Cream Shadow Comparisons - My Week of Reviews

For those who rode the wave of shadows with me - Thanks.  It has been fun.   A lot of makeup, lots of info and a hound dog impersonation to boot!

So how did the shadows stack up??

MAC right eye End of Day

Joe Fresh right eye End of Day

Maybelline right eye End of Day

Make up For Ever right eye End of Day

NYX right eye End of Day

Monday - MAC Paint Pot, C+
Tuesday - Joe Fresh Cream Eye Shadow, F
Wednesday - Maybelline Tattoo Eye Colour, B
Thursday - MUFE Aqua Cream, B+
Friday - NYX Jumbo Pencil, B+

Not a terrible group - I like to think that I covered various brands and price ranges.

I really did toss the Joe Fresh one, it was an awful experience.

Lets talk costs (also in per gram):

MAC, $21/5g, $4.20/g
Joe Fresh, $6/1.8g, $3.33/g
Maybelline, $6.49/6g, $1.08/g
MUFE, $25/6g, $4.17/g
NYX, $5.99/5g, $1.20g

I really am struggling with picking a clear winner.  In essence there are 4 that I would consistently use.  Noting that primer and a powder shadow on top is a requirement.  But when I look at the pictures, the NYX one looks to be the most intact!

MAC and MUFE would be ones I would buy less often, cost being the main factor.  If I was looking for a less expensive alternative with a colour range I would definitely go with NYX.  But there are a couple of Maybelline shadows I am going back to get.... I can't help it!

Cheers!
Lori

Series of Shadows (Cream/Creme) - Friday NYX Jumbo Pencils

So here we are on Friday...  Another week another set of reviews.  I have been having so much fun doing this...  Maybe next week will be a combo of gardening and baking (including Chocolate Crack - it's famous!)

"Back to the makeup you fool!", says you.  OK!  Here we go....

Pic of Stick

Swatch on my hand

Today's review features NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil (remember my Doll Eye Mascara Review). I have this pencil in Milk and French Fries.  Today is a French Fries kinda day.

Here is what NYX says on their site:

Eye Pencil - Jumbo

Eyeshadow and eyeliner all in one with creamy easy to blend formula that glides on like silk and lasts all day

Lori's Experiment of the Day

It's 700am and I am dog tired.  What to do, what to do.  Let's see.... Foundation: Gosh Lift Me Up.  Mascara:  YSL Volume Mascara (from my February TopBox). MAC Photogravure Technakohl liner for tighlining. and Joe Fresh Cheek Stain in Cherry for... well... Cheeks.

Eyes?  NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in French Fries!  It is a very creamy (lol) formula so I like to apply it to the back of my hand and then use a MAC 242 or MAC 217 to apply to the lid area.  The risk by applying straight to my lid is that I use a heavy hand.  Start light and build to the intensity I want. Of course, I primed my right eye with Too Faced Shadow Insurance to see if the primer can make a difference.

It goes on fabulously.  Surprising smooth for a pencil!  And buildable, can be sheer'ed out as needed.  Promising start.  I will say the primed eye has a bit more of a colour intensity.

Both lids done.  Right eye primed (your left)

Right (primed) eye

Left (un-primed) eye

I checked my lids at about:

• 1200pm and there was some creasing on each eye.  Noticeable but not terrible.  No leeching down underneath the eyes.
• 230pm. Same amount of creasing and colour disappearing from the lids. Not noticeable unless my eyes are closed.
• 500pm. No further creasing or disappearance of colour.
• 930pm. Slightly more creasing and loss of colour.

Results at 6:30pm 

Right (primed) eye

Left (unprimed) eye

A couple of things I have learned:

• The NYX pencil actually performed quite well under the circumstances.  That said, people (myself included) have used the Jumbo pencil in Milk (matte white) as a primer and I really can't recommend that for folks with lids like mine.;
• In the case of using Milk as a primer my method is to prime with a eye primer such as TF Shadow Insurance or US Primer Potion (or your favourite), add a layer of Milk (adding it to my hand and buffing it on using a brush) then adding powder shadow. Milk intensifies the colour of the shadow and acts as a further base.  Does it crease? Yes, but it lasts much longer.; and
•  They have a great range of colours (24 in Canada, 37 in the US)

Again, the primer made some difference to the staying power but again it eventually creased.

Cost for 5g (0.18oz) is   $5.99CDN or $4.50USD at most stores or online.

Will I purchase again?  Yes I would (and have).  I would love to see more matte colours, but that is always my request.

