chanel’s, but without any of the stickiness that comes from using a conventional lip gloss like MAC’s clear lip glass.
Kira Kira is a glittery clear lacquer with a touch of silver, Hadaka one of the best sellers for its neutral taupe suits-everyone colour, and Pika Pika a glittery black that amps up an evening smokey eye look.
The messy nature of eye glosses mean they’re not for everyone. They do smudge around on the eyelid, and creasing is inevitable, but if you can accept those drawbacks a glossy lid might be the change up your makeup routine has been waiting for. Just don’t forget the waterproof mascara.
Find Surratt at Mecca Cosmetica
Find Chanel at Nordstrom
Find Glossier at Glossier.com