When getting up in the morning, the last thing on your mind is figuring out what makeup to wear to the office. Between snoozing alarms and choosing your attire, putting together a quick makeup look can be challenging. Especially when it comes to your eyeshadow office look. You’re opting for natural, everyday glam but the over selection of colors in your palette doesn’t always offer the appropriate selection.
If you’re looking to narrow down your eye look or to spare a few minutes in the morning, the key is single eyeshadows. The beauty of a single eyeshadow is its easy use and a single swipe of color that creates a cohesive yet clean look. It doesn’t require much effort to make an eye-look with a single eyeshadow, but the key to applying it correctly is your primer and brush.
Most options out there will promise long hour wear, but the purpose of the primer will create a smooth base for your eyeshadow. My suggestions for primer will either be Urban Decay Primer Potion or Nars Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow. After base, add a light layer of setting powder. Another tip for a smooth eyeshadow stick application is the right blending brush. A great recommendation would be Sephora Pro Shadow Brush #14.
In terms of color, there will be eyeshadow shades that will suit each individual skin-tone. Fairer skin tones would be best suited with ivory and beiges. Olive and medium skin tone skin tones should lean towards bronze and brown eyeshadows. Darker skin tones will be complemented with bronze and gold shades.
But what are the best options out there you may ask? Here are my top eyeshadows for the office.
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In The Article
Here Are The Best Eyeshadows For Office Looks
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Matte Eyeshadow
If you’re looking for a long-wearing matte eyeshadow, this is the one for you. Rich in pigment and long-lasting, this will wear beautifully throughout the day. Its formulation includes hyaluronic acid for hydration and high color payoff. My suggestion in color for this eyeshadow is Caramel. This neutral brown suits a variety of eye colors, ranging from green to blue to even brown eyes.
A quick eye look for the office with this eyeshadow involves applying the product all over the lid and taking your favorite black eyeshadow. Take a small angled brush and lightly tap in the black eyeshadow. You can create a soft black wing, drawing the line with the brush as you would with an eyeshadow pencil. However, it is much quicker and softer looking!
Key Ingredients
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Rich Color Pigments
- Raspberry Stem Cells
Rare Beauty All Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick
Looking for a subtle shimmer without it appearing glittery? This eyeshadow stick by Rare Beauty gives you the perfect amount of shine. The super creamy formula glides on the lid effortlessly but promises a creaseless formulation. It’s multidimensional in both color and usage. The pointed tip is great for highlighting the inner corners as well as adding neat application. Another bonus, this shadow is water-resistant! The shade Well-Being is the prettiest hue of pink with brown undertones, appropriate for your office day look.
Key Ingredients
- Trisiloxane
- Dimethicone
- Octyldodecanol
Bobby Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow
A product that promises what it is named after, this will be your long-lasting eyeshadow for the office. Its creamy formula complements all skin tones and skin types, without a sight of dryness that tends to tug the eyelid. The smooth texture does not sacrifice longevity, lasting as long as 24 hours. With a large selection of colors to choose from, you can choose between soft shimmers to buttery matte finishes. Dusty Mauve is a personal favorite. Its unique lavender color pulls differently on multiple skin tones, highlighting more purple or brown but still suitable for your work day.
Key Features
- Cyclopentasiloxane
- Trimethylsiloxysilicate
- Polyethylene
Charlotte Tilbury's Eyes To Mesmerize
A splurge to your makeup collection but a stunner on its own is exactly how I would describe this eyeshadow. This Charlotte Tilbury cream eyeshadow gives a foil yet smooth effect to your eye. The option is best for those who are looking to elevate their office look without creating much effort. Vitamin E is a key ingredient that helps to condition the eyelid, but also glide effortlessly over lines and/or mature skin. Chocolate Bronze is a subdued brown mauve, that especially highlights green eyes. Not glittery or too dark, the color is sure to make a statement without loud distractions.