Grade is B+. It is very creamy for a pencil, very inexpensive and easy to bring with you for touch ups.

I have 2 short posts to follow on this series:

1. An overall comparison
2. A followup on one (which one?) with primer and powder shadow on top.

Cheers!
Lori

Series of Shadows (Cream/Creme) - Thursday Make Up Forever Aqua Cream

Another day and another high end cream shadow to try.  I first saw this in a Lisa Eldridge tutorial and immediately purchased it.  Why?  Because Lisa is a fantastic Make Up Artist.  It is absolutely worth your while to check out her blog and YouTube channel.

But back to me and my review!!  It is all about me...

Today's selection is the Make Up Forever Aqua Cream.  It is supposed to be immovable so let us give it a go, shall we?

It is # 2 which is a lovely pewter colour (they call it Steel)

What is says on Sephora:

Aqua Cream
What it is:
An ultra-pigmented, long-lasting waterproof cream.

What it does:
Aqua Cream combines the highest-quality pigments with mother of pearl particles to give immediate rich color payoff with a luminous finish in just one application. It's long-lasting formulation will not crease or smudge under the most extreme conditions and its creamy and elastic texture allows for easy blending.

What do I say?

 So at 7:00am this is what I discovered:

Goes on lovely, very build-able and sets well.  As with the others, my right eye was primed with the Too Face Shadow Insurance.  Applied first with the MAC 242 and blended with the MAC 217 brushes. If you are blending my advice is to work quickly as it sets almost immediately.
Further lined my eye with the Midnight Blue Avon Glimmersticks and as always my  Lancome Teint Idole.  Mascara was MUFE Smoky Lash.

Just shadow Right eye primed (your left)

Added a touch more and some liner close to the lashes

Left (un-primed) eye

Right (primed) eye

I checked my lids at about:

• 1200pm and there was zero (0) creasing on either eye.
•  230pm.  Creasing = 0
•  500pm. Creasing = 0
•  630pm. Slight creasing.
• 800pm.  Visible creasing.  

Results at 820pm

Eyes at the end of the day

Left (un-primed) eye

Right (primed) eye

A couple of things I have learned.  The Aqua Cream certainly stayed on much longer than others tested thus far.  But it did crease after 12 hours.  A pleasant aside was that the Avon Glimmersticks performed very well.  Totally unexpected bonus.


The Aqua Cream colour in steel is perhaps a bit too shimmery on its own for work but can be layered with another powder or pigment to temper it somewhat. I will have to examine the sheens (blue and green) to see if they are perhaps a bit more subtle.


Again, the primer made some difference to the staying power but again it eventually creased.

Cost for 6g (0.21oz) is   $25CDN or $22USD online at Sephora 



Will I purchase again?  Yes I would.  I would love to see some matte colours (other than the black one).


Grade is B+.  I have to consider the fact that it is pretty pricey! Although it is slightly cheaper per gram than MAC. $4.17 vs $4.20.


Cheers,
Lori

Series of Shadows (Cream/Creme) - Wednesday Maybelline Colour Tattoo Shadow

Geez.... Day 3 has to be better than Day 2.  I cannot believe that I went on public transit with makeup leeching down my face.  Look at the dedication!!!!

Today's shadow is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo Shadow in Tough as Taupe.  While there was 2 or 3 fabulous colours I wanted to try, I decided to purchase the neutral one as I would be wearing it to work (and today is conservative day).

So at 7:00am this is what I discovered:

Goes on lovely, very build-able and sets well.  As with the others, my right eye was primed with the Too Face Shadow Insurance.  Applied first with the MAC 242 and blended with the MAC 217 brushes.

Also applied Hourglass Film Noir Mascara.  Liner was Teddy by MAC for tight-lining.  Foundation was a Lancome Teint Idole.

Eyes at 7am.  Right lid primed (your left)

I checked my lids at about:

• 1230pm and there was slight creasing...  Very slight in fact. 
• 230pm and no further creasing
• 530pm there is some creasing and pooling, especially on the primed eye.  Some leeching under the eyes.  Very slight. The product is disappearing from my lids

These were taken about 700pm.

Right (primed) eye at 7am

Primed eye at 7pm

Left (un-primed) eye at 7am

Un-primed eye at 7pm

By 700pm this eye makeup was done!  Pooled in my crease and doesn't appear that the primer made much difference in the end.  There wasn't much leeching underneath my eyes but not much left on my lid though.

