iHope KANEBO 2020 Luxury Makeup Revamp (plus Swatches)

KANEBO Eye Color Duos 2020

Japanese luxury line Kanebo has revamped their entire makeup line this year, and did a complete 180 from conservative “OL” (office lady) aesthetic to something completely fresh and vibrant.

Besides including funky mixers and pop shades in their buttery N-rouge lipstick line to let you tweak and create completely unique shades yourself, they’ve also added interesting multipurpose creams called Drawing Dual Rouges and Drawing Dual Pens that promise to be usable on eyes, cheeks, lips, anywhere you like. Even the eye palette is a small custom compact into which you can slot up to 3 mini duos. We are basically free to experiment with colors and textures and it's all done with maximum portability, minimum weight and fuss.

Considering lipsticks cost about S$60 a pop and the tiny eyeshadow duos are S$35 in Singapore, it’s not easy to explore the line if you’re shopping online during the current pandemic, so here are all the color products (aside from the 3 basic monotone Drawing Pencils) swatched for your reference!

LANEIGE Two Tone Matte Lip Bars

LANEIGE's popular Two Tone Lip Bars are now available in a matte formulation!

I'm a fan of both the original satin/creme formula, as well as the more balmy and glossy Tint formula, because both boast intensely vibrant colors in a fun format for creating ombre lips. But I'm obviously excited about the launch of a matte series since this is by far my favorite texture.

The Two Tone Matte Bars come in gorgeous pink matte-chrome tubes but the lipsticks themselves have the same slanted cut as the original Two Tone Lip Bars.

Maybelline Color Sensational Inti-matte Nude swatches

I've always liked the Maybelline Color Sensational range for proving that drugstore lipsticks can be affordable, high-performance, AND come in fashion-forward colors.

Even though we didn't get access to a lot of the more edgy finishes and colors until quite recently, I've built up quite a collection, primarily Powder Mattes (so lightweight and saturated) and a couple of the Loaded Bolds as well. I love the mattes because they have a very modern powdery texture that you can sheer out for a very editorial "flower petal" finish akin to high-end mattes like Shu Uemura's.

This October, Maybelline will be launching 10 shades in the Inti-matte Nude collection, cos who doesn't need more neutral mattes??! The shades are split into 3 groups; 2 Neutrals, 4 Warms and 4 Cools.

New LANEIGE Silk Intense Lipsticks

LANEIGE has updated their Silk Intense Lipstick range recently with revamped formula, packaging and shades. The new lipsticks come in sleek white and silver magnetized tubes that are more sturdy and grown-up looking than the original.

Compared to the original Silk Intense Lipsticks, the new formula is similar in intensity and coverage and share the same lightweight creme texture. However, I find the new formula less "slippery" feeling and easier to build up. The shades also contain ultra-micronized pigments so they go on more evenly and can be built for opaque coverage or worn sheer without looking patchy.

I've worn these a few days now, and I'm pretty happy with the feel and performance. I have not had issues with them making my dry lips flaky or uncomfortable, which ironically happens with some thinner, more slippery creme lipsticks. In fact, when my lips got quite parched and wrinkly in-between swatches these lipsticks just plumped them right up once I applied the next shade. Despite the creamy hydrating texture, they do last pretty well and a simple wet wipe is surprisingly not sufficient to remove it completely from skin. 

Silk Intense Lipstick 335 Get the Red

There are 35 shades available in Singapore at S$36 each, which is a good price point considering the luxe feel of the formula. They do somewhat remind me of Rouge Diors and Rouge Cocos in formula, with the exception being that the shades are obviously designed to suit Asian/pale-to-medium skin tones.

I've swatched them all below roughly separated by color category or the effect they have on the face, and marked LANEIGE's Star shades with **.

Soft peachy/pink Silk Intense tones

These softer tones look quite soft against the skin but have somewhat "natural" undertones. My personal pick here is 430 Pink Garden. These colors will probably look like pink-nudes or peach-nudes on most people.

430 Pink Garden

The next group are more typical Korean "It" shades. Coraly pink tones with a touch of juicy vibrancy.

I especially love 147 Raspberry Pink, which I'd describe more like watermelon pink, and 142 Love Me New Me, a classic K-style pink coral. Both shades look great worn ombre-style with minimal makeup, for a glowy stained lip effect.

