Only The BEST One & Done Eyeshadows- I’ve Tried Them All

I don't think that you need 20 minutes of blending or a 30 pan eyeshadow palette in order to get a really chic intentional eye look and that is when the one and done eyeshadow comes into play. So in today's video we are talking about single eyeshadows that when they go on they look like an entire look. They feel intentional and polished but they're also quite easy to work with and at the end of the day they're absolutely stunning. I have tried out a ton of single eyeshadows but but I really wanted to narrow it down in this video. I've done quite a few of these videos on my channel but not for a while so we have some new favorites here. Here are my rules. One, they have to look good on their own and they have to have enough contrast and definition to look like a full eye look so nothing too translucent. If they didn't have that contrast and definition they're out. Two, they need to be blendable and they have to be easy to work with. I don't care how gorgeous the eyeshadow is if it takes 20 minutes to blend to me it just does not work well as a one and done. And lastly, they can't be really heavy looking on the eyes and anything too drying, cakey, and awkward they're out. I'm not using them. Now the first category one and done's we are going to talk about today are the foolproof ones. These are kind of eyeshadows you genuinely cannot mess up so you know if I had to recommend any products especially for beginners these are definitely beginner friendly. And first up, we have what I think is a very classic product at this point which are the Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadows. If you are not familiar with these, these are essentially pressed glitter pigments. I like to call this kind of a very chic glitter pigment. Some glitters go really chunky and these have a refinement that other glitters I've tried just don't have. I've tried a lot of products like this and these have consistently been my favorite. I would say personally these are great one and done products for someone that wants dimension, you want some sparkle and glitz but you don't want anything too textured. You prefer something a little bit more smooth. They're really foolproof because they're so finely milled. You can pick them up with your finger and they really smooth out over the eye really easily. Like they have a beautiful reflection to them without a ton of fallout, without looking really heavy on the eyes and there are some glitters that are gorgeous but they start to kind of chunk up and weigh down the eyelids. These have a really beautiful balance of not doing that because they're so lightweight and refined. Now I've had a few different shade favorites in the past. I love the shade Smoke. It's a shade that I've used for years. Really good for someone that wants a gorgeous cool toned eye look. Again it's nice because it's not intense intense glitter and it has enough of a definition that you could kind of sheer it out for daytime or amp it up for night. So it also is a pretty versatile formula. I love the shade Vivid as well. It's this really really gorgeous green color and Ray I think is great for every day. If you're into an everyday sparkly eyeshadow look because it is a slightly deeper champagne it still gives you enough definition. You know there are some champagnes that won't give you enough of a definition to truly look like a cohesive dimensional eye look. I think there's a reason why a lot of people love these. They have been a favorite of mine for quite a while. Now let's talk about what is on my eyes today. People that have watched my channel for a long time might have been able to recognize it but these are the Rituel de Fille Ash and Ember eyes so it's but this shade in specific Half Light is one of my favorite products of all time. So this was actually one of the first kind of cream powder hybrid products I ever tried on my channel. They are essentially pigments mixed with an emollient so it applies like a powder but warms up on the skin like a cream and that finish is what makes this such a uniquely beautiful product definitely for someone that wants a shortcut for kind of that lived in look. It has this sooty satin kind of finish that looks so effortless not metallic or glittery but it's not completely matte. The dimension is incredible. It just kind of has this sultriness to it. They're very foolproof in my opinion because I can apply them straight with a finger and just press them on the eyes and get this really lovely again undone kind of look. They just are very flattering. I have never regretted putting them on and in fact when I go a while without using my Half Light from Ridgewell Diffie the next time I put it on I'm like never again. I don't know why I waited so long to use this again. Just consistently has been a favorite on my channel for a very long time which for my last foolproof option we have a really truly like a cult classic product at this point which is the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to mesmerize and specifically in the shade Oyster Pearl. This is a really gorgeous kind of putery slightly warm brown. The kind of luminosity leans to that puteriness and then the base has a slight warmth from the brown. It makes for an eye look that truly looks like you spent so much time on it. So dimensional but very appropriate for every day and this has the creamiest texture. It's a true cream texture. So so easily applies right on the eyes and it's not like the hourglass. It doesn't