Key Ingredients
- Cyclopentasiloxane
- Aqua/Water/Eau
- Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil All-In-One Eyeshadow Eyeliner Pencil
Affordable with the formulation of a high-end product. The brand itself never fails, and this eyeshadow stick has high-level performance with a low price tag. Its formulation is creamy to glide across the lid easily, but firm enough to be sharpened again as needed. With this added formulation feature, this sharpened shape can be placed in the waterline and inner corner. NYX has a huge array of colors, which includes appropriate eyeshadow for the office as well. Need a suggestion that is both summer and work-friendly? Yogurt is the ideal peach shade, soft enough to be worn to the office.
Key Ingredients
- Mica
- Isononyl Isononanoate
- Octyldodecanol
M.A.C Satin Eyeshadow
This foolproof eyeshadow is the option for those who want low-effort eyeshadow. A quick brush of color can be picked up with your finger or brush without the fuss of blending. The formula is traditional in terms of blendability and color. If you’re looking for an eyeshadow that can be brought on the go and can be applied anywhere, this is for you. Need an eyeshadow to be turned into a liner? This formulation can be applied both dry and wet! Out of all the shades, Brule is a personal favorite for the office. Its light beige color is ideal “nude” to conceal imperfections yet aids in the appearance of a “no makeup” eye look.
Key Ingredients
- Zinc Stearate
- Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
- Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Fenty Beauty Shadowstix Longwear Eyeshadow Stick
Instant pigment with one sweep motion, Fenty Beauty is the brand to look for. Its transfer-proof claim can also wear well through humidity and perspiration, which allows your office look to last from the moment you clock into when it’s time to clock out. A bonus is that this eyeshadow stick is meant to be also layered. If you want to build the intensity for your after-work drinks, it can easily be done without appearing cakey. The shade Shroom is a wearable brown with hints of taupe that is suitable for your summer office look.
Key Ingredients
- Trisiloxane
- Trimethylsiloxysilicate
- Dimethicone
Lancome Color Design Eyeshadow
This option is for the sleek, on-the-go corporate individual. With sleek packaging and a small design, this eyeshadow is a practical addition to one’s office makeup bag. From matte to shimmer finishes, neither decision ends up looking flat or glittery. The crease-proof eyeshadow is great for those who tend to have an oily eyelid and is smooth enough to apply over lines to those on the drier side. Kitten Heel is a fan favorite that lands between a peach and beige shimmer. Your eyeshadow office look can incorporate this shade as a middle lid or inner corner highlight.
Key Ingredients
- Magnesium Stearate
- Talc
- Triisostaarin
E.l.f No Budge Eyeshadow Stick
Another budget-friendly option with everyday color options. Most affordable options don’t provide high pigment or quality finishes, but e.l.f continues to prove that they can do it all at the right price. The metallic finish isn’t loud by any means, it looks almost iridescent as it blends seamlessly into the lid. Magnetic Pull is a mauve with subtle silver shimmers within, complimenting all eye colors. With a built-in sharpener, the eyeshadow stick never loses shape to create sharp and clean-cut looks.
Ingredients
- Phenyl Trimethicone
- Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
- Polymethyl Methacrylate
Clinique All About Shadow Single Eyeshadow
If eyeshadow often gives you sensitivity issues, Clinique is your go-to. Ophthalmologists tested, this formulation is suited specifically for the contact users in mind. With this being said, there isn’t any compromise on how well this eyeshadow performs. Eight-hour wear and fade resistant, your eyeshadow will last throughout your busiest work day. My shade recommendation would be Nude Rose, a cross between a peach and a pink that flatters from fair to deep skin tones.
Ingredients
- Mica
- Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
- Polymethyl Methacrylate
Hourglass Voyeur Eyeshadow Stick
This is the eyeshadow stick for both wearability and finish. If your eyelids are on the oily side, this specific eyeshadow formulation will be for you. It does not contain any mineral oil plus can stay on for up to eight hours. The soft metallic cream finish is suitable for your workday without looking shimmery. The shade Solstice is the perfect bronze, with flickers of gold to give the pop of color to your eye color.
Ingredients
- Methyl Trimethicone
- Mica
- Trimethylsiloxysilicate
