RMS just reformulated Eyelights — their shimmering cream eyeshadow that people either worshipped or hated for creasing. Early reviews are screaming “brighter!” or “worse!” and honestly? Both camps are right.
The old version was a dewy, almost wet-looking balm. This new one sets down like a powder hybrid — which means it stays put, but the “lit from within” thing is now more “frosted plastic.”
$28 for 0.14 oz of cream-to-powder shadow. The claim: 12-hour wear with zero creasing, thanks to a “flexible film system.” I called bullshit, then tried it anyway.
The Film Former
Dries down in 90 seconds — you can’t blend after that, so be fast.
The Wand
It’s a doe-foot applicator, which is great for lids but terrible for precision. Get a brush.
The Shade Range
They kept the 6 core colors but added a “Champagne” that’s basically glitter glue. Proceed with caution.
Photo: Element5 Digital / Unsplash
The hero here is *squalane* — a lightweight moisturizer that keeps the cream from drying your lid out. But they swapped in *mica* as the main shimmer source, which is why it reads more metallic now.
- Squalane: Locks in moisture without greasiness
- Mica: Gives that high-shine, but can look dry on textured lids
- Candelilla Wax: The film-forming agent that stops creasing
- Rosmarinyl Glabrata: Rosemary extract to fight free radicals
Photo: The Design Lady / Unsplash
First touch is smooth — like a thick balm that melts on contact. Then it sets. Suddenly it’s a matte-ish powder that doesn’t budge. It feels… weird. Like you went from butter to chalk in three minutes.
Week two: I wore it to a sweaty outdoor dinner and it didn’t move. But it also didn’t glow the way the old formula did. The shift is real — this is a *different product* wearing the same name.
Photo: Karly Jones / Unsplash
It lasted 9 hours without a crease — impressive. But it settled into every fine line on my lid by hour six, and the “brightness” faded to a dull shimmer. The color payoff is better, the wear is better, the soul is gone.
Photo: Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash
The new Eyelights is a better *performance* product but a worse *RMS* product. If you want the old glow, shop the clearance bins. If you want your shadow to survive a nap, this is your guy.