I place two cruelty-free and paraben-free drugstore powder eyeshadows in front of you.
The first is a common color that you've seen from dozens of brands over the years, but it's one that works quite well with your skintone and could easily be a go-to shade for you on any day of the week. This shadow has excellent, top-notch staying power, vibrancy and consistency, even without primer. It is smooth and buttery and a dream to work with.
The other is a color that you've never seen in a drugstore before. It's original and quite unique, and it just so happens to be a shade that would work beautifully with your skintone. But it has some performance issues. The color payoff is on the weak side, it requires primer for good staying power, there's some fallout and it doesn't blend as easily as other shadows.
They both retail for $2.99 and their weight and packaging are the same. Which one do you buy?
50 comments
I would get the color I've never seen because eventhough the other one seems to be a Dream, I LOVE A challenge especially if it's something new I've never seen anywhere else.
I go with the first one, because that's what I normally do and to save face (no pun intended) from dealing with poor performance. I go crazy when eyeshadow is patchy and the color doesn't come out, no matter what sort of primer I use or how much I throw on.
I would get both! I'm a total junkie... but with a gun to my head, I'd get the one that works, because it doesn't seem like someone who would be forcing me to choose between the two would also allow me to purchase primer and the other necessary tools...
Also because I'm a junkie...did you post this because you found an awesome new drugstore eyeshadow????
I'd get the smooth, buttery one. I love a good stand-by eyeshadow and lately I've been more about the quality of eyeshadow vs. color.
Also...can you do a post on drugstore eye primers soon? Or has there been one already I can't find??
I would play it safe and go with the first choice. I don't really want to deal with fallout and weak payoff.
Definitely the first one.
I have To go with @Brennan, I don't really care for makeup with performance issues. I don't have time to deal with fallout considering I like to put my foundation on before my eyemakeup. The new shade may be pretty but if it doesn't apply well then I won't play with it.
If I have to pick one, I'd pick the first one. I don't have time to mess around in the morning and I usually pick a pretty generic color that performs excellently (lately it's Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tough as Taupe, sometimes with a little Barely Beige as a highlight).
If I were in college, I'd have picked the second one! I had all the time in the world to play with makeup!
Easy choice for me. I go with the first one. I learned long ago that "fabulous," "unique" colors are not worth it if they actually don't go on or stay on well. Who has time for that kind of BS? Haha, sorry, I'm a New Yorker!
First one for sure. It's just a pain to need to "work with" your cosmetics, they should just work. This is especially important when you're trying to get somewhere on time! Haha
Color is quite important to me and I would make it work, fall out can be cleaned up andthe more I work with it the more it'll begin to work with me...I'm not one to buy thousands of the same color...I like newness and new colors especially bright matte colors I LOVE!
The first one! Even if the color is a little generic, the quality is what counts for me.
First one! Quality is more important to me.
Ugh I don't waste my money. They both sound crappy and I'm also wary of products that are "paraben free" because they often contain formaldehydes. Parabens aren't that scary to me at all, but formaldehyde is a carcinogen. SKIP.
Probably the lesser quality more unique one. I usually use primer anyways and I can use a 'glitter glue' to help improve staying power. I'd choose it because I likely own the other one or a similar shade already lol.
I mostly wear makeup for fun, not every day, so I don't think I'd mind taking a little extra trouble for a shadow I'd never, ever seen before.
The first one. A new color means nothing to me if it doesn't wear well.
If I wasn't allowed both I would probably get the 2nd one.
Definitely the first one. Great color in a pan that doesn't translate to the eye is useless to me.
I'd pick the first one. I hate working with hard colors, no matter how cool the color is.
The first one. Even though they're only $2.99 each, I don't like to waste money, and I really like things easy as possible. If I went with the 'performance issue' one, I might end up throwing it in the trash!
First one.
I'd probably go with the first one, to me it's almost pointless for the uniqueness if it doesn't even show up. If the unique color was one I'd really been wanting I'd either spend more for a better quality dupe or find a good one online.
I would go with the first one because I'm always rushing and don't want to have to spend a ton of time getting ready. That being said, my makeup is getting out of control so I'm trying to avoid similar products, exp nail polish and eye shadow, and trying to only purchase new "unique" items.
I would buy the first one. I've learned from experience that when I buy the second one, I simply don't use it. *shrugs* If I had the time, or rather took the time to create amazing looks I would want the second one in my arsenal, BUT honestly, I simply would use the go-to shadow more often.
This is a really fun question! :) Reminds me that I need to play with my e.l.f. palette of crazy colors some more!
