Gorgeous Green Eye Products

I picked up an Almay eyeshadow because the lovely green shade in the pan was irresistible. However, I was disappointed. So I thought I’d put together a list of the greens in my collection that I love and work well. Greens look great on those with green and hazel eyes, and they flatter a range of skin tones. I think I reflect that here in the diversity of gorgeous greens (at different price points, too!).

For the reader’s conveniance, I listed the products in ascending price. And of course, info on the product and links to reviews and where to purchase (non affiliate links) will be provided.

Wet ‘n’ Wild Color Icon Brow and Eye Pencil in Olive:

Image via Drugstore

Like the name suggests, this liner is an olive green that leans a little khaki. It’s pigmented, despite it’s low cost, and would make a fun, but day-appropriate alternative to black or brown liner. I bought mine for 99 cents from Walgreen’s.

Wet ‘n’ Wild Color Icon Trio in Cool as a Cucumber:

Image via Beautylish

This fantastic little trio has two great greens (even though the browbone shade looks white in the photo above, its actually a soft green). The quality in all three shades as stellar, and wore well (6 hours without primer, 9 with). Bonus, the eyelid shade is a great dupe for MAC Humid and Urban Decay Bender. I  got mine from Walgreen’s for $2.99.

Wet ‘n’ Wild 8-Pan Palette in Comfort Zone:

Image via Drugstore

This palette has gotten a lot of love from beauty bloggers everywhere. While I truthfully don’t reach for mine very much, the lovely green eyelid shade in the right column deserves a mention. It’s so soft and pigmented and has a warmer tone, making it more universally flattering. This was $4.99 from the Drugstore.

MAC Eyeshadow in Humid:

Image via Ebay

I absolutely adore this eyeshadow. It was my first purchase from MAC and I’ve never regretted it. The quality, texture, and staying power are all supreme. The pigment is rich, hunter green. I can definitely see this working as a bold alternative to a black smoky eye! I got mine at the MAC counter at a local department store for $15.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Kush:

This is my own photo.

Kush is the kind of beautiful green I just can’t help but be drawn to. It looks just as lovely in the pan as it does on the lid. It’s a great bright green, and UD shadows are cruelty free and vegan. I got mine in a palette from Ulta, but you can get it on it’s own for $18.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Loaded:

This is my own photo.

Loaded is such a fantastic shadow. It’s a complex shade, mostly blackened deep green with shimmer. It looks absolutely amazing for a nighttime eye. I got this in the same palette as Kush, but it’s still available as a single shadow from Ulta for $18.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Junkie:

Image via Sephora

I’ve raved about this liner nonstop. I love it so much, it’s a gorgeous jade green with a bluish tilt and gold glitter. It’s just so beautiful, I can’t shut up about it. The glitter is noticeable, even on the waterline, but it’s not so big that it irritates the eye. It’s smooth and creamy and long-wearing, just what I expect from UD’s liners. I got mine in a travel size set from Ulta, but you can pick up the full size for $20.

Have you tried any of these green products? I would love to hear your favorite way to wear green on the eyes! Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below, or send me a tweet!

medianet_width=’600′; medianet_height= ‘250’; medianet_crid=’228266391′;

Almay Softies Eyeshadow in Honeydew Review

Image via Drugstore

**Unfortunately, my camera is broken! Since money is tight right now, I don’t know when I’ll be able to get a new one. Personal images/swatches will be up ASAP, but that could take a while. I’m so sorry for and disappointed by this inconvenience. Thank you beauties for being patient with me in the meantime.

I was curious about Almay products. I’ve seen the line loads of times at the drugstore, and wondered what they were like. I know they’re supposed to be gentle and great for sensitive skin, but I hadn’t heard anyone rave about this or that from Almay. So I decided to some detective work myself, and test out their new(ish) Softies Eyeshadow in the shade Honeydew.