have sparkle to it. It's just more of a true luminosity but I feel like this is very like low risk. It's gonna look good and it's gonna look the same every time you wear it and I always go back and recommend really dependable products especially for someone that wants foolproof makeup because that is what makes it foolproof. That consistency. I will say that between Oyster Pearl and the Rich Well Diffie Half Light, these are two products that I have used for years and I have never once worn them and felt like they were an outdated product. They really have this kind of timelessness to them and that's why I really love them. Let's talk about one and done wet sparkly eyeshadows. A lot of you, as do I, love a wet look glitter and all I mean by that is that the reflection truly has that wet almost glossy effect to it rather than a metallic that is not quite as twinkling, not quite as reflective. I am very very picky when it comes to what I call wet look or what is a wet look eyeshadow. You guys will be surprised. I actually love a ton of wet look eyeshadows. I actually have quite a lot of new favorites but quite a lot of them are pretty translucent and they don't really make for a complete defined eye. So if you guys want me to do a separate video on just my updated favorite wet look eyeshadows, happy to do that. All of these eyeshadows give you that true full eyeshadow look. This was a product that I thought was going to be discontinued. I think it was like a holiday release and then bam it's back and it's from Charlotte These are the Hypnotic Pop Shots but I have tried all of them but the shade Smoky Quartz is one of the most beautiful eyeshadows I have ever seen in my life. It's really really lovely because it gives you a lot of kind of smoky brown slightly purpley impact. The shade is quite dimensional and more unique more nuanced than some other shades from other brands but the glitters within here are more of a cooler toned champagne. When you put it out onto the eye it is just the most glossy smoky eyeshadow. I would say something like the Hourglass isn't necessarily a wet look eyeshadow. They definitely lean more in the metallic realm though they're gorgeous. This will give you a little bit more of that glossy kind of reflection. So if you want a wet look eyeshadow just one shadow that you can apply all over blends really easily but it's going to give you like a full look. Probably something slightly more dramatic on someone with my skin tone. I think that I would personally go with the Hypnotic Pop Shot though I will say that mine broke and fell out of the pan so that is annoying. That is why a lot of these brands like Hourglass put the stopper into theirs because these formulas can be quite delicate. Next up we have a very very iconic product which is Space Cowboy from Urban Decay. Now just looking at it it might look like a shadow that wouldn't quite give you enough definition for a full one and done look but it actually has quite a strong kind of beige undertone so if you do lean more to the light fair region this is still going to give you enough base pigment to really give you a full wet effect but if you have more of a medium to deep skin tone this isn't going to be enough definition for you. But I think that this has kind of become like a cultural at least as far as beauty kind of a cultural beauty reference point because it is just one of the best wet look eyeshadows and I think really set the precedent for what can really truly give you that glossy effect without the eye gloss and this is a powder formula. It's quite thin and finely milled though I've heard from you guys that some of you guys have gotten some of these that are it's more dry. Mine it becomes so pressed down that it just feels like a very thin almost slightly plushy powder. I just take my finger in as you can see I use it quite a lot. I stick my finger into it I swipe it all over the lids and then I'm done. The product I'm super super familiar with I used to have like the OG Space Cowboy eyeshadow. This is really what started it all for me and for good reason. I would say best for someone that prefers a powder to a cream, wants a wet very subtle definition all over the eye and something that's really nice for every day but if you do decide to want to play into this with other eyeshadows it works really well as a layering product but alone as a one and done it's just a very soft definition. However I gotta say that probably one of the more affordable products in this video is Colourpop Ritz. Colourpop Ritz and Space Cowboy from Urban Decay very very similar. The only main difference is that this is a plushy putty texture and Space Cowboy again leans in that powder realm. I mean color wise I personally wonder if I would be able to tell the difference having both on my eyes. It's great for someone that wants a lot of wet impact with very very minimal effort. Also it's so affordable that's why a lot of people love the super sharp shadows from Colourpop. Personally for me out of all the shades I have tried this has been my number one favorite. And all of my other favorites Colourpop has discontinued. Colourpop you gotta give some people the time. Give us some time to fall in love. I wanted to show you guys up close what both look like on either side of my eye. So that is Space Cowboy. What I am noticing and I hadn't noticed it before I do think that Space Cowboy has more base pigment. So it's going to kind of function a little bit better if you want a true one and done. However I know that some of