Glossier's liquid eyeshadow is completely effortless to use and it blends out to a sheer wash of color on the lids

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• Glossier Skywash is a one-step matte liquid eyeshadow that blends out to a sheer wash of color on the lids.
• It's available in seven shades inspired by Southwestern sunsets.

Eyeshadow is my thing. I've always loved playing with color on my lids, even before I started using other makeup like bronzer, blush, and lipstick on a regular basis. But lately, I've been gravitating toward a simplified look of just one or two shades blended across the lid.

Glossier's first eyeshadow launch, Lidstar, debuted two years ago on the 2018 Oscars red carpet and quickly became a staple of my makeup collection. In February, the brand announced a second eye product, Skywash. The brand sent me the full range a few days before it became available to buy and I've been testing them out ever since.

Like Lidstar, these are liquid shadows that are best applied directly to the lid via the doe-foot applicator and blended out with a fingertip or brush to deposit a sheer wash of color. Unlike Lidstar, these are completely matte. The seven shades are inspired by the sunsets of the American Southwest — think pool blue, burnt sienna, and terracotta. The selection is mostly neutral with a few pops of color.

Keep in mind that you will not get a super opaque look with these, even if you build the color. I find that one or two layers tends to be the sweet spot, otherwise you might experience some areas of patchy application. If you do apply more for increased pigmentation, be sure to let each layer dry in between.

I apply a bit to the lid straight from the doe-foot, blend in sweeping motions with a clean finger, and let it sit for 10-15 seconds before adding more. You can use a fluffy brush in the crease, but I find that blending with my fingers gives me a smoother application and more control over where the color ends up.

One reviewer on the Glossier website says Skywash is "so lovely but definitely a little learning curve with some colors." I agree that these are really easy to use once you get used to the formula, which dries down to a powdery finish that does not budge. You just need to work quickly and have a plan for placing the colors before you apply. Matte eyeshadows in palettes tend to work really well in the crease or to blend out more intense shimmer shades, but it wasn't until I discovered Skywash that I realized how beautiful and effortless they could be all over the lid.

These shadows blend much more smoothly than other mattes I've tried and don't require a primer to last all day long without creasing (at least not on my not-super-oily eyelids).

The bottom line

Glossier Skywash simplifies the eyeshadow process and makes matte lids so effortless and cool. There might be a bit of a learning curve with some of the shades — I've seen the most complaints about Pool and Lawn, the blue and green from the range, though I've used and loved both — but once you get the hang of it these shadows take two seconds to blend and don't require any additional tools.