What are some of the most over hyped eyeshadow formulas you’ve tried? You know the ones that everyone is talking and raving about but you simply do not understand the love!
For me, it’s MAC.
Don’t kill me!
Please, hear me out.
MAC does some really great products especially eyeshadows but they tend to be very hit and miss. Some people would completely disagree with me but I really like some of their limited edition shades, keyword, SOME. Most people, would say the true gems are in their permanent collection but I tend to migrate towards their LE stuff.
I think MAC gets eyeshadow right, very right in fact but when things go south, they get their very quickly. More times than not the limited edition collections include a good deal of lemons but sometimes you do find keepers. I think some of their early collections from several year’s ago tended to be much better than the more recent items they release. I’m not really sure what happened with MAC but the formula and quality just isn’t quite it used to be.
So, yeah, I have to place MAC in the sad most over hyped eyeshadow pile.
How about you?
What are some over hyped eyeshadows you simply don’t like?
Do share them!
100 % agree with you on Mac
Armani Eyes to Kill eyeshadows. I have two and they are not special at all and for some reason, even though I use a lot of loose pigments / loose eyeshadows, they always crease on me! L’Oreal Infallibles are WAY better.
YES!!! I was waiting for someone to agree with me! I got a few shades and even a palette, hoping that one would prove me wrong, but it never happened. I think they’re some of the worse I own, much cheaper brands included. What a waste of money!
I wasn’t impressed with NARS either. Still better than MAC, though.
Smashbox eyeshadow. More often than not they arrive broken or break during travel.
Morphe! I wanted to love them, I really did. However, I was sucked into buying their shadows after all of the Youtube hype around their palettes- espcecially the Morphe 35O. So, being the gullible idiot that I am, I bought 3. They all came- and all were horrendous. The pigmentation was alright (that’s me being very generous) and they were the hardest eye shadows I had ever tried to blend out. And trust me, I’m not an amateur. I sometimes will drink my morning coffee in one hand and be blending out my eye shadow with the other for a good 20 minutes. I regret all of them. I also picked up some of the Morphe brushes which are excellent. Those could give the Mac brushes (and their prices) a run for their money. But trust me on this- the eye shadows are not a good product. I suggest Makeup Geek-they are so buttery, soft, and blendable!
Tarte.
Oh, good. I thought I am the only one who dislike Tarte eye shadows. It does not perform well on their own, but even with a primer, the colors just tend to run muddy on me.
Tarte. I just ordered a palette from Sephora it was such a dud. Powery and the colors were just muddy. I’m over them.
Ditto mac. It’s too hit and miss for me to bother with anymore. I kinda feel the same way about nars now, too. Nars was my jam around 2010ish (hello etrusque!) but I feel like quality has gotten really spotty.
I have to agree. MAC has a lot of great shadows, but even more so-so ones. I think they need to update their formula. Their LE shadows are all over the place, even within the same palette.
Oh my, I’m kind of afraid to say my overrated eyeshadows because I’m gonna have to say The Lorac Pro line *ducks* and the too faced 9 pan palettes with the adoreable packaging. I have no idea why but they crease terribly on me! The Toofaced chocolate bar formula works wonderful for me though, I gave my too faced 9 pans away but I still work with my Lorac Pro 2 just because I do love the colors and the formula does feel so soft and wonderful but it creases almost instantly on me…the only way I can wear them is with primer and a thin layer of nyx jumbo eye pencil in milk but I kind of hate having to work with it, as in I’ll work with a cheap shadow because well, it was cheap lol but I hate having to put extra effort into higher end products…I know it doesn’t sound like much but I normally only wear primer with all my other shadows and they last all day! And even after the extra step they still crease in a few hours. #FirstWorldProblems lol
I had the same isue with Lorac unzipped palettes! I really wanted them to work, but they creased even with concealer and eye primer
Makeup Geek eyeshadows. I understand the hype because YT is a giant clique but the color range and lasting power is average. Nothing makes the shadows stand out more than their similarity to existing MAC shades. Too Faced as well (don’t shoot!) Their palettes are cute, but so many of them lack substance that I’m hesitant to buy any more. I can usually get 1-2 great looks out of em, and then a few more “meh” looks.
I agree completely with MAC permanent items vs LE stuff. Most of my favorites are from the regular range, with the exception of LE shades of existing products. Collections are cute and fun but when it’s time to get serious I pull out the boring stuff lol. I love these question/discussion posts!
Aw thanks Jay 😀 I’m glad you enjoy these! I really do too as I heart reading everyone’s replies!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t think MUG is anything special. I hate most of the eyeshadow I bought from them.
