Why are so many beautiful brown shadows named after something delicious, like Espresso and Chocolate? I call foul. It’s unfair.
For the O.M.R. (Official Makeup Record), you can’t eat this Espresso or this Chocolate, two beautiful matte browns in the Revlon ColorStay Crème Eye Shadow line, but since they’re on sale at Target right now for $5.99 each (regularly $7.99), you can use the extra change in your pocket to get an actual espresso or something chocolate.
GIRL YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE. I go buck wild for brown eyeshadows (probably more than the average bear, but what are you gonna do?). These two creams are on the cool-toned side, and they’re shades that you could totally use, like, everyday if you’re into natural-looking or no-makeup makeup, which I am.
Chocolate is a medium taupe-ish brown, and Espresso is a grayish chocolate brown. Both look equally delicious.
I reviewed some of the shimmer cream shadows from this line last spring, and I love them because they’re like sheer versions of the MAC Paint Pots. They’re long lasting, easy to blend, and they don’t look dry or heavy on my finely lined lids.
The matte versions are similar, I’m happy to report.
I love cool browns like these because I kind of have a hooded lid situation. My crease isn’t very deep, but using these is basically like painting shadows on lids. They make eyes look deeper than they really are.
But even if you aren’t looking to create illusions on your lids, I still think these are great for everyday looks, because they’re sheer. (But wait! Let me explain.)
Many makeup lovers equate sheer with sub-par quality, and it’s true. Sometimes sheer is a code word for cheap, but that’s not always the case. Some sheer shadows are really good, and sheer cream shadows are less work to use, because you don’t have to fuss while blending and blowing out those edges. You can seriously do your eye makeup — brows, lids, lashes, and maybe even liner if you’re super quick — in three minutes using one or two of these shadows.
Busy ladies (and gents), these are for you.
I wore both Espresso AND Chocolate yesterday for 10 hours without primer and saw very little fading. That’s good.
I have dry lids, by the way, so if yours are super oily, you may want to prep with primer first.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I think a sheer brown would be right up my alley because, like you said, I wouldn’t have to spend too much time blending and it wouldn’t look to harsh or makeup-y. Will have to try these as some of my Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows are drying out!
Yay, Rachel! I think you’ll love them. You can always bump up the intensity by layering a powder shadow on top, too. Do you live near a Target? They’re on sale at the moment. I would get more of them if they had more mattes available, le sigh!
Yes I have a SuperTarget in my town. It’s a blessing and a curse!
I don’t know what a SuperTarget is but I like the sound of it! Ours has a grocery section, so if I have to pop in to get milk or bread and just happen to throw in a Prince shirt or some eyeshadow into my basket while I’m there then WHOOPS!
Hi Karen! How did you apply them? With your finger or a brush? Thank you!
Jenny
Hi Jenny,
You can use either. I usually use a brush (sometimes two brushes) for more control. I pat down the color first with a flat brush and then blend out the edges with a domed brush. But fingers also totally work too, and they work well.
Yay! Glad you liked these. I need to get to Target soon to grab a couple more colors.
Thank you so much for the heads up on Chocolate. It’s my new fave thing! If you find any nice mattes please let me know. I want MOAR!
I don’t think sheer is cheap, but I prefer the versatility of pigmented stuff. If sheer is buildable, I have no complaints, but usually creams like that aren’t.
This is actually buildable. 🙂
Those shadows sound like a perfect option for dry lid gals. I haven’t used cream shadows in awhile because they are so dry on my lids. It may be worth checking these out especially at that affordable price.
BTW, I was at Wallgreens getting some holiday cards and saw some great deals on Soap & Glory and No 7 Gift sets. There was a huge S & G set originally priced at $40 for 50% off and it had at least 8 products, some full-sized. I may go back and get it.
Be well!
Hi Jane,
My lids are dry and they do well with these. I hope you find some colors you like!
Umm.. yeah, you’ve gotta get that Soap & Glory set! It sounds like such a good deal. Their products are moisturizing and have a bold scents. If you like your lotions on the sweet side you might like them.
I really like espresso, cool browns are hard to find!
Nice job on the pretty bargain shadows! I find that expresso looks very purple, but that might be me (or my monitor). 🙂 I think I prefer sheer and buildable to very pigmented. The first brush of very pigmented, darker colors can be quite alarming. HAHA!
Hi Kim,
Cool tones tend to pull purple on me, so that might be it. It might be more brown on you!
OMG–matte! cool toned! must have!
Hi Denise,
Yes, girl! It’s good stuff!
I expected these to be super sheer based on the few reviews I’ve read, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that these have good color payoff! These are great for weekday mornings when I don’t have a ton of time to get ready before work but still want some sort of color on my eyes. There are a few shimmer shades that look perfect for summer, too!
Hi Kristen,
These are so great for quickie makeup days, right? I have a few shimmers and like them too. They can also double as highlighters!