As for the pinks, there are a couple of great ones as well. I personally would not use 101 Neon Pink or 350 Peony on their own but I do love 149 Cherry Popcorn and 362 Urban Jungle especially. I'm usually not a fan of pearlescent pink shades but I also found myself really liking 145 Glam Pink. I suggest applying a tiny bit and pressing your lips together for that rosy baby-lips "no makeup" effect.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Acrylip Lip Paints Review

MAKE UP FOR EVER's new Artist Acrylips Lip Paints are full-coverage liquid rouges have been so fun to play with. They do remind me very much of Too Faced Melted Lipsticks, as well as OCC Lip Tars (although these have the added benefit of not separating in the tubes).

These come in squeeze tubes with flocked applicators just like Too Faced Melted Lipsticks. They are a lightweight cream texture with sheen, and I really enjoy how weightless they feel on the lips. You don't need to apply a lot for vibrant color, and these don't feel tacky or sticky at all.

I found it quite easy to apply these straight from the tips without having to use a brush, although you might still need a lip pencil to prevent bleeding into fine lines around the lips. To be fair though, I have not experienced very much bleeding with these but it always helps to be safe.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Acrylip Lip Paint in 202

I shot two lip swatches here for demonstration. 202 is a bright coral which I wore opaque without liner or base. The colors generally cover the surface evenly and are not streaky or patchy.

The other way I've been wearing a couple of the shades is sheered out like below. 501 is a deep dark vampy noir shade which I can apply full on for a dramatic look. But I actually also enjoy wearing it sheer for a deep berry-tinged effect.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Acrylip Lip Paint in 501

You can achieve this soft-edged effect by applying a small amount of product to the center of your lips, pressing them together, then using your ring finger to tap-tap-tap and spread the color outward. You can leave most of the color concentrated in the center for an ombre bitten-lip effect, or just spread it evenly for a  deep flush like this.

Spread and sheered out this way, the edge seldom bleeds because there is no excess product. This is true of most creamy lip products. This sort of softened-matte look is very fashionable at the moment. (Take a look at the Burberry Lip Velvet ads.) I just like the switch to a softer, less-severe look. If you'd prefer a liner beneath, use a flesh-toned one so you don't end up with the same hard edges.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Acrylip Lip Paints retail at SGD$33 in all Sephora stores in Singapore.

LANEIGE Two Tone Tint Lip Bar Swatches and Review

LANEIGE started 2017 with the launch of 8 Two Tone Tint Lip Bars, the tinted-balm versions of their bestselling full-coverage Two Tone Lip Bars.

Over the past two years, I've pretty much tried every single shade in their line, and I love how pigmented they are. In fact, most times I'll wear them like regular lipsticks with both shades blended together. The pigmentation and texture (for me) far outweighs any fun of getting a two tone effect. They just happen to be really good lipsticks. Period.

I do occasionally find the regular Lip Bar formula just a bit drying. They're not matte, but they also won't add enough hydration when my lips are feeling a bit ragged. So it was kinda cool that the brand launched tinted balm versions.

The balm portion is made of up the same yummy berry-flavored formula as their Lip Sleeping Mask, which I use as a daily balm. (It's a huge pot, and I get 4-packs for cheaper when I travel.) 

The tips also have a V-shaped cut instead of the original slant, in order for there to be a higher proportion of the clear balm for nourishing the lips.

To call them tinted balms would be slightly inaccurate, simply because most tinted balms are super sheer. When I first swatched them I was expecting a translucent sheen, so I was quite surprised. These give significant pops of color to the lips and you actually have to blend them out a little if you want a sheerer softer look.

I received 4 shades out of the 8 to swatch in my press box, and the rest of the shades can be viewed on laneige.com. As you can see above, the colored section is pretty intense, and once you try it you'll realize that despite there being a translucent balm section, the choice of shades is on the vibrant side, so they give a bright and made-up look to the lips even when sheered.

If you are looking for "barely there" natural balm tints, these are not it. If you want something that you can smear on without a mirror, I think these may not be it either. If you are prone to messy applications, these are a bit too bright and obvious to hide that.

I will say I enjoy these for casual days when I want to wear minimal makeup and colorful lips, but am not feeling up to a more drying formula. They do feel super silky and hydrating, and you get to enjoy your favorite K-trend colors without sacrificing on lip care.

LANEIGE Two Tone Tint Lip Bars retail at $34, the same as the regular Lip Bars.

Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge

Shiseido's just launched a new series of Radiant Liquid Rouges in their prestige Clé de Peau line, and I was very happy to see that these are beautifully pigmented.

I have two shades here to try out and swatch, 15 and 17.

15 is a soft violet-pink. A shade which I find quite atypical of a brand like Clé de Peau, which usually avoids the less "mainstream" tones. But the average consumer is (finally) becoming more experimental with their lip colors, and this shade of violet is as wearable as they come.

I remember in the good ol' days, when there were only a few brands selling this type of pinky-violet hue, including MAC and Lime Crime. And in those days, it was more the young and funky that would gravitate towards this sort of shade, despite the fact that it is surprisingly flattering on many skin tones.

If you're on the market for a bit of a change, make sure you try this out. You could be pleasantly surprised.

For those who want more classic glamour, there is always 15, which is a red which manages to be both soft and rich at the same time. It's not a deep dark scarlet. I like to call it a luminous red, because there is a hint of milky orange, as well as a hint of blue-undertone to it at the same time. 

Compared to sister brands Shiseido and ZA, the Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouges are noticeably more balmy and plush feeling. There is more of a cushiony thickness to the product, although it's not sticky or gloopy. The texture just melts in and lips feel instantly nourished, which is nothing short of what you'd expect from a prestige line like this.

Color stays quite even on the surface of the lips although with all liquid rouges, you will need to touch up after awhile, no matter what. I was pretty surprised how little bleeding and feathering I got with these. Something about the formula does reduce the appearance of color bleeding into fine lines around the lips, even without liner or lipstick beneath. These work great over lipsticks as well, if you want to intensify both color and shine.

I would say these are not as intensely pigmented as the ZA Vibrant Moist Lacquers, but then those are meant to be eye-catching "pop" colors anyway. Radiant Liquid Rouge is more forgiving and comes in softer tones as wll, and you can wear them opaque or just as a very light coat for a more traditional "sheer gloss" look without it looking patchy or streaky.

Shu Uemura Color Atelier Eye Shadow Swatches and Review

Shu Uemura has revamped their eyeshadow line and added an additional 41 shades, They will also be resurrecting 5 discontinued shades, so the total will eventually add up to 100 whopping colors.

Currently in Singapore, there is stock for 82 colors. 41 new, 41 catalogue. Once stock issues have been sorted out all 100 shades in 6 textures (matte, pearl, metallic, shimmer, iridescent, and glitter) will be available for you to pick to your heart's content. 

If you've never purchased Shu shadows before, you'll know they usually work with a custom-system where you buy empty 4-pan palettes for SGD$25 (that's the most common size) and slot in individual shadows at $22 each. The shadows are very reasonably priced as far as high-end shadows go in Singapore, but the palettes themselves tend to be a bit expensive.

If you're put off by that, what a lot of people do is keep their eyeshadows and blushes in the original plastic cases, buy one or two eyeshadow palettes, and just slot in 4 shadows - or 2 shadows and a blush - whenever they need to bring their makeup around. (Or skip the palette entirely if you don't travel or have large custom palettes already; it's up to you.)

Grey-toned smoky eye done with the 4-pan palette pictured at top of post

Shu Uemura shadows have always been great quality; there's no dispute on that. But I've always felt their strength was in the metallic (ME), iridescent (IR) and glitter (G) textures, and not so much the mattes, which were not as buildable or blendable.

But I was quite surprised after swatching 41 new and 2 re-promoted shades below that a lot of the mattes were actually my favorites of the lot. They are designed to have high color fidelity; what you see is what you get. And the textures are also meant to be ultra-smooth and easy to blend.

My custom palette is composed of the below shades:

M 907 -  matte white (catalogue)

M 613 - matte baby aqua (new)

M 935 - matte dove grey (new)

IR 685 - iridescent navy (new)

Natasha Denona 28 Palette Swatches and Overview

Natasha Denona is one of the new "It" brand among makeup afficionados, and one of their hero products is the 28 pan shadow palettes, which come in just 2 variations - Green-Brown, and Purple-Blue.

These are pricey - let's get that out of the way - each palette is US$239 - which may be a little too much to splash out at one shot if you're not sure about the quality and the type of shades that you're getting. But if you're building up your collection or you just love colors and variety in general, the fact is you're paying a little over $8 per shade, and with 2.5g of product per pan (a typical MAC pan has 1.5g) it's actually really good value for money if you will use a majority of the shades.

