November 19, 2010

L’Oreal The One Sweep Eye Shadow Review, Swatches, Photos

Ah L’Oreal The One Sweep Eye Shadow! L’Oreal’s answer to highlighting, shading, and lining your eyes in one simple to use palette. Imagine that? This is supposed to take all the insanity out of creating that perfect eye look and proceeding to allow you expert application of not only shading your lid but also highlighting your brow bone and lining as well!

Joy!

A contrasting eye shadow look in a simple to use one sweep design.

Does it work?


Three shades of contrasting eyeshadow and a one sweep brush for application to create an easy, simple, fuss-free eyeshadow look!


Well, the concept is brilliant but not new by any means. L’Oreal has simply repackaged the idea behind eyeshadow sheets such as Avon’s In a Wink Eyeshadow and proceeded to reformat the design, tweak it, and create an interesting and unique way to apply your eye makeup.

It’s basically a single contrasting shadow look in a single compact sans the need of major skills for application. I think L’Oreal had in mind that this would appeal to a market that isn’t quite sure of proper application but still wanting a fabulous eyeshadow look. Granted, not everyone can blend well, apply eyeshadow, and create an overall fantastic eye look (I know I can’t) and the idea behind this was to make it happen with as little fuss and application know how as possible.

But how’s it work?

Pretty simple. L’Oreal provides you with a large curved sponge applicator. The sponge is designed in a way that it’s supposed to mimic the curve of your lid and eye area. You simply swipe the applicator onto all three shadows (upwards for your left eye and downwards for your right) and proceed to swipe the applicator over your eye. Presto! This basically applies the shadow shades in the appropriate areas. The light shade is supposed to blend towards the top of your crease and highlight the area, where as the middle shade is supposed to shade your lid, and the last, darker shade is supposed to act as a liner for definition.

Interesting eh?


Well….

The concept is pretty brilliant as they basically took a note from eyeshadow sheets and improved on the overall product however it does not work out so well. I purchased two of the several shades and each had different results.

My first try with the Playful for All Eyes trio pretty ended up in a brown eye look. Although this contains a golden brown beige, a chocolate brown, a darker brown, the overall look just comes across brown, you can’t really see much in the ways of a contrast for the entire eye look. Application with the sponge is fairly easy and it fits the curve of my eye very well but I can’t help but wonder about Asian eyes and those with smaller eye areas to work with as this applicator is pretty large.

My second try with the Playful for Green Eyes (I don’t have green eyes but purchased this anyway since green shades look fab on my eyes. I know, I live dangerously particularly when L’Oreal is telling me this is SO not my shade selection. Sarcasm!). Now this just ends up a strange mess. The green is very chalky looking and the brown liner falls to high on my eye area so it basically looks like I was playing around with my mum’s makeup and proceeded to create some strange, childish eye shadow look. Not that I’m any expert in the realms of blending or application but I can definitely do a better job with three colors than this did.

The shadows vary it seems from shade to shade as the brown trio had ok pigmentation however the green was more chalky with less color pay off. In some ways they very much remind me of Japanese Eyeshadows with that creamy, slightly chalky finish however not near the quality.

  • Anyone with a whole hell of a lot of patience (if you have the time and the energy to sit and carefully apply you might see some great results but quick, fast application will end up messy).

  • Anyone wanting a contrasting eye look (in my experience the contrast isn’t worth the effort of patient application).
  • Anyone who wants a fuss-free eye shadow look (too much work here in my opinion, you can get an eye look using three shades of shadow done quicker without the aid of this set).


I’m going to throw it out there and say these are worth purchasing for the experience of TRYING to get it to work correctly. I had a jolly good time trying to get it right and failing even when I was practicing utter patience. The theory is fabulous but the actual end result is a complete fail. You’ll probably find yourself tossing out the sponge applicator in favor of using your own brushes to creating a gradating, contrasting eye look.

Pretty fun idea but fun doesn’t make a perfect eye look!

Anyone try ’em?

Planning to?

Do share!

Note: Feel free to share this post but do not hotlink the images as it causes issues with my server. Thank you!

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Stephanie L.

