Besides the incredible outfits and beauty looks that we spotted on the red carpet at the Met Gala this year, there was one other moment that sparked joy and delight amongst eagle-eyed beauty editors across the land: Makeup artist Jessica Smalls-Langston took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes shot of the makeup kit that she used to create Naomi Osaka’s crimson-coloured eyes. And nestled amongst the flat-lay of products? Glossier eye shadow palettes. Fast-forward a few weeks and Monochromes landed—refillable monochromatic eye shadow trios in matte, satin and metallic finishes. And as an unashamed Glossier fangirl (trust me—I’ve tried everything), I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them.
With a wardrobe of 10 shades available—from pale, peachy pinks and golden yellows to warm chocolate browns and cool lilacs—there are so many colour options to choose from. This is why I decided to call on some of our trusty Who What Wear contributors to help me test them out. Ahead, keep scrolling for our honest review of Glossier Monochromes and to shop our favourite shades.
As an OG Glossier stan, I can genuinely say that nothing excites me more than a new Glossier launch, and 99.9% of the time, I will rush straight to the website to make my purchase. However, this wasn’t the case when Glossier announced Monochromes. While I would never question the formula—as I know Glossier only uses the best—I thought the palettes looked quite simple. And as someone who is used to using palettes with at least 10 shades to mull over, just three shades in a pan felt quite underwhelming. However, I’ve been using the palette in the shade Heather for the past few weeks, and it’s safe to say I am obsessed. Despite my initial reservations about it being quite simple, I’ve fallen head over heels. The formula is really pigmented, and the two shimmery shades are really creamy. Surprisingly, I’ve been reaching for this palette a lot. I think the pink-berry tones in Heather are perfect for all skin tones and work for a dressy event or something more casual. The only thing I would say is that there is a bit of fallout from the eye shadow when the brush first hits each shade, but it’s not anything crazy. And my wish for Monochromes in the future? That each individual shade is refillable so that you can create your own unique colour palette, rather than having to go for one of the trios already made. Despite this, I’ve definitely learnt to never judge a palette before trying it. I’m ready to get the full collection!
I am really, really surprised at just how pigmented and punchy this little palette is. I would consider myself a real Glossier girl. I like minimal, fuss-free makeup. I was expecting the shades to be a lot subtler than they are, but I’m not mad about it. In fact, just having the three shades means it’s super easy to use and kind of foolproof. On top of that, the shadows blend like a dream. I love the matte shade for everyday wear, and the shimmer and glitter shades are the perfect way to jazz up your eyes for the evening. I hate overwhelming eye shadow palettes, but this little guy has everything I need, and I’m certain I’d use all three shades on the reg. Glossier, it’s not what I was expecting, but I kinda love it.
As someone with hooded eyes that have very little space to play with when it comes to eye shadow application, I am rarely excited by an eye shadow launch. However, I love basically everything that Glossier turns its attention to, so I was more than willing to give Monochromes a go. My first impression? I was pleasantly surprised by the small, carefully curated edit of shades—after all, who needs a 45-shade palette in their everyday collection? I went for the shade Almond—a trio of rosy-browns with a hint of pink. I used the Glossier Eyeshadow Brush (£15) to apply the matte and shimmer shades, but I have to be totally honest and say that I felt the brush was a little wishy-washy. While the bristles were incredibly soft and nice to use, I found that they didn’t pack on the shadow in the way that I like, and there was a fair bit of fallout and mess with the shadows. (And when you’re working with a small eyelid, this can totally mess up your look in seconds.) However, the shadows themselves were pleasingly pigmented and wonderfully blendable. Surprisingly, while Glossier is known for a pared-back approach to makeup, I actually found that it was the glitter shade that really shone in this palette—sparkly, vibrant yet grown-up. I’ll definitely be experimenting with more for party season.
A rich terracotta trio.
Pale pinks for a subtle look.
Soft, wearable taupes.
A cool lilac edit.
Three gorgeous green-olive shades.
Golden-yellow sunshine in a palette.
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