you do not prefer a warmer base pigment and this is warm. That is when I would say Ritz might be a better option for you because there's just a little bit less of that base pigment. But if we're talking about what's actually going to give you a little bit more definition it's probably going to be Space Cowboy. But those are what they both look like on the eyes back to back. So I hope that this is helpful. But yeah I would very very happily recommend the Colourpop or the one from Urban Decay. But I did want to recommend one more eyeshadow from Urban Decay which is Diamond Dog. And Diamond Dog is better suited for those of you with more of a medium to deep skin tone. It cools slightly cooler but it has this really cool grungy wet effect. It's almost like a cappuccino-y brown with these absolutely stunning stunning wet glitters throughout. And again Diamond Dog was an original shadow from the Urban Decay Moondust line and was one of the ones I used to have. I actually like this more. I think it's slightly different. It has way more wet glitters to it and it also has more base pigment. But it is absolutely one that I continue to love and recommend. And this is also more affordable and slightly less fragile than the one from Charlotte Tilbury. But personally I think that Asian Beauty does some absolutely incredible one and done eyeshadows. And specifically when we're talking about wet look eyeshadows, RMK is a brand that I recently discovered last year. I picked up this pink little wet glitter and I absolutely fell in love. So for any of you with a more low contrast maybe you're paler, fair, let's say even olive skin tones because I know some of you have said that products like Ritz and Space Cowboy they pull very beige and warm on you. This RMK single, it's insane. It looks glassy on the eyes and it does have a slightly more powdery like texture but it goes on so so smoothly. It really does feel refined. It feels more like an elegant wet glitter which if you are into wet glitter and you want the actual particles to be smaller, this is definitely a product probably for you. You want the wet glitter but you want it in more of an elegant kind of controlled way. RMK has absolutely absolutely killed it. Definitely not like thick and kind of overloaded the way that some other metallic-y sparkly shadows can be. I went on my dream trip to Japan last year and that is where I purchased it. I went up to their counter and just started swatching stuff. However, you can get it on YesStyle. I'll leave a link down below to where you can get it on YesStyle as well as the specific shade name because like many Asian beauty products usually when you look at it it's just a bunch of numbers and letters. But they do have names you just can very rarely find them on the actual packaging. Another brand that I love, I discovered these eyeshadows either last year or the year before. The Mono Shadows from Laka. Laka creates the most gorgeous wet glossy sparkles out of any k-beauty brand. Very very consistently. If you want some wet glitters that kind of have a buildable amount of base pigment, I would really highly recommend these. They're pretty similar and as far as the formulation to the general Moondust formula but again slightly more sheer. You have to build them up a little bit more. But I would say if you want a really gorgeous slightly very slightly smoky wet gloss glossy kind of look, the shade Liberty from Laka is stunning. Very similar to an old product I used to love which was the Natasha Denona Chroma Crystal Top Coat. Specifically in the shade Gray Brown. If you know, you know. If you don't, it doesn't matter because because to me this completely fills that void. It's glossy. It's kind of grungy. Really good for someone that likes to go slightly more brown cool toned. I'm sure a lot of you guys can tell by now I really like those looks. But I also love the shade Glory and Glory is more of a peach. So I would say this is going to be more of a soft kind of definition. So again more light to fair skin as far as the definition goes. Both are really really beautiful. Pretty affordable all things considered. I think I mean they have to be less than 10 bucks. And they are consistently ones that I recommend in all of my k-beauty roundups on my channel. If you guys aren't familiar with k-beauty I'm kind of an obsessed person with basically all Asian beauty. So definitely make sure to subscribe if you enjoy that. But I think a few of you might be sleeping on these. The Patrick Ta major dimension eyeshadows. Who are these for? They're for someone that doesn't mind spending a little bit more money because they're definitely more expensive. But they have high impact as far as the sparkle. These are for sparkly wet glossy glitter lovers that want the intensity. These really bring the intensity. Great for going out. Definitely not for the day in my at least for me. They just have the most molten kind of look. The shade still at the club is one of the most beautiful shades that I've ever used. And it's because it kind of leans into the purple brown wet glossy effect that I just haven't seen other brands completely do a shade like this. I do think that it is very unique. And even the gold even though we've seen wet looking golds like this, I have not tried another that looks this molten. And I've tried you know special shades from Pat McGrath which I think this formula is closest to. These are still shinier. They're more expensive. You know there are other products in this category I love just as much. These