Baked Goods

I don't have a lot of baked eyeshadows.  And the ones that I do have either came in a makeup set OR I somehow got them for free.  Baked shadows are cool and all because they are formulated to be worn wet or dry, but they can be tricky to work with.  Some don't yield a lot of color unless they're worn wet while others are pigmented either which way - a contrast in performance that I found to be true with Laura Mercier's and LORAC's baked eyeshadows.

Laura Mercier Baked Eye Color comes in a variety of shades; I have the one in Aquamarine, which is a pale teal. 

Aquamarine both looks and feels "baked" in that the shadow is of a drier consistency and yields a dusting of color when swatched.

Aquamarine Wet (above), Dry (below)

Unless you prefer a light wash of color, true satisfaction can only be had when used wet.  Not only does the color intensify, but the shadow becomes slightly "foiled" or has a shinier look to it.  I had to really work with it, though, to build up its opacity.

On the other had, LORAC's Starry-Eyed Baked Eye Shadow Trio in Movie Star packs a punch no matter what state the shadow is worn in.  It doesn't even feel like a baked shadow; it's super soft like a "regular" shadow, not dry at all, and swatches like a dream.

I barely had to touch it for my fingertips to be coated with color.

LORAC Movie Star (dry)

LORAC Movie Star (wet)

I love the dry version of the shadow in that it gives full-on color, but I have to tell you that when I applied it wet it took me to a whole other level of love.  I mean, Movie Star had my wet brush literally gliding across my skin when I applied it, leaving a robust ribbon of color in its wake.  It is incredibly smooth.

So there you have it: two baked shadows with two vastly different formulas, thus presenting two different results.  I honestly like them both, but as with most things in life, it's all about preference.  And since I'm not a die hard fan of baked shadows in the first place, I prefer working with one that mimics the simplicity a regular eyeshadow affords me.   Ultimately, between these two baked goodies, I prefer the softer, more versatile shadow of LORAC.

Laura Mercier Baked Eye Color and LORAC's Starry-Eyed Baked Eye Shadow Trio can both be found at Sephora.  They retail for $23 and $27, respectively.