The common color/perfect formula. I hate having to "play with" my make up to make it work the way it's supposed to.
For six bucks, I'd get both! If you threatened my dogs and made me choose (oh, how could you!), I'd pick the first one.
I'm going with tried and true; the first one. If I didn't know that the second one was quality-inferior to the first one however, I probably would spend $3 to check it out. If you would have said the price was $20, that would have upped the ante. I would look for reviews like crazy before I handed over my money.
im boring. i choose the 1st.
I had flashes of that short story "The Lady or the Tiger" that I once read in 5th grade with your question! Nowadays my makeup is so simple and plain that if I *had* to choose, I'd do the first one. But, since they are only $3, why can't I get both? And, if it's at a drugstore, I can return one if it stinks, right?
I'm hoping there is some reality in this hypothetical question and you have some cool new shades to show us. I have a 20% CVS coupon that is burning a hole in my pocket.
The first one. As someone who's perpetually short on time, I really can't deal with putting extra work (more than my usual amount) into making my eyeshadow show up properly. And I'd probably get annoyed with the second one over time, anyway.
the first one! Because I have bought mediocre products in the past with bad pigmentation, glitters, fallout, powdery- u name it and as pretty as the color may be in the pan, i know I won't use it, knowing the extra work it entails!
plus all you have to say is buttery smooth e/s, and I am sold.. even if it's bright green, i'll make it work if the texture is right on!
I would choose the first, but if the second was my only option, I'd still use it because I don't like "wasting" cosmetics.
I'd get the second. I have enough eye shadow bases to last me a lifetime and I'd be persistent on a way to make it work. BUT as long as it's not glitter fallout, normal fallout's fine. Glitter fallout on the other hand is the worst.
RE: drugstore eye primers:
I like the new Barely Beige color tattoo (LE though so hard to find), Palladio eye primer, and ELF. They would be sorted by best to least favorite.. except I'm desperate to save the LE color tattoo.. so I use Palladio on a daily basis. The ELF does the job (keeping shadow from creasing) but does not enhance color of the shadow. The only one I have found that is better is UDPP, but of course that is high end.. however I buy the $10 deluxe sample size and it lasts forever.. so that is an option. I just ordered the NYX HD primer but have not received it yet. HTH
Really depends on the color. If it is gorgeous, unique, and I adore it I will work with it.
Have to go with the first one. When you're in debt for school, you gotta do what ya gotta do!
The first one. I would pay full price (and $2.99 is a great price for quality) for a smooth and buttery shadow. For the second one, I'd wait to match a coupon with a good sale before I'd try it.
My gut says 2nd choice because I'd probably have a couple of the 1st from different brands that came from palettes, gift with purchases or incredible drugstore sales. In reality though, I'd probably test how patient I was and wait for another brand to dupe it right. But if I did buy and only used it a handful of times for special occasions when I felt like I can take my time with my makeup, for a fabulous and unique colour for $2.99, I'm okay with that.
I probably *should* buy the first one, since most days I stick to the same old, same old when it comes to makeup... but I'd be lying if I said the second one wouldn't be outrageously beyond tempting, and I'd probably end up getting it instead, and only using it on the days I want to be extra gorgeous and am willing to put in the time to make those fussy-but-fabulous shades work. Unless I can have both. In which case, yes please!
...yeah, I'm that girl with a huge eyeshadow/liner collection and several mascaras who hardly ever breaks out of her face rut but can't resist the shinies...
I second this!
Neither and spend those few dollars on something else. If the first one is already a common run-of-the-mill color, I probably already own something similar and wouldn't need it, and if the latter has performance issues I would just throw it in my stash and end up forgetting about it.
Neither. If I have something similar to the first shade, I'd skip it. If there are performance issues on the second shade, why waste money?
Paraben-free? Then I would double-check which preservatives are used bc alternatives can be worse. If that checks out, then I would buy the more unique color unless the dupe of that popular color works better than the one I currently own. In this case, I would just buy both.
Ok. I thought about it for a bit and decided if the unique color was an LE then it would be mine. I am SUCH a sucker for anything with Limited Edition attached to it! I thought about the tried and true and while it is probably a better buy the second one, unique color, spotty performance could be enhanced perhaps if it were all chopped up into a loose powder and maybe added to a cream shadow or perhaps as an eyeliner!
I'd probably skip both and buy a nail polish or lipstick instead. Lips and tips ...
Easy pick for me, too. I'd rather go with the first. I don't mind spending more for a better formula, even if I don't wear the color as often.
First one! I'm a no-fuss kind of girl when it comes to makeup (and most other things ;) )
The first one.
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