Otherwise, the purpose for my post is also for you to take note of individual colors that perform well and that you might especially like, because Natasha Denona shadows are available in singles, as well as 5-pan and 10-pan palettes, although you won't get each color at the same price of course.

Each palette is not plastic, but made of a sturdy padded magnetized "foam" that does absorb a bit of shock and reduces the chances of your shadows shattering during transportation. The bad thing about this is they are also quite a lot heavier than typical plastic palettes, if you're having to carry a lot of things around in your kit.

Quality and Pigmentation

For the most part, the shades are great quality. Highly-pigmented and smooth. But this also means fallout, which is normal for most brands.

I can't say all the shades are equally good though. Natasha Denona shadows are talc-based, so similar to other brands with talc-based formulas (think Morphe, etc) the metallics and pearls are outstanding; and the mattes tend to be a bit more inconsistent.

In the Green-Brown palettes, I would say the bulk of the shades are fair to great. There is maybe one matte shade (64V Shell) which is patchy and poorer in quality than the rest. But for the most part, you can use any one of the shades and be pretty confident it will perform well. As for the Purple-Blue palette, it's a lot less consistent. Several of the mattes (70P Cool Plum, 28V Electric Violet, 82V Nina's Orchid, and 24V Aubergine) are quite patchy and not as easy to work with if you want to build up intense color on the lids with these.


Colors

I have to say in terms of the color composition and choices, Purple-Blue is hands-down the winner for me. There are a lot more unique and wonderfully beautiful shades, including some incredible duochromes, and if you are going to be paying $239 for one premium palette, I wouldn't suggest going for the more "normal" Green-Brown since it's probably easier to find some comparable shades in other palettes and lines.

Then again if you want reliable quality and plenty of daily wearable options in one palette and don't already own lots of neutrals and warm tones, then Green-Brown would make sense for you, since there are a few more patchy, unpigmented "duds" in Purple-Blue, sadly. Still, I don't regret getting it because there are a lot more of the pretty shades.

And even with the Purple-Blue palette, there are a good number of neutral shades for you to "complete your look", if you don't want just purple and blue all over. Neither palette has a black, which I am fine with, because that's one of those utilitarian shades that I'd rather buy and restock separately in most cases.

For the looks below, I used several shades to try and test as many different shades and finishes as possible.

Green-Brown Look:

• 64V Shell as transition shade in socket
• 90V Sand storm in outer half of socket for warmth and dimension
• 78M Umber in outer corners for depth
• 14M Antique Olive in center of lid and along lower lash line
• Mix of 86P Golden Aquamarine and 16M Emerald Green in inner corners for a cool-green contrast
• 20M True Gold down the center of the lids for a pop of sparkle and shine on top of the Antique Olive shade
• I also used a charcoal grey pencil as liner, and 15M Bottle Green just on top of the liner in outer corners of my eyes for some depth

Eye look done using the Green-Brown 28 Palette

Purple-Blue Look:

• I applied navy blue pencil along the upper and lower lashes first, then applied shadows over top for a subtler, more pearlescent liner effect.
• 80M Piggy over inner half of lids
• 11V Steel Blue blended softly into socket line for subtle shading
• 05M Calypso Blue over outer half of lids (this gorgeous duochrome shade also "transforms" the look of the pencil and the matte socket shading beneath)
• 11M Metallic Steel Blue over the pencil to bring out more blue in the liner
• 04M Chromatic for a metallic platinum sparkle down the center of the lids
• 52M Golden Beige over entire brow bone area for a golden-peach contrast to the cool-toned look

Eye look done using the Purple-Blue 28 palette

Conclusion?

These are definitely worth checking out if you're a makeup fanatic.This is a great new line to try, and while the formulas aren't earth-shattering in any sense, it IS pretty good value.

If you're just starting out however, I might suggest going with cheaper lines just to stretch your dollars a bit before you commit to something as pricey as these. And you know yourself - if you're likely to use the same 4-5 colors daily and don't often veer out of your comfort zone, then it's really not worth buying a large palette anyway.

I will probably get more daily use out of the Green-Brown palette as a whole but there are some shades that are so great in the Purple-Blue palette that I would say it's still worth checking out if you're more of a cool-toned gal.