    Thanks for posting this. I saw these the other day and was so tempted to buy. Like you, I may still buy one to try it. That’s what makeup is all about for me, anyway…having fun! I am a perpetual 6 year old, but with a very foul mouth, hehe.

    • the Muse

      stephanie you sound like me ;-D totally a kid at heart! I think it’s worth a pick up just to have the experience! Who knows, might work for you! I think it’s pure gimmick but fun none the less ;D!

  • peri

    i saw these at my work and i showed my makeup loving best friend and she was like…that wont work! but it was intrigueing! i didnt buy it though…and now i probably wont. but now i have to admit she was right lol.

    • the Muse

      def intriguing and unique peri but doesn’t work imho ;D! your friend was right!

  • Heather / Eyeconic

    I knew this gimmicky shit wouldn’t work. I’ve been waiting for someone to prove it so I wouldn’t have to, hehe.

  • Tina

    I have small Asian eyes so I can see this getting applied way above my eyebrows.

    What are they going to think up next? A patch you stick on cheeks so there’s no need to use a brush to apply blush? A roll on applicator (like the L’oreal roll on foundation that looks like a paint roller) to paint on eyeshadow?

    That gigantic brush is funny. Thanks for the review.

    • the Muse

      ha tina ;-D I guess they TRY to make things easier but just turns into a mess ;-D

      my pleasure!

    • mimi

      I have Asian eyes and this actually works great, but I never read the directions and actually apply the shadow to the applicator differently than shown. I actually use the “edge’ portion of the curved brush (think the outside part of the letter C) and swipe that part. That way I still get all colors and don’t have to worry about the applicator being so big, and it is. I find also that i have more control as to the placement of the colors as I move across my lid. I guess it shows that sometimes the manufactorer isnt’ always the greatest at giving good tipes.

      • Susan

        youre doing it correctly! that’s EXACTLY how a loreal video makeup artist did it! edge/tip only just as you said and it came out perfectly.:)

  • SJG

    This is how I know I’m getting old. I seem to remember Max Factor having something similar to this in the 1980s. I could have dreamed that though.

  • Kristen

    I love the concept behind it, just like the Cover Girl Shadow Blast (that thing sucks! lol. I might buy it and just use the colors like I would any other shadow.

  • reene

    Wow. They look so pretty in the pan! That’s too bad it doesn’t work.. I was especially intrigued by the brown palette. Hmm.. maybe I’ll try it anyway! lol. Thanks for sharing. ^^

  • The Peach

    I have been waiting to see reviews of this. I’m probably not going to waste my time buying it. For fun, would you post some pics of the shadow on you, so we can see how it turned out?

    • the Muse

      hi the Peach the end result was so bad that’s why I didn’t post photos 🙂 I’ll try using it again and see what I come up with! 🙂

  • Ally

    Muse I love your blog so much! I swear latelly evertime I’m wondering about a new product I look here and you’ve just reviewed it! Seriously it’s like you’re reading my mind 🙂 Haha love ya!!

    • the Muse

      aw thanks Ally ;-D so glad you’re finding the posts helpful hun!!!!!!!!!! xoxoxo! love ya back!

  • Sonia

    Lol, you always review products I’m curious about…Mind reader! Thanks for this post!

  • Rosslyn

    I saw this product and it was love at first sight. I couldn’t wait to get it home and try it. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out like I had hoped. I have large eyes with lots of space between my lashes up to my brow. The highlighter color hit where the countour should have been. I’m returning it asap and hope I can get my money back.

    • the Muse

      rosslyn sorry to hear. Pretty much a gimmick-y product I guess simply didn’t work for me either 😛

  • Isabel

    Ah.. I see the amazing concept behind this but it wouldn’t really work since not everyone has the same eye shape & size =_= And the bottom of the sponge is curved inwards o.0 Are you supposed to apply this with your eyes open or something? lol Maybe I’m imagining this wrong though

    • the Muse

      hey isabel ;-D crazy isn’t it? Nope you close your eye and kinda stretch it to the side and swipe the brush across ;-D

  • Ami

    I picked this up the other day in #809 for Brown Eyes and it actually works quite well for me! I’m Asian of NC20 skintone. My eyes are fairly small but I have a good amount of space between my lashline and eyebrow. I found this thing REALLY easy to use! The lightest shade ends up directly on my browbone where I usually highlight, while the darker shades fit onto my lid. After I sweep it on I lightly blend with a fluffy brush and viola! It gives me a gorgeous subtle eye look. Love it. I’m definitely going back to get a couple more in the other color selections. And maybe even a backup of #809. =D

    • the Muse

      awesome Ami glad to hear it. Sadly didn’t succeed at all unless I used a regular line of brushes to apply. The large sponge applicator just doesn’t do the trick for me!

    • cheryl edmond

      i totally agree, but……. i am australian (living in texas at the moment) with quite big green eyes, i purchased this in #809 and i love, love, love it…..

      i am a beauty therapist and i know a lot about different techniques etc…. i purchased this to kind of prove loreal wrong, and cause it was so cheap of an experiment… i was wrong , this product is actually what i have been using for quite a while now on prom and wedding make-up … they all seem to love it, it just takes a little practice..thats all… love this…

  • Zahara

    So I bought it thinking “why not?” It took me a few minutes to figure out which way the hold the applicator and how this thing is supposed to work….. . I find it extremely difficult to get the exact shade on both eye lids, not to mention that it you try to apply it again, it looks like you just wiped your eyes as it is very hard to get it in the same spot again.
    I removed all of it and started over. In my second round, it worked better on my right eye, probably because I am right handed and the applicator was finally done sucking up all the color it could. However, the left side came out funky since I can not move my right hand in the exact motion over my left eye as I can on my right eye. Hmmh.
    I like the colors (playful for brown eyes) and will use them (with a brush) but I do not think this product is worth the money.

    When my husband asked what I was doing I asked him how my new makeup looked and he said I looked like ‘the morning after a night out in town’ I asked him what he meant and his reply was ‘it’s like the leftovers of a nice makeup job – you know, like the morning after going to bed with your makeup on’
    Great, not the answer I was looking for…. I will use a brush instead.

    • the Muse

      LOL zahara no offense but your story cracked me up! Your hub is right, I got the morning after look too! LOL. what a hot mess right?! Honestly the idea is awesome but it doesn’t actually work 😛

    • cheryl edmond

      just remember to wipe the applicator to remove old residue before u do your next eye and u should get great results…

  • Megan

    I saw these at the store and was tempted to buy them for the pretty colors, but I wasn’t planning on using the sponge thing. Do you think they would work well with regular mac brushes or would they be too small to fit a brush into one color?

  • Tobi

    I just bought this the other day and I have to say I love it! It really works for me. Took me a few times to get used to the applicator but I feel like a pro now.. The colors look the exact on both eyes and have had nothing but compliments on how great my eye’s look! Keep in mind I do have bigger eyes so that could be why this works so well for me.

  • Emma

    This concept is a ripoff from a asian brand-
    can�t remember if it was Canmake or maybe Etude?*scratches head*

    Anyway this gimmicky product has the advantage of giving up on the weird “one size fits none”applicator and just use your own brushes!

    The colors look nice in your swatches…thanks for an awesome blog:)

  • Mel

    I saw these in the store and kinda chuckled to myself. Whoever can master these is a hero in my cosmetic eyes!

  • JoLee

    True, it is an interesting idea. However I agree that I would end up throwing away their sponge applicator (or keeping it for some other use) and using my own brushes to create the effect I want. No one’s eyelid is enough the same as another’s to make this “one size fits all” thing work. It may be good for someone who rarely wears makeup but is going to for a special occasion and doesn’t feel they have the skills to do it well.

  • Ash

    I have the one that’s Playful for Blue eyes. At first, I hated it. The next time I tried it, I only disliked it. After that, I started getting better at it, and now I love it. It takes a little practice, but it’s actually a pretty decent product and takes very little time to apply now.
    If you do buy this and find that you don’t like it, don’t give up on it right away. Keep trying. If you really find that you truly hate it, you can always use an eyeshadow brush to apply the shadow individually.

  • DiDi

    I absolutely love this eyeshadow, especially the applicator which works perfects on my eyelids and I love the texture. I do agree the colors don’t go on that fabulous but I just touch them up with some other of my own colors.

