Eyeshadow finishes are available in matte, shimmer, glitter, and so much more! What's even more exciting to me is that mature eyes can wear more finishes than just "matte". Our shade options with matte finishes are somewhat limited, and matte eyeshadow can be challenging to blend. Women over 50 tend to stick with matte despite these challenges because the alternative, shimmery finishes, can emphasize the crepey texture of our eyelids. So what's a girl to do when she wants some pizzazz? That's what we will discuss in this week's blog. You can wear more than matte, and I will show you how!

Did you catch my previous blog, 12 Simple Eyeshadow Application Tips? 

Eyeshadow Finishes for Mature Eyes - so much more than matte!

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Eyeshadow Finishes

The "finish" of your eyeshadow is the amount of reflection coming from tiny mica pieces of differing sizes. 

Finishes can be any of the following:

• mate - no shimmer at all

• shimmer - some reflection

• satin - a combination of matter and shimmer

• frost/pearl - mostly opaque with lots of reflection

• metallic - even more reflection

• glitter - the most reflection

• matte with glitter - a matte base with glitter over it

More about Matte - 

A matte finish is similar to flat paint. There is no reflection at all coming from mica or anything else! Matte shades often have a lot of pigment, which can actually make them a little more challenging to blend. (Here's a beauty hack to know if your matte shadow will blend well or not! Rub your finger in the sample pan and if the eyeshadow tranfers easily to your finger, it will likely blend well.)

Matte is the finish most often recommended for women with aging, textured eyelids. The smooth finish does not accentuate crepeyness in the eyelid area. 

*I have some of my favorite matte palettes listed at the end of the blog!

More about Shimmer - 

Shimmer is extremely popular for lots of reasons! Tiny mica pieces reflect the light for a subtle glow. Shimmery eyeshadows are usually easier to blend and come in a huge variety of shades. 

Traditionally, women with mature eyes are told to stay away from shimmer because the mica gathers in the crepey eyelid grooves and draws attention to the area. 

A blend of the two - Satin!

I recently got an eyeshadow quad from F.A.R.A.H. and decided to try the shimmery highlight shade. It is a gorgeous champagne color and I was thrilled that it applies very smoothly, much like a matte shade. The shimmer was very subtle, almost unnoticeable unless light was directly on my lids. 

I wore it all day and filmed a video while wearning this amazing mix of matte and shimmer. I thought it looked amazing! What was happening?!!

As I read more about eyeshadow finishes, I discovered that a satin finish is actually a combination of matte and shimmer that is very "wearable" for just about everyone, regardless of age! Yay!!!

F.A.R.A.H. eyeshadow quad in Sugarplum is only available on the F.A.R.A.H. website.

F.A.R.A.H. eyeshadow quad in Sugar Plum

And a few more options...

If you love some drama with your eyemakeup, then these finishes are for you: pearl (also called "frost), metallic, glitter, and matte with glitter,

Keep in mind that using an eye primer and clean makeup brushes will help any finish look better! (Have you read 8 Reasons Why Your Eye Makeup Looks Muddy?) However you may want to skip the brush altogether when applying extremely shimmery or glittery shades. Often times, the best way to apply them is by using your middle finger, patting the shadow onto your lid. 

Favorite Matte Palettes

I mention in the video that I only used matte eyeshadow for many years and so I've got a few favorite palettes that I would like to share with anyone searching for some new matte shades!

Tartelette™ Amazonian clay matte palette

SmashBox Cover Shot Eye Palette in matte

Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Eye Palette

Mary Kay Chromafusion eyeshadow, matte

Wrap Up

I, for one, am super excited to know that I have more options than just a matte finish that will flatter my eyes and I can't wait to try more satin finishes! Let me know in the comments what your current faves are!