** This post was written by Fiona. She no longer blogs for Swatch And Learn. However, Mary still continues to blog and will be happy to reply to your comment. **

I love single shadows that let me mix and match my colors to create a unique look. But sometimes you just need something quick and easy – colors you know go well together. Almay intense i-color Powder Shadow Trio for Brows is one of them. Lucky for me, this is a set of purples, and I love me some purps.

Previously, I tried their liner and absolutely loved the vibrant amethyst purple. In comparison, these purples are not so brilliant, but rather dull. The main reason why I don’t think this is worth the buy at all.

Almay intense i-color Powder Shadow Trio for Browns Swatches & Photos

Claims: TRUSTED

√ Intensify eye color
√ Silky powder blends smoothly & evenly
√ Long-lasting color pigments
√ No fading or creasing (with a primer)

Key Notes

• Name: Almay intense i-color Powder Shadow trio for Browns
• Amount: 0.13oz or 3.6g
• What I Paid: $9.49 CAD
• Related Almay intense i-color Products: Eyeliner, Liquid Eyeliner, Volumizing Mascara, Kohl Eyeliner with Light Interplay Technology, Powder Shadow Trio with Light Interplay Technology, Mascara with Light Interplay Technology, Smoky-i Kit
  
• Other Colors Available: For Blues, Greens & Hazels
• Where to Buy: CVS, Walgreens, ULTA, drugstore, ,Walmart, supermarkets, drugstores, big-box stores

Almay intense i-color Play Up the Brown Review

Color

Almay intense i-color Play Up the Brown comes in three purplish shades: the highlight is an icy light lilac that shimmers (love), the contour is a deep plum, and the third is a purplish-pink with a very soft shimmery finish.

I like how all three colors complement each other very well. Like I said: it’s good to have shades ready that you know look good together. The purples are nice, but I don’t think they really intensify my natural eye color. Main reason being they’re not vibrant enough, IMHO. They’re kind of muddy, especially the contouring shade, so they don’t contrast against my browns enough to play them up.

Pigmentation

These shadows are not the most pigmented shadows to have ever been created. If you don’t wear a primer, the payoff is kind of weak. Even with one on, the colors still kind of just fade into the background.

Application

Forget the little brush that it comes with. It’s tiny, and it’s rough. I’d much rather makeup companies not waste money and resources producing these useless applicators – it creates so much wste. Go with your own brushes instead, and Almay Play Up the Browns will go on easily and smoothly.

I’ve heard some people complain that the pans are too slender. For me, they’re just right. It’s wide enough to take the width of my brush, so no complaints here. Maybe they’re saying it’s small because there isn’t actually a lot of product in this palette.

Blendability

Almay intense i-color Play Up Powder Shadow Trio for Browns is quite easy to blend. And if you wear it on top of a primer, you won’t over-blend it too easily. It keeps its color quite well.

Wearability

If I don’t wear a primer, eyeshadows have no chance in heck of staying put. And this is no exception. It fades and creases on me if I don’t prep my eyes first. So make sure you’ve got a good priming pal at hand.

How to Wear

I normally wear all three of these colors together, with the bottom shade on my entire lid. Then I use the darker color on the outer V and finish it off with the lightest shade between the crease and the brow bone (or use the lightest shade on the brow bone as a highlight). But I really like the highlight color, so I’ve worn that on the lid as well – it really brightens my eyes because of the icy shimmer.

Pros  Easy to apply & blend Can be worn alone, in a duo or as all three Hypo-allergenic Dermatologist & ophthalmologist tested

Cons  Not very pigmented Colors are a bit dull & muddy Doesn’t intensify brown eyes Fades/creases without primer

Final Verdict: 7.6/10

Overall, I really like the icy lilac highlighting shade and sometimes the medium shade… only sometimes. I like the idea and concept behind this, but I would prefer shades that are more vibrant.

And if you like these colors but don’t have brown eyes, step outside the line! Go against the grain! Swim upstream! You don’t really need brown eyes to grab this set.

What do you think of these purples? Have you tried the other colors in the Almay intense i-color Powder Shadow Trio Collection?