Liven up your lids with this alternative to eyeshadow

I’ve been doing this beauty thing for almost 20 years, and I’m still amazed by how small our world is despite the seismic shift from print to online (R.I.P. Teen Vogue). Case in point: When I launched Bronze Buffer with BeautyMart in the U.K. in 2013, my point-person (and saving grace) was a lovely, new-to-London lass named Sarah. We’ve been in touch since, we follow each other on social media, but as with many other professional connections, our careers continued on their own trajectories. Then a few months back I was working on a celebrity makeup artist story and submitted a blind PR inquiry through Jillian Dempsey’s website. Guess who replied the next day? None other than Sarah.

Aside from this little reminder that you never know who you’re going to cross paths with again—so don’t burn bridges and always be on your best behavior—I’d been ogling Jillian Dempsey’s Lid Tints for quite some time, basically because I’m intrigued by the whole glossy-eye thing (but have yet to muster up the courage to actually try to pull it off IRL). Sarah kindly sent two shades along and let’s just say this unique formula really changes the eye-makeup game.

More sheer than a cream shadow and less shiny than an eye gloss, these are truly “tints” in every sense of the word. The below photo shows a pretty heavy-handed swatch of the “Bronze” (top) and “Plum” (bottom) shades. They glide on with ease, leaving a touch of shimmer and hint of color that looks fresh (and they’re completely goof-proof). You can also layer them over other eyeshadows to add a bit of dimension, and if you like a little more polished look, simply bust out the eyeliner. (Dempsey’s Kohl Eyeliners are pigment-packed, super-blendable, waterproof and all-around amazing BTW.)

Before trying these for myself, if you told me I’d be wearing “Plum” in the middle of the day I would have looked at you like you were crazy. But I’m actually wearing it right now—and I love it. Oh, did I mention both the Lid Tints and Kohl Eyeliners are formulated with organic and naturally-derived ingredients like good-for-your-skin butters and oils? Once you check out Dempsey’s tutorials, you’ll want to hop on the tint train, too!