are just a very specific kind of look. Definitely someone that loves texture playing with really wet glossy sparkles. They want a really cool like going out look. Someone that kind of appreciates a unique texture. Really when you're deciding on which one of these you want, go with whatever you are looking for as far as like the glow you want. Do you want like a soft wet glossy look or do you really want the impact? So this next category I'm kind of calling like the satin elevated everyday eyeshadows. They might have like a touch of light reflection or luminosity but overall they just kind of give you this everyday polished looking eye look. We have Dior Beige Mitzah. This was a product that I tried years ago and to me again it still really stands the test of time. It is this gorgeous kind of chestnutty brown with more of a slightly metallic finish. It's refined. It's elegant. And Dior does metallics as far as their eyeshadows very differently than other brands. They're quite refined in my opinion and they're very smooth looking on the eyes. Some metallics go very flat and if you couldn't tell from like my whole spiel about wet looking eyeshadows, I don't like a flat metallic that kind of takes away and kind of dulls the look of the eyes. I really want definition that makes the eyes luminous and kind of reflective. So this really does that without necessarily a glitter. A similar vibe I would say to the Charlotte Tilbury Oyster Pearl which Oyster Pearl very easily could have been in this category. It's a bit warmer than Oyster Pearl. I've just loved it for quite a while and I think it's going to be a really easy product because one it's a single powder so you can kind of super, super easily travel with this. A newer favorite to me and actually a product that blew my mind last year were the Mermaid Eye Colors from Chantecaille. But specifically the lucent eyeshadow, the lucent finish in the shade Starfish is incredible. Brands just do not come out with shades like this I have found. It is a gorgeous kind of purpley pink mink. It's not straight pink though and it's not straight purple. Those are the shades that I really tend to obsess over. These really dimensional luxurious looking shades. And I think it's really for someone that wants a very soft kind of satin skin finish to their makeup products. The formulation is similar. I could see similarities between the Chantecaille and the Rituel They just sit really closely on the eyes and they look so softly sultry. But you could absolutely use just a fluffy brush with these and do a light layer on the eyes and get something really subtle and just perfect for every day. You could absolutely amp them up as well. It's very versatile in the actual finish and they just apply so, so beautifully. A lot of people talk about a lot of different products from Chantecaille and when I tried Starfish I was just like why is this the first time I'm hearing about this? Because it truly has become one of my favorite single eyeshadows and these days I'm definitely leaning more towards a soft kind of glowing satin. So it's not metallic not like completely satin. That kind of middle ground and this absolutely does that for me. If you do prefer though a texture that is slightly creamier rather than a pressed pigment or a powder like the Chantecaille and your Decorate. This is a Japanese brand and they have a really, really interesting texture. They're more similar to something like the Colourpop Super Shock eyeshadows but a little bit creamier and they have some absolutely beautiful, beautiful satin shades. This shade in particular Autumn Dazzle is lovely and they apply really, really easily. So again if you're just looking for that quick one and done that is going to give you that really soft satin look. Almost it just blends so easily there's just no way that this is not going to blend well. If you are into that kind of look I think that you will absolutely love this and they are carried now at Ulta which I just did not see coming because it just is a brand that not a lot of people talk about. I would say even a good product for someone that likes the idea of the eyes to mesmerize from Charlotte Tilbury but you want something slightly thinner because this is plushy, it's very creamy but it's not like a mousse true cream the way that the Charlotte Tilbury is. It has a little bit of versatility to it but very, very similar in the finish. A one and done eyeshadow that I found in Japan last year similar vibe to the RMK because it is just like a true single shadow which by the way that is super, super popular especially in Japan to just come out with singles that you kind of build your own palette which you know kind of used to be a thing I would say like in the 2000s like that kind of heyday of MAC. You know a lot of people were building their own MAC palettes when I went to Japan and Korea that was definitely a big thing there. So this is the shade I think it's Cassis I think it's like Cassis Bon Bon. I tried to look up the shade earlier because RD 532 again it's just you guys are just like all right it's RD 532 but this is such a lovely, lovely texture and formula. It is from Shiseido but it's from their Maquillage line which I didn't realize when I was buying that this was a Shiseido product but if you want something very smooth, very balanced, very finely milled, kind of understated but really reliable this is definitely an eyeshadow that I would recommend and again it does come with this closure so you could very easily travel with this. I just