I have a love/hate relationship with cream shadow.
I love the way it glistens on my lids and how smoothly it blends and I hate the inevitable half-moon crease that comes mid-day. I’ve tried using powder shadow to set it, but it defeats the purpose, ruining the sexy, dewy effect that’s the whole reason to use creams in the first place
Needless to say I was eager to test out the batch of waterproof creams launching this month. I hoped these versions would deliver the effect I wanted with the staying power that I needed.
Full test and results, after the jump.
–MEGAN MCINTYRE

First up, YSL. They’ve just launched their summer collection which includes the Fard Lumi√®re Aquarésistant Water Resistant Cream Eyeshadow. The color’s gorgeous, but the goopy texture was a little intimidating. Thankfully, it went on fairly sheer and built up well which meant I could choose the intensity I wanted. It didn’t move much once it was on my lids, though by the end of the day the color had faded ever so slightly. The waterproof claim held true, although I found if I rubbed my eyes hard enough the color began to rub off.
Next up, Smashbox. Their Waterproof Shadow Liner Duo felt the freshest on my eyes, but the itty bitty packaging was super annoying. It forces you to use a brush and I couldn’t get one shade out without smearing some of the other on my finger. The shades went on silky smooth, but were much sheerer than they were in the packaging. While I loved the color combos, most of the shade transferred off when I rubbed my eyes. Of the three shadows, it was the easiest to remove.
Finally, Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place ShadowCreme. This was my favorite by a long shot. The semi-solid formula was easy to apply, it had the dewiest finish and the best shade selection. It blended easily and I had ample time to perfect it before it set in place. This also really delivered on the waterproof claim. It pretty much repelled the water, which was actually kind of creepy.
Water-resistance not withstanding, all three shadows were a definite improvement to the current cream shadows in my beauty bag. Not one of them creased, smudged or migrated and all three were light and fresh on my skin.
The rest of me might be a sweaty mess in the humid days to come, but at least my eye makeup will be perfect.