I'm a Makeup Newbie, But Applying This Cream Shadow Made Me Feel Like a Pro

Welcome to Deep Reviews—your one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. The Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market's most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are truly worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, completely uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations.

The majority of our Deep Reviews will feature our editors' honest, ultra-hot takes on entire product categories or multiple products from a particular beauty brand, but every so often, we'll sprinkle in a special single-product format called Honestly, I Love It. As the name suggests, these reviews will hone in on one standout beauty formula our editors quite literally can't shut up about. This time around, I'm highlighting the Kulfi Zari Eyes Long-Lasting Crease-Proof Cream Eyeshadow ($30).

Despite the infatuation I had with Urban Decay's Naked Palette in high school (The YouTube-beauty-guru hype got to me), I do not enjoy the experience of applying eye shadow. Despite buying multiple brushes, I still never have the right brushes when it's time to do my makeup. I always end up with product all over the floor, and I often blend too little or go overboard and end up with just one color of shadow across my lid. I'm a pro at perfecting a dewy base for the skin, and my winged-eyeliner game is strong, but eye shadow is just my makeup weakness. (We all have one.) While I can forego eye shadow in my everyday beauty routine, I still want a little something on my eyes for special occasions. I've already been an avid user of Kulfi's kajal eyeliner, so when the South Asian brand released cream eye shadow, I knew it was something I had to try.

If you consider yourself an eye shadow connoisseur, I'm happy for you. If you're a bit of a makeup klutz like me, you're going to be thoroughly happy about this product.

Founder Priyanka Ganjoo's goal for the product to be universally friendly, no matter your makeup expertise. "I created Zari Eyes Eyeshadow intending to provide an easy-to-apply, one-and-done eyeshadow that will be long-lasting and won’t crease or budge," she told Who What Wear. In terms of her way of application, she explained "I typically tap the product on the eyelid with my fingers, and then use a brush to blend it out. I love how versatile it is—you can apply one layer for a softer look or build it up for eye-catching glam looks." A bonus tip she shared with me that I will try out next time is to dip a liner brush in the moussy formula to create a graphic liner.

Staring at the glittery goop in the small glass containers in front of me, I was mesmerized. I've tried a few different cream shadows and had acceptable results, but as soon as I did a swatch test for this, I was blown away by how saturated the colors showed up on my skin. Many colorful shadows appear chalky on my skin, and while I imagine this product will look good on many skin tones, it was definitely made with brown skin in mind. 

When it came to application, it was a fairly quick process. With just one or two swipes across the lid, I was met with a low-effort shimmery eye look. The product was easy to blend and dried down pretty quickly. It's not bold and glittery like other cream shadows I've tried and offers just the right amount of sheen. I'm wearing the bronze shade for this piece, and the ease of application has me excited to reignite my creativity and try a bolder shade for my next makeup look.

The product comes in only five shimmery shades for now, but they're mighty. Kulfi has recently expanded into Sephora, so I have high hopes for new colors on the horizon. It's hard to pick a favorite, but for the purpose of this article, I used Bronze Brocade, as it's the most versatile of the bunch and has the shimmery look I want when I'm doing my makeup for a special occasion. Sitara Sparkles is rose gold with silver specks, Auburn Aura is a maroon-like cranberry rose, Chammak Challo is a metallic lime green, and Disco Dreams is a blue duo-chrome. Dopamine dressing may be a thing, but this product can be categorized as dopamine makeup. Even as a minimal-makeup wearer, I'd gladly wear a product like this when I'm feeling a bit more playful. 

The best part about this product? While it lives up to the promises of its aesthetic purposes, it also moisturizes and nourishes the skin during the process. The eyelids are a sensitive part of the face, and the last thing you want is for them to be left red and itchy after removing your makeup, which has happened to me with some powdered shadows!

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