find the texture so lovely because it has this overall smoothness and a glide. You know inexpensive makeup in Asia does not lack the quality that some some inexpensive makeup here has. I could really see a lot of you guys enjoying this. In this shade you can build it up to get a little bit more of the purple note. I would say if you have like two layers of this you're going to get a little bit more purple but if you kind of wash this out the way I did in the demo it actually is quite warm and that's what makes shades like this so cool, really unique, very very good for green eyes and brown eyes by the way. I just found that my eyes really popped with this color like every time I wear it I'm like whoa really cool formula and again it does have a slight kind of sparkle to it but it doesn't really translate on the eyes. The best matte one and done eyeshadows. I love an all matte eyeshadow look but I don't want it to look dry I don't want it to look cakey like I mentioned earlier. One of my favorite favorite recommendations to give are the liquid silks from Lisa Eldridge. If you want a matte look that you truly just swipe on blend out and it just looks good all day every single time these are just absolutely beautiful. By the way I actually love the the liquid lurex from Lisa Eldridge as well. I probably very could have easily included one of those in the wet look eyeshadow portion of this video. I digress but these liquid silks are stunning. BB is often what I'm using if I just want a very subtle definition but I've used a lot of the shades. Every shade I've used is gorgeous. I would just pick a shade that really stings on your eyes whether it's your eye color or how much definition you like to go for on an everyday basis. I can pretty consistently across the board recommend those shades that I've tried they're just stunning and I like that they're very smoothing and easy to blend. I have tried I can't even tell you guys how many liquid shadows I've tried I don't recommend liquid shadows lightly because I so often hate them. These are stunning they're very very good you know better I would say than the makeup by Mario Nu formula that he came out with the liquid shadows. I think that these are better they're just smoother looking. If you want super budge proof and you prefer something that's like a putty I would say the merit solo eyeshadows. I have played around a little bit with their new formula the like luminous ones. I haven't really been a fan every time I've tried them but I really still do love the matte ones and because it just gives you this kind of dependable matte definition. They're very very budge proof they're soft and wearable but you could get really intense pigment if you want it as well so they're a versatile product. I like the shade Vachetta as well as Studio. Vachetta if you love kind of a mustardy kind of camel shade you're gonna love that one or if you do like something more like pink you know I think an olive skin tone like a pale olive skin tone would really look great in this or even like pale cool. Those two shades specifically give me a really beautiful one and done look for my skin tone and then Sylvie the mermaid I'm matte from Chantecaille. This is pretty similar to Vachetta from Merit. You know looking back at when I've applied them they kind of fill the same needs that I have so you don't need both. I would say go with the Merit if you want really intense longevity and something that is matte matte it's almost like a MAC Paint Pot eye base kind of product. If you want that I would go with the Merit but if you want something a little silkier more like a powder matte I would go with Sylvie and I think that specifically possibly for more dry mature eyelids I could see you liking this formula more and it just I'll tell you what it really looks like nothing when you swatch it it looks like nothing in here but then it goes onto the eyes and I'm like whoa it is one of the most effortless looking eye looks. It just is it's just everyday chic and it has completely become an everyday product for me. If I want more definition I'll go with Starfish and if I want more of that matte kind of just less defined look then I'll go with Sylvie. Both together are gorgeous but that's not what this video is about. And finally this section is about one and done eyeshadows that I think could replace an entire palette. I wanted to include this section because I think some people want a formula that can kind of function the same way a palette might or offer definition and flexibility. This product very easily could have been in the wet looking eyeshadow category but I wanted to recommend this because if you are not familiar with my channel my kind of classic go-to look is a very soft wing with one color on my eyes that's exactly what I'm wearing today. Rituals if you have light and then a very very small wing. This is all in one and it's from About Face. It's their shimmer stick. I think that this is so good but I use it in a specific way so all over the eyes I take the shimmery wet glossy brown and I put it all over my eyes and this shade alone is better than so many shades like it. I'm gonna tell you guys I think I prefer this even to Diamond Dog from Urban Decay though this is still a product that I've only been using for a month so I still want to test this out before I'm like this is holy grail status you know what I mean? So so good and you just kind of take this little sponge applicator you stick it into the pigment cap so don't lose this cap use it to just