In the world of cream eye shadows, staying power is a very rare commodity. Even the best eye primers succumb to creasing, making one swear she's never buying a non-powder eye shadow again (until the next shiny thing comes along). But even in this sad state of things, there is a handful of cream products that actually perform.
I reviewed Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner a couple of years ago and loved them dearly. They keep every promise, stay on all day looking perfect, and are quite versatile in the way you can use them- alone, combined with other eye shadows and as an eyeliner. The thing is that after about 18 months the cream dries out and crumble. It shouldn't be a problem for those who use the same items almost every day, but if you have a large collection you'll never hit the bottom of the jar before it spoils. Which explains why I has to toss my Benefit Creaseless Creams last year.
A recent Sephora GWP reunited me with the cream shadow in RSVP. It's a light neutral with a metallic finish, very wearable, blendable and pairable. And the best part? The GWP is considerably smaller than the full size (by approx. one third). I wish Benefit would add the mini jars to their permanent line.
Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners ($19) are available from Sephora, Ulta and the company's website.
All photos are mine.
You raised a very good point about cosmetic spoilage. Anyone who has worn make-up for awhile has probably tossed products because they've begun to spoil. I've often thought that since make-up is trend driven just like everything else in the fashion world, it would make more sense to package it in smaller quantities and sell it at lower prices. That would encourage us to buy more things and would also make us feel less guilty about tossing products that have begun to deteriorate in quality and in safety.
ReplyDeleteYes, I won't buy this again because of the short lifespan. It's a shame - I liked it a lot, but am too fickle to stick with one eyeliner for as long as it would take to make this a worthwhile purchase. Minis would be great!
ReplyDeleteI must say the Benefit lightly metallic cream shadows are flattering and their other eye products are very good too. The concealers they put out are effective, which is more than I can say for most others. I have deep undereye shadows since I was a child, and their stuff works well.
ReplyDeleteWow! I have many Benefit cream shades. I have been using them since they were introduced. They are all still fine. I have had other cream shadows dry out and die, though. Revlon made one I adored, but it's history in the pot. Even my Dior cream shadows start to dry out after a few years.
ReplyDeleteThis comes at perfect timing. I want the RSVP cream shadow and I have an in-store coupon for the F/F event. The mini size is perfect because I am still sad thinking about the time I had to part with my favorite cream shadow, Skinny Jeans. I wish Benefit would do a holiday gift set of mini cream shadows. I would buy one for myself and two sisters!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about having some smaller options available. I rarely hit metal before things need to be tossed. I believe I have this shade (unopened) in a small set Sephora offered recently.
ReplyDeleteI also believe it's nice to be able to have mini's of our favorites for travel. Fantastic blog you have here. x jeanie
Gaia-you just got me thinking about my Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadows-I have several of them & I've barely made a dent in any of them! When my cream shadows & gel liners (from other brands) get dried out, I am able to resuscitate them by blending a tiny drop of Aquaphor ointment into the pot. You have to be careful though bec. too much Aquaphor will thin out your shadows & eyeliners too much.
ReplyDelete