Review: New Almay Intense I-Color Shadow Stick for Hazel Eyes

I purchased this product a few weeks ago when CVS was having a good sale and, to be perfectly honest with you, I wasn't expecting much. First of all, the color combos in this range are, well, kind of boring (work-friendly for sure) and I actually had a difficult time choosing a combo that made me feel excited enough to run home and try it. I finally settled on the For Hazel Eyes stick, which contains a brown shade on one end and a pink shade on the other. Since I have hazel eyes, I figured I couldn't go wrong.

So let's see how this worked for me!

Almay Intense I-Color Shadow Stick in For Hazel Eyes

(retail: around $7.99, 0.07 oz)

Whenever I see "crease proof" on a product I can't help but say to myself, "Oh yeah? Well let's just see about that..."

This product contains two retractable shadow sticks. On one end we have a cool, almost taupe-y brown with warm shimmer:

And on the other end there's a light pink shimmer:

Some swatches:

Looking at these swatches on my arm, it appears that the pigmentation is OK for a shadow stick, right? Well, not really. These sticks have a drier consistency (they almost tug at the skin), and although the pigmentation seems decent on first swipe, that's what it looks like BEFORE you blend (more on that in a bit).

If this eye look seems familiar to you, that's because it's the same eye look I posted in my Revlon Creme Gel Eye Liner review. Since I wore the brown end of the Almay shadow stick for these photos, I figured I could use these pictures twice.

To reader sacgirl: you had asked in my Revlon review what eyeshadow I was wearing in these pics. Sorry I didn't respond to your comment before, but now I can tell you that I'm wearing the brown end of the "For Hazel Eyes" Almay Shadow Stick!

For this look, I used nothing but the brown end of the Almay Shadow Stick on my lids. I applied multiple swipes to my lids and then blended upward with my finger and that's IT.

Pigmentation: Decent at first swipe, but the moment I start to blend this product onto my lids, the pigmenation decreases by about 50%. The more I blend, the weaker the pigmentation. I have tried to build for more intensity but the moment I touch this shadow with my finger (or a brush) I cannot stop the pigmentation from becoming noticeably weaker. So if you're looking for a sheer wash of color, you might like these. Otherwise, you might be disappointed.

Texture: As I mentioned above, these sticks have a dry consistency. They don't tug during application, but they're RIGHT on the border of almost tugging. Actually, the dry consistency is something I LIKE about these, because that means they're not going to crease five minutes after application. Also, even though they're on the dry side, they aren't difficult to blend (I used my finger in the photos above) and they don't set quickly so you have plenty of time to blend and put them right where you want them.

Staying Power: I was VERY surprised and happy to discover that the staying power of this product was great on my oily lids. Without primer, I can get 7-8 hours of wear before I start to notice major fading and creasing. Considering that I didn't think I'd get even three hours of wear from this product, I have to say that I'm very pleased. I haven't tried this product with a primer yet, but it might work even better that way. I HAVE tried this product as a base for my powder shadows, and I've been quite pleased with them used in that capacity as well (the other day I used the brown shade as a base for my new ColorStay quad and it really kept my shadows vibrant and in place all day and into the night).

FINAL VERDICT: I think this is a nice product for those of you looking for a quick, easy, sheer wash of color that you can apply using just your fingertips. The pigmentation won't knock your socks off, but the staying power just might. I rarely have good luck with shadow sticks, but this one was a pleasant surprise. The drier consistency means that it works well with my oily skin and I can get at least seven hours of wear before I start to see serious creasing and fading. Used as a base for powder shadows, I've had great luck with this product so far--it's been keeping my powder shadows vibrant and crease-free all day and into the night. So if you're ok with a sheer wash of color and an uninspired shade range (read: work-friendly), you might want to give these a whirl the next time they go on sale. This one exceeded my expectations and I love that it doubles as an effective primer.

Do you already own any Almay Intense I-Color Shadow Sticks? If so, do you agree with my assessment?