Glossier Skywash Review And Swatches

I know beauty might be the last thing on anyone’s mind given the crisis we are going through right now, but I hope this brings a sliver of happiness and/or normalcy to your ‘new’ normal. 

I’m excited to share with you my Glossier Skywash Review, which also includes swatches of the sheer, matte, lid tint and photos of me wearing a couple of the shades IRL. For reference, I have fair skin with neutral undertones.

Glossier Skywash Review + Swatches

Glossier Skywash is marketed as a liquid-to-powder eyeshadow that gives you a diffused, matte finish that doesn’t [read: shouldn’t] require anything but your finger to blend. Skywash comes in seven shades, inspired by Southwest landscapes.

sheer, matte, lid tint

When it launched, I couldn’t help myself. FOMO kicked in and so I scooped up six of the seven shades. A single Skywash costs $18, which is pricey, but not surprising as it’s on par with its usual Glossier price points.

Here’s a quick summary of the shades/colors:

Pool: described as a ‘cornflower’ blue
Pebble: a neutral taupe
Echo: a cocoa brown
Terra: burnt sienna
Valley: warm peach
Palm: golden beige
Lawn: described as a ‘fresh’ green

Personally, I like the simplicity of Glossier products so Skywash seems right up my alley. I live for the lovely, glowy finishes of Lidstar and powder eyeshadow palettes can be somewhat fussy for someone like me.

I wanted to spend as much time as possible trying all the shades I purchased before sharing my honest review; so with that, let’s dive in!

Glossier Skywash Review: Formula and Application

The formula is very lightweight, silky and soft in texture. Once it dries down, it has a very pretty diffused effect.

In true Glossier aesthetic, it promises you don’t need a brush to blend these shadows and you may not even need eye primer. For me, primer is never an option because I like to conceal the veins and discoloration on my lids.

The application is a traditional doe foot applicator and the formula dries down to a beautiful matte finish. As someone with very oily lids, the shadow did not budge for me so I’m very happy with its staying power. The website promises up to 12-hour wear.

Application for this product is tricky. I’ve seen so many conflicting tips on Instagram and Reddit that I think it might vary with each individual.

I’ll share what works for me: when I first attempted to pat the product onto my lid and crease (similar to what I do with Lidstar), the product was very patchy. However, when I gently glide my ring finger across my lid, I find that it has a more even application (at least for the shades Echo and Pebble). I do think these can be applied without a brush but I like to take a fluffy blending brush to diffuse the eyeshadow in my crease. Otherwise, it looks funky.

The Color Range

Looking at the shade range, I understand the connection to the inspiration of Southwest landscapes. That said, I am disappointed in a few of the shades.

Pebble barely shows on my fair complexion. For a “no makeup” makeup look, it could work but I still like to have a noticeable wash of color.

I’m so glad I purchased Echo because I initially thought it would be too dark for my skin tone but it dries down to a beautiful soft brown color— that is my go-to daily look.

Valley and Terra are beautiful warm shades that really compliment my hazel eyes. I think these are the least patchy shades in terms of application and don’t require much effort for that soft, diffused look.

I had very high hopes for Pool and Lawn but after only swatching them I realized they were the most patchy. I had to apply two coats for a solid swatch. I think Lawn is an awful shade name… like how weird does it sound to tell someone you’re wearing the shade ‘lawn’?

I did wear Pool on my lids (it perfectly matched this Target blouse). I had to apply three coats to build up the color and for it to look less patchy.

The Price

I mentioned it earlier but an individual tube costs $18, or you can get two for $30. The price points are on par with the Glossier brand but I can’t possibly write this review and tell you the price is right. $18 gets you 0.11 fl oz… that seems really expensive for such a tiny amount of product.

If you decide to splurge on Skywash, I would recommend getting the duo so you can get more value for your spend. I think Terra and Valley are gorgeous options for all skin tones. Based on the shade comparison, Lawn looks like it would be flattering on darker skin tones. If you love experimenting with color Pool and Lawn might be worth trying but just know they are patchy in application and you’ll need to build up the color.

Palm is the only shade I did not purchase when it launched (I was worried it wouldn’t look right for my skin tone); however, I did purchase it a couple days ago using my monthly rep discount. I’ll update this post with my thoughts once I have a chance to try it.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely love the thought and intent with Skywash. As a long-time fan of the brand, I really don’t have any purchase regrets and I’ll continue to use all the shades I bought because I want to be less wasteful when it comes to beauty purchases. However, I can’t recommend every single shade in this collection.

If you have the means to purchase and want to try it for yourself, I recommend purchasing the warmer shades. My favorite shades based on color and application in this order is:

Echo
Valley
Terra
Pool
Lawn
Pebble

You can shop Glossier through my affiliate link or on Sephora.com. I make a small commission when you shop through my links (it doesn’t cost you anything extra). If you do, thank you so much!