Merit’s New Cream Eye Shadow Is Giving Unbothered ‘90s Supermodel—I Could Not Be More Obsessed

October 22, 2025 / Swedan Margen /

To be brutally honest, I don’t love wearing eye shadow. This is basically blasphemy coming from a beauty editor who frequently covers bold eye looks, but here’s the thing: I’ll never stop oohing and ahhing over the stunning beats I see on the red carpet, my social feeds, strangers on the subway, et al. When it comes to my own routine, however, I keep it as low-maintenance as I can, which typically translates to a swipe of cream blush or bronzer on my lids or a flick of colorful liner (if I’m feeling fancy). Fun eye shadow shades, as jaw-dropping as they are, just haven’t felt so intuitive for me—until now, that is.

Merit Beauty, the brand known for dropping minimalist-chic essentials, has just debuted a “no-glitter” glitter version of their deliciously creamy Solo Shadows. I’ve been lucky enough to get my hands on them pre-launch, and they’ve since become my holy grails for an effortlessly chic fall. I highly recommend giving them a try, especially if “unbothered ’90s supermodel” is on your autumn mood board. Allow me to explain.

(Image credit: Merit Beauty)

Merit’s Solo Shadow is a buildable, cream-to-powder eye shadow that adds a sheer wash of color to the lids with a stunning soft-matte finish. It’s truly goof-proof; you can build up the intensity by layering multiple coats, and the peptide-infused formula melts into your lids with the gentle press of a fingertip. (While you can totally use a brush to blend, I’m a fan of the finger painting method.)

The new Solo Shadow Sheens boast the same smooth, blendable formula, just with microfine pearls for a soft, shimmery finish. Note, the glitzy shadow doesn’t contain actual glitter, yet it delivers a pearlescent sheen that adds an extra oomph to your eye looks while remaining effortlessly wearable—a grown-up sort of glitter, if I ever saw one. Not to mention it has incredible long-wear; I have pretty oily lids (another reason why I tend to steer clear of shadow on a daily basis, as it tends to slide off within a few hours), but the Merit formula stays put all day without creasing or smudging.

My favorite aspect, however, has to be the six, dreamy shades. Each hue is inspired by ’90s glitter shadows—you know, those burnished metallics seen on the likes of iconic supermodels as they step out of some glamorous nightclub. Swoon. Somehow, the pigment looks immaculate without appearing too “done,” as if you had swiped it on haphazardly before dashing out the door. You could theoretically apply it in the back of a cab without a mirror, and still, it’ll appear intentionally effortless—never messy. If that’s not the epitome of chic, I don’t know what is.