I can't be of much help here, but I found MAC's finish descriptions pretty helpful (and while I'm at it, I'll post the ones for lipsticks too):
EYESHADOW FINISHES:
FROST: An iridescent shine that adds a highlight to any colour.
LUSTRE: Smoothly pearlized; intensely frosted with deluxe ultra-fine "conditioned" finish.
MATTE: Hi-colour pay-off in a no-shine matte finish.
SATIN: Pure colour in a satin-style finish. Provides a soft subtle non-frost, light-refractive sheen.
VELUXE: Superfine pigment rich and very luxe. Supple to apply. Provides silky smooth matte finish.
VELUXE PEARL: Vibrantly-toned. Velvety soft. Shimmeringly metallic. Veluxe eye shadow, overlaid with high-shine pearl.
VELVET:Soft look finish with high-colour intensity. Has a plush velvety look and feel.
Some finishes will be harder to blend and work with. I've heard people say that lustres were hard to blend (not the new ones though!), and that veluxe/veluxe pearls were the easiest to work with. It also depends on the color, since some shades can be difficult even though it may be the same finish that's normally easy. This can apply to other makeup items too, like I've heard certain powerpoint shades were hard to use while the rest were fine.
LIPSTICK FINISHES:
AMPLIFIED CRÈME: Ultra-creamy. Quietly shiny. Colour-packed! Hi-res: hi-impact.
FROST: Excellent colour payoff with medium to high frosted shimmer-and-shine finish.
GLAZE: Low-colour impact with sheen-style finish. Glazes the lips, makes them shine!
LIP TREATMENT:Colour-free. Texture-free. Provides natural healthy-looking lips.
LUSTRE: Demi-sheer with wet-look lustre finish. Very slick. Makes lips look soft, smooth, ultra-moist.
MATTE: Pigment rich with intense colour pay-off. No-shine, all matte finish.
SATIN: Colour-rich. Soft satin, semi-matte finish. Conditions while adding intense colour.
SHEER: Colour-light with sheer, near-translucent, naturally-tinted finish.
ops:
