I tried to sample a little bit of everything (minus complexion products, as the store I went to had been ransacked and the colour choices left behind were poor). Across the board, I have to say that I have been more impressed than not by the items I picked up. A couple, however, were more problematic.
Such was the case with the Color Play Crème Eyeshadows.
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| Under artificial light. Orchid-ing Around and Time Willow Tell |
That picture doesn't capture how beautiful those shades look in the pot. They are full of multi-dimensional shimmer that is absolutely stunning.
Swatched, you get that color impact, but it also becomes clear that these have a problematic texture. They are like whipped cream - soft, fluffy, and a little greasy. (They are also so goopy that at least one of the ones I tried came out in a chunk attached to the lid insert.)
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| The clump of product that was stuck to the insert. |
They slide all over when you try to apply them to the lids, making it difficult to build depth. If you try to get them more opaque, they take a while to set, at which point they tend to crease all over the place. They do better over a primer, and better still when set with a powder overtop - but then you lose the impact of that shimmer.
When sheered out, and do give a nicely ethereal, sparkly effect. Like a fairy came and dusted your eyelids with her wings. It's pretty, but due to the texture it's easy for the product to thin out too quickly, and they still have a problem with fading and creasing. They can also be applied overtop of another eye product to give that sort of wet-shine finish.
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| Natural indirect light. Top to bottom: Time Willow Tell and Orchid-ing Around. |
The Color Play Crème Eyeshadows can be worked with to create some beautiful effects, but for something that is marketed to have mass appeal, I don't think these measure up to the success achieved by many of the other items in the line. I'm surprised at how finicky they are considering the target audience.
They are also competing with some top-notch cream eyeshadow formulas at the drugstore, such as the Maybelline Color Tattoos and the l'Oréal Infallible range, which are easier to use, with more reliable results.
Availability: Select Wal-Mart locations in the US. No information yet about Canadian distribution. Price is 7.98$
Pros: Beautiful color and multi-dimentional shimmer. Has a bit of a wet-shine effect.
Cons: Difficult to built up to true colour, best when worn sheered out. Tends to fade and crease. Texture is gloopy and slippy, can be messy both in the pot and for application.
(I purchased these items.)
Whoa....goopy AND stuck to the lid? What a let-down, but still, it sounds like you found a way to make them work. I understand that the price point on this range is quite wallet-friendly, so I guess overlooking some less than perfect details, wouldn't go amiss. These two are actually quite lovely shades and in the first swatch photo, they look exceptionally close to 2 of CHANEL's Illusion d'Ombre hues ... but at a much better price, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteI was initially much more frustrated with them, but they are workable - they really are best when applied and worn as a sheer wash. That said, I don't think the performance issues can be completely overlooked due to the price tag, especially since there are better options just down the aisle, at a comparable price.
DeleteOf course, if you have drier lids, prefer a sheer look and are willing to deal with the particular texture and the messy way it interacts with the packaging, I suspect you will have a much more positive experience! :P
Ugh. Can't say I'll be going for these, I don't tend to be a 'sheer wash' kind of person and I don't want to mess around with finnicky products! Such a shame, as the shades you picked are gorgeous, Maggie!
ReplyDeleteTotally understandable! There are so many great options, why mess around? The shades are indeed gorgeous, so I am inclined to work with them, but....yeah, not winners for me.
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