3 Cream Eyeshadows That Truly Don’t Budge, Even in the Heat

As someone who’s dead serious and totally uncompromising when it comes to her daily eyeshadow regimen, the summertime heat and humidity can be…challenging. By the end of the day, I found most shadows had separated, settled into my (numerous) creases, and smudged from sweat. Over the past few years, when July rolls around, I’ve thought about skipping shadow altogether—but that’s totally unacceptable. I always feel unfinished without a slip of color on my lids. It’s almost as bad as if I, god forbid, wandered out of the house without earrings. Or pants.

So I became a connoisseur of non-slip, smudge-proof eyeshadows. Counterintuitively, I found that the only ones that truly stand up to summer are creams. They’re genius. Not only do they give a slightly dewy, youthful glow, the best versions are formulated to stick to lids, creating a smooth, crease-free finish. Et voila—my three favorite stay-put cream shadows on the planet.

Anna Sui Cream Eye Shadow | $12

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Dewy shades are so crease-proof that they practically laugh in the face of fine lines. The finish stays smooth and unsmeared (is that a word?) all day, and into after-work cocktails. FYI: Metallic Silver is the perfect complement to a mid-summer tan.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow | $20

This collection is the OG of cream shadows! Lightweight, truly un-smudgeable, and available in a pastel-perfect array of peaches, teals, and violets—and the line has just been updated with seven new shades. The formula deserves every beauty award it’s ever won.

Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes | $36

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Forget the fact that it comes in seven seriously dramatic hues (ranging from luscious teal to super-rich plum), this coffee-and-flower-extract-blended formula has a feather-light, velvety finish that truly doesn’t budge, even in the most humid, sweltering conditions.

Tia Williams has been a beauty editor for 15 years, at publications like Elle, Glamour, Lucky, and Essence.com. Back in 2005, Tia created one of the first beauty blogs, Shake Your Beauty, where she wove her love of products through hilarious vignettes from her life as a beauty expert and mom living in Brooklyn. She’s also written several books, including the best-selling novel The Accidental Diva and supermodel Iman’s The Beauty of Color. Follow Tia on Twitter @shakeyourbeauty.