An affordable alternative to high-end cream metallic eyeshadow
By Lauren Kelly, Graphics Editor
Last year, I picked up a tube of Stila’s Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow after a friend’s recommendation. The product is a cream eyeshadow with a doe foot applicator that is highly pigmented, metallic, and glittery. I really loved the shade I got, but at $31 each I never went back for more. Luckily, I recently spotted a product on Essence’s display that seemed very similar, for one-sixth of the price—Essence’s Metal Shock Eyeshadow.
The product itself is incredibly similar to Stila’s, with the primary difference being that there is less chunky glitter in Essence’s version. I picked it up in Stars & Stories, which is a super-wearable pinkish brown. The metallic look is pronounced if you use a lot, but you can tone it down to look more like a sparkly eyeshadow as well. I’ve worn it for a few days with different eye looks, and it has lasted the full day with no primer. With or without eyeliner, the shadow held its own and drew me compliments. It will definitely be a go-to for me on days when I have less time for powder eyeshadow—especially since there’s no sparkle fallout!—but still want a more dramatic eye look.
I will admit that I went with the safest colour, but for those of you who like to mix it up a bit more and aim for the dramatic, they have some good options. Solar Explosion and Moon Dust are gold and silver respectively, Galaxy Rocks is a dark gunmetal, Total Eclipse is a deep purple, Supernova is dark teal, and 1 Second to Mars is a vivid peachy pink. This is another area where Stila and Essence diverge; Stila’s range is larger, but made mostly of various pinks and browns, while Essence’s range is more limited but still more varied. It all depends on the sort of makeup looks you go for.
Essence’s Metal Shock Eyeshadows are $5.49 each, and you can buy them at Shoppers Drug Mart and online. If Stila’s offering sounds more up your alley, it’s a great product as well, but be warned—most Sephoras don’t carry it, so do your research before setting out. Whatever you choose, I’m sure you’ll fall for metallic eyeshadows like I have!
