Gosh, I haven’t worn any Almay makeup since — when was that? 1992?
I vaguely remember buying something from the line at a Thrifty’s where I cruised for makeup after school. There was something about the products looking kinda stiff and serious that I still remember today. It wasn’t the kind of makeup my friends and I were wearing to school. It was the stuff “grownups” were wearing to work in tall gray office buildings downtown.
But that was literally decades ago, and the line’s changed a lot over the past few years, becoming, dare I say, cooler. Or, maybe I’ve just gotten older, heh. 🙂
I like the new Almay’s easy, breezy vibe. Think Rite-Aid meets Trish McEvoy at the Bobbi Brown counter. It’s a “we take the guesswork out of it for ya!” approach to drugstore makeup, and apparently the line is also hypoallergenic and cruelty free, which Tabs describes as “hella dope” (his words).
Almay stepped up their color game, too, adding groovy shades like the purple from the Almay Intense I-Color Powder Shadow Trio in Browns 001 ($7).
Browns 001 is one of 12 Almay trios with coordinating, reasonably long-lasting shades handpicked to intensify different eye colors. It has a shimmery, sheer purple for lids, a shimmery brown for the crease, and a frosty beige for highlighting — the three of them picked to enhance chocolate peepers.
I dunno… Do my brown eyes look more intense than usual? I can’t tell…
The shadows boast light-to-medium pigment, which means they’re also pretty easy to blend individually and together. Great if you love that natural “I’m not wearing eye makeup” makeup look.
With these, if you crave colors with more punch, you’ll have to layer, layer, layer. The beige and brown apply more intensely than the purple, which is the sheerest of these three. I’m wearing five layers (!) in these pics, applied dry (and the colors still aren’t even that bright).
As for how these shadows feel to me, I think they’re soft, but not buttery soft, and the powders look heavy on my skin. Of course, with five layers, that’s not a big surprise.
It’s nice to see that Almay hasn’t disappeared from the scene, but I might try doing a soft sweep of color with these shadows. That might be a better way to go.
PRICE: $7
AVAILABILITY: At drugstores and also online.
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B
Seven days till turkey!
I feel like I won the recipe lottery, ladies! Thanks for the great ideas in the recipe exchange yesterday. I hope you found some new prospects too.
I still can’t comprehend that we’re a week from Thanksgiving. Insane, right? I swear it was just July. Must be that whole antimatter thing at CERN…
Kinda random, but I wonder what the neighborhood turkeys are up to. They’ve been keeping a low profile lately. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
The purple really makes ur eyes pop!
Thank ya kindly!
That purple is seriously underpowered. also, are those really turkeys walking around or photoshop? the suburban area where i live totally has flocks of turkeys that are spotted from time to time.
Those turkeys are real. They cruise the neighborhood from time to time.
That’s kind of creepy….haha
What’s creepy is how big they are! They’re a few feet tall and MEAN!
I think the “colors to compliment your eyes” thing is pretty cool and it seems to be popular since many companies are doing it. I also like the how-to diagrams on the backs of the packages. I can use all the help I can get! 🙂
Oh, you just know that Tabs is fogging up the window watching lunch.. I mean, the turkeys, stroll by! 🙂
Hi Kim,
I honestly think Tabs believes he can take one down, but I dunno… they’re pretty big.
I’m definitely putting my money on Tabs! That said, I can just picture him looking at you after like, “um, are you going to slice this and add some gravy, or what?”. 🙂
Chances are that’s exactly what’s going through his brain along with “Woman, hurry up, earn your keep and feed me!”
Ugh, I’m not a fan of Almay. All their shadows seem to be way too sheer, and I guess things haven’t changed since I stopped using them awhile back.
I’m a new reader and am absolutely loving your blog, Karen! You are too funny!
Hi Erin,
It’s nice to meet you! So glad you decided to pop in and say hi. Have you been a makeup fan for a while?
that middle color reminds me of amber lights! 🙂
almay has always made pretty good stuff. i shd check this out! 🙂
Hi Nina,
Yeah, kinda! Amber lights shows up as more gold on me, but I can see a resemblance.
What else do you like from the line? I also picked up their concealer… I tried it yesterday, but wasn’t crazy about it.
i have their “match your skintone” foundation – i like it for the summer bec the formula is lighter. 🙂
I’m thinking their face products tend to run light, because the concealer is SO LIGHT! I got a medium thinking it would be okay, but I don’t know what kind of medium they’re basing it off of.
the texture feels almost watery sometimes. ive taken to mixing it w/ some colorstay or even the studio fix fluid just to make it a bit thicker. 😀
This one feels watery too. I don’t think I’ll be reaching for it very often!