Price:  4g at $6.49CDN

Would I buy again?  Yes.  While it did crease, it didn't perform any worse than the others thus far and they do have some great colours.

I really am starting to believe that I need to set the cream with a powder shadow.  But I won't for the purposes of these reviews.  I want simple and feel that I should be able to have cream shadow be enough!

Grade: B

Stay tuned for Make Up Forever tomorrow!!!

Cheers, 

Lori

Playing with Templates - Tuesday

So I have screwed up a number of pages with my playing with templates.

Will repair in the am

Mostly impacts the pics.

Sorry!

Series of Shadows (Cream/Creme) - Tuesday Joe Fresh Cream Shadow

Full Eye Makeup

Day Two sees me trying Joe Fresh (sold in Atlantic Superstores or equivalent throughout Canada).  I have tried their cheek stain and love it, so I said what the heck and added one of their shadows to my shopping cart.  While not a terribly large amount of shadow, it is certainly adequate and is encased within a sturdy container.

Again, for the sake of this experiment, I decided to prime one eyelid (again with the Too Faced Shadow Insurance) and leave the other bare except for the shadow.  I added it with my MAC 242 brush and blended it with my MAC 217 brush.  It applied and blended very well, and I took care to apply it lightly and layer it as it was a darker colour.

No powder shadow was added, just a little gel eyeliner on the tight-line and close to the upper lashes.  Also applied my new mascara NYX Doll Face.  Liner was BlackTrack by MAC for tight-lining.  Foundation was a Lancome Teint Idole.

Eyes as of 730am:

Right eye (Primed with Too Faced Shadow Insurance)

Right (primed) eye

I will tell you that this eyeshadow was a train wreck.  It was completely creased by 930 and by 1pm started leeching down towards my cheeks.  I resisted touching up as I wanted to see how bad it would get.

Pretty darned bad...

Left (unprimed) eye

Left (unprimed) eye

The one benefit is that it further solidifies that the Too Faced Shadow Insurance does work.  However, it is not infallible with a bad product!

Number one I look like a hound dog.  And before you wonder, I used the NYX waterproof mascara which I know does not slip down (see review on that).

I could not scrub it off fast enough.

Tossed in garbage and never to repurchase.

Cost for 1.8g was $6CDN.

Grade:  F

Stay tuned tomorrow for the review of the Maybellline Colour Tattoo.

Series of Shadows (Cream/Creme) - Monday MAC Paint Pot

Full eye makeup

I decided with the new technology being touted by cosmetics companies that I would do a series on creme/cream eyeshadows.  I have a selection of both higher end and drug store varieties to review.  My problem (as I have written about before is oily eyelids and creasing.  Would creme/cream eyeshadow be the answer?

Let us start with today's offering MAC Paint in Moss Scape.  It is a beautiful colour.  A lovely olive green with gold. Very creamy and easy to apply with finger or synthetic brush (I use the MAC 242 shader brush).  It also blends very well with a blender brush such as MAC's 217.  For the sake of this test (and that it was a sunday) I did not layer powder shadow on top of the Moss Scape.  I did put primer (Too Faced Shadow Insurance) on the right eye  - your left only.

MakeUp at 10:00am

Hooded eyes so I have to look surprised

Have Primer on the right eye (your left)

 As I said, it is a gorgeous colour (sadly retired) and very easy to apply.  I have Painterly, Bare Canvas, Artifact and Groundwork but I was feeling the green.  Also applied my new mascara NYX Doll Face.  Liner was Teddy by MAC for tight-lining.  Foundation was a Lancome Teint Idole.

 MakeUp at 10:52pm

Not horrible for 13 hours later

Oh dear

Eye with primer

Eye without primer

Soooo....  It started creasing, especially on the left eye lid (unprimed) about 2 hours in but purposely stopped looking at them until the end of the day.  You can see pooling in the crease and the virtual disappearance of shadow on the lid.

Mascara held up though!!

Cost:  For 5 g / 0.17 fl oz it is $21CDN or $17.50USD


Final verdict.  Maybe if I set with powdered shadow it would improve slightly but wow, I am disappointed.  I typically only use this colour for going out so it usually only stays on a couple of hours anyway.  Certainly did not stand up to a full day. 


Grade: C+.  Great colour, lovely texture, but it creased and it pretty pricey per gram.

Will I buy again?  I cannot say no, but I am not sure I say yes either!


Tomorrow is Joe brand in Slate!


Cheers,
Lori