We could hardly contain our excitement when it was announced that The Traitors would be coming back for a special celebrity season this October – not only because we’ve missed the glorious drama of the show but because we’re desperate for style inspiration from the queen of smokey eyeshadow herself: Claudia Winkleman.
So while we wait for her and her fingerless gloves to grace our screen again, we’ve been searching out the products she swears by for getting that signature smokey look – and we were surprised to learn from a snap shared by her makeup artist Lucy Gibson that she relies on not only an incredibly easy to use shadow stick, but one that’s super affordable too.
Retailing at £25, Vieve's Eye Wands in the shades Raven and Espresso are Claudia’s go-tos when she wants a rich colour that she can trust not to budge, smudge or run when tensions run high at the round table.
Easy to use thanks to their precise pen-like applicator, the sleek, creamy and ultra-blendable formula makes creating any smokey eye makeup looks a breeze.
Aleesha Badkar, woman&home's Beauty eComm Editor, is a big fan of eyeshadow sticks and recommends them to anyone, whether they're a beauty novice or fully-fledged makeup artist.
"Eyeshadow sticks have become increasingly popular in the last few years, for their speed, ease and on-the-go convenience," she says. "While I haven't tried Claudia's go-to Vieve option myself, anything with a soft formula that blends well and a lightweight casing that's comfortable to use gets a yes from me."
Fuss-free, the Vieve shadow sticks are designed to stay creamy even after application. That makes them easy to blend and build on, so you can increase your colour pay-off without having to worry that the formula is going to set down into an unmovable blob of colour.
However, they’re still smudge-proof and super long-lasting, with the formula setting down to take Claudia through long nights of filming without any trouble at all.
A true multi-tasker, Vieve says its shadows are perfect for acting “as a primer for creating a canvas for your shadows,” and, thanks to the thin tip of the stick, for using as an eyeliner too.
And they “can be worn alone for a simple yet sultry finish.” If you’re going for the latter, apply one swipe for a subtle, natural look or build up the layers to the intensity you desire. In Claudia’s case, we expect she really went to town to get those smokey, dramatic shadow looks.
Claudia and her makeup artist aren’t the only people to swear by Vieve’s shadow sticks, plenty of shoppers are raving about them too. “Fool-proof eye wand, that are so convenient on those days where you don't have 20 mins to spend on eye make-up. Very creamy,” one shopper wrote. “This one never tugs the skin, it just melts in and blends so easily. I don't even use a brush, I pat and blend with my fingertip and it looks immaculate.”
Another added, “Whether I wear them for an evening or all throughout the day they stay in place and don’t crease at all.”
While a third said, “Powder eyeshadows and even eyeliners can irritate my eyes as they are very sensitive - these Vieve sticks do not! They are so comfortable, creamy and long-wearing and the colours are stunning. I use them as an all-over eyeshadow, eyeliner, definer, etc – absolutely amazing multi-purpose product that is truly fool-proof.