I do definitely recommend checking out some individual shades like 05M Calypso Blue, 01V Navy, 60M Golden Rose, and a whole range of the other metallics in this palette, if you don't want to get all 28 including the patchier shades. But just do your calculation, cos if you're getting a fair number of single shades, it might add up to the same amount as (or more than) the 28 palette, in which case you might as well just get the whole palette, duds and all.

MAC Versicolour Review and Swatches

MAC will launch their new Versicolours in Singapore on 7 April at SG$43 each. These hybrid gloss-stains are made with the same gel-oil technology present in products like YSL Glossy Stains and Dior Addict Addict Fluidsticks.

If you haven't tried these before, they go on like watery half-set pudding (it's really more pleasant than it sounds) and the volatile components in the formula evaporate, similar to matte liquid lipsticks. However, the product sets into a gel and retains its glossy shine. The product that looks like gloss but doesn't feel or smear off like gloss.

The launch kinda begs the question: why now?

After all, YSL launched Glossy Stains several years ago in 2011 or 2012, and a lot of other brands followed. Now, we have access to so many economical, accessible lines from Asian brands like Laneige, Innisfree, The Face Shop, etc that I struggle a bit to understand why MAC is bringing out their own line when it is so much later, and so much more pricey - than some of the options on the market.

I do have to say they have some really nice shades. What you need to remember with many of these gloss stains is - they stain. (Duh.) This means you will ALWAYS end up with a much deeper and rosier shade than you see in the tube after 15-30 minutes of wear. The only line which I've tried that does not deepen over time is Dior's Fluidstick, so bear that in mind.

I received 13 of 15 shades to swatch, and there was a mix-up in my baggy, so I had one repeat color. Apologize for only have 12 shades instead of 15 here for you to have a look at. Please note that the shades here have only had a few minutes to set, and are a touch deeper when worn on the lips for a longer time.

Shades not swatched here:

Let's Stay Together - warm pink

Resilient Rouge - cherry red

Perpetual Holiday - deep grape

Long Live The Night - true nude beige
Tattoo My Heart - warm salmon
Always & Forever - squash yellow-orange
Can't Stop Won't Stop - tangerine

I'm personally partial to Tattoo My Heart for a rosy lip look (it starts off soft but gets deeper), and Can't Stop Won't Stop. The good news is even if you like orange but think Always & Forever is a bit too yellow to pull off, give it a try and let it set on your lips for 15-20 mins before you pass it over. It will deepen up a bit and become more of a true orange.

Truly Everlasting - bright milky coral
Forever Darling - orange-based warm red
Last Minute - cherry pink
It's Neverending - rose pink

Preserving Passion - deep plum
Long Distance Relationship - violet
Constant Craving - pastel cool pink
Ceaseless Energy - bright Barbie pink

I like Preserving Passion and Long Distance just cos I think the lacquered juicy texture works well with rich, berry tones. Among these cooler toned shades. Constant Craving looks too pale and too scary in the tube but it does become more like Ceaseless Energy after the stain sets in, whereas Ceaseless Energy goes deeper, rosier and warmer.

Below is Long Distance Relationship about 20 minutes in. It's deeper than the arm swatch above, but it will deepen up a bit further until you get something that looks more like Heroine lipstick. I wore no lip liner or base shade, and you can see the color does wear quite evenly if you know how to apply it.

I mentioned above that it's nothing new, and this is also very expensive even by MAC standards. But if you see a color you like, I would still say check them out.

Why?

1. The shade range is great if you like funkier colors like violets, bright oranges, etc. Most brands either veer towards classic shades (YSL, Dior), or towards bright Asian-friendly pop tones (all the Korean brands). There are not that many lines with gloss stains in edgier, more unique colors.

2. The formula is good; early-generation gel stains have a tendency to go on uneven and patchy, and then be hard to smooth out once they set a bit on the lips. With this one, I can apply, then lightly roll my lips together to even out the color distribution. The product doesn't gunk up or go patchy when you do that. It is also genuinely conditioning and quite comfortable to wear.

3. The lasting power is great. Stains do last a long time in general; be prepared to have stained lips for a day after use. But not all gel stains stay glossy and lacquer-like for hours and hours. Many will set and go a bit thin and not be as glossy. This formula stayed shiny and looked pretty fresh looking for a few hours through drinking. (Of course, it kisses off and gets less shiny and pigmented if you eat.) Which is great if you like the look of pigmented glosses but hate the sticky gloopy feel.