  • Jessica

    mine works just fine! i love it!! the best and most easy eyeshadow i ever used.

  • Melissa

    I received mine to try as part of my bzzkit from bzzagent. I tried it and it looks so ridiculous when I do it! I have the brown set, and I end up with bizarre super 70s looking david bowie eyes because it’s just SO FREAKING DARK on my eyelids and then it makes this strange sweeping rectangle shape when I use the applicator.
    I seriously have no idea how anyone can get this thing to work correctly without washing their face and starting over a million times.
    I’ve already tried it twice today and ended up just blending all 3 colors together and wiping off half of it so I didn’t look like I was going to a costume party or something.
    My skin is pretty pale though, so the dark brown is really really dark on me.

  • ThirtyWhat

    I got a trial of this … and their new mascara … and wow … epic fail. The dark liner at the bottom is either too wide or splotchy … the other two colors just seem to bleed together … just … no. The colors themselves are rather pretty … I used my own brushes and was able to create a nice look. But that ginormous foam thing? Utterly useless!

  • Rae

    Hi,

    Thanks for the review! I was curious on how it worked and it took me 5 minutes to figure out how to use the applicator. I have asian eyes and I found that the applicator worked well for the liner, but the brow highlights didn’t reach my brow…
    however, the colors are really pretty !

    • the Muse

      i liked the color range too rae but the brush didn’t really do the trick ;D

  • Bella

    Hello there,
    So I tried this prduct and i’m saying to myself “Is this really going to work?” so I put it on my eyes and it was messy all over my lid. It was looking streaky and ugly and I didn’t like it at all. But then I took a small fluffy brush and started filling in parts and fixing then taking a big fluffy brush and making them work well together. It was pretty good then, so all I can say is unless you have a lot of time don’t buy it and I completly agree with you about everything you said. Thanks for the help

    • the Muse

      thanks for your mini review Bella, aw sorry to hear it didn’t work for you either but yup using a brush does kinda help smooth things out :D!

  • featherann

    i LOVE this! my friend recommended it to me, so I bought two..the browns and purples. I’ve worn the purple one every day since. I’m constantly getting comments on it. this is coming from someone who hates makeup..hates applying it..hates everything about it lol (but gotta wear it for work!)… but it takes 2 seconds to apply and it’s done and looks great. i just hope it sells well enough for l’oreal to not discontinue it..that’s my big fear lol

  • Noura

    I just bought one today in the purple set just to try it cause Purple is my favorite color, and I really like this product, and I plan to purchase more. I love L’Oreal! This coming from a mom that rarely has anytime to make up my eyes and I just love playing in my eye shadows Especially this new one I just purchased I got my 23 month old into it too lol!

  • blossom

    I was pleased with this…not blown away, but I do my makeup on the train so I’m looking for ease. I stuck with the natural for my color eyes to be safe…was dropping 10 bucks…I may venture back and get the playful shades…

  • Misty Williams

    hi i bought the eyeshadow yesterday an i cant figure out how to work it like it showed in the magazine, can anyone tell me how to use it or how i suppose to hold the brush to put the black then the gray then the white on my eyes, it really making me mad, i tried it once an it did not work for me, then i took it offf an tried it agian an still had trouble wit it very frustrating to me, can someone let me know how to work this thing thank u

  • nells:)

    i actually liked it. im really horrible at eyeshadow and all that stuff :’/ i felt like a failure for a girl 😛 but this totally made it easy and i use it all the time! 🙂 well, everyone has opinions ^ ^

  • Andrea

    I have been using these eyeshadows ever since they came out, and I won’t go back! They just work really well for me and in one swipe. I have never been good with blending, so taking out the brushes and all the fuss is nice for me! I’ve known people who the brush didn’t fit their eye right, so maybe that’s the problem ppl are having with the colors coming across weird?

    Also, some of the shades for “my eye color” didn’t look good…..so you really have to know what works for you!

  • Miss Mochaccino

    My cousin really seems to like the natural palette for blue eyes, however it has recently become almost impossible to find in stores anymore. Does anyone know if this has been discontinued?