A Whole Bunch of Colourpop! ~ Eyeshadow Edition Part I

Colourpop Eyeshadows

When I initially started this blog entry I had just received my VERY FIRST order from Colourpop and was super stoked to finally give them a try. Now that I'm finally getting back to this draft, I've received 3 more orders from them so I'm thinking this will be a series as I go through all the products.

I'm normally a pretty safe shopper in the sense that I rely heavily on easy, convenient return policies (especially since I'm ordering online). CP doesn't accept returns; it says on their website that due to the low prices of their items that they don't accept returns. Understandable, though not a business practice that I would normally advocate. However, with a $30 minimum purchase to receive Free Shipping (in the U.S., for International it's higher) I figured that's just enough to pick a handful of items to try out and get a feel for the brand, and if I hate them, well it's a lesson learned! Needless to say now that it's 4 orders later, I like many of their products quite a bit.

Colourpop

I'm starting with a handful of the eyeshadows and pigments I've received so far, and I'll continue the series as I try out more of their products.

My favorites are the metallic, glittery shades; they really pop and are just loaded with pigmentation. I generally apply these with my fingers, but a wet brush or a brush sprayed with a Prep/Prime spray like Mac Fix+ will also do the trick. Some people swear by just using a dry, synthetic bristle brush but in my experience, while this approach does work it takes multiple layers for the coloration and effect to appear like it would if I had applied with my finger. I recommend trying all methods to see what works best for you!

The mattes aren't my favorite texture for a matte eyeshadow. They feel wet and are a little harder to blend out compared to more powdery mattes. The brush bristles sort of stick when I try to blend them into my crease ("stick" is too strong a word here but for lack of a better one it will do). The bristles just don't glide over these matte eyeshadows quite like they do over a powdery one. I personally prefer the more powdery mattes like the Lorac or Tarte formulas but I do own a few Colourpop mattes that I enjoy and use frequently. For me, they are especially nice to line the lower lash line. If you're not a fan of soft, powdery mattes, you may absolutely like this formula and if you're simply curious, I would always recommend ordering a couple to try them out for yourself.

Colourpop T-B: Erotic, Animal, Cheeky, Sequin, Bae, Rex, Coconut, Hydroplane

Erotic and Animal are pigments so if that's an issue for you then steer clear of these two. I've never had an issue wearing them and I've used them both all over my lid, in the inner corner and along the lower lash line a handful of times. The other 6 are Colourpop's well known Super Shock shadows. These are my favorite Colourpop product; I quite literally can't stop buying them and will spend HOURS looking up swatches as I plan out future orders. These are a bit different than your regular eyeshadows so I would suggest ordering a couple of each type of eyeshadow to see what you prefer. I consider them to be closer to a cream formula than a powder formula; they feel wet and "pillowy" to the touch. If you press on the pan they are soft like a cushion and don't feel powdery or dry at all.

Of the above swatches, Bae requires a little bit of layering to really get that color to pull nicely on the eyelid. Once built up, it's a stunning color, but it's absolutely one of those shades that you can apply over another shade to give a little dimension which means it applies a bit more on the sheer side unless you apply additional layers.

Sequin and Coconut are 2 of my absolute favorites. Sequin, while sparkly, is very wearable for an every day look or it can be layered for a more glamorous look. It's just a stunning shade and is probably one of my most worn CP shadows. Coconut is absolutely fabulous as well; the pigmentation and the insane coloration of this shade are just remarkable. Hydroplane (I believe it's Limited Edition) is also a solid fav of mine. It's similar to Coconut but a bit lighter and more on the sparkly/less on the satiny side. I like to line my lower lash line with Rex, or place it in the outer V to add a bit of sparkle. It's a really pretty navy blue with royal blue micro sparkles (the sparkles are basically the same shade as Coconut). Cheeky is a good peachy crease shade or it can be used as a base shade for the eyelid. Pop a little gold sparkle over it and the effect is quite pretty.

Animal and Erotic are a bit harder to wear regularly. Erotic looks great on the eyelid (see the below pic) or to line the lower lash line. Animal looks nice on the lower lash line as well or in the inner half of the eyelid with Erotic on the outer half and a dark brown in the outer V to tie it all together.

Wearing Colourpop "Erotic" on the lid

Wearing Colourpop "Coconut" on the lid

Wearing Colourpop " Sequin" on the lid