Not a lot of hype remains for gloss stains in general, even though they do still tend to sell quite well across many brands. These are somewhere between Dior (ultra shiny and non-staining) and YSL (moderate shine and highly-staining) in performance. It's a bit thicker and more plush feeling than typical Asian formulas, which is nice.

It's down to individual preference and whether you find a color that makes it worth the YSL-esque prices.

LANEIGE New Two Tone Shadow and Lip Bars

I have a bit of a strange fascination with LANEIGE's popular Two Tone Lip Bars (SG$34) - those strange rectangular tubes of crayola-like dual-colored lipsticks that allow you to create ombre lips in a couple of swipes.

Nevermind that I actually never wear them out as intended, as ombre lips. I do wear ombre lips quite often actually, but I like them subtle. Meaning the two shades are no more than a few tones apart, so there is dimension but it's not "obviously two colors" on my lips. LANEIGE's lip bars pair very deep/strong and pale shades together, and if you're not careful it can look a bit crazy.

My preferred way to wear LANEIGE's Two Tone Lip Bars is to hold the two sides horizontally side-ways - as a single combined shade.

Because they're all frikkin' nice mixed together. They definitely gave thought to how the two shades in each bar combine and blend together.

The release of 4 additional new shades in 2016 is no different.

I kinda took my time to post a review because I popped one of the shades right into my purse the very day after I received them and never got down to swatching.

No 11 - Coral and yellow mixed to a warm papaya
No 12 - Red and nude mixed to a soft warm cherry
No 13 - Tangerine and beige mixed to a soft orange
No 14 - Rose and beige mixed to a rich fuchsia

As with the original 10 shades, these have a gorgeously creamy and pigmented texture and go on like butta'.

I have a bit more of a mixed response to the Two Tone Shadow Bars.
They're equally fascinating to me - I just love the bars and they seem like they would be a great idea. Two in one cream shadow sticks. But somehow, after the initial excitement, I'm not entirely sure they're the greatest idea ever.

Unlike with lipsticks, it's not actually troublesome to blend two shades together on your eyes quickly. In fact, it's very, very easy. Ironically these Two Tone Shadow Bars - pretty as they are - ended up making it very, very hard.

Firstly, the flat rectangular tips make it extremely hard to apply across the lids. In fact they are downright uncomfy if you want to get a full swipe across your eye. Good luck trying to get both shades evenly across your eye in one or two swipes. Eyes are curved, and a straight edge is just not going to be able to get two colors on quickly.

Also if you like to apply lighter shades on the inner half of your lids and darker shades in the outer corners, you can't do that with these sticks. And never mind that the socket is curved away from the lash line in the center of the eye. These sticks will give you a stripe cutting straight across your eyeball and socket. 

This somewhat reminds me of those L'oreal One Sweep Shadows from a few years back. (Read: someone who obviously doesn't apply makeup thought those palettes would be a really clever idea.)

I somehow feel if they had split the two colors into a double-ended stick with one color on each end, it would work a bit better. Putting it together ombre style is a new and fun idea - but in the end, it's just feels like something created to ride on the coat-tails of the successful ombre lip bars, and not because it's actually a great idea for the eyes.

Unlike the Lip Bars, the pigmentation is not quite strong enough for the two tones to have enough contrast against each other and if you go back and forth to get a noticeable ombre effect on the much smealler lid area, and you mostly end up with what looks like a single shade.

The colors themselves are actually pretty darned nice, if a little lacking in options - there are 4 all-warm colors currently:

No 1 - coral and peachy champagne

No 2 - rose-gold and champagne

No 3 - orange and champagne

No 4 - chocolate and champagne

There are no cooler-toned or deeper options aside from No 4, which isn't all that deep once blended on the lids. Also the formula is not designed to be budge-proof, and you're kinda supposed to apply a thin layer of translucent powder over them to set, or use them as base for other shadows. Which kinda mutes the sparkle and defeats the purpose. If you have crease-prone lids, I would skip these.

It's not easy to apply these as an eye base compared to the typical cream shadow sticks or pots because of the awkward shape and the slightly less creamy texture. And on their own they aren't as pigmented and don't set and last as well as many other shadow sticks on the market. 

 I say all this - but I remain very fascinated and I keep using them despite the slight hassle of working with that oblong top and the slightly finnicky formula. Maybe I have an undiscovered fetish for crayons.