I can agree for all the shadows MAC makes its like a 30/70 for me. I don’t understand Dior or Aveda shadows. There’s pigment in the pan and it disappears when the brush touches it. My biggest pet peeve is fallout regardless of the brand
Morphe eyeshadows (only tried the 35O) i could kick myself for falling into that hype … hated it!
I completely agree. I know that MAC pigmentation went down a great deal over the years. I heard years ago it was when they were bought out (by Estee? I think?) and the quality just wasn’t what it once was.
I do still love some MAC products but they have so many collections a year I also feel they are more concerned with churning out NEW! LE! DESIGNER! 72021 times a year instead of making really insanely high quality stuff.
Maybe I’m just older now. I dunno. 😛
Mine would be Morphe. All the you-tubers use them, but I found them all glittery with fall out and powder kick up. Good thing they are cheap so I don’t feel so bad.
Probably the worst for me are Bare Minerals Ready eyeshadows. I read so many raves! And my sister loves them, too…but they just don’t work for me at all. Some are dry and/or under pigmented, usually the satins & mattes. The more shimmery shades apply beautifully, but then they fade & crease on me like a mofo. All around no bueno. I’m also not much of a fan of MUFE. They are gorgeous, but they don’t layer/blend well on me.
Wet n wild trios, I’ve tried so many, but they always wear off. I’ve tried different primers, applying with brushes and fingers, still nothing.
LORAC. I love their shadows, but they’re too soft and dear lort, the fallout!
OMG the fallout … the worst! Powder flying everywhere!
Powdery, fall out, too soft and they look dusty, muddy and blah on my skin tone! Glad i’m not the only one who doesn’t like/love Lorac shadows!
Also the Chocolate bar palettes by Too Faced, they look beautiful and the shade selection is gorgeous. But quality hmmm, doesn’t compare to the original small 9 pan palettes. I still prefer the Natural and Naked eyes palettes over my Chocolate bar palettes! Although i do like them 🙂
Honestly, and I know many people like these palettes, but the Two Faced Chocolate palettes! I feel like they generate a lot of fall out and crease like Noones business! There are exceptions in some of the shades, but it’s to hit and miss for me! Especially with the LE Sweet Peach palette! Thank you Muse for always posting exceptional reviews of products! I always check your page before purchasing new items!
-Tina.
awwwwww thanks Tina xoxoxoxoxox!
For me it would have to be UD’s naked palettes. I was on the fence about getting one and finally bit the bullet and bought one of the basics palettes. I was not all that impressed, the colors are nice and the quality is not bad but I felt it was way over priced. I rarely use that palette and tend to lean toward other options that are nowhere near the bloated price range. I’m more than willing to pay top $$ for a high quality Item but I felt like I was really paying for the name more than anything else with that palette.
Sarah, I bought the Naked Smokey palette and I actually love it. The colors apply nicely and wear all day (or night). It was a bit pricey but I bought it last summer when I received gift cards for Sephora on my birthday. It was a good purchase. 🙂
And the UD Smoked palette (currently on clearance at UD for $22!) is amazing–gorgeous colors, gorgeous formula, gorgeous pigmentation. I think it’s one of the best-quality palettes they’ve created. (Plus, it comes with a step-by-step booklet for several different looks, which my application-challenged-self found very useful.)
This! It is the only UD palette that has worked for me.
Ive never used UD eye shadows but know of the hype and have complimented it on others without knowing it was that palette. I don’t think the basics palette is a good palette to judge the entirety of their eye shadow products though? its just too…basic. That smoked deal sounds awesome if only it wasn’t sold out. I cannot bring myself to spend more than $45 on a palette and it has to be to die for. Currently awaiting the Beauty Killer eye shadow palette to test out even though that’s not UD.
Yes, I totally agree with you on MAC, and I was sincerely disappointed with that soft serve collection! From several swatches online, none of the shades seem to have even a base of color, and $22 is a bit much for a bouncy blot of shimmer on the eyelids. No offense to those who love and cherish this formula, but it just seems the only thought put in was the price tag. I also don’t get the pandemonium over the holy grail and Laura lee palettes from violet voss. I caved and bought them both because the color assortment looked pretty awesome, but in getting them I was like “seriously”? This is what people are losing their marbles over? I swatched several colors over bare skin, then realized a primer was necessary. The colors ARE smooth if you touch them, but swatches on instaglam look like opaque color in one swipe, which I’m sorry to say is not the case. These are GOOD palettes, just not great. Same for those Sleek palettes that everyone went ga-ga over a few years ago. The funny thing is, the best eyeshadows and palettes are by brands that aren’t generally hyped up – Ben Nye, for instance, has THE MOST FANTASTIC EYESHADOWS in the world, I’m almost certain. Until I find a better brand out there, this is the gold standard for me. They are so ridiculously pigmented you barely need to touch them to get color, and blend flawlessly. Inglot and La Femme take the silver and bronze medals, considering how affordable they are. I also love Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Bobbi Brown, MUFE, Sugar Pill, Viseart, Tarte, to name a few others. Thankfully, I have enough eyeshadow to last me five lifetimes, so I don’t think I’ll be caving in on another “go get this now!!” eyeshadow or palette any time soon.
