V Tried Fluide's New Shadow Quad Before it Launches
No matter your gender, skill level, or skin tone, this was made for you.
No matter your gender, skill level, or skin tone, this was made for you.
Text: Tess Garcia
This is the story of how I learned that I love eyeshadow.
I first discovered Fluide while researching gender-neutral beauty brands, and I fell hard and fast for its mission. Not only is the makeup line inclusive, affordable, and cruelty-free, but five percent of its proceeds are donated to LGBTQ+ nonprofits Callen-Lorde and Sylvia Rivera Law Project. Needless to say, when they offered to send me their Seeing the Future 001 Shadow Quad in advance of its July 25 release, I didn't think twice.
After receiving the quad in the mail last week, I can comfortably say that Fluide's marketing is unmatched. The shadows are packaged in a simple black compact with emblazoned with the brand's logo. Rather than sending customers a host of additional knickknacks, Fluide lets the makeup speak for itself.
And speak it does. At first glance, the colors comprising the quad, a deep blue (Aqua), pale orange (Buzz), electric green (Gecko), and steely gray (Mink), didn't seem to go together. Yet the more I stared at each shade, the more excited I felt to see such an unexpected combination of shades together in one place.
The next morning, hesitant to mix and match on a workday but aching to give Fluide a go, I opted for a faint swipe of Gecko on each lid. Paired with a bubblegum pink lip balm, I set out for the office feeling like a watermelon princess.
When I returned to my apartment at the end of the day, it dawned upon me that playing with the Seeing the Future quad would be the perfect bonding opportunity for my roommate, Ola, and I. Lucky for me, she's used to my obnoxious spontaneity and was game to experiment. As it turns out, all four hues look amazing in tandem, no matter the color of your skin. We had a baby photoshoot in our bathroom to prove it.
We were also floored by the shadows' build-ability. Ola's striking cat eye was no harder to achieve than my subtle ombré-smokey situation (can you tell which of us has fine motor skills?).
After removing all traces of makeup from my face, I went to bed Wednesday night feeling both content and excited. Content because I felt like I'd cracked the code of how to make eyeshadow look cool (hint: use cool eyeshadows). Excited because I'd finally found a beauty brand that is truly universal. I can share the Seeing the Future 001 quad with any of my friends, regardless of makeup ability, gender identity, or skin color. We can have fun with it together; nothing feels more beautiful than that.
Props to you, Fluide. I wouldn't write 400 words about eyeshadow for just anyone.