That purple is way too sheer! What a shame, it looked so pretty in the pan.
Hi Gio,
I know you like your pigmented colors. Perhaps girls who like sheer shadows might think it’s cool, though.
Very pretty palette. And the look you did is sweet and wearable.
Hi Vonvon,
Thanks, hon!
I think I said yesterday on the daily photo that my roommate had the one for brown eyes – I think she actually had the one for hazel eyes. It had some neutral colors with a pink, and THAT was the one that looked like UD’s “sin” (although obviously less pigmented). I do like some of almay’s palettes, and I’m cool with the sheer application (I usually prefer that), especially for neutrals. But I feel like the “intesify your eyes” deal isn’t the way to go. Their palettes for blue eyes aren’t very impressing to me, and two of the three have blue shades in them that I would NEVER wear. Not that you can’t just buy a palette that’s “made” for a different eye color than your own, lol! I just feel like they’re boxing in their makeup in a way that isn’t necessarily helpful.
Hi Shannon,
I’ll have to look for that one. UD’s Sin is one of my fave colors, so I might like a less pigmented version for those in a hurry days.
As for palette shades, I wasn’t crazy about the other one for brown eyes. I actually liked the ones for hazel and green eyes best!
I can’t believe you called Tabs a ho for sliced turkey. HAH! If only he could respond to you. 🙂
He’d probably agree with me, LOL! I swear, the second that cat hears the cold cuts drawer opening he is THERE and begging for turkey.
While I like the idea of shadows to complement my eye color, I don’t think makeup brands “get” it. I find that blue eyeshadow makes my blue eyes look more dull. I think that orange-based golds make my eyes look best.
I totally understand Tabs’ fondness for sliced turkey. I’m right there with him. Is it Thanksgiving yet??? 😛
Hi Kerry,
That’s how I felt about the other brown eye quad. It had neutrals that are handy, but not particularly “intensifying.”
And re: turkey — I’m so ready for garlic mashed potatoes and gravy it’s not even funny!
TGIF, btw. How was your week? Have your feet recovered from the half marathon yet?
I hear you on that one. Bring on the food!
Yeah, I’m close to “normal” now. It was a rough few days, but so worth it. Thanks for asking! I think I’m going to take a few weeks off before starting training for the one I have in April, though.
Glad to hear you’re recovering. The one time I did a half marathon I was out for two days afterward because I could barely even walk. And for months afterward I was so burnt out from running…
You’re a brave soul for doing another in April! Kudos to you!
I don’t know if they enhance your brown eyes or anything, but the colors certainly look great on you. Especially with that purple top.
And I can’t wait for Thanksgiving. Moreso for the leftovers than anything else. Mmmmm…turkey and cranberry sauce and scalloped potatoes and green bean casserole…
Argh! I can’t wait!
I’m not into turkey leftovers, but I’m all about the sides. If it’s carb-y and or cheesy I’m so on it!
Hmm, as a brown eyed girl myself, I think the best way to make my eyes pop is any sort of light/pastel/shimmery color (like that purple, ivory, shimmery pink). All about the contrast – the purple does look great and I like how you matched your outfit too 🙂
That’s a good tip, Maria!
Karen – I think I know which Thrifty’s you’re talking about! I went to Alvarado Middle School and used to walk there to browse through the make up aisles with my friends. I still remember buying a lip-slick thingy from Cover Girl and a fragrance spray called Love’s Baby Soft. Did you ever get the ice cream at that store?
Hi Jane,
We were probably there at the same time, LOL! Yes, I totally got ice cream from there all the time. 🙂
I’m a brown-eyed girl too, I should really try out this color combination, as it looks great on you, Karen!
Hi Antonia,
Give it a go! And then let me know how it turns out. 🙂
I’ve got green eyes myself, but I thought that the one for green eyes didn’t seem like it would do much for me. So I bought the one for brown eyes, and I love it. Yes, the purple is way sheer, but that’s a good thing when you work in a law office. :B
Hi Alice,
Oh yeah — especially if it’s one with a conservative dress code!
Karen have you tried aplying the purple with a damp brush. Thats what i tend to do with sheer colours 🙂
Hi Alexandra,
Yes! That’s one of my fave tricks. A little spritz of MAC Fix+ on the brush head and BAM!
i love the neutral one for green eyes… it was my first step into the beauty world so i feel obligated to keep purchasing it. now it lives among my mac eyeshadows… it has graduated from the vastly unused drugstore bin!