A Gloss for Words — Discover the Magical Paul & Joe Spring 2015 Eye Glosses

For several seasons now, models have flaunted glossy eyes on the catwalk that twinkled in a celestial manner — among them those at the Spring 2015 shows of Thakoon, Sophie Théallet, Kenzo, and Proenza Schouler. The problem: most of the time, makeup artists backstage created these wet-looking lids by brushing eye shadow atop lids and then, moments before the lights went up and the show officially commenced, dabbing a tiny dollop of clear lip gloss atop lids. This, of course, meant eyes glistened on the runway but, if anyone tried to replicate the look at home, they were likely to wind up with a sticky, streaky mess. It simply wasn’t the type of makeup look you could easily recreate. Fortunately, cosmetic companies responded to consumers’ concerns (and their hopes for gleaming lids) by tinkering with eye gloss formulas. Many sadly failed in their attempts, but Paul & Joe nailed the concept with their Spring 2015 Eye Glosses ($25 each at BeautyHabit.com). Each eye gloss comes in a sleek tube featuring white cap with embossed floral designs (the brand’s signature) and gilded details. Best of all, once you twist off the cap, you’ll find a wand applicator with a sponge tip reminiscent of what you’d discover in a lip gloss tube. The sponge tip makes the application process a breeze, allowing you to smooth the color onto lids with a few precise swipes.

The Paul & Joe Spring 2015 Eye Gloss range consists of five shades: 01 Secret d’Or, a pale golden yellow hue; 02 Firmament, a pale and pearlescent cornflower blue with a hint of silver shimmer for an angelic feel; 03 Angel’s Wings, a light, ethereal, lavender-tinged baby pink; 04 Creme Brulée, a toasted cream hue; and 05 Antique Coin, a warm, peachy pink with golden undertones.

I had the chance to try three of the five eye glosses, and you can see swatches of them below:

Don’t the shades look lovely? Now, unlike cream shadows, eye glosses are not necessarily meant to deliver full coverage but, rather, to coat lids with a veil of shimmering, wet-looking, high sheen color. You can, however, build up the intensity — albeit to a limited degree. In order to increase the level opacity, you should wait until that initial layer of glossy color has dried. Otherwise, you’ll potentially smear the damp color, which will lead to gaps in the coverage. Once it’s dry, however, you can easily apply a second and then, subsequently, a third coat. I’d advise not exceeding that number, however, since it could lead to some clumping. Personally, I think 1-2 coats should suffice since, even if you can see the skin through the color, that works to compound the soft, ethereal, magical allure of each eye gloss.

Also, if you’re very fair-skinned and you can see veins on your brow bone region, I’d suggest applying a slightly tinted primer or a fleshy cream color base prior to the gloss.

Take a look at how the Paul & Joe Eye Gloss in 02 Firmament looks like when applied to lids:

Next, check out the Paul & Joe Eye Gloss in 03, which I’m personally in love with:

As you can see, these eye glosses yield the desired sheen and there’s a dewy, delicate, transcendent quality to their finish. Best of all, they stay in place and don’t lose that slightly wet quality, nor do they crease and flake. As far as eye glosses go, these are among the best I’ve tried to date!