glide on the eyes it's really really easy for every day and then you can take your finger and just kind of tap the wet glossy brown all over your eyes but then you have the dark brown cream on the other end and I think that this works best as a liner. This is a liner formula in my opinion. I wouldn't use this all over the eyes because it's too dry to be used that way in my opinion so this replaces an entire palette for me because I have my winged liner on one side and then I have the wet glossy one and done all over the eyes on this side so it's a great product and About Face is pretty affordable. I also love their liquid matte shadows as well. I'm sure some of you guys have been like Amanda you're not mentioning Victoria Beckham and that was very specific because I think that these are definitely geared towards someone that uses makeup quite a lot like I don't think that this is the most beginner friendly product that's why I think like Hourglass is way more of a foolproof kind of product but the lid lusters I think do offer a little bit more variety because there's so much more base pigment they're way creamier so you can kind of really really build them up or sheer them out more easily and that's why I think they kind of replace an entire palette one because each shade that I've tried looks like a true one and done the glitters and the definition really complement each other beautifully you know this shade velvet I know I like the shade vivid from Hourglass but this shade of velvet I like even more from Victoria Beckham but it is chunkier it is more impactful but they are gorgeous they're so so stunning it's this gorgeous green gold that I think will also work on more skin tones because the pigment can be built up it just gives so much definition and glitter just in one swipe and mink is a product that I've loved for a very very long time since I bought it and that is a really gorgeous smoky grungy shade that again if you like more impact if you want something that you can sheer out really softly or get the most intense of intense wet glossy smoky eye that is definitely a product I think you will be happy with I've talked about this before but I don't think that you necessarily need all of these products that are all very similar shades the way that I do I would just stick with a formula and a finish that you think is going to work best for you that kind of hits the price range that you're after Victoria Beckham is very luxurious I think you could again very easily get a pretty similar look with like the about face but I appreciate the colors I appreciate the artistry I'm just a big fan of Victoria Beckham also packaging isn't everything but when you have packaging that beautiful dang it's hard to not notice it and not feel it like brands like Shantakai are giving us this like plastic package granted good for travel but Victoria Beckham is the only one with this gorgeous kind of tortoise shell glass packaging now I thought that this section in particular would be helpful for those of you that when there's so many options you just want them narrowed down for you I definitely understand if you're overwhelmed you don't need every eyeshadow in this video far from it if you want a safe place to start this is what I would recommend number one again it's what is on my eyes half light from Ritual De Fille I just think that this is a crowd pleaser as far as the shade to me it's a classic and I love that it goes on similar to a powder so it goes on really easily like a powder but it kind of has that gorgeous creamy quality that a cream would have so it kind of feels like the best of both worlds in a lot of ways I have just consistently for years absolutely loved it and I think a kind of color in this range if you are my skin tone is the perfect amount of definition without it being like a full smoky eye if that makes sense it's every day but like elevated you don't even have to think about it it's just gonna always look good and I would say for a wet looking one and done eyeshadow you could really easily just go with Ritz for an affordable option Ritz is just as good as Space Cowboy I do tend to reach for Space Cowboy more just because I like the feel and the finger a little bit more this is slightly thicker but other than that again there's not much of a difference I just have a feeling that if there are still some of you that haven't tried it yet you will really really enjoy it and I again like that it is affordable you can very easily find it at and lastly again I have to give it to Chantecaille whether you go with like Sylvie which is one of the mattes or Starfish which has more luminosity just really really easy to use to me again I mentioned this before I am going for more of a satin look quite often that kind of sooty sultry that really soft definition that again just looks like a full perfectly blended eyeshadow look that took literally 30 seconds and Chantecaille has been able to create a formula that is really smooth and colors that are very unique so I've linked every product that I talked about down below by category to just make everything easier for you guys I just want this to be helpful so that you guys can find the product that is truly going to work best for the color selection you like and your lifestyle if you found it helpful definitely make sure to give this video a thumbs up let me know down below what your favorite one and done eyeshadow is especially if you think there's one that you think I should try thank you guys again and I will see you in my next one