I was super excited to try this product when it was finally released in the US in late 2011. A lot of bloggers described it as a dupe for Giorgio Armani's Eyes to Kill shadow, or even Chanel's Illusion d'Ombre, so I was very excited to try this and see how it compares. I picked up 3 shades that I know I will put to use.
As you can see, the eyeshadow comes with a little plastic stopper, meant to keep the product pressed. The shades look gorgeous in the jar, and I have no complaints about the packaging. (Though the Armani & Chanel packages are quite luxurious!)
(From left to right - Iced Latte, Bronzed Taupe, Eternal Black)
I wanted to show you these swatches where I just lightly dipped my finger into the shadow. I like to apply shadows with my fingers whenever possible, and these go on well - the small amount of Bronzed Taupe was enough for both eyes, actually!
Iced Latte is a nice highlight shade but seems a bit crumbly, compared to Bronzed Taupe. This shade is more beige than Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP, which is more pink. I like the texture of this formula better than my limited experience with Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow.
Eternal Black needs a heavier application for true black color, however I am VERY light handed when it comes to application. This shade does have some glitter, rather than the shimmer in the other two which did fall out slightly during wear.
Overall I like these shadows, and the shimmer is very pretty. Over the course of a day, I do experience some slight shimmer fallout, but nothing extreme or bothersome. On me, I managed to wear Bronzed Taupe close to 12 hours before very minor creasing. However, I do have oily lids, and most cream shadows crease much sooner on me. I'm confident that primer will curb any fallout and eliminate creasing during the day.
Nothing can compare with the sparkle and shades of Eyes to Kill or Illusion d'Ombre, BUT this is a great drugstore find, especially if you can catch it in a sale!
