There are so many choices when it comes to picking an eyeshadow. Before you start thinking about colors and shades, you should know about the types of eyeshadows as you have to pick a type that you can easily work with. Eyeshadows can come in palettes, tubes, pots, and boxes. You will need to pick a style and formulation that you can work with.

Pigment eyeshadow
Pigment powders are the hardest to handle, they are mainly used by professional makeup artists. They are vivid and vibrant, and you can create dramatic effects with them. Some brands now offer pressed pigments in pots, which might be a bit easier to use than loose pigment. But pigments can be unsuitable for people with dry skin.

Liquid eyeshadow
These are in liquid form and may come in bottles or tubes. They provide intense coloring. You can blend different shades, but you need to be quick, as it tends to dry easily. You can use a liquid eyeshadow as a base while using another form of eyeshadow to blend over it.

Cream eyeshadow
Cream eyeshadows can be strongly pigmented. They are easier to blend and use than liquid formulations and do not dry out as quickly. They come packed in pots, are long-lasting and can be easily applied using your fingertips and brushes. Cream eyeshadows come in different finishes – metallic, shiny, pearlescent, and matte. They may also be used as a base to hold powder eyeshadows for longer periods. They can lead to creases and streaks if you have oily skin.

Pressed powder eyeshadow
These are the most commonly used form of eyeshadow, and they can be used even by a novice. They come in palettes of varying colors. Pressed powder eye shadows are easy to apply with fingers or with brushes, and they are easy to blend. They come in compact packages and are the best options for travel. However, you need to use a primer to help them stay on for longer periods. They suit all skin types and come with a variety of finishes – shiny, glimmer, metallic, satin, and matte.

Stick eyeshadow
Probably the easiest to use, these come in the form of long twist-up sticks or as pencils that may need to be sharpened. They are a mix of cream and wax and are easy to blend. You can use thick-tipped sticks to cover your eyelids and tapered tips or pencil tips to give color to the eyelid edges and the crease. They can be layered and blended to create different effects. But, they tend to crease if you have oily skin.

Choose the type of eyeshadow that you are confident of handling. Analyze whether you can handle loose powders and pigments or you need more easy options like creams, sticks or pressed powders. Don’t go for pigment or liquid shades if you are a novice, and begin with powder or stick eyeshadows. Move on to liquids and pigments as you get familiar with using the product.