Inika Crème Eye Shadow




One product I've never been fully satisfied with are highlighters.  Either they're too shimmery and you look like a disco ball or they're too subtle and I can't even tell I've applied one.  With that in mind, you can imagine how excited I was to discover these two highlighting gems in a most unexpected place - my own eye shadow drawer!  Inika sent me two of their crème eye shadows to try, and while they're lovely as eye shadows, where they really shine, if you'll excuse the pun, is as highlighters.

First, let's talk packaging.  The crème shadows come in small squeeze top bottles and are very easy to use.  I like to squeeze a small amount onto the back of my hand and then use my fingers to apply it to either my eyes or the high points of my face.  You can also mix a small amount into your foundation for an all over glow.  



I received Champagne and Pink Cloud, two beautiful light shades.  Champagne is a pale gold and Pink Cloud is an icy, cool-toned pink.  Both of them have a luminous, satin finish without any actual glitter particles.  I've never before understood that natural, 'lit from within' glow that people talk about with highlighters, but these really do deliver just that.  On me, Champagne blends seamlessly and looks the most natural, but I could see Pink Cloud being a good match for some skin tones too.


(L to R) Inika Cream Eyeshadow in Pink Cloud, Champagne
(L to R) Inika Cream Eye Shadow in Pink Cloud, Champagne (blended)
Even though I use these most as cream highlighters, they're also lovely as eye shadows.  I find they work best as a light, sheer wash of color, since when you build them up, they become more difficult to apply evenly and can start to look a bit patchy.  If you want more opacity, your best bet is to apply multiple thin layers, allowing the shadow to dry in between each one, but even then, it can be tricky to get an even color.  I should also mention that, like a lot of other natural cream shadows, these are not crease proof.  I've worn them both with primers and without, and while I experienced some creasing either way, I get better results when worn over bare skin.  

The Bottom Line
If opaque, crease-proof shadows are a must, these may not be the product for you, but if you don't mind a little creasing or are in the market for an everyday highlighter that perfectly straddles the line between subtlety and glitz, Inika's crème shadows are definitely worth a look.  The only downside I can come up with is the $25 price tag.  They're definitely on the more expensive side, but since they do double duty as both a highlighter and eye shadow, I do think they're worth the money.  

Have you tried anything from Inika?


Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Mica, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii(Shea) Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Natural Tocopherol, Simmondsia Chinensis(Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado)Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Prunis Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Iron Oxides(CI 77491), Iron Oxides(CI 77492), Ferric Ferrocyanide, p-Anisic Acid, Water, Sodium Hydroxide

Disclosure: Product provided for my honest review.  I was under no obligation to write a positive review in return for free product, nor was I compensated for this post.  All opinions are my own.


6 comments

  1. they look so nice! I haven't tried them but I'd love to.

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    1. I like them a lot. The only problem is now I want to try all kinds of other things from Inika... :)

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    2. That's usually the case eh? Once I finish my highlighter, I'm definitely trying Inika!

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    3. So true! I just wish there was somewhere local that carried Inika so I could swatch everything before deciding what to buy :)

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  2. These look lovely I have the cream highlighter by Inika and I love it, I also use it as a base for eye shadow and it works really well. I should take a look at these they look stunning :) x

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    1. The cream highlighter looks lovely too! I'm super tempted...can't really justify it right now, but maybe one day :)

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