Review: Careline Loose eyeshadow powder

I bought my first few shades of this when they first came out in the market, hmmm... 2 years ago? i had little or no idea at all of how to apply eyeshadows properly back then so what i did was after my foundation, i twist its cap and start applying the pigment using the e/s sponge applicator that came with it. i was quite frustrated when i ended up getting flecks on my undereyes and on my cheeks...i had to re-apply my foundation because of that! (yep, no loose powder to catch falling pigments...and no idea bout fan brushes!) aside from that, even though it's new, you would have to shake it like how you do a salt shaker if you want to have more pigment. it's quite annoying to continuously dip the sponge applicator over and over again because the way it's packaged, it doesn't allow you to get a whole lot of pigment.

But despite of those, i was still determined to try it out. Besides, i got some of my fave shades of green, purple and the one shade a lot of people have been raving about: the Mestiza White. So i went ahead and tried it. Color is nice, too shimmery to be worn during daytime (i wasn't that adventurous with colors yet). but being the "sutil" that i am, i went off to work with my eyes painted in their Forest Green shade.

Usually, once i arrive in the office i go to the ladies room to check on my makeup. But that day, i remember i had to meet with the boss. After 2 hours (some 3hrs after i applied them) of meeting, i finally got the chance to have a break. So to the ladies room i went and to my disappointment, i saw my eyeshadow already creasing. the rich shade of green that covered my entire lid was no longer there...instead, i saw a streak of green on my creases! Ack! disaster! i looked stupid...had no choice but to remove them and be contented with just my usual makeup of foundation, blush and lipgloss (and of course, eyebrows!)

oh well...

so what i did was i gave them away...surely they worked well with other ladies, but not with uberly oily lids like mine. (sniff)

i thought that will be my last encounter with Careline loose eyeshadows...until i got one from a swap. At first i said to myself "oh no, not again.." and i was determined to give it away again. but Nikki, asked me to do a review. And who am i to say No to Nikki who gives out great reviews on products she has tried. so to return that favor, i got myself another shade of Gray which is Silver Gray since what i got from the swap is Dark Gray. I was again determined last night to give Careline another shot. So what was my primary problem bout this product? the packaging? nope...the shimmers? of course not! Creasing...yep, it surely is! so i took out my HG eye primer, UDPP, and applied it all over my lids up to my browbones. I even applied some on my lower lids. then i started applying my loose eyeshadow. And while i was doing that, i was actually praying that this time it would work to my favor.

Before my verdict, take a look at my EOTN:

used: Careline Loose e/s in Silver Gray on the inner half of the lid and on the inner lower lash lines, Careline Loose e/s in Dark Gray on the outer half of the lid and on the outer lower lash lines, L'oreal Lash Architect mascara in Black and Modelco brow kit in Dark

honestly, i love the color pay off. i remember my previous eotd wearing similar shades from Taylormade. And probably, if i would transfer Careline's pigments into pots and keep them with my Taylormade pots, i would not be able to distinguish which is which.

now, here's my eye shots after my shift (10hrs after application):

you can see that some colors have faded, but not that noticeable. a bit of creasing too, but again...hardly noticeable unless you would really come close to inspect.

my verdict? i would give it a 4 out of 5. And this wouldn't include the packaging since i really hate how it was packaged in the first place. Maybe if it was packaged like MAC pigments, i could have love it even more but still, would give it a grade of 4. Because it did crease and faded a bit despite having UDPP applied underneath it. But for its price, this is definitely the SAVE counterpart for your MAC and mineral pigments. Great for those who are in a budget and starting to build their makeup stash and of course, a great way to practice your eyeshadow application skills.

so there...sorry for the long post. I must admit that i suck in giving out reviews. I tend to write (or talk) too much. :P

and oh, here's my FOTN:

used: Monistat Anti-chafing gel as primer, MAC Studio Fix in NC25, TFS blush in Pastel Pink, Shu Uemura pro concealer on the undereyes topped with Oceanmist Saffron Concealer, MAC Sculpt and Shape to highlight nose and chin, Artdeco lipstick in nude topped with MAC lip conditioner.

tata!

hmm...i am loving my Monistat (applied as primer). i am going to continue using this with other types of foundation and will post a review about it soon!