Color:
I picked up Honeydew because I thought it would be this gorgeous green. While it looks like a lovely cool melon green with gold shimmer in the pan, that’s not what the reality is like at all. On the eye, it’s large gold glitter. That’s it. The green is nearly imperceptible, but there, on a swatch, but there’s nothing mildly green about it on the eye. Granted these do claim to give “a sheer wash of color,” but sheer doesn’t mean invisible, and there was no color, definitely not the “pure color” they promised. (1/5)

Wear:
While there was little to monitor, the gold shimmer that made it onto the eye stayed in place, with and without primer, for a full 8 hours. I didn’t have any issues with fallout. (5/5)

Formula:
To the touch, this shadow feels smooth but less soft. It’s not dry, but it’s not as blendable or buttery as my nicer shadows. It swatches sheer, but goes on even less visible. There’s no pigment here. The glitter/shimmer stays put, but it’s subtle, and doesn’t add any brightness or lift to the eyebrow/inner corner, so I wouldn’t even recommend it for a highlight. (2/5)

Packaging:
The product comes cased in a sleek, matte light black compact, with a mostly round shape (the bottom right edge is squared off). The ingredients and shade name are typed on the back, but it doesn’t actually say “Softies” anywhere on the packaging. It’s nice looking, especially for drugstore. It feels light, but not super cheap (although I don’t think it could survive much in terms of drops). The packaging is smooth and flat, so these are very easy to store (face up or on it’s side), and if you’re into depotting, I imagine this format won’t give you too much trouble. (4.5/5)

Price:
This shadow contains 0.07 oz of product and retails for $4.99 USD. That is both more product for less price than average, although I’d say it’s on par with other drugstore brands. (You’re getting 0.02 more oz for 3 times less than what you’d pay for a MAC shadow). However, I would recommend literally any other eyeshadow I’ve tried than this. I love a bargain as much as the next girl, but it has to be worth something still. And I don’t think this product provides any bang for any amount of buck, no matter how inexpensive. (3/5)

Wow Factor:
I wouldn’t say I’m fussy with shadows–I can usually find some way to work them and get great use out of them. The only way I see Honeydew working is maybe as a highlight. But even then, it’s too dull for the eye and too shimmery for the face. I hate to say it, but I see this as one product I feel I can do nothing with. I had high hopes for Almay’s new shadows, but this left me totally underwhelmed. (1/5)

Overall:
Save your money. I don’t think this particular shade is worth it, and I’m not exactly dying to go out and try the others in the line. There’s no pigment, and while the staying power on the glitter is good, I don’t have much use for wild shimmer. If you’re craving a pigment packed shadow, or natural eye highlight, you won’t find it here. (2.75) D+

Availability:
Almay products are available at drugstores and Ulta.

Useful Information:
-Almay formerly sold their products in China, but as of this year has pulled out of the Chinese market for financial reasons. It’s not publicly known yet if they’re “truly” cruelty-free now, and as always, I leave that decision up to the consumer.
-This product was purchased by me.

medianet_width=’600′; medianet_height= ‘250’; medianet_crid=’228266391′;

L’Oreal 24HR Infallible Eyeshadow in Glistening Garnet Review

Image via Amazon

**Unfortunately, my camera is broken! Since money is tight right now, I don’t know when I’ll be able to get a new one. Personal images/swatches will be up ASAP, but that could take a while. I’m so sorry for and disappointed by this inconvenience. Thank you beauties for being patient with me in the meantime.

I had heard a lot about L’Oreal Infallible shadows, and was especially intrigued since they seemed similar to some high-end shadow formulas that have come on the market in the past few years. I don’t have any experience with the designer products, but this L’Oreal shadow left a good impression.

Color:

Glistening Garnet is a lot more pink (and a lot less garnet) than the name or online swatch would have you think. It’s a cool, jewel-toned medium pink-burgundy with a satin finish and a slight gold sheen. (It was slightly more rich and true to pan with primer). It’s pretty, but not the most unique shade on the market. For a makeup junkie, my stash is comparatively light, and I have 3 lookalike shades (you can see comparison swatches at the bottom of this post). (4/5)

Wear:
Whether or not you use a primer doesn’t matter with this one! Either way, it wore beautifully for a solid 8 hours. This makes it a viable option for slap-on-and-go color if you’re in a rush. (5/5)

Formula:
To the touch, the powder is soft and smooth. When applied over bare lids, it was smooth, opaque, and even, like a MAC shadow. This went on a wee bit stiffer over primer–I needed to go back for more product to cover the whole lid because it didn’t want to budge from where I initially laid it down (this made blending a bit less dreamy, but still not problematic). This shadow was still vibrant, gorgeous, and easy to use, even with a base. There was also no fallout, fading or creasing. (4.5/5)

Packaging:
Infallible shadows come in sturdy plastic jars with screw on lids. It doesn’t feel expensively heavy, but could probably take a beating, although it doesn’t seem immune to cracks if accidentally dropped. The window that shows the color is actually the bottom of the product. The packaging is square, but the pan is round. There’s also a plastic stopper included, which I thought was a luxe and functional touch. (4.5/5)

