I was a late bloomer when it came to wearing makeup. All through high school I took pride in the fact that I only needed mascara and lip gloss to pull myself together (*Internally rolling my eyes*). It wasn't until college that I really started to have fun with makeup and spent hours on Youtube trying to perfect my wing eyeliner and crease cut. 

These days I still have an appreciation for a full beat but my day to day makeup is usually pretty simple. Since COVID and the need to wear masks 24/7 having a simple but impactful eye look has been my mission. If you are like me and I don’t want to fool around with multiple eyeshadows for your everyday makeup look check out my top 4 one and done eyeshadows.

Chanel - ILLUSION D'OMBRE New Moon

It took me a few years to actually pull the trigger on this shadow. It is definitely on the higher end of my budget at $36 USD, but lust did eventually get the best of me and I made the order. From packaging to formula this shadow delivers when it comes to luxury. 

Chanel describes the formula as an “innovative gel texture that is both supple & cushiony”. And they nailed the copy with this product because that is exactly what this shadow is. Even though this product has been on the market since 2014 I have never found another formula both high or low to compare to the texture and feel of these shadows. They truly are a dream to work with. 

Now let’s chat about color. New Moon is a medium warm toned brown with a spectacular glitter finish. Now typically I am not a fan of glitter but trust me when I tell you Chanel really knows how to elevate something I once thought I hated. The glitter is not chunky or irritating. While you can see the glitter when it's on it looks more like a delicious shimmer. 

The product is best applied with your finger which allows you to build up the color pay off but Overall the formula is quite sheer. I believe that is what makes it so wearable for everyday use. It has enough dimension with the warm brown undertone and shimmer to be a complete look but is sheer enough to to still read daytime when worn on its own. If you want to wear this at night this would make an excellent topper for a sexy brown smokey eye.  

L'OREAL - Infallible 24 Hr Eyeshadow Amber Rush 

If I had to choose just one shadow to wear everyday it would be L'OREAL Amber Rush. Depending on where you are buying, this eyeshadow will set you back anywhere between $5-$8 and holds about 0.12 oz which makes this the MVP when it comes to ROI. Now the price is just a bonus because this shadow would still be my number one choice even if it was double the price. 

The reason this drugstore eyeshadow has become holy grail and beats even my luxe shadows is because the shade is really the ultimate one and done shadow. I would describe it as a warm toned rosy amber shade with a metallic finish that is not overpowering. Compared to all the other shades on this list, this one reads the most daytime but still gives the most interest in my opinion. I always receive compliments when I wear this shadow because of its unique pigment. 

L'OREAL describes it as a powder to cream formula. I don't necessarily think it gets creamy but the formula is extremely easy to work with. It glides on the eyelid effortlessly and never looks chalky. You can apply with a brush but what makes this such a winner is that it even looks good with just finger application. It claims to have a 24 HR wear time, I have never tested this but I have never had any problems with fading with or without primer. 

Price, Color, and Formula makes this the overall winner. If I had to recommend just one product for a one and done eyeshadow look it would be L’OREAL Amber Rush hands down. Go buy it seriously you will not regret this!

Hourglass - Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow Smoke 

I don’t know how you survived COVID confinement but I spend an unhealthy amount of time watching makeup tutorials on Youtube and then spending lots of money I didn’t have on products to recreate these looks that I couldn’t wear anywhere besides the comfort of my living room couch. 

Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadow in Smoke is one of the purchases from my COVID induced depressive episode. Now that I get it all out on paper this 2020 association, maybe why I don’t reach for this as much as I should? Okay I will leave the rest of my mental health pondering for my therapist and get into the review now. 

Smoke is a warmed toned taupe with a high shine metallic finish. It's a pressed powder shadow that becomes creamy and is very easy to apply. This formula builds up effortlessly so you can go from sheer wash of color to more opaque metallic in just a few swipes. A brush or finger works well. The color is very flattering and adds the right amount of pop to a daytime look without going too far.

The product retails for $29 and if I’m honest I don’t think it completely lives up to the price tag only because in terms of formula and color there isn’t anything truly unique about it. That said it is a very lovely eyeshadow and if you are wanting to purchase I think you will enjoy it but don’t expect anything earth shattering. I don’t know, maybe take that with a grain of salt as I seem to have some unresolved trauma associated with the products. 

Thrive Causemetics - Eye Brightener Muna 

I have a love-hate relationship with the Thrive Eye Brightener in Muna. I can’t deny that it has become a part of my go-to everyday makeup routine, but that has everything to with the packaging and ease of application, and let's be honest here your girl is lazy so that does add more than a few points. It has a cream to powder formula that glides on the skin gently and can give you a sheer wash of color with one glide or can be built up to a more opaque coverage with 3 swipes. 

Now let's talk color. The reason I always come back to this product is because Muna truly is the ultimate one and done eyeshadow shade. As soon as I saw the shade swatch in an ad I purchased it immediately. The color just spoke to me! It's described as a mauve taupe with a glitter undertone. Of all the other products on this list this shade has the most dimension on its own. The mauve and taupe pigments combined with just the right amount of sparkle really does brighten your eyes and gives you a complete look… For a few hours at least. 

My biggest gripe with this formula is that it is not long lasting and fades really quickly. Even when you build up the product to its highest coverage it fades and creases within a few hours on my oily lids with or without primer. With a $24 price tag I’m not super impressed with its staying power or lack thereof in my case.

Overall its a beautiful shade maybe the perfect one and done eyeshadow look with a perfect underwhelming formula.