Ok, I heard a coworker of mine telling a customer today not to wet the shadows as this could ruin them. I thought applying shadows wet was a common practice -- either for applying a more intense colour or for lining the eyes. What's the deal??

I love to use shadows wet, but unfortunately in the majority of the cases, applying water/a wet brush directly to the eyeshadow will cause it to change texture and develop a "crust" as it dries. For me––and moreso with my MAC shadows than any others, which is a shame––even using a slightly damp finger after showering can cause the crust to form. With my cheaper staple black eyeshadow, I reserve one half of the cake for dry application and the other half for wet...but in general, I don't think using moisture directly on the eyeshadow is a good idea...there are all kinds of problems with your makeup constantly absorbing water, first being the crust and second being that a damp environment will probably harbor more bacteria and such. That's my two cents.

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It really depends on the shadow. I can wet Satin Taupe and Beauty Marked with no noticeable impact on the finish but others like Sketch get a weird film on them. Usually I just 'reserve' a small part of the eyeshadow for wet use. Plus, scraping off the top outermost layer seems to get rid of the hard layer left behind.

it is a very common practice, but that doesn't really make it a good one.

like has been said, sometimes it will cause the shadow to develop a hard film. not all shadows do this though, it's really a trial and error thing.

but rather than taking the chance, i'd reccomend doing what absolut_blond said and just setting aside a small portion of the pan for wet use

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Yup, I agree with both of these lovely ladies.

MAC says their shadows aren't meant to be used wet.

That said, I'll usually load up the brush with shadow, then spray it with Fix + to apply it if I want a wet look. I'll generally do this for lustres that aren't as pigmented as regular shadows.

Also, I'll wet them to line, but in that case, I'll do what ablsolut_blond said, reserve a small space on the shadow so I won't ruin the whole thing. And I'll only use a damp brush.

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i had someone tell me that they "carve" tiny bits from the e/s pots onto a small little tray, then mix it with water there...that way, your pot won't suffer any water damage...

you could also do what eyeshadowfreak suggested, which is to load the brush up with shadow then spray fix+ on it.

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If ever I want to apply a shadow wet with mixing medium for example, I swirl my brush around in the shadow so it really builds up on the brush, then I mix it with the medium on a plate or something like that. Then if I need more shadow I wipe my brush off on a facecloth to get rid of the liquid. Applying a wet brush directly to an eyeshadow makes it turn hard like the ladies above said.

Wow....I guess I'm not that meticulous, and I know everyone here hates sponge applicators, but I use a pointy one to dampen and swipe in a small area at the side of my shadows I want to use as liners and it works fine. Has for years. It's not like I go out & about & people just can't stand looking at my face because they know I've used a sponge-tip applicator, a brush or my finger to put some kind of eyeshadow on. There are some shadows that just can't handle a damp applicator, like I've had happen with some Prescriptives, but MAC I've used for years, wet AND dry, and it does cause a spot on the shadow to dry/harden differently, but none of mine have ever been ruined. I realize I'm not as educated or experienced as everyone else here, but at least that's how I've done it & never had problems. I just keep the spot on the shadow that I press the applicator to limited to a very small area of it. I also don't have any mixing medium...just use plain water just like people have done with cake eyeliner forever. MAC eyeshadows are the best and any of them I want to line with have always gone on just great with a dampened liner applicator.

I used Fix+ on a brush and then dipped it into Mulch to use as a liner and it totally changed the look of the shadow where i did that, it became metallic and shiny looking and you can't see the 'grainy' look anymore. Only did this in a small area though and i don't really like Mulch so i'm not too bothered about it.

Thanks for the input girls! I don't want to be caught off guard if a customer ever asks a question about shadow wetting.

i accidentally wet my new Slip Pink and now there's a big dark spot in the middle. So Yeah....I might try the spraying the already loaded brush with Fix + instead. My friend told me she uses lotion on her brushes before she applies her eyeshadow to intensify it and when I was at her house recently her eyeshadows and blushes look disgusting and her brushes are all stained and stuff. I wouldn't risk it. Do what the others have suggested, or even scrape a little off the top of the shadow and mix it on a plate or something.

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YAY JUDE!

I didn't know if it was just me, but I have always had great luck dampening them & either swiping something on my eyelid & it really makes the color cling on more, plus have more ZAP! or use the pointy end kind for lining above & below. And I've never had a problem with ruining the surface as long as I just use the damp applicator on the side edges or a certain spot on the shadow & the rest is fine for a dry brush.

I'm glad to hear I'm in good company with this practice!