Price:
Drugstore shadows are known for their bargain prices, and this line is no exception. It sells for $7.99 USD each, and contain 0.12 oz of product (so $66.50 per ounce). That’s more product for less price! For reference, an average shadow is about 0.05 oz, and a MAC shadow could cost you $300 an ounce. Plus, the quality is very high for drugstore, at half the price of more expensive brands. Definitely a solid deal! (5/5)

Wow Factor:
What’s unique about this shadow is the powder: it’s not wholly pressed, but it’s not loose either. It won’t fall out if you turn the jar upside down, but when you dip a brush in, it separates in a way that’s reminiscent of a loose powder (so more kickup than your standard pressed powder). Plus, the color payoff and texture are all high quality, given the price. (4/5)

Overall:
I really like this shadow! While the one I picked up wasn’t the most unique, there’s enough variety in the collection–and good enough quality from the one I’ve seen–that I’d want to try others from the range too. The powder is smooth, soft, long-wearing, and opaque. (4.5) A-

Availability:
-L’Oreal is available at drugstores and specialty shops, like Ulta.

Useful Information:
-There’s 18 shadows in this range, including Glistening Garnet. There’s a good mix of neutrals and brights.
-All the shadows seem to have the same satin finish, so on this end, there’s not much variety.
-L’Oreal is notorious for their staunch opposition to cruelty-free practices. medianet_width=’600′; medianet_height= ‘250’; medianet_crid=’228266391′;

Wet ‘n’ Wild Megaslicks Lip Gloss in Cherish Review

Image via Drugstore

Wet ‘n’ Wild is a great budget brand that’s often praised for it’s great quality shadows. But before I deliberately set out to score their trios and 8-pan palettes, I had picked up one of their Megaslicks Lip Glosses in Cherish. I was just getting into beauty then, and wanted something pink and sparkly and girly. This glosses ended up fitting the bill.

Color:

A frosty, warm baby pink with mircoshimmer in the tube. The color on the lips was sheerer (although I don’t know how much of that has to do with me having naturally more pigmented lips). On the mouth, the color was semi-opaque, but the frosty, glossy shimmer was most noticeable. I thought the finish made lips look plumper, but this isn’t touted as a plumping gloss. (4/5)

Wear:

I was able to achieve 3 hours of solid wear, which is pretty excellent for a gloss. It felt thinner and tackier after 2 hours, but the pigment was consistent all the way through wear time. (5/5)

Formula:

For those with sensitive noses, be warned: this gloss has a weird, chemical-vanilla smell. It’s not repulsive, not pleasant, but it’s there. This feels thick and tacky, even tackier than a MAC gloss (but I like that texture). This gloss has vitamins A and E “to moisturize and condition.” My lips didn’t feel any worse for wear after wearing this, but I didn’t see an increase in hydration, either. (4.5/5)

Packaging:

This gloss comes in a thin, cylindrical tube with a doe-foot applicator–pretty standard. But it gets the job done well. The tube isn’t too large, which makes storing and travelling easier. Nothing to complain about here. (5/5)

Price:

This gloss contains 0.19 oz of product and sells for $1.99 USD. That’s 0.02 oz more than average, for a way cheaper cost (for reference, a MAC gloss is $15 and $88 per ounce, and WnW gloss will only cost you $10.50 per ounce). Definitely a steal! (5/5)

Wow Factor:

I’m not a gloss person, but I was impressed by the Megaslicks formula. Cherish didn’t feel drying, wore very well, and showed up nicely on the lips–there was pigment and a high-textured finish. It’s probably not the most unique shade in the world, but I think the finish adds a lot of dimension to a more basic look. (4/5)

Overall:

I really like this gloss! I think the color is pretty and I love the finish. Since I love a bold lip, using this product got me wondering, “why don’t I wear lipglosses more?” It might not be the most flattering on all skin tones, but I think the shine and sparkle is worth a gander. Plus at that price, it can’t be beat. (4.5) A-

Availability:

Wet ‘n’ Wild products are available at Drugstores. I got mine at Walgreen’s.

Useful Information:

-This product was purchased by me.
-This is the only shade in the Megaslicks gloss range that isn’t vegan (containing carmine only).

-Wet ‘n’ Wild is a cruelty free brand, dedicated to not using animal-unfriendly third parties as well.

medianet_width=’600′; medianet_height= ‘250’; medianet_crid=’228266391′;