This article originally appeared on InStyle.
Confession: I’m a beauty writer and I’m scared of wearing eyeshadow. Although part of the job is testing the latest products and treatments to report on them, on the daily, you’ll never find an eyeshadow pot, quad, or palette in my makeup bag on on my eyelids.
I may not completely be able to resist a new eyeshadow palette’s siren call, but the only skin on my body that any of the Urban Decay Naked palettes has touched is the back of my hand when I swatch the shades. Sure, the pigmented colors look great when I move my hand back and forth so they catch the light, but I would get a tattoo over wearing eyeshadow (and needles are my other great fear).
My shadow phobia started after spending eight grade through my senior year of high school wearing a metallic, lavender Maybelline shade on my lids and lower lash line. I had an “ah ha” moment when I received my graduation photos. It was then that I realized I spent my formative teen years wearing horrible makeup. The actual shadow shade? Goregous. My application? Completely unflattering for my eye shape. Since then, I’ve been drawing on a cat-flick with black liquid eyeliner and haven’t looked back.
Today, I’m still tattoo-less (you’re welcome mom), but I’m finally ready to conquer my more irrational fear, and fill the makeup void that I’m missing in my routine.
Here, I’ve rounded up five eyeshadows I’ve tried throughout my journey that are perfect if you hate wearing eyeshadow.