OH NO! I got a few but haven’t tried them yet Ashley! I’m sad to hear they are horrible!
Ben Nye shadows are the bomb….I totally agree!!!
I think UD shadows are a bit overhyped. Some of the mainstays like Sin, Smog, Toasted are gorgeous but they have some glitterbombs. I just think they’re not as good as MUFE or Viseart. And I love my MAC permanent shadows. They”re easy to work with.
Oh man, Sin + Toasted + Hustle 4ever. But I agree–I have 150 UD eyeshadows and most of them never get touched!
I’m dying to get the Viseart Paris Nudes palette and a custom MUFE trio! What are your favorite shades?
yup yup yup – UD all the way. i am a die hard MAC shadow girl and UDs just do not compare! i have oily lids and they are BY FAR the worst crease offenders…
Maybelline Color Tattoo. I’ve tried several shades and they all just look so dull and patchy on me. I can’t even use them as a base for other shadows. And Too Faced shadows just don’t stay on me no matter what primer I use. But that doesn’t stop me from falling into the trap of buying their palettes!
It pains me to say this but Bobbi Brown Greige pallet was a disappointment for me. I had a few BB items I loved, including an eyeshadow single that’s awesome , so pigmented and blend able. I finally splurged on a pallet and it was just..Meh. At that price point, I would expect consistent high quality.
Mac matte formulas. They are too dry and just don’t work for me at all!!
Tarte-I’ve tried the Tartelette Tease palette and both the Double Duty palettes… I’ve decided there’s just something about the Amazonian clay eye shadow formula that doesn’t work for me…even the lightest colors in the palettes are just too…dense? Overpigmented? When I try to use the lightest colors to highlight I get this weird dull pink or flesh color, and forget crease colors. Good Lord. The only Tarte eyeshadow that’s been a hit for me is the Rainforest of the Sea palette-totally different formula. LOVE IT.
Tarte–I find them dry and dusty. I love all other things Tarte, though.
Stila–not so hyped any more, but they have terrible pigmentation.
Baked–I hate baked shadows, no matter the brand.
I love Too Faced, including the 9-pan palettes. LORAC and Urba Decay are other loves for me. I also like BE Ready palettes.
MAC, tarte, NARS, morphe palettes (their brushes are great), Too Faced eye shadows.
COMPLETELY agree with MAC! I expected them to be amazing when I first got them, but they were so subpar. I received a few as a gift when I was very, very young. I was just getting into makeup. Since they were all I have, I thought they were decent. Then I began to use Urban Decay and other brands like Sugarpill (among many other indie brands/loose shadows) and I realized just how mediocre MAC was. Some shades like Cranberry are great, but others are downright terrible. I love MAC’s lipsticks and various face powders, but I never buy their shadows anymore. I had friend who loved her Naked Lunch single for about seven or eight months, and then it just turned terrible. It became hard and nearly unusable. So weird how it is never consistent!
I only have two MAC shadows (both of which are perfectly nice), so I can’t really judge the overall MAC formula, but I think Stila and Tarte shadows are almost always sub-par. I also didn’t care for Smashbox Exposure or the LORAC Pro Palettes–they didn’t bind well to my skin.
Before I even clicked “Read More” I said out loud “MAC”! In fact, the only MAC I have anymore (or will buy) are the 15 pan palettes from Nordstrom. I don’t know if they do a better job or use a different formula, but those are usually very nice (and pricey).
I also have to chime in with one of the worst — and most expensive — disappointments I’ve had in years: By Terry. I had three of those $96 palettes and they were worse than some drugstore eyeshadows. I tried everything to make them work, including using a damp brush which I never normally do. So bad I would not buy anything from that line ever again.
Nars. I have tried several of their Night Series eyeshadows and they all look pretty in the pan…..very dark green, dark purple, dark blue. But they all apply looking like plain old black. Other than those, I have never found another shade that I even care to try.
Ok. Here it goes. Viseart. I have 2 of these palettes and I don’t get the hype. I keep pulling them out and then throwing them right back in the drawer. I mean there good but they will blend all to one color if you aren’t very careful. My biggest pet peeve of any shadow. If I wanted one color I would have put on one color. I even Googled eye looks with this brand and it became a hard search for me for something I like.. I much prefer my Inglot.
I completely agree! I thought I was the only person who doesn’t like Viseart. I’ve bought a few and returned them all for the exact same reason you mentioned. Yes, ease of blending is great, but now when it turns all my shades into one muddy color.
