Top 5 Drugstore Brand Eyeshadow

 Eyeshadow is one of those items that I would usually be willing to splurge on, if it is good quality and a color that I don't have in my collection. However, most high end brand eye shadow can get pricey and will range from $14-$30 for a single eyeshadow. I don't think I'd ever go past $15 for an eyeshadow! That doesn't mean you can't find alternatives/dupes at the drugstore for a quarter of the price. I feel like some people discredit the drugstore because of the cheap pricing, but that doesn't mean the quality isn't there. Don't get me wrong, you get what you pay for at the drugstore sometimes, but that doesn't mean there aren't hidden gems that can be found in your local drugstore.

     So I went through my collection and chose my personal favorite drugstore brands. Most of the items are under $10 and if you go to places like Walgreens or Rite Aid you can usually find some sort of deal if you look in your weekly circular or online. Let's get started! (Note: I didn't use a base on any of these shadows!)

Wet n Wild (MAC Alternatives) 
     
     First off, I do want to apologize for most of my swatches being limited edition, but as you can see the eye shadows swatch so smooth and beautifully. The shadows that are part of the permanent line are just as great as what you see below! If you have ever purchased any of the Wet n Wild shadows before you would know how pigmented these shadows are! You can't beat the price either, for the eight pan palettes ($4.99) and single shadow ($1.99).

                     Limited Edition: Nude Awakening                                             Limited Edition: Going in the Wild

Left: MAC - L: Expensive Pink R: (Alternative: Penny) Right: L: MAC - Satin Taupe  R: (Alternative: Nutty)

    I would like to point out that the shades above are similar to the MAC shadows (I'm not saying they are dupes), if you are wanting a cheaper alternative ($15 vs $1.99). I know that they may not look identical, but if you are okay with the minor differences, then go for the drugstore ones! 

   Limited Edition: We're Blasting Off, Silent Treatment and Dancing in the Clouds                Walking on Eggshells

L'oreal

      The L'oreal Infallible shadows are more expensive ($6.49 @ Walmart), but that's made up for on how silky smooth these powder-cream shadows are. They have a wide range of shades, I've only tried out these two, but for the most part (from what I've seen) all the shadows are very similar to consistency and pigmentation. The L'oreal single shadows are pricey ($3.49 @ Walmart) too, but not too bad considering the quality you are receiving. I would like to point out that the lighter shade shows up a lot better with a base underneath. I love to put the Golden Sunset shade on top of the Flower Cosmetic's cream eyeshadow (swatch shown a few paragraphs down) in Good as Mari-Gold. It's a perfect combo for summer! After such a great success in these finds, I will definitely be on the look out for other shades.
 

         Left: Limited Edition: Blinged & Brilliant Right: Eternal Sunshine       Single Shadows: Left: Gilded Bronze Right: Golden Sunset


E.L.F. 

     Eyes lips face to be exact. For the price and quality that you get for these shadows you really can't complain. The quad on the left is $1...that's right $1 and same with the single eyeshadow in the pan. The Studio Line for ELF is a little bit more on cost, but nothing significant. Their packing for the Studio line is a little bit more sleek than the original line (reminds me of Nars), so I think that's why the price is a little bit more. For example, the eyeshadow was $3 vs. their usual $1 (like I said nothing crazy) and I've used other products from the Studio line that I thoroughly enjoy as well (let me know if you would want to see a review on more Studio Line Products from ELF).  One thing to note, when you order on www.eyeslipsface.com you can usually find great deals when placing an order online. Like free gifts with purchase, free shipping or 40%+ off purchase. Overall, the shadows can be a hit or miss sometimes, but thankfully the ones I've picked up have been great!

 LtoR: Quad: Butternut (I only swatched the darker shades of this quad. I use these shades the most out of it, swatched on hand, far left)

Middle Single Swatch: Raspberry, a beautiful plum shade I love to wear with golds. 

Far Right Single Swatch: Wheat, I love this shade a lot, as you can see I've used more than half of it up!  

NYX  

      I love NYX for their wide range of colors and quality. I purchased my shades at Ulta, but you can order online at www.ulta.com or www.cherryculture.com. I do suggest if you're able to go swatch these in person I would do that over basing your opinion from swatches online (sometimes online swatches aren't what you thought they were). The quality of these shades are definitely comparable to higher end brands. The only thing I want to say is that some shades may be a little bit more "chalky" than others, which is another reason I would go check them out in person. However, if you do have issues with it being too chalky, just tap off the excess on your brush. Like I said earlier, their shades can range from bright colors (like primary colors) to more natural colors like the ones I have posted below. These shadows are reasonably priced ($4.99 @ Ulta) and can be found on sale at times. I want to pick up some more, but there are so many to choose from!

                                         LtoR: Smokie Mountain, Sensual, Deep Bronze and Champagne

Maybelline & Flower Cosmetics - Cream Shadows

     I thought I'd end this post with some of my favorite cream shadows, since I showed you all my favorite powder ones. The two brands I have are Maybelline (round packaging) and Flower Cosmetics (square packaging). I only recently purchased the Flower Cosmetics cream shadow in Good as Mari-Gold (swatch far left) a few days ago, but I've tested it out for the last few days and I am in love with the color! It is the perfect gold/peachy color for summer. The downside is that Flower Cosmetics can only be found at Walmart and may not be at every location. The consistency of the Flower one is more on the mousse like side vs. the Maybelline Color Tattoos, which are more of your standard cream shadow. The Flower Cosmetics cream shadow was on the pricey side ($7.98 @ Walmart), but I've never had a cream base shadow like this before, so I thought I would give it a try and I am sure glad I did! The longevity of the product works really well with the rising temperatures that we've been having lately. I do suggest placing a shadow over the top of it if you have oily lids, otherwise you will see creasing within a couple hours. Now for the Maybelline Color Tattoos, they are pigmented and affordable ($5.49 @ Walmart). I find that these are similar to the MAC Paint Pots. I have a few of those as well and the color payoff and longevity are definitely comparable.

LtoR: Good ad Mari-Gold, Barely Beige, Too Cool, Bad to the Bronze and Gold Shimmer

Are there any hidden gems that you all know about? Hope you all liked the post!

If any of you have any suggestions, comments or questions...

Let us know below!

♥