
Besides the incredible outfits and beauty looks that we spotted on the red carpet at the Met Gala this year, there was one other moment that sparked joy and delight amongst eagle-eyed beauty editors across the land: Makeup artist Jessica Smalls-Langston took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes shot of the makeup kit that she used to create Naomi Osaka’s crimson-coloured eyes. And nestled amongst the flat-lay of products? Glossier eye shadow palettes. Fast-forward a few weeks and Monochromes landed—refillable monochromatic eye shadow trios in matte, satin and metallic finishes. And as an unashamed Glossier fangirl (trust me—I’ve tried everything), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them.

As someone with hooded eyes that have very little space to play with when it comes to eye shadow application, I am rarely excited by an eye shadow launch. However, I love basically everything that Glossier turns its attention to, so I was more than willing to give Monochromes a go. My first impression? I was pleasantly surprised by the small, carefully curated edit of shades—after all, who needs a 45-shade palette in their everyday collection?
I went for the shade Almond—a trio of rosy-browns with a hint of pink. I used the Glossier Eyeshadow Brush (£15) to apply the matte and shimmer shades, but I have to be totally honest and say that I felt the brush was a little wishy-washy. While the bristles were incredibly soft and nice to use, I found that they didn’t pack on the shadow in the way that I like, and there was a fair bit of fallout and mess with the shadows. (And when you’re working with a small eyelid, this can totally mess up your look in seconds.) However, the shadows themselves were pleasingly pigmented and wonderfully blendable. Surprisingly, while Glossier is known for a pared-back approach to makeup, I actually found that it was the glitter shade that really shone in this palette—sparkly, vibrant yet grown-up. I’ll definitely be experimenting with more for party season.

Shop more Glossier Monochromes:

A rich terracotta trio.

Pale pinks for a subtle look.

Soft, wearable taupes.

A cool lilac edit.

Three gorgeous green-olive shades.

Golden-yellow sunshine in a palette.

A warm orange selection.
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