Third this. I have Ribbons Boheme and it is weak. Thought they would be much more pigmented.
Also, agree with MAC. Their Vekuxe and VekuxePearlare awful. Their quality has sunk lower in the last couple of years.
Not a big fan of Too Faced either
Reading the posts reminded me of so many more that I now refuse to buy: NARS, Christian Dior, Becca, Bobbi Brown, Tarte (exception being the reformulated Rainforest of the Sea palette), and so many drugstore eyeshadows that I’ll just name Revlon and Maybelline as the front line offenders.
I am so glad to have read in the comments that Morphe shadows are overrated. I trust the comments section WAY more than beauty gurus on Youtube. So thank you all for your imput!! Those gurus HYPE Morphe up like crazy!
Although this has been said already above, my answer would be MAC limited edition palettes. Overpriced and quality is not there to justify the price in my opinion.
Some of Morphe’s shadows are okay, some majorly suck though. They aren’t all bad. I haven’t found any matte’s that I liked at all. They are chalky and not blendable. A lot of their shimmery colors have pretty good pigment and still blend. Makeup Geek does it way better!!!!!!
I would have to say I definitely agree that MAC isn’t all it’s cracked up to be on the eye shadows. I bought the little palette, has about 9 shadows in it, in the burgundy shades and was sooo disappointed. The darker colors were more like a “tint” and not even buildable. The lighter colors were so sheer that you couldn’t go back in with them at all for any depth whatsoever.
BUT, I think the one product that disappointed me even more, that I thought was so overpriced but was sooo excited to get was Stila’s Magnificent Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow. I saw a video Shaaanxo did where she used a product that I wasn’t able to find in the US, that was basically used as a dupe for Stila’s product. I hate to complain, because I love everything else I have from Stila (especially the color correcting primer) and maybe I’m using it wrong! I’ve tried using it all different ways though and it just sucks! If I use it without the liquid, it won’t even go on my skin. If I use the liquid, it goes everywhere, including in my eyes (AND BURRRNNNSSSS!) and still doesn’t go on well. AND it costs $32 for one tiny little pan of it.
I’d love to hear about anybody else’s experience with this stuff!!! Thanks!!!!
OMG those are messy Emily! They are so difficult to use 🙁
Maybelline Color Tattoos! They are so dry. Can’t stand them.
It is interesting to read the comments about what brands haven’t worked for some people. I am enjoying this post. For me, I have been disappointed in the Bobbi Brown palettes (and sadly I have 4 of them). I find them chalky and hard to blend with little color payoff. I am not a fan of the Naked palettes either. Too sparkly/glittery for my age. I gave mine away. I love my Kiko Milano individual shadows but have had mixed results with a palette from the same line. On the other hand, I was surprised to read the comments regarding the Morphe palettes and Lorac Unzipped palettes as I find them soft, blendable, color rich and no fallout. I find my shadows are still fresh by the end of the day. No creasing. But again, I am older and my skin on the drier side. I don’t have issues with creasing normally. It just shows what works for some people doesn’t work for others.
I’ll be the first to say it (don’t shoot me!) but Anastasia. I bought 3 palettes, I wanted to love them so much but the sparkle fall out is NOT a cute look. The colors are fine, but the pigment is a little off and the sparkle …. just couldn’t do it.
colourpop..nuff said
MAC – because nearly every collection they have had in the past few years contained some duds
Dior – apart from the Jardin palette – which is gorgeous, nearly all of them have been too powdery with two colours in the quint being almost identical.
Tarte – the same colours being released in different names over and over again.
I do have some MAC shadows I love but I dont buy MAC anymore. It is waaay too hit and miss like you say. I dont want to do hours of research before buying an eyeshadow. I want a formula I know is good and consistent across the board.
Bobbi Brown – I have a love-hate relationship with her palettes! I want to love them because every one is gorgeous and the colors would be perfect for me. Except…fallout. Horrible fallout. Nope.
Urban Decay – I have purchased and subsequently given away all Naked palettes and a few others. I don’t even look at their new releases anymore. The fallout is really bad but also I find many of the colors difficult to blend and if those reasons weren’t enough to stay away, they don’t last on me, even with a good primer.
Dior – I was so disappointed with the lack of color payoff and how similar the shades were in the palettes – I’ll just stick to the lippies with Dior.
LORAC – I have forgiven the brand enough to keep Unzipped because…gorgeous!! But I have to be very careful to stand up and lean over and apply very slowly and carefully to reduce fallout. This is the only palette I make exceptions for because once my eyes are done, my look lasts all day and I always receive compliments, which reinforces my decision to keep it. That being said, I still go back and forth on buying Unzipped Gold…sigh. Those colors though!! LOL!