TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6*
Why: "I had high expectations from this eyeshadow and it failed to deliver. First of all, it's very chalky. Second, I had to layer it quite a bit in order to have any color on the eyelid, even with primer. The packaging is cute, but for $9 I was expecting better quality," says one reader. Another comments, "this is not up to the usual standards of Physicians Formula products. The shadow is pale -- I think the shadow needs more pigment." One reader says, "it's not the best eyeshadow I've used, but it works for everyday wear. I have the one for brown eyes and it slightly brightens up my eyes without looking too 'done up' which is OK for where I am now (military). But I wouldn't wear it to go out at night because the colors are not vibrant enough. It works for the day and that's just about it. I wouldn't wear it for anything special."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 5.1*
Why: One woman looking for quality on the cheap says, "I bought this product not too long ago looking to save some money on eye color. I can only say that I'm happy that the decision didn't take long because this 'Expert Wear' didn't take long at all before the colors, which don't really complement each other very well, started developing that sheen to the surface that is common with low-quality eyeshadows." Another reader complains the shadow "cakes too quickly [and the] colors don't complement each other." Another woman concurs, "I agree that the colors don't really go together and some get used way more than others. The big problem, however, is that it creases by noon. I want to do my makeup once, not three times to get through a day. Disappointed." One woman adds that "Maybelline makes lovely colors, but the quality isn't there. They crumble, aren't intense enough to last all day, and after a while, sort of compress and it's difficult to get any product on the applicator."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 3.7*
Why: Readers call this a "junk product," "a smoky mess" and "pretty useless." Ouch. "Utter disaster of a product," says one reader. "It is like trying to use a poorly-formulated grease crayon as eyeshadow. Primer does not help; nothing helps. Poor color payoff, poor application (I tried fingers, a brush, a sponge ... nothing could make it go on evenly), poor staying power (creases like nothing else!) and one end fell out when I opened the container (before I even tried to twist it up) ... You would be better off grabbing a Crayola Crayon from your kid's crayon box and trying to use it!" Another reader says, "I can't fairly rate this product on its coverage or staying power because its application is nearly impossible. Part of the convenience of having a stick shadow is not having to pack any applicators or brushes in your purse, but that's the only chance in 'H-E-double-hockey-sticks' you have of getting a decent application with this one. Like someone else said, it's a big crayon. When I tried to carefully apply the darker color with the angled tip, the entire thing broke away from the base with only the tiniest amount of pressure ... Sorry CoverGirl, but you really dropped the ball on this one."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 3.3*
Why: "The glitter made my eyes itch!" says one woman. "I bought this because you get six complementary colors all in one palette for a 'no-brainer' application. Well, as soon as I applied it, gobs of glitter started falling off my brush and onto my cheeks, my clothes and worst of all, in my eyes. Within minutes my eyes started to get really itchy from all the glitter." Another woman says, "oh, how I wanted to like this. The colors are absolutely gorgeous and they enhanced my hazel-brown eyes so well. But it seems like all or most of them are very glittery. Not shimmer, but actual glitter. I tried this in Sephora and I ended up with glitter all over my under-eye [area] and cheeks." One woman agrees saying, "the other reviewers were right on; I wanted to like this because the color selection was great, but the GLITTER! Having glitter invade your eye half way through application is not fun business. If it was cheaper or they reformulated the glitter shades, I'd deal. Until then, back to the store it goes. Meh."
TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 3.1*
Why: One woman promises, "I will never, ever, ever buy Rimmel ever again. [This product] was making my eyelid itch and my eye swell up. It was so embarrassing [that] I had to go to work looking like that. Something is terribly wrong with their formula." One person says, "I wanted to try some new colors, but didn't want to pay over $10 or drive all the way to Sephora, so I bought this product. I found it to be chalky and difficult to apply, and almost impossible to blend. My search for a good inexpensive eyeshadow continues." Another woman agrees saying they have "pretty colors in the package, but when applied, the color seems to crumble and definitely didn't have any staying power. Even for the low price, it's still not worth it."
Eye makeup has been evolving since around 10,000 B.C. from a number of civilizations and cultural uses ranging from reducing sun glare to burial rituals to restoring eye sight. Nowadays, whether we want to test out a new trend, have our makeup reflect our mood, complement our outfit, or make a statement -- we wear eye makeup pretty much for aesthetic purposes. We use eyeshadow to play up our eye color, add dimension and depth to our eyes or just attract attention to them. And, eyeshadow no longer comes in just a basic powder form, you can find it in a mousse, liquid and even a crayon form -- and in more colors and textures than you could possibly dream up.
But unfortunately, we're not here to tell you about the latest and greatest eye makeup, the best long-lasting eyeshadows, or help you find your sexiest eye shadow shade. Instead, we're going to share the worst eyeshadows with you according to our readers.
We're not pointing any fingers -- yet -- but a reader says one of the eyeshadows has "absolutely no staying power, cakes into the crease and looks terrible." Another reviewer "wanted to like this because the color selection was great, but... having the GLITTER invade your eye half way through application is not fun business." And other readers succinctly sum up the eyeshadows in this list in a few words:
"unmanageable"
"junk product"
"a smoky mess"
"pretty useless"
"utter disaster of a product"
