Sheika Daley’s Lancôme Palette Brings PSL Season to Your Eyeshadow

Though I’d rather have a longer dinner on the calendar (there would be more time to pick her brain!), Sheika Daley would be an amazing person to grab coffee with. There’s something about the glow of a cozy café in the afternoon that makes you look especially pretty, and I’d want the makeup artist to see me at my best.

Actually, maybe coffee would be better than dinner in general? I’d definitely feel more comfortable whipping out the artist’s new Lancôme Idôle Café Crush Eyeshadow Palette and swatching in a Starbucks than I would at any chic restaurant—the bathroom lighting at those places is way too dim.

“I wanted Café Crush to feel like stepping into your favorite coffee shop and seeing every drink—vanilla lattes, caramel macchiatos, deep espresso—lined up in front of you,” the Lancôme Global International Artist tells Byrdie.

Thus, the palette features 12 shades divided into three “flights” of color. You’ll find vanilla browns, strawberry browns, and latte browns on the menu. Her favorite, like many this time of year, is a shimmer called “Pumpkin Spice,” which she describes as “that perfect cinnamon-brown that works on everyone.”

“I use it as a crease shade, as liner, even to softly contour the eye,” explains Daley. “It’s the shade I always reach for when I want to warm things up.”

Ahead, discover everything there is to know about the palette—including her favorite ways to use it.

The Inspiration

Besides the coffee inspiration, Daley decided to include both rich mattes and luminous shimmers in the palette because that’s what she does while working.

“The mattes are velvety and buildable, perfect for structure and depth, while the shimmers catch the light like a swirl of cream in your cup,” she explains. “I always layer both textures on set because that contrast gives you instant dimension. I wanted that same pro effect to feel effortless for anyone using this palette.”

The palette also plays into some of this year’s biggest eyeshadow trends.

“This [season] is all about wearable drama. Think espresso tones, soft graphic wings, and sheer shimmers that catch the light,” Daley adds. “You can do a full monochrome brown look with Espresso Intense and soften it with Cinnamon Cream for that ‘espresso makeup’ effect. For the latte liner trend, I’d wet a brush and use Café au Lait or Chai Latte to create a diffused wing. Sheer washes of shimmer like Golden Frappuccino or Sweet Chantilly look amazing when tapped on with your fingers… no crease color needed. And I’m loving berry-brown blends. Berry Bisou in the crease with Strawberry Latte on the center lid makes such a statement.”

The Looks

While you can get as individualized as your personal coffee order is when crafting your look with the palette, there are a couple of places Daley would go.

For a “daytime fresh” look, she’d sweep Sweet Chantilly across the lid and Café au Lait through the crease, then add just a touch of Golden Frappuccino in the inner corner to brighten things up.

“It’s an easy, soft, latte-inspired eye,” she says.

A night out dancing would call for deeper shades.

“Espresso Intense smoked on the lash line with Passion Tango pressed on the lid gives you a bold, sexy look,” she notes. “I love tapping Caramel Macchiato on the lower lash line for a little sparkle that moves with the light.”

And for a first date? “Chai Latte all over the eye with a wash of Strawberry Latte gives a soft, romantic vibe… then I like using Pumpkin Spice as a tightliner—just enough definition without being too much.”

Sheika Daley’s Application Tips

Daley says that if you want your shadow to stick around you should start with a good eye primer or a little translucent powder to control oil.

“I always lay down a matte shade like Cinnamon Cream to give the shimmer something to grip. Then, I apply shimmer with my fingertip, mist a brush with setting spray, and press the shimmer one more time to really lock it in,” she explains. “Finish with a light mist of setting spray over the whole look… it’ll take you from brunch to rooftop party without needing a touch-up.”

The biggest mistake she sees people make when applying eyeshadow is starting with too much product on the brush. They’ll blend and blend until the colors all muddy together.

To fix this, she suggests tapping off excess powder, placing your shadow where you want the most impact, and using a clean brush to soften the edges.

“Build slowly… let the shadow work for you,” she says. “These pigments are rich, so you really don’t need to overdo it.” Just like freshly ground nutmeg in your PSL.