You know when you fall in love with a book or a show, so you suggest (or, let’s be real, pressure) your friends and family to get into it, too? You lend them the book or send them the Amazon link. You constantly bring up the show or offer to watch it with them. You do pretty much anything to get them on board. Yeah, that’s what I do when I find a beauty product I’m really, really, really into.
There are a few products I have a history of doing this with, including Peach & Lily’s Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream, which just so happens to be one of my favorite moisturizers ever, and Chanel’s No. 1 de Chanel Revitalizing Foundation ($70), which gives me a my-skin-but-better look. But I digress. The latest product to ensnare me is kind of a surprise, even for me. It’s a high-impact shimmer that creates the most beautiful effect on the eyes (or anywhere you apply it). It comes in three shades. As soon as I got my hands on the first one, I ran back to Sephora to buy the second. When I got that shade home, I had to go back again the next day to get the third. I just couldn’t help myself.
On the final trip to Sephora, I dragged two of my friends along with me. While standing in front of the product, I was swiping all three shades on my arm to show them how stunning the shimmer effect really was. A fellow Sephora shopper overheard me and asked to see the swatches. Before I knew it, I had three strangers gathered around my arm, twisting and turning it to see the twinkle of each swatch under the fluorescent lights. Yes, that’s right—I basically cosplayed a Sephora employee and convinced three strangers to buy the product. (One of them bought it to wear on her wedding day.) It’s that good. Keep scrolling to see which product it is and learn why it’s one of my favorite makeup products ever to exist.
Here it is—the Makeup by Mario Master Crystal Reflector. While it might not look like much from the product image, it’s stunning in real life. It has a finely milled wet-look shimmer that’s unlike any other eye shadow or highlighter I’ve ever tried.
This is the first shade I bought since, lately, I’ve been a sucker for the Y2K-inspired resurgence of frosty eye shadows. It’s also worth noting that I was planning on wearing this over the holidays, so I wanted to go for the icy color first, even though I wouldn’t normally go for a cool-toned color. (My daily makeup routine involves warmer-toned brown and taupe colors.)
As you can see from this picture, it’s not extremely bold. (Although, it is buildable.) Instead, it gives my eyelids a subtle sheen that catches and reflects light. It basically gives me the look of an eye gloss without any, well, gloss.
As I said, I was planning on wearing it over the holidays, so once I got home with the frosty white shade, I knew I had to go back for the yellow-gold one. And just like the former, this one doesn’t result in high-impact color—just a nice yellow-gold sheen. I was instantly obsessed.
While you can definitely see the gold, it doesn’t offer the same color payoff as a traditional eye shadow, but that’s what I like about it. Instead, it’s like a subtle icing of gold-toned radiance.
Here is the third and final shade I went back for (and the one that spurred the infamous Sephora exchange). Even though I purchased this one last, it’s ironically the one I wear most often because of my aforementioned daily makeup routine that’s full of similar warm-toned shades.
In real life, the bronze shade is so flattering, as it almost gives my eyes a sunkissed effect. I layer it over a taupe eye shadow base, add a couple of coats of mascara and a swipe or two of bronzer, and I look like I just got back from an extended beach vacation.
To be honest, these pictures don’t even do them justice. I promise if you swatch one on your skin, you’ll see the incredible gleam and twinkle I’m talking about. It’s why ever since buying them, I go out of my way to wear them—either using them as a subtle wash all over my lids, as a shimmer topcoat to other eye shadows, just as an inner-corner highlight, or as a brow-bone highlight. You could also use them as you would a traditional highlighter. As for me, I just pray that they never get discontinued or go out of stock. And because I can’t keep them to myself if I tried, I will continue to preach about them to family, friends, and strangers at Sephora.
Fun fact: I’m also fully obsessed with this product. This shade, Space Cowboy, is my favorite.
This icy pink is so trendy.
Okay, so this technically has a metallic finish, but it’s kind of the same thing, right? It is to me at least.
I love a silver shimmer.
This product is as affordable as it is eye-catching.
I love the shimmering brown color of this eyeshadow.
This product gives a similar effect to the Makeup by Mario product.
I’ve been a longtime fan of Bodyography’s Glitter Pigments. They’re more shimmery than they are glittery.
These shimmery eye shadows are so cute and so convenient for layering.
I want—no, need—this midnight-blue shimmer. It’s giving New Year’s Eve vibes, no?
Rose gold is such an underrated eye shadow color.
A classic gold shimmer will never go out of style.
Next, 2023’s Color of the Year Is Viva Magenta—Here Are 15 Matching Beauty Products
