Five of the best – Taupe eyeshadow

Taupe Eyeshadows for all pockets and skintones

Rarely is there a more flattering shadow shade that suits most skin tones, events, ages and eye colours. Taupe is the ultimate “one shade” eyeshadow – blends to create a natural day look or buildable into a smoky eye and there’s loads of  so called taupe eyeshadow on the market to choose from.

Finding a good one can be hard – taupe is a perfect mix of grey, brown and purple but many brands get it wrong – creating a boring brown shade or not enough purple can leave the grey to dominate.

We’ve trialled 5 great taupe shades so you don’t have to;

Makeup Atelier Paris – shade Taupe £14

This is definitely our favourite for a number of reasons. The most important one being the staying power of this cream shadow – it’s like NO OTHER I’ve ever tried. NO fallout, NO smudging, No primer needed. This formulation is amazing and I’d recommend this shadow (in any colour) to everyone.  Their taupe is also one of the best, containing the most flattering mix of brown/grey/purple – each shade is identifiable and harmonious. It’s the darkest of the bunch as the pigmentation is phenomenal but take a light brush and sweep it over and you will get a lighter version of the shade.

Kiko Water eyeshadow – 228 Taupe £8.90

The watershadows have a lovely sheen to them without being glittery or shimmery – this looks nicely metallic but thankfully doesn’t transfer to the skin as such.. It’s a great big container with loads of product and a handy wee mirror for a very reasonable price so we love this one as a great all rounder – lovely shade (hinting towards the brown) great formulation and respectable price.

L’Oreal Studio Secrets Eye Intensifier (doesn’t seem to be available any more 🙁

Definitely erring on the silvery grey side…this L’Oreal offering is a great Boots buy as Atelier and Kiko are both a bit harder to track down. This one can be easily picked up in a drugstore so if you don’t already have this as a “go to” colour in your collection then pick up next time you are shopping. It’s a light, everyday shade that has ok buildability but may be best suited as a base/lid shade.

Yves Rocher – Gris Taupe £4.65

This was the first taupe I sought out after hearing about the colour (that’s not to say I didn’t have any before – I just wasn’t aware of the name of the shade!) Yves Rocher is a French brand and is available to purchase in most French big towns and cities as well as online in the UK and carries a gorgeous bath and body range with a handful of really nice makeup. I wore this taupe daily for a few months, I love the iridescence but lack of shimmer which brings out the chance to see all three colour ingredients.

Liz Earle Signature eye Colour in Taupe £13.50

The lightest of the bunch – a tiny hint of browny grey it’s great for creating a base layer for your smokey eye or even just a light one shadow day wear. It would also look fantastic with a dark or red lip as it wouldn’t compete for attention. It’s a nice formula and good quality although it’s also the most expensive of the taupes listed here.

Best daytime shade – Yves Rocher
Best nighttime shade – Makeup Atelier
Best budget buy – Kiko Watershadow
Best formulation – Makeup Atelier

As you can see, all of these shades have great wearability although I’m still searching for my ultimate taupe – a little more iridescent and more hints of purple.